QuickBooks Online Running Slow?
If you find that QuickBooks Online (QBO) is running slow for you, it most likely isn’t because QuickBooks Online itself is having issues. However, you can check to see if there are any problems via this web page: QuickBooks Status. You can also subscribe to updates so that you are alerted if any products are experiencing outages or issues. If there are no incidents, then there are several steps you can go through to fix the speed of QBO pages loading.
Browser vs. App
Even though there are computer apps for both PC and Apple, QBO runs the fastest in a web browser, and not just any of the several browsers out there. It was designed with Google Chrome in mind, so this should be your browser of choice, no matter what platform you use.
Optimize Chrome
Make sure your Chrome browser is updated. Go to Menu (3 dots in the upper right-hand corner in the PC version) | Help | About Google Chrome.
Check for any Chrome extensions installed in the browser. Go to Menu | More tools | Extensions. You can temporarily turn off any extension to test performance and remove any that are causing problems. I don’t recommend browser extensions that scan for malicious content or Yahoo! toolbars. These are usually loaded with spam that also track your web activity.
Don’t have too many tabs open in Chrome. Since I am primarily cloud-based, I have at least 8 tabs pinned for work. I will surf other sites in additional opened tabs. For QBO, I have a completely separate Chrome profile with at least 3 pinned tabs. Having a separate profile means I can remove cookies (see below) only for QBO and not all my other favorite websites.
Clear cache and cookies
In Chrome
On your computer, open Chrome.
At the top right, click More .
Click More tools Clear browsing data.
At the top, choose a time range. To delete everything, select All time.
Next to "Cookies and other site data" and "Cached images and files," check the boxes. Usually, I don’t select cookies unless things go really bad with bank connections or viewing pages. If you clear your cookies, then you may have to go through the authentication process again when logging back into QBO.
Click Clear data.
Computer Performance
While you don’t have to have the latest and greatest computer, it is important to have at least sufficient RAM for the best Chrome performance. Chrome has been known to eat up a lot of memory, especially with multiples opened with many tabs in each. With recent updates, Chrome runs more efficiently. However, it is still a good idea to have at least 8GM of RAM installed. Having a fast CPU helps but is not a major factor. I still use a Google Chromebook from 5 years ago that runs QBO perfectly fine with 8GB of RAM and only an Intel Core i3 processor. But I only use it when I am outside the office.
Internet Speed or Bandwidth
This is a big one and mostly misunderstood. 20 Mbps is slow and most people have this or slower speeds. I have Cox Gigablast which averages about 800 Mbps. Even with faster speeds, if there is someone on the work network listening to Pandora or watching videos on YouTube, this will lower the bandwidth significantly.
Fun Stuff You Can Do in QuickBooks Online
Emojis
Since QuickBooks Online is web-based, what you can do in a web browser will sometimes also work in QBO. Emojis are pretty common in text messages and emails. So are animated gifs. Accounting can be boring stuff, so to brighten up your books and have some fun, use emojis!
When creating expenses, you can either right-click or hit the Windows key and Period (for PC users) in any text field and select an emoji. This works great in the DESCRIPTION field.
They even show up in reports!
So, say good riddance to 2020 💩 and good day to a funner and brighter 2021 🥂!
Year End Tasks You Should Be Doing Now in QuickBooks
As 2020 comes to a close, thankfully, now is the time to get a head start on organizing your books and closing out the year in QuickBooks.
Apply for PPP Loan Forgiveness
While it is still fuzzy as to the deductibility of expenses used in forgiveness of a PPP loan, borrowers who took PPP loans of $50,000 or less to pay for qualified expenses, such as payroll, mortgage interest payments, rent, and other eligible costs, can apply for total loan forgiveness now. The application is simpler and can be completed quickly.
Reconcile All Accounts in QuickBooks
Frequently put off, it is important that all accounts, not just bank and credit card accounts, are reconciled through at least the 3rd quarter. This includes loan and other long term liability accounts. Void any uncleared transactions. Contact vendors of any uncleared checks. Verify sales tax and payroll liability account balances are correct, as applicable. Reconciliations confirm that what is in QuickBooks matches what has happened dollar for dollar in real life.
Check Financial Statements
Create a Profit and Loss statement on an accrual basis. Even if you file on a cash basis, this will ensure that you aren’t missing any transactions that may have been miscategorized or duplicated. Also create a Balance Sheet and check for accounts that don’t have normal balances, such as negative expenses, liabilities, or assets. If you use subaccounts, make sure that there are no balances in the parent account. In QuickBooks desktop, this will appear as Account - Other.
Run Other Reports
Create a Custom Transaction Detail Report (desktop) or Transaction List by Date (QBO) and group by Name (Payee) and filter for expense type transactions. If all expenses have a payee or vendor name (recommended), then verify the split or category is consistent for each name, as applicable. In QuickBooks Online, navigate to Expenses and make sure all transactions have attachments (recommended). I use Receipt Bank to streamline this process.
Write Off Bad Debt
Run an A/R Aging Summary report. Attempt to collect on any balances over 90 days past due. If uncollectible, create credit memos to a Bad Debt item posting to a bad debt expense account and apply to overdue invoices.
Evaluate Business Performance and Processes
Run the Business or Company Snapshot. Compare previous year to current year income and expenses. Determine if switching to a better payroll service would benefit the company. Investigate apps to eliminate duplicate entry or to improve efficiency. Hire a ProAdvisor if you can’t do all this yourself and need help.