Different Versions of QuickBooks
Intuit's QuickBooks is one of the most versatile accounting programs available. Unfortunately, many people have trouble finding the right version of QuickBooks for their particular needs. No definite right or wrong answer exists for this conundrum; you must simply determine which QuickBooks version meets the needs of your business or nonprofit entity. QuickBooks offers five main versions of the accounting program, as well sell industry-specific software.
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Simple Start
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The QuickBooks Simple Start software is a bare-bones package that limits the number of transactions and has a limited supply of features available. In 2009, Intuit added payroll as just one more feature to get small business owners to use the Simple Start package. The main advantage to Simple Start lies in the fact that it is free to download from the Intuit website. Because this version limits users to extremely basic functions, however, Intuit offers it as a stepping stone to more advanced versions.
Online Plus Version
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For a monthly fee --- $39.95 as of May 2011 --- business owners can access their company file from any computer anywhere using the Online QuickBooks Plus version. This online version can meet most business needs --- including payroll, receipts, invoicing and credit card processing --- as long as the QuickBooks is tied to an email account that will email these documents to both customers and vendors.
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QuickBooks Pro
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Most small businesses can operate solely using the QuickBooks Pro version, which sells for about $230 as of May of 2011. This fee applies on a per-user basis, which means that if you are the only peorson entering data into QuickBooks, you only need to pay this one fee. The Pro version will not track back orders of merchandise requested by the customers but not available in stock.
QuickBooks Premier
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With the Premier version of QuickBooks, the business owner can generate more than 150 different reports, gear the setup of the company as industry specific and create a functioning business plan. Intuit markets QuickBooks for contractors, retail stores and nonprofit organizations under the "Premier" label. Purchasing these industry-specific versions allows you to skip several steps in the company setup process. As of May of 2011, the Premier version sells for $399.95.
QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions
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The Enterprise Solutions version targets companies with more than 100,000 customers or vendors, and up to 30 users. You'll likely need Enterprise Solutions if you maintain more than one company's records or have multiple locations requiring a quantity and valuation of inventory on hand at each location. As of May 2011, Enterprise Solutions costs $600 per user. Most companies do not need the excesses of the Enterprise Solutions. Other than the financial aspect, one drawback to the Enterprise Solutions option is that, unlike the other versions, it requires a training session for each user.
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