hi, I run my own company and use quickbooks premier to manage my accounts. The software is on the hard drive of my computer and I update the accounts myself currently. As we are getting bigger I have less and less time to do this and I need to start using a part time bookkeeper to keep on top of things.
My question is how would this work in practice given QB is on my hard drive? I obviously need my computer every day so giving it to someone for a day or two a week is impractical. I would imagine I am not the first person to have this issue, so how is it solved normally?
the question varies from one client to the next. And to a certain extent one bookkeeper to the next.
For example if you hasd a bookkeeper would you also be looking to process input yourself?
Are there times that you don't need to use your system?
If you need the system curing the day could a bookkeeper update it remotely during the evening ready for you to start again the next day?
How would they get the documentation to work from?
Many bookkeepers will have their own versions of the software. We would need someone like Amanda to confirm the details but pretty sure that if you use Premier they too would need Premier but if you used Pro then they could use either Pro or Premier to edit your files.
Quickbooks can be settup multi user with file sharing accross a network but again you would need an expert on the software such as Amanda or perhaps Kris to give you the ins and out of that.
All in all everything is possible and the bookkeepers (sorry, I should say most bookkeepers) attempt as much as possible and within reason to work around the needs of the client.
You could try posting a job on here stating where in the country you are and that the bookkeeper must be qualified, experienced and running their own version of either QB Premier or QB Accountant edition (which is Premier with a go faster stripe on it).
Expect to pay in the region of £15+ per hour for a quality bookkeeper.
Do not be afraid to ask the bookkeeper for references.
The bookkeeper will need to check you for Money Laundering purposes. (Thats nothing about you but rather a legislative requirement) and get you to sign an engagement letter that just puts in writing the relative responsibilities of both parties to the arrangement.
Any good bookkeeper would make everything as smooth and transient as possible taking away much of the administrative headache allowing you to get on with building your business.
HTH,
Shaun.
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Shaun
Responses are not meant as a substitute for professional advice. Answers are intended as outline only the advice of a qualified professional with access to all relevant information should be sought before acting on any response given.
If I'm asked this question by a local business person, my answer would be that I could come to your premises on a regular basis and update the book keeping on your QuickBooks on your computer.
If this wasn't a suitable proposition, then I would suggest that a back up could be taken for me to use on my own version of the software (it would have to be the same 'year' version) but you would not be able to use the software while I was doing the update. When complete, it would need to be restored onto your computer - it's not the ideal solution, but sometimes the only one.
Another option might be to have your desktop version converted to the online version (Move My Books will do this free of charge - well, - paid for by Intuit, until the end of this month) then you and a book keeper could work on the file from any location connected to the internet, at the same time.
Carol
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Carol Saunders Lady of Ledger Book Keeping Telford, Shropshire
