Business Discussions

  From the makers of QuickBooks and TurboTax, we bring you a new beta product called Intuit Accelerate. Accelerate was co-created with entrepreneurs like you to supercharge how you run your business virtually.   Having to manually organize and navigate a virtual practice across many different tools that don't speak to each other means you have less time to focus on doing what you love. This also translates to lost ‘jobs’ and missed opportunities to showcase your expertise.   Intuit Accelerate’s mission is to enable you to show up like the expert you are.   Use Intuit Accelerate for free, as often as you like. (Since we are currently in beta, we look forward to your occasional feedback when a member of our team contacts you)   Unleash your NEW superpowers here   Want to know more?    Accelerate helps you qualify leads, schedule meetings, capture notes, and summarize important takeaways and next steps so you can focus on providing the best servic

We have a specialty business that manufactures and sells made-to-order products as well as product sales and service.  What Industry would I use in QB's Premier 2019 in company setup?

Hey everybody, thanks for joining us! I don't know about you but I'm all about working smarter not harder. There are so many services available to us in this day and time that are able get a lot of the behind the scenes work done for you, and more often than not there's an app for it! Utilizing this type of technology allows you the time to focus on perfecting what you sell. One area you can use business services to help out with is actually hiring! I read an article shared on apppicker.com that explains the benefits of using a recruitment service for hiring new employees. Here are some of the main points...   Tailor Your Job Opening to the Current MarketRecruitment services provide the means to ensure your job opening is viewed by the proper audience. For example, you aren't going to show a job opening for a flower shop to delivery drivers looking to pickup work. Recruitment services make sure that doesn't happen.   Regular Reports and UpdatesAn added bon

Hello, friends! I hope your day is productive and your coffee strong. :) Here in the Community we always focus on you, our customers, and try to help you as much as we can in your business. Whether it’s how to market yourself, or goal setting, we know that success trickles down from the top.   Today, I want to focus on self-care, but this time we’re looking at how you can promote this practice to your employees. Happy and rested employees are one key to a successful business. Let’s look at some simple ideas that you can start now!   Lunch BreaksI know this is pretty basic, but are your employees taking a true lunch break? Do some of them work through their lunch if they feel behind? Opening up this conversation with your workers during meetings or 1 on 1s is a great way to gauge whether their lunch break is being used as it is intended. Having a mental break is essential to having a good day at work.   Active MeetingsWho says that meetings have to be in a room with every

Oh hi there! Today I want to talk about an article I found over on the QuickBooks Blog. It covers something that's going to happen from time to time as a business owner because, let's face it, you can't please everyone. That is the topic of negative reviews, AND how to handle them and get more business (yay!). Let's take a look...   ImportanceReviews are important to any business. I know I personally always like to check out a few reviews before making a purchase. The importance can be said for both good and "bad" reviews. I quote "bad" because they're not necessarily slamming your business, but your product or service may not have been the exact fit for their current need and that's ok! And of course positive reviews are always great. They let potential customers know how your company was in a real life situation.   GeneratingNow you may be wondering how to generate reviews. Simply start by asking your customers to write a review right after helping them wit

Welcome to the QuickBooks Business Discussion Page! I hope you are looking forward to the weekend just as I am! Here's a quick riddle for you before you leave for the day. Up for the challenge?   I have lots to say but never speak. I open, but you cannot walk through me. I have a spine but no bones?    Have you figured it out as yet? Well............................it is a book! With school in session, I thought we, as business owners, should be reading and learning some more! Blogher shared some best-selling books for today's article that small business owners need to keep on hand.     Edge: Turning Adversity Into Advantage by Laura HuangHuang uses her experiences to create a tactical book that focuses on being resilient during the ups and downs as a business owner!    Masters of Scale: Surprising Truths From the World's Most Successful Entrepreneurs by Reid HoffmanDo you love listening to podcasts? Well, here is another one to a

Hello again everyone, thanks for joining us here in the Business Discussion space! We've talked a lot about gaining clients, but what about when it's time for a client to move on? I've put together a list of what to provide your client with when it's time part ways.   Thank YouFirst and foremost a thank you message! Let them know how much you appreciate their business and for choosing you in the first place.   ResourcesProvide a list of resources your client can refer to help them out if they get stuck in the future. Pamphlets, video tutorials, maybe even your own website.   TroubleshootingOffer a list of some starter troubleshooting steps just in case.   Feedback RequestAsk your client to provide some constructive feedback for you when they get a moment. I'm thinking a survey!   Review RequestRequest your customer leave a review on your social media platforms or website so potential clients can check out how your services were used in real life.   GiftOne

Hello Community! Who says there's only one way to succeed? I know we talk a lot about branding and your digital identity, but there are so many ways to be successful in your business. If you head over to our QuickBooks Blog, you’ll see an article by Andy Latkovskis about how a podcast can help grow your business.     Especially this past year, podcasts have become not only a source of entertainment but a place for knowledge and connection. According to statista, the number of U.S. consumers who ever listened to audio podcasts increased from just 11 percent in 2006 to 57% in 2021. If that isn’t reason enough, let’s get into how this can help your business.   Company branded podcasts: The power of the story“People learn from stories, not statistics.” Use this opportunity to connect with people and share your story. What is your mission? Business vision? You can really paint a picture for customers and potential customers by being authentic and sharing what you

Have you been in business for a while? Do you feel like you have a lot of valuable knowledge about your industry? Forbes Magazine came out with an article on 5 Ways You Can Position Yourself As An Expert In Your Field. Let’s take a look!   Put Yourself on a PodcastWhat a great, innovative way to talk about what you know best and engage with your customers/audience. People are always looking for solutions to problems that an expert like you probably see all the time. Answer some common questions you hear a lot, or draw from your own experience and talk about what customers should know. View this as an opportunity to put your knowledge on display and talk about what you're passionate about.   Write an Article for SubmissionThere are a number of publications that look for industry experts. If you have the time to contribute consistently, even better. Getting your name out to a wider audience is not only great for your brand, but becoming published will help boost your publi

Good afternoon Community friends! I hope everyone is having a wonderful day. We've all heard about the algorithms for social media and how they can affect business platforms. One way to be sure your posts are reaching the largest audience is to increase engagement. Well how do you do that? I just so happen to have a few ideas for you to get your customers talking!   Name something popular that everyone seems to love but you don't care for. What was the last project you worked really hard on? What was your favorite toy or activity as a kid? What is one thing you cannot leave the house without? What is your guilty pleasure meal or dessert? What's an irrational fear that you have? What app do you use most on your phone? What place around the globe would you like to visit that you haven't been to yet? Do you have a hidden talent? If yes, what is it? What's your current hobby? These kind of posts are a great opportunity for you to answer your own question and connect with your custom

How would you rate your communication skills? Do you think there is room for improvement? Well, you are in luck! Our QuickBooks Blog shared some ways to improve your communication skills. Here are my favorite points:     Be Transparent With Your StaffMiscommunication is a significant issue in our everyday lives. I don't know about you, but there are times when I get upset, but it always boils down to miscommunication. The writer urges us to be transparent to avoid this. By being transparent, it builds trust, understanding, and empathy with team members! If you are clear and concise with giving instructions, your employees will most likely do what is asked of them without complaints or confusion.   Focus on listeningThis is an area I can personally say I struggle with. Sometimes I can be caught up in my thoughts that I don't pause to consider what others may have to say. Here are some ways the writer mentioned why it is essential to listen:   It shows your team th

    This set of videos focuses on QuickBooks Online Inventory, which is available for QuickBooks Online Plus. The inventory tool offers basic quantity-on-hand tracking and reporting features. While adding and managing basic products and services is a fairly straightforward process, the full inventory experience is quite a bit more involved and requires regular upkeep. It’s best to start with inventory as you set up your product list, but you don’t need a clean slate to get set up (just know it will require some extra work). If you are converting from QuickBooks Desktop with existing inventory, there is a different workflow (found here). Note that inventory should be set up immediately after conversion, not later.   How to Create an Inventory Product | QuickBooks Online Tutorial 2018     After enabling inventory tracking (Gear Icon [  ] > Account and Settings > Sales > Products and Services > Track Inventory Quantity on Hand),

Hello Community! I hope everyone is having a wonderful, productive week.   When is the last time you thought about your business’s “digital identity”? What’s your online presence like? If you’re like many businesses, it’s possible you could use a little help in that department. Business owners have a lot on their plate that building their brand (especially online) can be last on the list. Entrepreneur.com came out with a wonderful article with some advice on how to best form your brand’s digital identity. Let’s not waste any time and get right to it!   Build your website firstYou may want to jump into making a Facebook or Instagram page, but your home base will be your website. Make building your site a priority before your social pages. This is where you’ll be sending your customers to ask questions or book appointments, so testing it out is important. Pick a domain name that is clear and easy to spell and remember to check if that name is available!   Claim y

Hello Community friends! Do you ever feel like you're in a slump, rut, ditch (you get it)? I think life can just get so busy with the daily routine and one can easily be worn down. Maybe that's just how I've been feeling lately, but if you think that describes you too, I've got a few pointers of how to overcome that feeling.     Accept that no journey is without twists and turnsAhh, the rollercoaster of life, right? There are ups and downs and surprise turns all throughout. Accepting that life, as well as business ownership is going to come with a few plot twists along the way makes it a bit easier when they do show up.   DaydreamYes, really! Take a breather, close your eyes, and think about how great it's going to be when you start checking off your goals one by one. Let those feelings of joy motivate you and push your further.Start with positive energyWake up early, get yourself ready, have some coffee, practice some positive affirmations, and then tackle the day. Sta

I know there are a lot of business owners here in the Community, but maybe you haven't officially took that leap yet. If that's you, you've come to the right place. I was reading an article from the QuickBooks Resource Center earlier and it presented a "beginner's guide to startup costs." Let's take a look at some of the key points...     Fixed CostsAs you may have assumed, fixed costs are those that don't necessarily fluctuate. These costs include: Rent Payroll Taxes Software Insurance Utilities And office supplies To name a few. These are ongoing expenses that you'll always need and typically paid for on a monthly basis.   Variable CostsThese expenses can vary in price and can even be a one time cost in some situations: Permits and licenses Incorporation fees Logo design Website design Business cards or brochures Down payment on rental property Improvements to chosen location   This may sound like a lot but good news is there are also several tax d

Currently I have a PC and am running QB.  Am thinking about getting a MAC and am wondering if anyone can give me pros and cons.  All my other devices are APPLE and would like to have a MAC but not if I am just asking for problems.  Thanks for any input

When the team and I were talking about what our next Community Chatter post should be, we were lamenting the fact that while Spring Cleaning is a big deal every year, no one really talks about Fall Cleaning.  So we decided to buck the trend and share all of our Fall cleaning tips and tricks.       Thinking about doing some Fall cleaning? Check out our suggestions below... (While these aren't necessarily Fall specific, hopefully, they give you the encouragement to get a bit of cleaning in!)   ++++++   From Kiala: Everyone talks about Spring cleaning, but with back to school and the change of seasons around the corner, I'm going to share with you my Fall cleaning hack for my bathtub. Cleaning the bathroom is always my least favorite thing to do, and the tub always feels so awkward. I've tried those "spray it and forget it" cleaners but they never quite get my tub as clean as I would like.You know those kitchen tools that you put dish soap in and the sp

    Connecting your bank and credit card accounts to QuickBooks Online is a great way to track your income and spending without having to manually enter every transaction. Only recording your income through sales forms while leaving out your expenses provides an incomplete perspective of your business’ overall health, but creating records for every transaction can be a huge task.    If you connect your online bank accounts in QuickBooks Online, the program will automatically download the last 90 days of transactions recorded by your bank. The program will match existing entries already in QuickBooks online and add new records for incoming transactions without a matching entry. This feature ensures your accounts are always up-to-date and drastically reduces the amount of data-entry you need to do on a daily basis.  Why should I connect my online bank accounts? Get started connecting your online bank accounts Navigating

Can anyone tell me in summary how well QB has helped them?

Hi everybody! Thanks for joining us here in the Community, and more specifically, the Business Discussion board! My question for you today is, "Are you paid what you're worth?" That's definitely an important question that more than likely everyone has asked themselves at one point or another. I found an article from inc.com that offers a few ways to make sure your product or service is priced to maximize profits. Here are a few that were mentioned...   Don't price on the basis of your competitionThis may be a little easier said than done. It does make sense to price your product similar to that of your competition, but "the majority of startups launching new products undermine their pricing by about 10 to 50 percent." This can also be a losing strategy because it undermines the value of your product or service. Keep in mind you're not selling [fill in the blank with what you're actually selling], you're actually selling value.   Break the psychological pattern

Do you know what I love? Revisiting the basics of running a business. Sometimes we get so caught up in the complicated details we forget the simple things that make a business run smoothly. Today I’m going to focus on an article from our Resource center and talk about what hours tracked means and the many ways you can do so.   The Fair Labor Standards Act defines hours worked as any amount of time an employee is doing their job requirement. This includes working remotely or being on-site. They must be paid at least the federal minimum wage for all hours worked, not including meals. How many hours will depend on whether that employee is full-time, part-time, and any overtime hours.   Choose a recording method. This could be manual timesheets like a piece of paper or excel document. You can also find a time tracking software or the good old time clock (stamp time). Set a start and end time. Make a schedule if your employee’s hours differ from day-to-day, or go over your expe

Hello, hello! It's great to have you here! If you're new to the Community, welcome, there's lots to see and do! If you're a long time friend and member, we sure do appreciate you! I'm feeling grateful today, which isn't a bad thing, but let's talk about small business things, shall we? I recently read an article from a site called brit.co that talked about red flags to avoid when starting your business. It's always a good to learn for other people's experiences who have been there, so let's take a look...     Mismatched Payment DetailsSo you just started a business and accept PayPal payments, but you're using your roommates PayPal email address, something like c00lchick93@hotmail. Hmm maybe not the best look. The post mentions making sure your payment details match up and you may be wondering why that's a big deal. It not only  makes everything look and feel more cohesive, it also helps avoid chargebacks because your customers will recognize the company name a

How do I escalate an complaints issue within Quickbooks Payroll US? We are an Australian company using Quickbooks Payroll Online. We run the US payroll from Australia. We only have 2 staff in the US.  We have been using Intuit for the past 14 years. Intuit recently moved to Quickbooks.I am now being told that I need to provide valid US identification to be the Principal Account owner of Quickbooks Payroll. This is after 14 years!  Our other Principal Account Owners within our company have all been Australian and have provided their Australian ID. I have provided all my Australian ID, but they keep telling me they need US ID!When I try to escalate this issue within Quickbooks after several online chats, I have asked for a phone number to call. I am told they do not provide phone numbers. I am then instructed to login and request a call back from a team member. The issue is that they do not accept international phone numbers. They will not call Australia. Our Payroll syste

I will be providing services for clients where they will pay online.  I will also be renting a piece of equipment and I would like to pre-authorize a payment, so if they do not return the equipment to me, I capture the funds.  I don't want to do any of this through a "store", rather I will invoice clients. I would like to be able to capture funds at the time they pay for most services, but pre-authorize an additional charge just for the equipment. Is this possible? Thank you!

Why, hello there Community! You know what? I had one of the best work weeks I’ve had in a long time! You know those weeks where you get things done, you have minimal stress, and you feel accomplished? And it’s all because of a very basic but fundamental skill that I worked into my schedule…… ready?     Time Management.   That’s right. Simple and free and lessening my anxiety. Gone are my college days of procrastinating and cramming things into the last minute. What’s even better is I saw an article from Brittany Bettini from entrepeneur.com that explains 5 Reasons Why You Need to Learn Time Management for your Business.   #1 Accomplish more in less   Until someone invents a time machine that can pause time, we only have a certain number of hours every day. Taking this into account, it’s necessary to organize your time efficiently. Focus on what you need to do, starting with the most important tasks, or you’ll find your day has slipped away and y