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How to Use QuickBooks More Effectively: 10 Tips


How to use QuickBooks most effectively can be a challenge. But, to help you, here are a series of QuickBooks “how-to” tips from BuildYourNumbers.com!


How To Use QuickBooks

Do you use QuickBooks to manage your accounting?

How to use QuickBooksFor years, mid-sized and small-business owners have found QuickBooks Desktop, QuickBooks Online, and Enterprise Solutions to be the most economical, efficient, and flexible programs for in-house accounting.

Yet these businesses are often not using their accounting software program to its fullest potential

QuickBooks is a great asset. The information it can deliver will provide the insights you need to increase your productivity (and profits!).

How To Use QuickBooks More Effectively – 10 Tips

  1. Start Using QuickBooks With a Pencil Copy or Spreadsheet Design

    As you’re learning how to use QuickBooks, remember that – just as in construction – the underlying design and structure will have a huge impact on your final results!  If you’re just beginning or want to remodel your current accounting system: 

    • Start with a working copy of your accounts and lists so that you can establish exactly how you want your QuickBooks to act.
    • A spreadsheet can also be a useful way to sort, organize, and group various elements while you are still brainstorming….
  2. Review & Set Your Company Preferences in QuickBooks

    QuickBooks allows you to modify your Company Preferences for the structure of data, reports, and features that you do and don’t want to use. Make selections that reflect the way that your company does business..

  3. Learn How To Use QuickBooks’ Lists Feature

    QuickBooks’ lists help to integrate information and minimize data-entry chores. Using those lists creatively also allows you to customize reports and get the information you need to make management and pricing decisions..

  4. Use QuickBooks’ Chart Of Accounts To Group Your Costs By Business Function

    Use your Chart of Accounts to group costs by business function.  This step will provide you with instant information on costs from a control and decision-making perspective.

  5. Use QuickBooks Customer:Job List Function

    The Customer:Job feature is designed to help you track all financial transactions that apply to a specific customer. This allows you to assign estimated costs, purchase orders, bills, employee time, payments, etc., to each job.
    You can also organize names in a variety of ways in order to provide useful summaries and analysis..

  6. Create Unique Vendor Names

    QuickBooks allows you to create unique vendor names.  This means that you can quickly enter vendors and auto-recall cost assignments while still using the vendor’s formal name for payment..

  7. Learn How To Use QuickBooks Reports and Customize Them To Meet Your Needs

    Company owners, individual departments, and accountants all require different reports, formats, and processes. Once you recognize what those individual needs are, and you understand how to use QuickBooks’ systems, you can customize reports to meet your company’s varied needs.

  8. Use QuickBooks to Monitor Important Information

    QuickBooks allows you to establish accounts and items that will gather and report on the information that is important to youFor example, you could add a “Direct Labor-Overtime” account and payroll items. Then you can quickly see and monitor direct labor overtime costs – in total, by job, or by employee.

  9. How to Use QuickBooks Help Features

    QuickBooks includes these onscreen help features:

    • Help With This Window: Press F1.
    • Help Index: In the Help window, highlight and click on a relevant word to see definitions, further explanations, examples, and related topics.
    • How Do I?: Found in the activity windows. Click the “How Do I?” button, and a drop-down menu will appear. Just select the answer to your question.
  10. Get Efficient! Learn How To ‘Maneuver’ QuickBooks Like an Expert…

    For example, learn which navigation methods work best for you. For instance, you can choose from:

    • Navigation windows
    • Pull-down menus
    • Icons
    • QuickBooks Centers
    • Shortcut keys

“How To Use QuickBooks More Effectively and Efficiently”

Are You Ready To Learn Additional Tips & Techniques?

You deserve to have access to the management information that will help you run your company more profitably!

We love to teach business owners (and/or their bookkeeping staff) in-depth ways to use QuickBooks’ structure and features to meet their goals.

If you have the feeling that you could benefit from utilizing your QuickBooks Pro, Premier, or Enterprise Solutions at a higher level, take a look at our QuickBooks Desktop Training Subscription series, or contact us at 734-544-7620 (9-5 Eastern, M-F) with any specific questions you may have.


At Info Plus, we offer a wide range of affordable workshops and training specific to job costing using software such as QuickBooks® desktop and Excel. We love teaching and coaching, so if you’re ready to learn, we’re here for you.
Learn more about job cost training for QuickBooks

You can sign up for any of our workshops or training tutorials and learn what you need to know 24/7. If you’d like to learn more about the training, please send an email or call. We’ll be happy to explain how it works so you can decide if it would be a good fit for you and your business.

We look forward to hearing from you and learning more about how we can help…


 Bonus: Want to Increase your Gross Profit? Here’s a useful one-sheet Excel calculator…

Free Gross Profit & Markup Calculator


What our customers say about Diane Gilson and Info Plus Accounting:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ From the Intuit FindAProAdvisor website:
“I have been working with Diane for over a year, and each session I learn something new. She has assisted us in improving our item list, chart of accounts, job costing, reports, and month end closing. She truly understands the remodeling industry and the types of financial information we need to be successful.”

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