An Introduction to QuickBooks

If you are a small business owner whose books don’t yet need the attention of a full-time onsite accountant but have outgrown an Excel spreadsheet, you might want to consider QuickBooks. QuickBooks is the most popular small business accounting software in the world, accounting (ahem) for over 90 percent of the market. Intuitive and easy to use, QuickBooks can be found everywhere from your local doughnut shop to the neighborhood bookstore. In fact, you might already be familiar with its sister product, TurboTax, which is also made by Intuit.

The appeal is easy to understand. The software can process most financial functions associated with retail business. Payroll, invoicing, business expenses, sales receipts, and even inventory tracking is presented in a manner easily accessible to the mathematically challenged.

The QuickBooks suite has expanded to include Web-based features which enable remote access. Features that you might not need now but might be useful as your business grows include electronic payment functionality and integrated online banking. Though the program is simple to learn at its most fundamental, training in the advanced features might require an outside consultant.

That’s why Intuit has developed the QuickBooks Certified ProAdvisor program. The QuickBooks ProAdvisor undergoes a rigorous certification program that ensures s/he can answer your questions about the popular software. The ProAdvisor can also install the software at your business as well as offer any training that may be needed.

While QuickBooks might not be a good accounting solution for every small business, it would be hard to find one for which it is not.