While hiring a bookkeeping service Atlanta trusts is ideal for Atlanta business owners, QuickBooks software can be a great help as well. Setting up QuickBooks is relatively easy to do using the software’s “To Do List” function to walk you through the process; however, you should also be sure to take care of the following key steps as you set up the software:
1. Register Your Software
Sign-up for QuickBooks takes just seconds online. First, make sure your browser is compatible with the QuickBooks dashboard; go to the QuickBooks website, choose the best monthly package for your needs and subscribe. Enter your name, user ID, email address and password.
2. Set Company Preferences
Start by setting your company preferences; you can use the QuickBooks To Do List via the dashboard home screen to make use of their tutorials as you set up your account. Company preferences are set up by clicking on “Company” in the menu bar (top of screen) and then “Preferences.” Enter all relevant contact information and other custom fields including invoice automation, products and services, time tracking and payroll and online payments. QuickBooks allows you to skip some configurable options if you wish and come back and complete them later.
3. Import Your Business Information
QuickBooks allows users to import business data directly into the account, including bank transactions, information from QuickBooks Desktop, Excel data and even certain email applications. Simply click on the “Company” menu tab, then “More,” and finally “Import Data” from the menu. Select from the data import list options based upon what you are importing, for example, for an account chart import, upload the XLS file and match its fields to the fields in QuickBooks. Be sure and check the data for any errors and import your records, then import your data. Import vendor and customer lists via uploading a CSV or Excel file and repeating this process.
4. Connect Your Financial Accounts
You can also import bank transactions and information automatically into QuickBooks. Simply click on the “Banking” tab in the menu bar, then click “Download Transactions.” A pop-up window will appear asking for your bank information as well as the account(s) you’d like to sync up. Enter your banking login/password when prompted, and your transactions will be downloaded. You can also categorize your transactions by assigning customer/vendor names and accounts to specific transactions.
5. Connect Your Credit Accounts
Syncing business credit cards with your QuickBooks account will ensure relevant data is recorded accurately and automatically. You can do so by clicking on “Banking” in the menu bar, then “More.” Select “Registers” and enter an account name. Click “OK” and select “Credit Card” from the pop-up window that appears. From here, follow the setup wizard to complete the process.
6. Create Custom Invoices
With a QuickBooks Plus package, you can customize your business invoices with your logo as well as by selecting your desired style, font, color, size and invoice layout. To customize them, select “Customers” from the menu bar, then “Create Invoices.” Choose a template that fits your desired look and design. You can further customize the template by selecting the “Formatting” tab, then “Customize Date Layout.” Use the display window to choose your options for customizing your invoice.
To add a logo, click “Create Invoices” then “Customize Design and Layout.” Click “Customize Data Layout,” then “Basic Customization” at the bottom of “Additional Customization.” Select “Use Logo” and select your file. (Resize your logo before importing if needed.) Click “Open” to preview the look of your logo; if you like it, click “OK” to save it.
One last word of advice: if you have employees, consider hiring an experienced payroll service. Tax codes change often, which means tax withholdings can change from year to year. Don’t take the risk of facing penalties for calculating your employee withholdings information incorrectly. Hiring a payroll and bookkeeping service Atlanta respects and trusts can give you added peace of mind; you’ll rest easier known your accounting is being done accurately and in compliance with tax laws.