QuickBooks is the accounting software of choice for many small and mid-sized companies when it comes to financial accounting for businesses. It can be used even by those having little accounting experience. These are some quick tips to help use QuickBooks more effectively:
Use keyboard shortcuts: There are some nifty keyboard shortcuts that help you with various functions:
Ctrl + A Shows the Chart of Accounts
Ctrl + I Creates customer invoice
Space Bar Marks or un-marks boxes or items in a check box
Ctrl + F Finds transaction
Ctrl + E Edits transaction
Ctrl + W Writes new check
Ctrl + Del Deletes a line
Ctrl + Insert Inserts a line
Ctrl + Q Brings up the QuickReport of transactions for each item in a list
Ctrl + M Brings up Memorize Transaction option
Use the History option: When going through transactions, you may want to see the history behind the values. Just click the History button at the top of the transaction window. This will let you see the details like when it was deposited in the bank and against which invoice if it is a payment. This is a quick snapshot of how the transaction originated.
Change interface settings: You can change interface settings by going to Edit/Preferences/Checking/Company Preferences. Now choose “Register Mode.” This especially is useful when you find a new interface and are much more comfortable with the old one that you’d prefer to work with.
Use QuickMath Calculator: Click inside the field where you wish to use the calculator. Press =. Now enter your calculation and see the result. Press C once to clear the entry and escape to cancel.
Use right-click menus: These are very handy as they allow you to access functions right at entries. For example in the Chart of Accounts, you can right click to perform tasks like customizing columns, editing the account or generating a QuickReport.
Use different Account Color: If you have more than one checking account, color coding them differently will help in less confusion. It can be easily done by clicking “Change Account Color” in Edit Menu.
Export or save data: You can save your QuickReports in Excel format by exporting them. Open the report and click the Export button on the top of the report. Then export into an Excel Workbook. You may retain QuickReports formatting by clicking on the Advanced tab. Data can also be saved in the cloud. You can use Intuit or QuickBooks Online Backup which comes at an additional monthly cost.