QuickBooks is a popular software for business, so it’s no surprise that QuickBooks advice is abundant online. From small business owners looking to streamline financial processes to those pursuing a QuickBooks certification, the sheer volume of information can be overwhelming. It’s challenging to determine if the advice is helpful, and the consequences of following bad advice can ruin a business by causing data entry errors or non-compliance issues in your QuickBooks accounting.
Learn how to detect good advice from bad, the importance of seeking ongoing support, and why investing in a QuickBooks ProAdvisor can provide an extra layer of reassurance. As you learn QuickBooks and explore its various features, remember that reliable expert input can help you avoid pitfalls and keep your financial data organized.
What Happens When You Follow Unreliable QuickBooks Advice
Why is following bad QuickBooks advice so disastrous for businesses? Even rudimentary mistakes in your accounting services can escalate into major problems, burdening you with extra work and potential financial losses.
Financial Errors
The most obvious consequence of listening to dubious QuickBooks advice is that your business will experience financial errors. This is especially detrimental for business owners who rely heavily on QuickBooks accounting for their day-to-day operations.
A great example is cash-flow problems. If you input numbers incorrectly, you may think you have more money than you do—leading to being short on cash when bills come due or misreading financial reports. Conversely, if the financial data underrepresents your profits, you’ll lose opportunities to scale the business. Inconsistent or inaccurate accounting bookkeeping also complicates inventory management, leaving you with an incomplete picture of product availability.
Wasted Time
Time is a valuable business resource. With the wrong QuickBooks advice, you’ll spend time correcting mistakes and waste time searching for reporting errors. This can take away from opportunities to focus on improving your managed accounting services, QuickBooks setup, or building a ProAdvisor business that can handle unique challenges.
Compliance Issues
Misusing QuickBooks due to bad advice could lead to more significant problems like compliance issues. Compliance is essential when dealing with financials because regulations can change, and not following them can lead to fines and harsh penalties. If you’re aiming for QuickBooks certification, you’re likely already aware of the importance of meeting local and federal requirements. Non-compliance can also hinder your ability to produce comprehensive financial reporting that stakeholders demand.
Frustration and Stress
Following bad QuickBooks advice will create much stress and frustration for you and your employees. Negative feelings can generate issues within your team, leading to conflicts instead of solutions. By contrast, working with a QuickBooks ProAdvisor certified professional for ongoing support can keep morale high and ensure everyone has informed decisions at their fingertips.
Damaged Business Reputation
Bad QuickBooks advice can damage your company’s reputation and stunt its growth. No one will want to work for or with a company that can’t keep track of its finances correctly. Your business could be seen as unprofessional at best and, at worst, a fraud. Seeking ProAdvisor QuickBooks services or managed accounting solutions is a proactive way to maintain credibility and ensure that client reviews remain positive.
Identifying Trustworthy Sources
With so much at stake, how can you ensure you follow proper QuickBooks advice for your particular business QuickBooks setup?
Explore Reputable QuickBooks Websites and Forums
Start at the source: QuickBooks’ official website. The site offers various help pages and forums to discuss technical issues. They cover both QuickBooks desktop and QuickBooks online, offering a wealth of technical articles and troubleshooting steps to help business owners.
Sometimes, the instructions don’t make sense to users unfamiliar with the program, and you may need to use another source. That’s when you can go to trusted financial, business, and accounting sites such as:
- Fourlane
- NerdWallet
- Investopedia
- Forbes
These sites can translate what QuickBooks tries to teach into more understandable instructions. Ensure the site is reputable—they should have certified experts on their team who specialize in accounting software. Looking at client reviews can help you determine if they provide real value. Business QuickBooks ProAdvisor pages often showcase success stories and the unique challenges they’ve solved for various companies.
Investigate the Credentials and Qualifications of the Source
Anyone can claim they’re an expert, but what specific qualifications should a person offering QuickBooks advice have? Luckily, QuickBooks offers various courses for people to earn certification QuickBooks credentials, proving their knowledge of the software, whether it’s QuickBooks online or QuickBooks desktop.
These certifications include:
- Online Certified ProAdvisor
- Advanced Online Certified ProAdviser
- Payroll Certified ProAdviser
- Desktop Certified ProAdviser
Obtaining a QuickBooks ProAdvisor certification indicates that the person has undergone professional QuickBooks training. Qualified individuals who learn QuickBooks thoroughly can guide you in everything from daily bookkeeping to more advanced processes like managed accounting services.
Cross-Reference with Official Sources
The last step to ensure you’re getting proper QuickBooks advice is to compare the advice you’re reading to the QuickBooks site. If it appears they’re talking about the same thing, just in different words, you’re probably on the right track. Paying attention to QuickBooks features discussed on official channels can reassure you that you’re referencing accurate, up-to-date information. Always remember that your ultimate goal is to streamline financial processes in a way that supports growth and stability.
Seeking Professional Guidance
To be 100% sure you’re getting the correct information, consult a QuickBooks professional who specializes in FinOptimal managed accounting or comprehensive accounting services.
The Benefits of Consulting with Certified QuickBooks Experts
There are many benefits to working with a QuickBooks expert. These include:
- Assurance of getting the correct information
- The ability to use QuickBooks to its fullest potential
- Working on other tasks while your QB expert fixes your software
- Training for your employees
- Getting QuickBooks customized to your needs
Consultants can also provide additional solutions for financial management and inventory management, helping you stay competitive. A truly QuickBooks certified professional can offer ProAdvisor QuickBooks guidance that puts you ahead of compliance and reporting issues, so you can maintain positive client reviews and focus on growing your operations.
Finding and Hiring Certified QuickBooks Consultants
It’s easy to find a QuickBooks consultant. QuickBooks’ official site has a directory to find one in your area. Choose a ProAdvisor to ensure you have someone with foundational software knowledge and the ability to customize it to your needs for ongoing support.
If you want to find a consultant outside the QuickBooks site, look for your potential expert’s ProAdvisor certification on their site. The right ProAdvisor QuickBooks consultant will also help you interpret financial reports, manage your cash flow, and address unique challenges your business faces. Hiring QuickBooks ProAdvisor services can also mean smoother financial reporting and fewer auditor red flags.
Working with a QuickBooks Expert Is a Worthy Investment
It’s understandable if you want to try to tackle QuickBooks on your own to save money, but it could cost you in the future if it leads to critical financial processes errors. Instead, the more money-saving move is to invest in a partnership with a QuickBooks expert who understands business QuickBooks and can tailor solutions to your specific industry. This approach ensures you can focus on your core operations while leaving financial data and day-to-day QuickBooks accounting tasks to a qualified helper.
Contact Fourlane for expert QuickBooks advice, including help with QuickBooks setup, managing a growing ProAdvisor business, and choosing QuickBooks ProAdvisor services. We can provide the ongoing support you need to optimize QuickBooks for your company’s needs and help you make informed decisions that lead to sustainable growth.
