Introduction
Quickbooks, as an accounting software, has been around for fifteen years and the program has been improved with its 2008 version to help people to get started using Quickbooks, to help make it easier for accountants and businesses to exchange information, and to make certain all billable time is accounted for.
How to Use Quickbooks Pro 2008
To make certain product users can utilize all of Quickbooks’ features, the Quickbooks home page offers Quickbooks Coach and Tips. Quickbooks Coach offers a flow chart in which end users can move their mouse over certain transactions and the home page will show how to use them. A workflow chart must just have a starting point and the home page will show a path for transactions that have to do with the accounting cycle. Another feature of Quickbooks 2008 allows the Help screen to appear in the left sidebar and not in another window, which means no jumping back and forth between Quickbooks and the Help screen. A user may also leave the Help sidebar open as they work and it will progress with the user to the functions they are currently using, keeping the flow of work going and saving time and money.
The program also allows for one click sending of data to an accountant. The information is held on Intuit’s servers in a secure environment while the accountant gets a notice through e-mail that the information is available. The accountant can download the information using a password given to them by the user and they can check the data and any changes that are necessary can be easily imported back to the user’s data files.
Quickbooks Pro 2008 can also send invoices to clients through e-mail along with documentation and clients can click a link within the e-mail if they are set up to pay online and payment can be made. E-mails are kept in a sent folder, allowing for easier tracking of invoices and payments made online. Quickbooks Solutions and Services includes four different levels of payroll services, credit card processing, point of sale tools, checks and business forms and additional training in a variety of formats.
First introduced last year in Quickbooks 2007, Quickbooks Time Tracker is an online service that provides an easy way to enter an employee time sheet and to invoice all billable time. Employees can go online to Time Tracker and enter their time and with the 2008 version they also have the option of submitting billable time in Microsoft Outlook and having it transfer to Quickbooks. Using the Time Tracker service with Outlook gets rid of any duplications and employers can review time sheets online before downloading the Time Tracker information to Quickbooks. The Time Tracker service is an optional subscription service that costs between $10.00 per month for one user and $200.00 per month for 101 to 200 users.
Cost of Quickbooks Pro 2008
The cost of Quickbooks Pro 2008 depends on the place a person intends to purchase from. It can be obtained directly from the Intuit, makers of Quickbooks, website for $199.95 plus shipping. A person could also get a copy for between $124.95, price found at About.com website, and $159.95 from Amazon.com.
Importance of Quickbooks Pro 2008
Quickbooks Pro 2008 can be a very important software package to many business owners and to accountants. Anyone can be a business owner, however good financial know-how is imperative to the successful operation of any business. In today’s economic situations it is especially important to be able to keep a close eye on business finances. Not everyone has an accounting background and Intuit has provided Quickbooks to assist those who do not have an accounting background. The software pays for itself quickly by eliminating duplicate work, the ability to backup data files both in-house and online, and by linking directly with official accountants. Accountants find this software very useful in it eliminates face to face time with their clients by having a means of getting data from the client without either party having to meet. This means more streamlined processes and more secure information. A business in the market today who does not use Quickbooks Pro 2008, or a similar software program, is doing itself an injustice by missing out on the opportunity to free up time and resources.
