There are plenty of professionals who are eager to learn QuickBooks but hesitate because of the perceived up-front costs. These costs can include the monthly subscription fee for QuickBooks software and costs associated with training to use the software. However, there is a surprising amount of free resources available to help beginners get the hang of this exciting program.
Read on to learn more about the different types of free resources and tutorials available to help you learn QuickBooks.
What is 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.
Read more about what QuickBooks is and why you should learn it.
What Can You Do with QuickBooks?
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.
Can I Learn QuickBooks On My Own for Free?
Yes, it is possible to learn QuickBooks on your own using free resources. Some QuickBooks users can download the QuickBooks software and start playing around with it to figure out how it operates. However, most people who have taught themselves how to use QuickBooks will recommend using free and low-cost online resources, like YouTube videos or self-paced classes, rather than just trying to figure out QuickBooks on your own. For those who want to learn QuickBooks for accounting or bookkeeping, it is free to sign up for QuickBooks Online Accountant. This version of QuickBooks comes with access to free training materials and gives users a practice company to start with so they can teach themselves QuickBooks.
It will be easier to learn QuickBooks on your own if you already have some experience with bookkeeping or accounting. QuickBooks learners can find it particularly difficult to master without this knowledge and it might mean that you end up having to teach yourself multiple subjects, accounting and QuickBooks. There are free online resources and low-cost bookkeeping or accounting classes that one can take to make learning QuickBooks easier. Check with your local public library, community center, or community college to see if there are any low-cost or free bookkeeping or accounting basics classes in your area.
Even with a knowledge of accounting terms and principles and access to free online materials, it can be difficult to teach oneself to use QuickBooks. Some people struggle to motivate themselves to complete self-paced training, which means it can take longer to learn QuickBooks on one’s own than it would to learn from a class or bootcamp. Others need more guidance when learning how to use a new and sometimes difficult software like QuickBooks. In this case, you can consider asking other users for help through Intuit’s online forum for QuickBooks or other online groups and forums. It will also make sense for some to take a paid QuickBooks class as paid classes offer more support and hands-on training for learners than free materials.
Free QuickBooks Learning Resources & Tutorials
QuickBooks learners can find free introductory courses, tutorials, and webinars from different education providers online. For instance, Udemy, most known for low-cost on-demand classes, has a free introductory tutorial for QuickBooks. Learners with a library account are often able to access LinkedIn Learning (also known as Lynda.com) for free with one’s library account. LinkedIn Learning offers both comprehension and subject-specific on-demand classes for QuickBooks. Like many free and low-cost QuickBooks courses, these will be classes where learners follow along with pre-recorded video lectures and tutorials.
Most QuickBooks learners looking for free training will find it useful to learn from tutorials on YouTube. YouTube has walkthroughs and overviews of QuickBooks as well as videos breaking down the differences between QuickBooks versions and offering recommendations on which version to use. QuickBooks learners will also find comprehensive videos and playlists to help learners get started using the most common and important features of the software. Many instructors of paid on-demand classes upload free QuickBooks tutorials to YouTube that can not only help learners teach themselves QuickBooks but can also point learners towards additional classes to take after learning the fundamentals.
Additionally, consider using free resources to learn more about accounting and bookkeeping practices. Similar to free QuickBooks materials, one can find courses, websites, eBooks, and even video tutorials for free that will help one learn common accounting terms and principles. This can include knowing about income, expenses, cash flow, assets, and liability as well as having knowledge about accounts payable and accounts receivable and the difference between cash and accrual accounting. Common accounting knowledge can also include how to read and understand statements and reports like income statements and balance sheets. Noble Desktop’s comprehensive guide to accounting is a free resource that covers introductory information about accounting and how to learn the skills necessary to understand accounting basics or start one’s career as an Accountant.
Read the full guide on how to learn QuickBooks.
Are There Limitations to Using Free Resources to Learn QuickBooks?
Free QuickBooks resources are best for beginners looking to learn QuickBooks basics or for advanced learners looking to supplement their knowledge with a video tutorial or step-by-step guide. Many QuickBooks users start out learning from online materials, which can introduce the QuickBooks dashboard and interface and teach basic features of QuickBooks like setting up your company’s profile, linking accounts, and creating invoices. Free resources are also useful for learning important accounting principles or bookkeeping tasks.
Some find that free resources will not teach them everything they want to or need to know about QuickBooks. While free resources are great to teach some QuickBooks fundamentals or to learn about specific features of QuickBooks, many find it useful to take a more structured and guided QuickBooks class. Paid classes are often more comprehensive than free resources and teach more up-to-date material and advanced QuickBooks functions. Live, instructor-led classes are better able to teach in-depth QuickBooks knowledge that one will retain after the class is over.
Learn QuickBooks with Hands-on Training at Noble Desktop
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.