Business Discussions

  Do you have a question about QuickBooks but haven't gotten around to reaching out to us yet? Join us for a Live QuickBooks Community Drop-In Session where QuickBooks Experts will be online to answer your questions live. Topics include, but aren't limited to: Invoicing, Payroll, Account Management, Product Features, and more.   To participate:   Press Join the Conversation to log in to the community. Once logged in, press Reply. Write your question as your reply to the post. Don't forget to let us know what product you're using! Press Post to submit. Keep an eye on your notifications for a response from one of our QuickBooks experts!   We look forward to helping you get the most out of QuickBooks

    Are you thinking about converting from QuickBooks Desktop to QuickBooks Online? Wondering if this is right for your business?    More than anything, we want folks to find the right accounting software that fulfils their specific needs. The QuickBooks Guide to Converting QuickBooks Desktop to QuickBooks Online is a full-service hand-book for anyone converting from QuickBooks Desktop (Pro or Premier) to QuickBooks Online. If you're still deciding and just need a quick reference, download our Quick Conversion Reference (attached to this article) and use this lean version of the guide to help you decide if converting is right for you (or your client).   The Quick Conversion Reference briefly outlines the features and benefits available for the QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop product lines. Identify which tasks and features you need for your business from the left-hand column and see whether it can be done i

Good day QuickBooks Community! Can you believe it is Friday already? The week really felt like it flew by. Anyway, I wanted to share with you this article by U.S. Chambers about creating an emergency preparedness plan. You never know when interruptions may happen, but what you can do to get ahead of the game is to be prepared as much as you can. Here are the seven ways to do so:     Assess the risk that threatens your businessBusinesses would need to assess the most significant threat and the long-term effect of this. You can create different situations and develop a plan for them. The authors listed some potential conditions such as: An environmental emergency, like a flood. A global event, like the COVID-19 pandemic. A physical problem, like a break-in. A digital emergency, like a cybersecurity breach.   Complete a hazard vulnerability assessmentFor companies that have a physical location, the author urges to do a Hazard Vulnerability Assessment to highlight any ri

Hey there, Community friends! We’re cruising right through the week, and heading towards a lovely weekend. Have you been working on any projects this week? Maybe if you're like me, you've been know to start a few projects and then sadly leave them in a corner, collecting dust, while you move onto the next one. If that sounds like you, then you'll want to keep reading. Here are a few pointers on how to finish what you start:   Be selectiveDon’t just start on anything and everything. Spend your time and resources wisely. If you don’t really care about what you’re doing, you’ll likely get burnt out and leave the project unfinished.   EstimateSpeaking of time and resources - estimate what you’ll need to complete the task at hand. Once you've got idea of what you'll need to see the task through, you’ll know what to expect with little to no surprises or delays.   Quit being a perfectionistI have to remind myself of this a lot. Whatever it is you’re worrying over generally does

Hello Community friends! Are you a business owner? As a business owner, have you ever found a few inventory items that have been on the shelf for a while? These items in this particular situation are usually referred to as "dead stock." I read an article posted in the QuickBooks Resource Center that provided some great info about how to turn dead stock into sales. Here's what the writer had to say...     Dead stock, or dead inventory or excess inventory, is any product that hasn’t sold within a certain period and is no longer expected to sell. Some examples include seasonal items, defective goods, or any product that has become obsolete.   Why your business wants to avoid dead stock- Loss in revenue: Dead stock represents loss in revenue which would be the most obvious reason as to why you'd want to avoid it. Each piece of inventory is intended to generate profit, "But with dead stock, that profit is not realized and instead results in a direct loss of revenue. When a p

Hello Community! Hope you’ve had a productive week and have taken some time to relax and recharge. The world is constantly changing and so are businesses! Many moons ago you could put an ad in a newspaper, and now you see people selling out their inventory because of Tik Tok. Don’t worry, I’m not about to teach you a Tik Tok dance to get views… but I will say there are so many ways to show off and bring attention to your company. Let’s talk about marketing and photography!   According to PetaPixel, “Photography is back in business post-pandemic, and we’ve seen rapid changes in marketing strategies this year. New clients are at your fingertips with opportunities to advertise in new and surprisingly, easier ways.” So let’s talk about ways to work this into your business. Create Short Video ContentThis is the new practice that won't only be fun but be a good tool to get those views. Short form videos are all the rage and a quick way to share your

Hello, my Community family! And how are you doing today! Every once in a while, we could use a Pick Me Up. It could be something like a cup of coffee, a little mini-vacation to relax, a jam-out session with friends, and the list goes on. Today, I want to share some encouraging quotes that help me press on and, hopefully, you as well! Here are a few of my favorites:   "It always seems impossible until it's done"- Nelson Mandela.   "You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream"-C.S. Lewis.   "When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it. -Henry Ford.   "Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant. "– Robert Louis Stevenson.   "Sucess is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts." -Winston Churchhill.   "If everything were perfect, you would never learn, and you would never grow."-Beyoncé K

Hello fellow Community business owners! While an educational background in business isn't required, many people would advocate that it’s a great asset for anyone looking to start and grow their own business. Why? Running your own business requires so many skillsets, from decision making to financial. What’s great about higher education today is that there are more options for every lifestyle so that you’re not sitting in a classroom five days a week. Let’s take a look at an article from our QuickBooks Blog and see why modern business courses and programs are something you need in your life.AffordabilityOn average, a 4-year college is tens of thousands of dollars on the low end. There’s always scholarships and loans, but the best perk of business courses is that they are way less expensive. On top of that, it’s faster to complete them and can work for business owners or upskilling your employees.ConvenienceThere are people who have

Did someone say Friday? Welcome to the start of the weekend!  How are you guys doing? I hope everyone is doing well and staying safe. Anyway, I just wanted to share this article by Sfweekly about valuable strategies to improve your business revenue for our Business Discussions. There were a few key points that stood out to me and found useful to survive in this competitive market.     Add Complimentary Services/Products:Adding this complimentary service or product enhances the value of the item through the customer's perspective. If you can not afford to give away the service or products freely, you could offer a special discount. Although this could be a quick way to increase your profit margins, it can also help maintain customers and lure potential buyers. If you are not sure where to start, research prominent companies' tactics and make adjustments that will fit your business needs. I will share a recent example of this, my friend and I went to a lovely restaurant f

Hello Community! Today is National Take a Walk in the Park Day! Side note: who comes up with these? Anyway, sometimes there’s no better way to boost your mood than a nice walk. I know that being bogged down with your to-do lists can push enjoyment down the list of priorities but today is your reminder to get outside. Does a walk sound boring to you? Well, here are some things you can do while enjoying the outdoors.Catch up with a friend or family memberWe all get so busy that it can be weeks (or months) since you’ve talked to a good friend or family member. Get that phone and connect with someone you haven’t heard from. Often, it feels like no time has passed at all and it’s a great way to spend your time.ExploreIf you haven’t been around kids in a while, they are experts at finding wonder in the mundane. Take in nature by checking out the birds, looking for cool rocks or just having some quiet time. Connecting with nature improves stress, your attention, and overall well-being. When’s

Hey there! It's great to have you back, and if this is your first visit to the Business Discussion board - I'd like to extend a warm welcome. You may have previously seen that we share different small business articles from the QuickBooks Resource Center here on the Talk About Your Business page. Today I wanted to switch it up a little and take it a step further by sharing some of the actual tools that are available to you in the Resource Center. Let's take a look! There is a(n):     Paycheck Calculator, for determining quick and accurate wages for both hourly and salary paid employees. Sales Tax Calculator, to easily view the sales tax rate in your state. Invoice Generator, which will allow you to create and use an invoice on the go, even if you haven't decided to use QuickBooks yet. Invoice Templates, to download and switch up the look of your current forms. Guide to setup payroll, just in case you need a helping hand. Employee Cost Calculator, to show

Welcome back to the Business Discussion Board! I hope this work week hasn't been too stressful. However, if you have been stressing about building stronger client relationships, I've got just the article for you! I came across this post on forbes.com that covers different strategies for building deeper, more meaningful relationships with your clients. Here are a few that were mentioned...   Listen More Than You TalkMy husband likes to semi-jokingly tell our kids there's a reason why they were given one mouth and two ears. Turns out this can apply to business relationships as well. When client's are given the opportunity to be heard, they speak more freely about the things they need. This in turn makes them feel valued, which is what every business owner wants to do for their customers.   Exchange Life and Business StoriesCommunication is a major building block of trust. When you exchange stories with your client, you're opening a window for them to see the real you

Hello, Community! Are you an entrepreneur just starting out? Have you found yourself wondering what you'll need to do to get ready to file taxes for the first time as a business owner? If so, look no further. Here are few points of tax prep to get your started in the right direction.       BasicsYou'll need to start with the basics. This information includes your business structure; whether it be a sole proprietorship, corporation, single-member LLC, etc. Additionally, you'll need to know your business tax ID number (EIN). It's also not a bad idea to have a list of assets and equipment.   Get OrganizedWhen tax time rolls around you'll want to be sure all of your related documents are in one place, such as any 1099 forms. That way you're not scrambling around looking for this or that. One way to do this is to create a folder specific for taxes, and then a sub-folder for receipts. Another, even more effective option would be to use QuickBooks! Each business expense a

Hey, Community! You know we share all things small business here in this space. I have another article for you today that came from the QuickBooks Blog. It talks about learning financial lessons. That's always a good thing to learn more about so let's take a closer look: Realize how to use debt wisely. It has been drilled in our brains that debt is bad. And that for that most part is true if you're not careful. However, you can also work debt to your advantage. For example, professionals in the real estate investing industry will make a purchase, go into debt, work a few projects to sell the property, and ultimately make their money back and then some. Leverage is key. Resist the temptation to go overboard with spending. This point is pretty straightforward. As mentioned in the article, Will Smith once said, "We spend money that we do not have, on things we do not need, to impress people who do not care.” Make your budget and stick to it like glue. Find (or create) oppor

Happy Friday, everyone! I hope you guys are having a great day! Before you leave today, I want to share this gem by Entrepreneur highlighting five things successful people have in common. Here is what they had to say:   Embrace failureOof! This can be a tuff pill to swallow because no one wants to fail. But know that every experience is a learning opportunity to do better and progress more. The author shared something that struck a chord. He said that hearing no shouldn't hold you back because something even better could be waiting around the corner.   Excel at relationship buildingThe writer mentioned that you want to have a genuine and authentic presence when meeting people or calling them. The goal is to communicate with others and leave them feeling good about you and would want to work with you all the time.   Are comfortable being uncomfortableIt is always good to step out of your comfort zone sometimes because you may miss out on good opportunities, or it may enli

Hello Community! Hope your week is going well so far. Many businesses are making the decision to return to the office but after so many months, it’s hard to know what to expect (or what the transition will be like). So, as usual, I’m going to try my best to give you some tips! Let’s get right to it:Create a new routineIt will take time to get back into the groove of getting up, getting dressed and getting out the door. As someone who spent half their day in pajamas before getting dressed around noon, it was hard to have so many things to do right in the morning again. Give yourself some slack and some extra time in the morning to make sure you have everything you need.ReconnectIf you’ve been used to not seeing anyone during your work day, it can be a bit odd to suddenly be around people. Though for some it may be invigorating to be social again, know that it’s ok to be overwhelmed. Everyone has been through a rough time, so there may be a lot of emotions surrounding returning to the of

Hello Community! Here we are, making moves into a new month. Of course you’ve heard about our Resource Center (and if you haven’t check, it out here). It’s filled with helpful information about running your business, QuickBooks, and everything in between. Today I want to talk about invoices and the not-so-great situation where they haven’t been paid by your customer (yet). There are an array of reasons why a customer would let their invoice go unpaid, but as a business owner you want to do everything in your power to limit this occurrence. Let’s start with some basics.     Before you give the invoice, know these two things:   Who should get the invoice? Sometimes it’s the client themselves, sometimes it’s the accounting department, or both. Make sure you know the procedure to expedite smoother, faster payment.   How do they prefer to pay? Offering your customers more payment options, such as credit card, eCheck, or direct ACH bank transfer, ensures

We took a bit of a break, but we are back with our monthly Community Chatter.  Per a recent look at social media useage, as of 2021 there were over 4.48 billion people using some form of social media worldwide.  So, for this month we wanted to take a peek at what the team's favorite social media accounts to follow are.      From Morgan: Hello, friends! I follow a variety of accounts on several different social media platforms. My top fave TikTok account is @nowitsclean. This gal shares every cleaning tip, hack, and tool you could ever want! Her videos are so satisfying to watch and actually motivate me to clean up around the house. My second favorite TikTok account is @calvingrindz. This is purely for entertainment purposes and his prank videos keep me laughing out loud. Instagram is probably my most favorite social media platform. The list is long so I'll just share my newest favorite accounts. First up is @woven__together. She is a polymer clay artist w

Good afternoon, Community friends. It was about 63 degrees in my area yesterday and it just made me even more excited for spring! So while you're checking out the Business Discussion, check out this article I saw on forbes.com that also put me in mind of spring. It covers a few tips for spring cleaning your business to set you up for the best fiscal year yet. Let's take a look...   Test The Efficacy Of Automated ProcessesThe first quarter of the year is the best time to evaluate what has been working and what hasn't. Among things to evaluate are any and all automated processes. This includes marketing automation, sales, operational, and more. Anything that isn't working the most efficiently is ultimately wasting time and resources.   Set Up Your Accounting CategoriesReviewing business accounting categories is a sure way to determine which cost and profict centers coordinate and drive the most margin. Early in the year is a good time to make sure any new service line

Good afternoon, Community! Spring is in the air! This time of year is perfect for revamping certain areas of both life and business. With that being said, do you have a website for your business? If so, what do you include on the site? And if not, here are a few ideas to get you started...   Clear LanguageThere's nothing much more frustrating than finding something you'd like to purchase but no info regarding price, or how to pay and complete the transaction. This is one I've personally experienced, and honestly if I have to dig for this info I start looking for similar products elsewhere. When building your website be sure to use clear, informative language that tells your customers exactly what to do to make a purchase.   PhotosPictures on your business's website are a must. Pictures of you, of your product, of just the product, and of other people wearing or using your product. All of the above. Photos show your audience you, the face behind the name, and the others show h

We know it takes more than just useful posts and helpful hosts to create an online community you value, feel safe in and want to visit every day. Building a vibrant, welcoming community that truly helps you start, build and grow your business requires a thoughtful exchange of ideas, information and inspiration between all of our valued participants. Our Welcome Video Getting Started Join the Momentum to $1 Million Group Meet the QB Community Team Since everyone here contributes to and helps shape the culture of our QuickBooks Community, we’ve put together some important guidelines about the behavior and expectations that make this community special. As you read the information below, you’ll find we do things a little differently here than in other online communities. We’ve put a lot of thought into creating guidelines that reflect our goals and priorities, and we hope they reflect what you hold dear, too. We appreciate you taking a few minutes to find out more. We encourage network

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We are a pool and spa company with 17 trucks on the road daily. Employee's have inventory (such as chemicals and filters) on their trucks that isn't necessarily billed out but is in fact still in inventory. What's the best way to accurately track items like this being that they may or may not get billed out but are not in the store where I'm personally responsible for them? When items leaves the store, I would like for them to be accounted for somehow in order to be able to follow up and make sure they're properly billed out and taken out of inventory. 

Have you ever walked into your work space and did a full face-palm and said, "Where do I even begin?!" There's receipts, highlighters, envelopes, packing supplies, un-finished projects, sticky notes, you name it, all piled high. I've got a few tips for you to get your business organized and keep the overwhelming clutter at bay.   Use a PlannerFor me personally, I really like a tangible notebook style planner. I like to physically highlight and check off things to do and appointments. However, electronic planners are also easily accessible. A big plus to this means one less thing on your desk! There are some really great (and free) options available.   Content CalendarThis is kind of a 1b. to the 1a. above but part of your scheduling and planning should be social media content. Plan a month's worth of social media content for your business and write it or type it into your calendar. Many platforms also have the option to schedule posts so once you have everything planned, you

Good afternoon, Community friends! Morgan here, back to share some more small business tips and tricks. I found an article posted in the QuickBooks Resource Center (you should check it out!) and it covered all the details for electronic payments. Now I don't know about you, but the more options to get paid - the merrier! Let's take a closer look...       Personally speaking, having cash on hand is a rare occurrence for me. Nowadays just about everything can be done electronically, especially paying for goods and services. "Electronic payments are when a customer pays for a product or service electronically, rather than exchanging physical cash or a paper check. Electronic payments are especially common for e-commerce retailers who complete online transactions and need their customers to pay online. However, businesses also use electronic payments in-person through debit card or credit card payments."   Now let's take a look at a couple of different