Share and Work on QuickBooks Files Without Networking With Qbox
There are many ways that I have seen my clients use to
share
their QuickBooks file with an accountant, CPA, or just themselves so that they can have work done in the file in a location other than their primary workplace. Or course, we are talking about QuickBooks for Desktop, which in order to have multiple people work in the same company file simultaneously, you have to have a hard-line network connection with the file hosted on a server (optimal) or have your file hosted in the cloud with a paid subscription. Sometimes, you may just need work done in a QuickBooks file but not necessarily simultaneously with someone else. In this scenario, I have seen clients send backups to their accountants and then just stop working in their file until they get the changes back and then restore the backup (not very optimal). Rarely do I see clients send accountant's copies electronically to their accountants and I haven't seen anyone use the Send General Journal Entries feature that started in the 2013 version of QuickBooks. Maybe theses processes are too complicated or misunderstand for the average user.
As an avid Dropbox user, I tried accessing my QuickBooks file on multiple computers in the past, but this caused headaches such as conflicting copies of the same file. This was probably a result of syncing issues. Now, I just keep my file in there to keep it "backed up" into the cloud, but only access it and use it on one computer.
Recently, I discovered
. This is a free (using the Basic plan) service that shares your file like Dropbox, but actually locks the QuickBooks file (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files too) when in use so that there aren't any conflicted copies. I tried the whole process from installing on my laptop and opening my existing QuickBooks file and it was a very easy and seamless process. Keep in mind that you still can only have one person open the file and work in it at one time. Once finished, the changes are synced back into the cloud while alerting the other user that the file is currently locked and cannot be used to make changes. There is also a great feature where you can just open the file in read-only mode so that another user can at least look at stuff but any changes won't be saved. I have super fast Internet and my QuickBooks file size is pretty small, so the syncing didn't take that long. However, it didn't sync as fast as Dropbox, which has a preference to not limit bandwidth, so I am wondering if Qbox has some sort of limit in place. Other than that, I'm pretty impressed with this solution to a problem that has existed for a very long time.
Method CRM: Now Advanced Certified and New & Improved QuickBooks Custom Reports
These are actually two separate announcements but since they happened around the same time and they are somewhat related, I figured I would put them together since they are pretty huge. First off, I am now an Advanced Method Certified Consultant of
. I probably should have taken this a long time ago, but at least I was able to garner the experience of some pretty complex customization jobs for my clients up until now. Recently, I implemented a brand new business that is
completely
mobile using Method. This was a huge project, but well worth the challenge and experience. And after a few years working in Method, my non-profit client has expanded their tracking in Method to other programs within their organization.
A lot of my database experience that has helped me with Method stems from my extensive background in designing custom reports using QuickBooks data. Understanding how data is structured and organized and then being able to put it all together into an understandable format is key to the intelligence of information. I supported the QODBC driver for QuickBooks when I worked at Intuit and then used it ever since I started my business almost 7 years ago creating custom reports for my clients. I thought I was pretty advanced when I found a way to really speed up the syncing of my report applications with QuickBooks. But now, moving forward, I have found a better and even faster way using the Method API. Taking advantage of the best QuickBooks synchronization provided by the Method Sync Engine, getting the reports that you need is only a few button clicks away. It doesn't matter if you are using QuickBooks Pro or QuickBooks Online, and you won't have to purchase a QODBC driver, QQube, or Crystal Reports. And you get introduced to a world-class application called Method:CRM (unless you already use it!).
Import Bank Transactions Easily Into QuickBooks For Free!
For years I have been showing clients how I import .QBO or Web Connect Files downloaded from my bank as .QFX or the file format usually provided free by banking institutions for import into Quicken Financial Software, also known as Web Connect for Quicken 2011 and above. This can be tricky for most people, having to change the downloaded file's extension to .TXT, edit in Notepad by changing the FID and INTU.BID to one that I know works, and then saving the file with the .QBO extension. This can be a real pain having to do this every time you want to import bank transactions but unfortunately, Intuit charges banks for the .QBO file format and thus your bank charges you for this "privilege."
That was until I came across a very cool utility that does all of this in the blink of an eye. It's called
and it's free! The only requirements are that you use the
browser, which is the only one that I use unless it's not supported by an application such as certain Intuit websites, and that you use a .QFX file. The added bonus is that is safe and secure, as the file is not converted via any website but rather directly on your computer, so you don't even have to be connected to the Internet for the conversion!