Yes, you can learn QuickBooks fundamentals for free. QuickBooks learners can find a variety of websites, video tutorials, written guides, and on-demand classes for free to help them learn QuickBooks. While free resources are great for getting started with QuickBooks, they are less useful for teaching the more complex and advanced features of QuickBooks and most people end up using a mix of free and paid resources to learn QuickBooks. Read on to learn about what free QuickBooks resources are available, how best to use these resources, and what other training options one can turn to for advanced QuickBooks training.
What Free Resources Are Available for Learning QuickBooks?
QuickBooks learners can find a variety of free and low-cost resources to start learning how to use this software. Most learners find free YouTube video tutorials to be particularly useful. These videos offer walkthroughs or overviews of the software, comparisons between different versions, and instructions on how to use the basic features of QuickBooks. Video tutorials allow learners to watch someone else navigate the QuickBooks interface and they allow learners to practice skills on their own software at the same time as they watch a tutorial. It can be especially useful to get started learning QuickBooks from one’s preferred video tutorial instructor before receiving more comprehensive hands-on training elsewhere.
While many on-demand classes are paid only, learners can find free on-demand QuickBooks courses, as well. On-demand classes are self-paced, meaning that students do not receive instruction from a teacher, rather, they are given access to course materials that they can move through at their own speed. This allows learners to skip over or speed through easy sections of the material and stop, slow down, or review material covering the more difficult functions of QuickBooks. Public libraries often offer free access to on-demand QuickBooks courses through LinkedIn Learning for library card holders. In addition to QuickBooks courses, learners can use LinkedIn Learning to refresh their memory of bookkeeping practices and common accounting terms to make using QuickBooks easier.
Free resources can also be useful for those looking to learn QuickBooks as an entry point into a career in finance or accounting. Intuit offers a free version of QuickBooks for accounting professionals called QuickBooks Online Accountant. Not only can learners sign up for this version for free but it also includes free training and practice modules so that Accountants, Bookkeepers, Financial Analysts, and Financial Managers can teach themselves how to use this software to view, correct, manage, or analyze their clients’ finances. Non-accounting professionals can consider signing up for a free trial of their preferred QuickBooks version to get some basic familiarity with the software, though a free QuickBooks trial will not include free training like QuickBooks Online Accountant.
How to Make Use of Free QuickBooks Resources
Free resources are best for QuickBooks beginners or for those who want to supplement their education after receiving more comprehensive QuickBooks training. Even before getting started with QuickBooks, beginners can turn to free resources to learn how best to navigate the QuickBooks interface. Watching someone else locate specific features one needs to use in QuickBooks will help learners become familiar with this complex software. QuickBooks learners can also receive guidance on the best version of QuickBooks to use for their own needs, as Intuit offers QuickBooks Solopreneur for self-employed people, QuickBooks Online for small businesses, and QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise for those in larger, more complex industries.
QuickBooks beginners can also start learning the basics of how to use this software from free resources. Many video tutorials, guides, and step-by-step instructions can help someone get started with QuickBooks by setting up their company profile and creating their Chart of Accounts. Learners can go on to receive instructions on how to do things like link accounts, create customer invoices, and receive payments. Many video tutorials will help interested beginners learn these basics, though it will be more difficult to receive detailed, accurate information from a free video tutorial alone.
Free resources are not only useful for QuickBooks beginners, but they can also help someone supplement their knowledge of QuickBooks. After receiving detailed, comprehensive QuickBooks training, it can still be useful to turn to free resources for instruction on how to use more niche or industry-specific features. One can find many YouTube video tutorials, for instance, geared towards teaching attorneys how to use QuickBooks or instructing contractors about the best features to use within the construction industry. Free resources are a great way to review skills you’ve already learned elsewhere or learn new ways to use QuickBooks for your specific business needs.
Limitations of Free Resources
Free resources are one of many tools that QuickBooks beginners can use to learn this software but they do come with some limitations. One of the main drawbacks to using free resources is that learners themselves must find accurate, up-to-date, and useful materials to learn from. A quick search for tutorials on YouTube yields many results, but QuickBooks learners will rapidly realize that some of these results are outdated or do not contain the information that learners need. It can be hard to find the best learning materials on your own which can then make it difficult to learn QuickBooks only from free resources.
Another of the main drawbacks to using free resources is the lack of guidance and structure to this kind of self-teaching. It can be overwhelming to have to teach yourself an entirely new software like QuickBooks and some find it challenging to learn QuickBooks. Learners have found the advanced features of inventory management, customized reports, and automated workflows to be particularly difficult to learn outside of a classroom environment. When self-teaching with free materials, there is no one to turn to with any questions that arise or no one will be there to help troubleshoot any of the more difficult or hard-to-learn skills.
What to Do After Utilizing Free QuickBooks Resources
After using free resources, consider enrolling in a live, instructor-led class to learn QuickBooks. Live QuickBooks training allows students to learn from an expert instructor and receive step-by-step, hands-on training as they learn the major features of QuickBooks. Those taking a live online and in-person class will benefit from the structure and guidance offered by this mode of instruction, as live training offers students not only support from an instructor but also support from other students who are also learning the same skills. Noble Desktop’s Classes Near Me tool can help you locate live training options in your area.
A bootcamp is the fastest way to learn comprehensive QuickBooks. Bootcamps are accelerated classes that aim to teach students one specific topic or skill. They can be more career-oriented than other standalone classes and this makes them a great option for those wanting to use QuickBooks for their own business or to start training for a new career by learning QuickBooks. QuickBooks bootcamps are usually beginner-friendly and will not require any specific prerequisites for students to receive training. Noble Desktop’s QuickBooks Bootcamp teaches both basic and more advanced uses of this accounting software, making it a great option for anyone who wants to learn comprehensive QuickBooks skills in just two class sessions.
Either before learning QuickBooks or after using free resources, those with no accounting knowledge should also consider taking a short course to learn finance or double-entry accounting. Having some knowledge of common accounting terms and practices will make learning QuickBooks easier and more useful. Consider Noble Desktop’s Intro to Financial Accounting & Financial Statements class which uses hands-on exercises to teach learners how to read financial statements and reports like income and cash flow statements and balance sheets. Many people learn QuickBooks as an entry point into working professionally in accounting and if that is something you are looking for, enroll in Noble’s beginner-friendly Financial Accounting Bootcamp to learn both introductory and intermediate skills necessary for pursuing a career as an Accountant.
For those worried about cost, live QuickBooks training does not have to be expensive. Many of the offerings from professional training centers, such as Noble Desktop, are cost-effective and come with other benefits. In-person students can often use the computers and software at the training facility where they are taking classes and these training centers often offer additional career-support services like helping students put together a job portfolio or navigate the job market. You can also consider looking for low-cost live training options from local community colleges which frequently offer standalone QuickBooks classes geared towards both beginners and accounting majors.