How to Operate QuickBooks
QuickBooks accounting software is used by millions of small business owners. With it small business owners can keep track of bills, revenues, inventory and sales taxes. They can create invoices, sales receipts, purchase orders and tax forms. They can do payroll, accept credit cards and receive payments online. Just about any necessary business function can be completed through the QuickBooks software or the add-on services that are part of the features of QuickBooks. Operating or running QuickBooks takes a little bookkeeping know-how and a discipline to keep up with all of its varied features.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
Basic QuickBooks Functions
-
1
Add a new customer. Click on the "Customer Center" icon on the top icon bar. When the customer center opens, look in the upper left-hand corner and click on the "New Customer & Job" button. Enter in all known information about each customer, then click "OK". The 2010 version has added a feature allowing you to paste this information from an Excel spreadsheet if that is what you were using.
-
2
Add a new vendor. Open the "Vendor Center" and click on the "New Vendor" button. The new vendor screen is almost identical to the new customer screen. Fill in all contact, payment and other information into this screen and click "OK".
-
-
3
Add a new employee. Open the "Employee Center" and click on the "New Employee" button. It is here that, in addition to the contact information, you will add the payroll and employment information. Click on the "Change Tabs" and choose the "Payroll Info" button. The payroll information will include the hourly wage or salary paid, exemptions claimed, and the set-up for sick/vacation days and direct deposit.
Intermediate QuickBooks Functions
-
4
Enter bills received. From the "Home" screen in QuickBooks, click on the "Enter Bills" icon when you receive a bill. At the bill screen, enter the vendor to whom the bill is paid, the item or service purchased, the amount of the purchase and any expenses billed to a customer.
-
5
Use "Pay Bills" screen to create payments for the bills. When a bill is entered into QuickBooks, the amount is automatically put into the Accounts Payable account. If you have entered the bill, you must use the "Pay Bills" screen to actually create payment for these bills. If you write a check and enter it as a simple transaction without using the "Pay Bills" screen, the bill will appear as unpaid in the "Pay Bills" screen.
-
6
Create new invoices. Click on the "Create Invoices" icon. Invoices are given to customers who promise to pay what is due at a later date. On the invoice, enter the customer making the purchase, the item or service purchased, and the amount due.
-
7
Use the "Receive Payments" icon. If an invoice has been created for a customer, the amount owed is automatically entered into the Accounts Receivable account. If the customer makes a payment, this must be recorded using the "Receive Payments" icon. Failure to use the "Receive Payments" and simply entering a deposit from a customer will leave that invoice unpaid in the Accounts Receivable.
-
8
Click on the "Record Deposits" icon. If the payment has been received, whether in the form of a check or cash, these deposits are automatically entered into the "Undeposited Funds" account. Opening the "Record Deposits" screen will show all the received payments. Remember that when you actually take the deposit to the bank, you will be using a deposit slip that will detail who you received the funds from and which invoice the payment was for. The "Record Deposits" feature will print that deposit slip for you.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Advanced features of QuickBooks include the Sales Tax Manager, Payroll Services, Loan Manager, Credit Card Processing, Online Store services and much more. Determine which of these services your company needs and consult a QuickBooks customer service rep with any questions you may have.
References
- Photo Credit computer keyboard image by forca from Fotolia.com
