Hi all - I have some questions about accounting software.

Since accounting became computerized I've been using Quickbooks. I do OK with it - same complaints as others have, but overall it does my invoicing and what I need. I don't use 1/2 of what is available through Quickbook Pro.

A friends wife, who is a bookkeeper by trade, has been downsized. She is familiar with our industry and keeps his books. He has an awards shop also in a town an hour away. It is not a concern of mine that they know my bookkeeping secrets or clients. The problem is that she uses Peachtree and is very unfamiliar with Quickbooks.

If I can transfer my Quickbook records to Peachtree, this lady is taking on a limited amount of private clients and I would like to be one of them. She would just do my payment inputting, and then at the end of the week/month/quarter, she would provide me with balance sheets, income statements and breakeven analysis'. End of year stuff, and IRS stuff would still go to my accountant.

I'm no math whiz, so one of my goals for 2006 was to find someone qualified to get my books completely in order. Part of my 5 year + plan towards retirement and selling the business. Don't anyone panic - I'm no where near retiring - just planning ahead. But when I do decide to sell, the people buying will need years of records showing profit/loss etc and I want to get started. With the move, I'm a bit behind, but am trying to get started at least.

Any feedback on Peachtree? Likes, dislikes? Peeves? Ease of use? Best place to buy the software? If you are using Peachtree, and you could choose any software, would you go with Peachtree again? Can you transfer your Quickbooks past years records in to Peachtree?

Any info will be appreciated. I'd love to hire this lady instead of another shop person. I don't want to do this part - I'm not good at it. I trust this woman, or I would not even think of turning my books over to her. But I know she would do a really good job. The plus is that she knows our industry, so would understand the little indiosyncronies of our bookkeeping/inventory.

Thanks for any input.
Cindy M

You may have to export your QB data to a spreadsheet (XL) and then import from XL to Peachtree...

find any 12-14 year old on the street, they could do it... but me I'm to old QB works great for me ..... thank you very much.

Thanks for the input. Good to know the QB to Peachtree isn't impossible at least.

I'll do some browsing at Staples. I just purchased a laser printer there this year with enough rebates that it ended up costing me $29. Love those rebates!

Cindy M

Hello Cindy,
I used the Peachtree product when I was offered it as a Staples rebate. It was "not" easy to learn.

I phoned my accountant to explain what I was doing with the Peachtree software, and was asked to stop using the Peachtree and get everything onto QB Pro. I has since changed and rebuilt the entire year in QB Pro, and found it great software to use.

Your accountant and financial advisors will be the greatest source of what is going to work for you "and them".

My wife is an accountant in this life and she recently described Peachtree using very similar language. She does not like it (can't remind her that she selected it in the beginning.) I would switch and may at some point to QB as it seems to be the software of choice here.

Do they offer a free download sample?

All correct UncleSteve.

I couldn't even give it away at a garage sale I had over the weekend.

Chuck,

Yes, Quickbooks IS double-entry.... but, as you say, it posts the "other" side of the entry behind the scenes so the user only has to think single entry.

Quickbooks was designed from the beginning to be easy to use once set up. Write the check and the expense is automatically posted. Post the cash and the receivable/invoice is automatically keyed off.

Now if they would only include sub-assemblies in the regular program and not upcharge for their manufacturing version......... :S

I'm not UncleSteve, but I use QB and have used the sub-assembly feature. What it allows me to do, for example, is enter Rowmark and magnets into inventory. I enter rowmark in units of 1x1 inches - a 12x24 piece is 288 units. Then, I create my badges - a 1-1/2x3 is 4.5 units of rowmark and 1 magnet. When I sell a 1-1/2x3 badge it automatically decrements the rowmark by 4.5 units and the magnets by 1. You can "assemble" badges in QB and it can tell you how many of that particular item you can create with what you have in stock. That way I can pretty accurately track purchases of material and know what I have in stock. It's a little bit more to setup this way, but this kind of tracking is virtually impossible without this feature.
I upgraded to the "Retail Store" verison of QB and it's well worth it. FYI - Costco has it for $299.00 vs $149 for the standard version. This was quite a bit cheaper than I found it elsewhere. Please don't tell me if you found it cheaper anywhere else, I want to keep my illusion of getting the best deal... :)

Gary

Gary,
Thanks for the info. I will check with my accountant and see if she can help me set that up. ( I'll have to find this thread again to show her).

Costco is hard to beat. I'm sure you did.

Gary,

Are you talking about the 2007 version of QB? We have been on QB Premier 2005 and just upgraded to 2007 and find it is a PIG for memory!!!!!!!!!!!!! Runs verrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrry slow, especially across the same network as 2005 was running.

I keep thinking we don't have the options installed correctly but have been told over and over that we do. Of course QB says you have free 30 day Tech Support, but the e-mail system rejects our registration number and phone support only is voice mail. Looking to upgrade the computer now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AGRGGH!