QuickBooks is accounting software that allows small businesses and self-employed individuals to track and manage their finances. Many people use QuickBooks to send invoices, receive payments, handle inventory, manage payroll, and prepare taxes. If you’ve always wanted to learn QuickBooks but can’t figure out how to get started, this guide is for you. Here, you’ll learn more about the various ways to learn QuickBooks, free resources to take advantage of, and the types of careers that commonly use QuickBooks.
QuickBooks is a widely used accounting and bookkeeping software package from Intuit. Primarily used by small and medium businesses, QuickBooks helps businesses to track and manage everything to do with their finances. Using QuickBooks, businesses can monitor their cash flow and profits and losses by tracking sales, expenses, customers, and payments. QuickBooks is also often used to create and send invoices, manage the business’s inventory, and manage employee payroll. It also has budgeting, time tracking, and daily task features to keep businesses running efficiently.
QuickBooks helps businesses ensure the accuracy of their records by directly connecting sales channels to QuickBooks and reconciling bank transactions with the information one inputs. The software also has features to help with tax preparation and can be used as a way to collaborate and share documents with an accountant. QuickBooks is a subscription-based service with varied payment tiers that provide access to different features. The different versions of QuickBooks cater to different storage and employment needs as Intuit offers basic to premium plans of its cloud-based QuickBooks Online, a computer-installed QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise version for larger companies, and a version for freelancers and independent contractors called QuickBooks Solopreneur.
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QuickBooks software has many different applications and uses across a wide variety of industries. Many small and medium-sized businesses use QuickBooks for its record-keeping features as it was originally designed for businesses without a dedicated accounting department. QuickBooks allows someone to track and categorize many things such as expenses, sales, transactions, and customer, vendor, and inventory lists. This makes QuickBooks a great option for those needing to keep all of their business records in one place.
Additionally, many people use QuickBooks to create and send invoices, manage employee payroll, help prepare their taxes, maintain a budget, and automate tasks. QuickBooks includes features to automate accounts payable and receivable. Many use QuickBooks to automate sending customer invoices or payment reminders or even keeping employees updated on crucial tasks and sending deadline reminders. These features of QuickBooks allow you to increase productivity and maintain efficient workflows so that you do not constantly need to task employees with work that can be done by the QuickBooks software itself.
Not only do businesses use QuickBooks, but QuickBooks is often used by self-employed people like freelancers and independent contractors. QuickBooks offers a specific version of the software called QuickBooks Solopreneur (formerly QuickBooks Self-Employed or SE). Many people find that once they link their accounts, it is easy to import their transactions and the QuickBooks software will automatically work to tag one’s income. Self-employed users will likely need to do a bit of extra work to categorize their transactions more effectively for their own needs, but QuickBooks can do much of the bookkeeping work automatically and make tracking finances easier for individuals.
QuickBooks is used in many industries for bookkeeping and accounting purposes. Those using QuickBooks for industries such as construction, retail, and the restaurant industry will likely use more of the features that allow businesses to track their expenses, record sales and order receipts, manage inventory, or even set up point-of-service systems. Legal industries using QuickBooks, by contrast, may use QuickBooks to keep track of active cases, current or prospective clients, and any pro bono work that they are engaged in. Different industries will find certain features of QuickBooks more relevant and there are also third-party applications users can integrate to enhance QuickBooks’ functionality for their own business’s needs.
Not only will different industries use QuickBooks in different ways, but so will those using QuickBooks within different professions. A Bookkeeper using QuickBooks is likely to be involved in more of the day-to-day record keeping by tracking expenses, transactions, and budgets, making sure the books are balanced, and reconciling accounts with one’s bank. Even for those without bookkeeping training, QuickBooks can help do a lot of this work for individuals or small business owners. An Accountant, by contrast, is more likely to monitor a business’s expenses and transactions, fix any mistakes that they may see, and be able to offer actionable financial advice. Financial Managers, likewise, will also be more focused on offering advice and helping their clients to continue to grow their business than doing much of the record keeping.
Whether for one’s own finances or to manage the finances of another small business, it can be useful to learn how to use QuickBooks. QuickBooks is an easy-to-use accounting and bookkeeping tool, so many people learn how to use it to track and monitor finances for their business or act as a Bookkeeper, Financial Manager, or Accountant for other businesses. Regardless of the size of one’s business, it is important to keep track of when and where one spends and makes money. QuickBooks will allow someone to monitor transactions, sales, and expenses. QuickBooks users can also use the software as a central place to store information about customers, vendors, inventory, employees, and orders and automate tasks like sending invoices and payments.
While the user interface for QuickBooks is designed to be easy for users to navigate, it is still important to learn the optimal techniques and strategies for using QuickBooks’s various features. Many need some initial guidance on how to set up their business profile, link accounts, integrate their sales channels, and use other important features of QuickBooks. However, once everything is set up it is fairly easy to operate. Learning Quickbooks can also be an entry point into learning more about accounting or financial management, for those who are interested in pursuing a career as a Bookkeeper, Accountant, or Financial Manager. Even those within these professional roles might need to have familiarity with QuickBooks, given its global popularity as a financial management software that is used across a wide variety of industries.
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One of the best ways to learn QuickBooks is by taking an in-person or live online class. These types of classes are led by expert instructors who will teach students everything they need to know about the topic. Live, instructor-led classes provide students with a structure to learn the most important QuickBooks skills and guidance on the best strategies and techniques for those wanting to do their own financial record keeping or who want to do bookkeeping and accounting for their clients. Taking an instructor-led class ensures that you receive up-to-date examples and practice using the latest version of QuickBooks. Use Noble Desktop’s free Classes Near Me tool to find the QuickBooks classes in your area or to find only live online QuickBooks classes near you.
Another great training option is taking an on-demand class. These are asynchronous online or self-paced classes where students are given access to course material, often video lectures or tutorials, practices, and skills quizzes, and can move through it at their own speed. This option is useful for those with busy schedules or who cannot commit to attending an instructor-led class either in person or live online. While on-demand classes are often low-cost, and some are even free, students will not receive the same level of guidance or practice in an on-demand class that they will in an instructor-led class. Find on-demand QuickBooks classes that will for your needs and schedule.
QuickBooks learners can also find myriad free resources online. For those unfamiliar with QuickBooks, Intuit does offer a free interactive demo of the software along with several other tutorials for new learners. Additionally, prospective learners can readily find other online guides, YouTube tutorials, blog posts, eBooks, and maybe even QuickBooks or accounting classes through their local library. Noble Desktop’s comprehensive guide to accounting is one such free resource that covers essential information about a related topic, accounting, and how to learn the skills necessary to make this one’s career.
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For those not yet ready to take a full course on QuickBooks, one can start learning QuickBooks and related skills for free online. Noble Desktop’s comprehensive guide to accounting is one such free resource that covers introductory information about accounting and how to learn the skills necessary to become an Accountant. It is common for those interested in QuickBooks or accounting, either for use with their own business or for other clients, to start by learning about the software and familiarizing themselves with what it can do and what skills will allow them to optimize their use of it. Using free resources can help someone not only receive a basic overview of QuickBooks but also figure out what skills to learn, what courses to take, and what knowledge they still need to acquire before getting started with QuickBooks.
One can also find free introductory courses from different education providers online. Most of these courses will be on-demand, self-paced courses that will provide learners with access to video lectures or tutorials and allow for limited practice and skills testing. These courses range from providing beginners with tips and tricks for getting started with QuickBooks to more focused classes with modules on how to create invoices, use payroll, set up different kinds of accounts, or even customize the QuickBooks interface. LinkedIn Learning (formerly Lynda.com) has many such offerings and can often be accessed for free through one’s local library.
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QuickBooks is not considered too challenging to learn, though beginners can run into difficulties mastering the variety of features that the software provides. QuickBooks is comprehensive accounting software and many features have both basic and advanced, customizable uses. For instance, while beginning learners can quickly figure out basic bank reconciliation, it can be harder to reconcile accounts when one is dealing with complex transactions and multiple bank accounts. Using QuickBooks also requires some financial literacy and those without knowledge of common accounting terms and principles can find using QuickBooks difficult. Most QuickBooks learners can become proficient in QuickBooks in two to four weeks, though it will take longer to master the more complex or industry-specific features of QuickBooks.
There are no formal prerequisites to learning QuickBooks. To use the software, one will need basic computer skills like knowing how to install software, navigate an interactive application interface, and input data. Knowing common accounting terms and principles is also recommended, which includes understanding terms such as accounts payable, accounts receivable, cash versus accrual accounting, income, assets, liabilities, and deductibles. It will also be useful to know how to interpret financial data and reports to make full use of QuickBooks. Before using QuickBooks, one should also know which version to use and which features will be necessary for their business.
Small businesses will most likely use a version of QuickBooks Online, which has tiered pricing for different features and ranges in cost from $30-200 a month. The lowest-cost option for QuickBooks Online is Simple Start which includes one user, one linked sales channel, and most features except for things like bill pay, inventory tracking, employee management, and support services. QuickBooks Online Plus is the next tier up and includes up to five users, all sales channels, and adds things like multi-currency transactions, bill pay, and inventory tracking that the Simple Start excludes. QuickBooks Online Advanced is the most expensive plan and has all features, including payroll, employee management services, support services, and more customization and automation options. Accounting professionals can use QuickBooks Online Accountant for free and this version also provides access to free training materials.
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One alternative to using QuickBooks software is to use Excel for bookkeeping and basic accounting. Excel could be a good choice for small businesses or individuals who only need to do single-entry bookkeeping and who work primarily with cash. With Excel, all transaction data will need to be entered manually as there are no built-in forms or templates specifically for accounting. One can, however, download free accounting templates for Excel so that users do not need to develop their own from scratch. While Excel is seen as an easy-to-use program, to use Excel for accounting purposes one might need to have some prior familiarity with the uses and functions of spreadsheets (especially creating formulas) and entering data.
Excel has limited features in comparison to QuickBooks though it can be a cost-effective option, especially if one’s business already uses Microsoft 365. Excel is part of this large software suite from Microsoft, which can be purchased through a monthly or yearly subscription. For those interested in learning more about Excel, Noble Desktop has a free comprehensive guide to Excel that is useful for Excel beginners and those who want to use Excel professionally. In addition to Excel, there are free spreadsheet programs like Google Sheets, which also has compatible accounting templates, OpenOffice, or Zoho Sheets.
QuickBooks can also be compared to other double-entry accounting software programs with a variety of features to help users manage their finances. Zoho Books, for instance, has a robust free plan with features like invoice creation, automatic payment reminders, and a customer portal, though for other features users will have to sign up for pricier monthly subscription plans. Some people might prefer other programs like Wave or Xero for ease of use or affordability, though not every program will allow all users to integrate all of the services they need for their business. Overall, while there are cheaper options and even options that some find easy to use, most people still consider QuickBooks to be the best comprehensive accounting software.
When determining the best way to learn QuickBooks, consider how best you learn a topic, what you need to learn about QuickBooks, and the cost of various methods of learning QuickBooks. Free and low-cost QuickBooks resources are best for beginners who are looking to gain familiarity with the software and features of QuickBooks. Free resources can provide an overview and knowledge of some of the QuickBooks fundamentals so that beginners can get started quickly with QuickBooks and at little cost, other than the basic subscription fee to use the software. It can be frustrating, however, to learn entirely through free resources as they may contain outdated or inaccurate information and not provide the depth of instruction necessary for one’s specific needs.
On-demand or self-paced online classes can also be a useful way to learn how to use QuickBooks for both beginners and those who want to learn how to use specific features of QuickBooks. On-demand classes are often lower-cost in comparison to live online or in-person classes and one can usually find more niche topics in these classes. So, for those who want to learn the ins and outs of creating invoices or bank reconciliation, it will be easier to take an on-demand class or find a free YouTube tutorial than to take an entire class. This self-teaching method, like free resources, lacks expert guidance from an instructor and can make learning QuickBooks take longer or be more frustrating than taking a live online or in-person class.
A bootcamp is a great option for those who want to gain a comprehensive knowledge of how to use QuickBooks in a short amount of time. A QuickBooks bootcamp will provide students with both basic and advanced QuickBooks skills so that they can be proficient in using QuickBooks for their finances or to manage accounts for other businesses. An in-person or live online bootcamp will also offer more guidance, real-world examples, and hands-on practice than one receives from free resources alone. Bootcamps are more career-oriented forms of training which makes them a great choice not only for QuickBooks beginners but for those who need to plug a skills gap or upskill in their current role.
Certificate programs could be another way to learn QuickBooks. Instead of looking for a QuickBooks certificate program, this is an option for those who want to learn QuickBooks as they master a new career or pivot to a new industry like accounting or financial management. Bookkeepers, Accountants, and Financial Managers will often need to know how to use QuickBooks to track and manage the finances of their clients. For those interested in these career paths, consider looking into a certificate program for financial management or accounting with a module on QuickBooks to gain career-oriented proficiency in using this software.
Noble Desktop offers expert in-person and live online training for those interested in learning QuickBooks. Noble Desktop’s classes all include expert, hands-on guidance, small class sizes, and free retake options and many classes offer both part-time and full-time options so that one can find the QuickBooks or finance class that works best for their schedule. For fast and comprehensive training in QuickBooks, consider enrolling in Noble Deskop’s QuickBooks Bootcamp which teaches students everything they need to know about how to use QuickBooks to track and manage a business’s finances. This bootcamp uses hands-on training to teach students the basics of QuickBooks like configuring a company profile, working with customer, vendor, and inventory lists, and invoicing and processing payments as well as the more advanced management and customization features. Noble Desktop offers this bootcamp live online from any location and it can be taken in person at Noble Desktop’s training facility in New York City.
Noble Desktop also has accounting classes and bootcamps which are a great option for anyone interested in developing their skills or learning more about finance and accounting. The Intro to Financial Accounting & Financial Statements class uses hands-on exercises to teach students the fundamentals of analyzing financial statements and reports. After completing this introductory class, students can progress to the Intermediate Financial Accounting class which teaches more complex topics like earnings per share and deferred taxes. For those who want a comprehensive, accelerated class that tackles both beginner and intermediate topics of accounting, consider the Financial Accounting Bootcamp which teaches everything students need to know in two class sessions.
Noble’s finance and accounting classes are great for those who want to grow their financial literacy beyond learning about QuickBooks. These classes are also useful for those interested in turning their knowledge of QuickBooks into the first step to becoming a Bookkeeper or Accountant. If this is something that interests you, you can learn more about the career path of an Accountant by reading Noble Desktop’s comprehensive guide to accounting, a free resource that covers essential information about accounting and how to learn the skills necessary to make this one’s career. For those who want to work in finance in some capacity but are not entirely sure which direction they want to go in yet, Noble Desktop’s guide to finance is a useful way to read about different career options.