Question: Can I have SAGE Online integrate with QuickBooks Premier if my QuickBooks is in a cloud-based storage platform? Answer: The SAGE Online system integrates with QuickBooks well—saving time and effort; recreating orders, customers, vendors and items in QB without having to reenter the data. Unfortunately, at this writing, SAGE cannot integrate with QB when…
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When to Convert from One Accounting System to Another
Question: Is there a good time to convert from one accounting system to another? Answer: Actually, you can convert at any time of the year, but there is a “best time” that makes things as fast and easy as possible. If your fiscal year is Jan. 1 through Dec. 31, the best time to convert…
Read MoreHow Should You Mark Shipping on Orders?
Question: Should I put the real shipping or in-hands dates on the orders I send to suppliers? Answer: I always built in a cushion of a few days to prevent 11th hour heroics and to be prepared for client ignorance, like neglecting to tell me the event is at 8 a.m. or that they need…
Read MoreHow Many QuickBooks Users Do You Need?
Question: How do I know how many QuickBooks Users I need to start? Answer: My advice is less. I prefer to err on the side of saving money and minimizing the number of users until knowing exactly how many users are needed. And it’s wise to have as few people as possible inside your accounting…
Read MoreHow to Start A Business from Scratch
Question: I have been working for a Distributor for a few years, but am thinking of leaving them and starting out on my own. What steps should I take? Answer: Starting a business from scratch has many variables to be addressed, here are four from the accountant’s perspective. 1. Be sure you are free of…
Read MoreHow to Handle Credit Card Fees in QuickBooks
Question: I have customers that pay me by credit card, but the credit card company takes out fees. I am receiving less than the total amount on the invoice. How do I handle that in QuickBooks Premier? Answer: I am seeing this situation more often, where the credit card company takes out the fees and…
Read MoreHow to Calculate Gross Profit by Sales Rep in QuickBooks
Question: I have sales reps that I pay based on gross profit. Can I do these reports in QuickBooks? Answer: Unfortunately, no, QuickBooks does not calculate gross profit by sales rep for non-inventory items, which is 98 percent of our industry. I am working on a solution to this problem for some of my clients,…
Read MoreMake Sure Your Supplier’s Purchase Order Matches the Invoice
Question: Do I need to make changes to my supplier’s PO to match the supplier invoice? Answer: Yes, and making this adjustment is a standard and absolute best practice in our industry. The supplier’s invoice almost always differs from the original purchase order, and it is the final invoice numbers that need to be correctly…
Read MoreDo I Need Business Insurance?
Question: My accountant wants me to buy some business insurance. Is that something I should have? Answer: I, too, advise my clients to purchase business liability insurance. It can protect you and your assets in the event of a lawsuit. If you are a sole proprietor, your personal assets are at risk with a lawsuit.…
Read MoreKeeping Track of Your Apparel Orders
Question: How do I record an apparel order with more than one supplier? Answer: We do have complicated orders in our business—none more so than apparel orders. In all orders, I recommend that you use your internal purchase order number to number all parts of the order in your system: customer sales order, supplier purchase…
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