Several months ago Intuit, the manufacture of QuickBooks, released a new version of QuickBooks Online that works with the Safari web browser. The new version of QuickBooks Online offers a multiuser option for users of QuickBooks in a Mac environment. Finally, Mac QuickBooks users can also run multiuser versions of QuickBooks for a reasonable monthly price, and have unattended backups and receive software updates included in the monthly price.
Besides the Safari interface, QuickBooks Online has been optimized for the iPhone. The iPhone app is basically a read only application, however some added features exist for customer, vendor and employee information as well as the ability to create and send invoices. Another benefit for Mac users of QuickBooks is that there is no longer a wait for updates to the Mac version of QuickBooks.
It is relatively easy and straightforward to install QuickBooks Online (without the need to convert QuickBooks for Mac files to QuickBooks online files). However, it gets somewhat complicated when you need to convert an existing QuickBooks Mac file to a QuickBooks Online file. Intuit does a fairly good job of making the online installation easy.
To manually convert your QuickBooks Mac file to QuickBooks Online is not that difficult, as long as you adhere to the instructions and takes about an 1/2 hour. You cannot directly convert your QuickBooks for Mac file to QuickBooks Online. There is an intermediate step that requires you to convert your QB Mac file to a QB Windows files and begins with the drop down menu in QuickBooks Mac. You can begin this process by selecting the File menu and then selecting Back up to QuickBooks for Windows within the QuickBooks Mac software. When you complete this process, the file is uploaded to QuickBooks and you receive a notification when the process for converting the QuickBooks Mac to QuickBooks Online is completed. Initially, I was surprised to see that this process is carried out at the Intuit level rather than at the local level. A suggestion to facilitate this process, is that in the event you do not receive timely e-mail of completion from Intuit,it is suggested that you contact Intuit tech support and ask them to look into the status of your conversion and request that they facilitate it for you. Generally, when I have called tech support, and they are very helpful. They will expedite the process, although they do not give any guarantee and blame the potential delay to their busy servers.
The manual conversion process takes almost 30 minutes (not including the subsequent Intuit conversion) and my Mac clients have been pleased with QBO.Unfortunately, one client was disappointed that the vendor type classifications are not available with QuickBooks Online. I was able to confirm this shortcoming with QuickBooks support and they suggested the following workaround. To use one of the fields in the vendor profile as the vendor type. So far, my clients are happy to have multi-user access, the ability to work from anywhere with automatic backups free software updates, even with the slower performance speed that results from a web connection.
Two words of caution, the first of which is that QuickBooks Online currently does not provide inventory applications with comprehensive features ordinarily included with desktop versions and the second, that the conversion may require the services of your accountant or CPA to affect a smooth and orderly transition to the QuickBooks Online platform.
One final caveat,that if you were willing to understand from the beginning, the inherent limitations of QBO, then, you may find the QBO platform an acceptable alternative,more importantly, a helpfully financial tool to operate and monitor your business and make timely business decisions. - 30331
Besides the Safari interface, QuickBooks Online has been optimized for the iPhone. The iPhone app is basically a read only application, however some added features exist for customer, vendor and employee information as well as the ability to create and send invoices. Another benefit for Mac users of QuickBooks is that there is no longer a wait for updates to the Mac version of QuickBooks.
It is relatively easy and straightforward to install QuickBooks Online (without the need to convert QuickBooks for Mac files to QuickBooks online files). However, it gets somewhat complicated when you need to convert an existing QuickBooks Mac file to a QuickBooks Online file. Intuit does a fairly good job of making the online installation easy.
To manually convert your QuickBooks Mac file to QuickBooks Online is not that difficult, as long as you adhere to the instructions and takes about an 1/2 hour. You cannot directly convert your QuickBooks for Mac file to QuickBooks Online. There is an intermediate step that requires you to convert your QB Mac file to a QB Windows files and begins with the drop down menu in QuickBooks Mac. You can begin this process by selecting the File menu and then selecting Back up to QuickBooks for Windows within the QuickBooks Mac software. When you complete this process, the file is uploaded to QuickBooks and you receive a notification when the process for converting the QuickBooks Mac to QuickBooks Online is completed. Initially, I was surprised to see that this process is carried out at the Intuit level rather than at the local level. A suggestion to facilitate this process, is that in the event you do not receive timely e-mail of completion from Intuit,it is suggested that you contact Intuit tech support and ask them to look into the status of your conversion and request that they facilitate it for you. Generally, when I have called tech support, and they are very helpful. They will expedite the process, although they do not give any guarantee and blame the potential delay to their busy servers.
The manual conversion process takes almost 30 minutes (not including the subsequent Intuit conversion) and my Mac clients have been pleased with QBO.Unfortunately, one client was disappointed that the vendor type classifications are not available with QuickBooks Online. I was able to confirm this shortcoming with QuickBooks support and they suggested the following workaround. To use one of the fields in the vendor profile as the vendor type. So far, my clients are happy to have multi-user access, the ability to work from anywhere with automatic backups free software updates, even with the slower performance speed that results from a web connection.
Two words of caution, the first of which is that QuickBooks Online currently does not provide inventory applications with comprehensive features ordinarily included with desktop versions and the second, that the conversion may require the services of your accountant or CPA to affect a smooth and orderly transition to the QuickBooks Online platform.
One final caveat,that if you were willing to understand from the beginning, the inherent limitations of QBO, then, you may find the QBO platform an acceptable alternative,more importantly, a helpfully financial tool to operate and monitor your business and make timely business decisions. - 30331
About the Author:
Sandor Lenner,C.P.A.-M.B.A. has been providing business accounting services for over 35 years. He is also a Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor and offers discounted QuickBooks software. QuickBooks Online Edition " Starting as low as $9.95 a month. Subscribe to my free monthly newsletter. I will not share your email address with anyone.
