How to Use QuickBooks

QuickBooks is a software program that allows you to better run your business. You can track your customers, vendors and employees. With this information you can accurately complete your taxes at the end of the year and you will know how profitable your business was.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• QuickBooks software programs
• Business receipts
• Business customer, vendor, and employee information

QuickBooks basic information

1. Purchase the QuickBooks software from a reputable computer software store.
2. Install QuickBooks on your computer.
3. Watch the quick tutorials that QuickBooks provides for you upon opening the software. This will give you an overview of how the QuickBooks program works.
4. Observe the three main categories on the home page; customers, vendors, and employees.

Vendors

5. Add new vendor by clicking "new vendor" button.
6. Enter new transaction by using the "new transaction" button. This will allow you to enter your bills and mark them as paid when appropriate.
7. View vendor list, vendor information and vendor transaction list.
8. Push the "excel" button which allows you to move information from QuickBooks to an excel spreadsheet. This allows for easier transfers from one computer to the other.
9. Click the "Word" document button giving you the option to write several different letters to vendors and also print envelopes.

Customers

10. Select a "new customer" and "job" button which allows you to enter new customers. If you do more than one job you can tag the job under their name. The end of the year reports can give you an accurate description of what income is coming from that customer or job.
11. Choose the "new transaction" button and it will give you the option to type estimates, invoices, sales receipts, statement charges, receive payment, and credit memo including refunds.
12. Print customer and job lists, customer and job information, and customer and job transactions.
13. Find the "export" button and click on it and you can export a customer list, export transaction list and import information to an excel spreadsheet.
14. Press the "Word document" button and you can prepare a letter to a single customer, prepare letters to several or all customers, or prepare collection letters to customers.

Employees

15. Locate the "new employee" button to add a new employee.
16. Choose the "print" button to print pay checks, pay stubs, employee list, employee information, and employer transaction list.
17. Learn about online timesheet, use weekly times sheets, and time/enter single activity by pressing the "enter time" button.
18. Export employee list, export transactions, and summarize payroll data in excel by selecting the "excel" button.
19. Prepare a letter to an employee and prepare many employer letters.

Tips & Warnings

• There is an option to email your files in a PDF format to your accountant.
• Use the latest version of software to have the latest updates and newest features available.
• There are four versions of QuickBooks; Simple, Pro, Premier and Enterprise. All increasing in cost.
• You must back up your information once a week to an external source such as a flash drive or an external hard drive to protect from loosing valuable information.