5 Reasons We LOVE QuickBooks Online

Oct 13

They say you can’t teach an old dog, or in this case an old bookkeeper, new tricks. (Did we just call ourselves old?) Anyway, for many years we were hard core supporters of the desktop version of QuickBooks. When the online version first came out it was a nightmare and left a bad taste in both bookkeeper’s and accountant's mouths. But now we see the light and recommend QuickBooks Online (QBO) over the desktop version 99% of the time. Sure, there are rare cases where the desktop still makes sense, but for the most part QBO is where it's at. Want to know what makes our hearts flutter when it comes to QBO? Check out the top 5 reasons why we’re never going back to desktop.

1| Access

In today’s busy world where we’re always on the go, and especially now that so many of us are working remotely, easy access to QB is key. With the online version, your data is stored in the cloud, so anytime, anywhere you have an internet connection, you can access QB. There is even an app for adding transactions on the fly, including but not limited to estimates, invoices and expenses. Heck, you can even take a picture of your receipt and save it to the transaction. Anything that makes our job easier is a win in our book.

2| Control

With QBO, the client is in control of who has access to their books and can grant or revoke access in an instant. This allows us to help clients work through any tricky transactions or corrections.

However, when working with desktop, the client needs to forward us a backup of their QB file. We then restore it to our desktop, work in the file and return it to the client. You got bored just reading that, didn’t you? Well, you’ll be interested to know that the desktop version has posed a few problems over the years - various file types causing confusion, the file being too big to email, the client not realizing it was never sent, etc. And unfortunately on more than one occasion, we've lost months of work when returning the file to the client because of “technical difficulties” or so says QB support. Plus, from a bookkeeper’s point of view, we have to purchase and maintain every year of software that QB comes out with because we have to use the same software the client was using. Basically, it’s a big pain in the butt for us and for you.

3| Safety

When working with critical and private data, we want to take extra precautions to ensure that your information stays safe. So many people are working from a laptop these days, but what happens if that laptop is lost or stolen? If you've set up and monitored regular back ups with the desktop versions of QB, you may be safe. But who has the time to do that? When working in the cloud, you don't have to! Your info is automatically saved and stored safely.

4| Versatility

Since our jobs are no longer confined to four walls, you need software that is as versatile as your business. There are hundreds of apps that play well with QBO such as calendars, scheduling tools, time tracking, industry specific softwares, and client relationship management tools. You can check them all out here. Even Square, Etsy, banks, and credit cards can all sync to QBO. This means you can pretty much eliminate data entry. We love this for our regular bookkeeping clients because we can provide that higher level support without the client paying us for data entry work.

5| Flexibility

This one is more for us than our clients, but hey, if we’re crunching the numbers all day we need some perks too. Nerds have come to rely on dual monitors and QBO allows us more flexibility when running and working with reports, or cleaning up books. If you've been using QBO and this revelation shocks you, check out this video.

We hope that you can understand our love affair with QBO and don’t think we’re TOO strange. But seriously, as QB Advanced ProAdvisors, we get a hefty discount on the monthly subscription that we love to pass along to our clients. If you've been wondering which is better for you, give us a call.

Jaime Weatherby