Millions of small businesses use QuickBooks, and why not? It is a great business and accounting tool that helps companies run efficiently. Over the years, QuickBooks has been continuously improved and upgraded, so much so, we now liken it to a fine wine… it gets better with age!
Change is good. There is always room for improvement, and QuickBooks has delivered on its promise with the advanced new features for 2014. We’re excited about many of the new additions and eager to use them with clients. Here are six of our new favourite QuickBooks features:
1. QuickBooks 2014, definitely a colourful improvement
Accounting might not be the most exciting profession, but the software we use can be. With an easy to use navigation system, QuickBooks allows us to use colour schemes to help individualize multiple companies. Love this feature.
2. New “Income Tracker”
It’s a great overview of all customer and sales related activity. This area pinpoints any un-billed, unpaid and paid invoices for your company, allowing you to sort and filter information, print invoices, and even create an invoice from an existing estimate.
This is a great area to view performance as well as the ins and outs of your company.
3. What if your customer bounces a cheque?
No problem. QuickBooks has added this helpful tab “Recording a bounced cheque”. Easy and simple with just one click. Enter your customer payment and choose “Record Bounced Cheque”.
This feature allows you to create or change all related transactions associated with that payment, such as marking the invoice “unpaid” and removing the item from deposited funds. You can also enter NSF fees as well as fees your company chooses to charge.
4. “My Shortcuts”
This helpful dashboard appears on the left side of your screen. It allows you to easily navigate QuickBooks, and new for 2014 – you will now be able to customize your view of account balances. You will be able to view balances of all selected accounts, along with an overall view of your company’s health. Yes!
5. Take advantage of the “Alerts and Reminders”
Say goodbye to penalties and late fees. “Alerts and Reminders” appear in the top-right corner of your QuickBooks homepage. You’ll never miss a deadline again.
6. “Attaching a Document to a Record”
The wait is over! A feature that has been available in the U.S. version of QuickBooks for quite some time has finally come to Canada. With “Attaching a Document to a Record” you will now be able to attach a document (scanned item) to invoices, estimates, bills and even paycheques. Signatures can be attached to documents, copies of cheques can be attached to invoices, even design plans can be attached to quotes.
Not only is this a great selling feature of QuickBooks 2014, but it is also a great way to keep your company organized. You can also keep track of your attachments in the “Attach File” option.
These (and more) specific improvements and added features, make QuickBooks a powerful and complete business and accounting solution. Not sure you’re ready to upgrade to QuickBooks 2014 or want to learn more about how we can show you how to make the most of QuickBooks – any version? Talk to us! We’re passionate about the art of accounting, bookkeeping, payroll, GST/HST and financial analysis!