Guide to Finding Help with QuickBooks

Start with the source

QuickBooks has a wealth of information on its Web site, for installation, setup, troubleshooting, and further links.

I recommend: Go to QuickBooks support for information on both free and paid support options. If you want self-help support, you can go directly from this page to Intuit's knowledge base.

Hire a set-up pro

One of the most important decisions immediately following the installation of QuickBooks, is to ensure proper setup, including the chart of accounts.

I recommend: QuickBooks is always better with a QuickBooks Certified Pro Advisor who can guide you one-on-one on the correct setup for your business. Fees can range anywhere from $35 per hour for those with bookkeeping skills to several hundred dollars or more for those who are high level CPAs.

Train yourself

There are four primary resources for QuickBooks training, ranging from self-help tutorials to paid instruction.

I recommend: The QuickBooks learning center is built into QuickBooks itself. Intuit CD Interactive Training and Instructor-led seminars offer authoritative help and third party trainers such as RealWorld Training offer a full suite of QuickBooks seminars and CD-ROM training products. Also, organizations such as The Sleeter Group will come to your business and train you.

Find tax and bookkeeping advice

The ultimate goal of keeping your books is to track information to help you better run your business and to provide an organized data structure to do your taxes efficiently each year.

I recommend: If you do not have a local CPA or tax practitioner available, Intuit has a network of 20,000 pro advisors that comprises bookkeepers, CPA's, IRS Enrolled Agents and Tax Practitioners.

Troubleshoot with an expert

The help within Quickbooks can be sufficient for everyday operations, but there are communities of experts who provide their expertise on a variety of subjects for free.

I recommend: Intuit provides an online community where users and pro advisors exchange ideas. Yahoo also has a list of long-running online communities that are moderated by experienced QuickBooks users.