You’ve probably heard about QuickBooks, as it’s one of the most popular accounting software options. But is QuickBooks easy to learn?
Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced bookkeeper, you’ll look at why business owners and accountants choose QuickBooks in this blog.
Keep reading to find out:
- Is QuickBooks easy to learn?
- The best ways to learn how to use QuickBooks.
- The benefits and disadvantages of QuickBooks.
- What functions does QuickBooks have?
What is QuickBooks?
QuickBooks, developed by Intuit, is an accounting software for businesses of all sizes designed to simplify financial management. That said, small and medium businesses find it especially useful, as it’s budget-friendly and can easily adapt to a growing company.
QuickBooks offers all the basics bookkeepers need, like:
- Invoicing.
- Payroll processing.
- Expense tracking.
Image credit: QuickBooks
The software is available in two main versions: QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop.
QuickBooks Online is a cloud-based system that lets you access your data from anywhere through its online functionality and mobile app availability. It has a few subscription plans with different pay scales depending on the level of resources and support your business needs. Examples include but aren’t limited to:
- QuickBooks Online Simple Start.
- QuickBooks Online Essentials.
- QuickBooks Online Plus.
- QuickBooks Online Advanced.
- QuickBooks Online Accountant.
- QuickBooks Self-Employed
As of September 30, 2024, Intuit has stopped selling most versions of QuickBooks Desktop, meaning that the only version currently available to new U.S. subscribers is QuickBooks Enterprise.
QuickBooks Enterprise is designed for companies with more employees. It includes advanced features like intercompany transactions and inventory management. Unlike the Online version, you can only access your information from the system it’s installed on, unless you set up remote access with additional configuration.
Start your free trial of QuickBooks here.
Is QuickBooks easy to learn?
The answer to, “Is QuickBooks easy to learn?” depends on your prior experience with bookkeeping software.
That said, QuickBooks is favored for its ease of use. Users find it is structured for easy comprehension when compared to other bookkeeping software.
QuickBooks is designed for users of all skill levels. This means it can be mastered in a short time, even if you have little knowledge of accounting software. It has a gentle learning curve that makes accounting simpler for beginners. Plus, the platform is intuitive to navigate, which makes it easy to familiarize yourself with its interface.
So, is QuickBooks easy to learn for complete beginners? It is often recommended for newbies because it:
- Requires minimal training and is complemented by online resources that offer hands-on training events and workshops.
- Is built with the user in mind and includes contextual help prompts, in-app tooltips, and a guided setup process.
- Is supported by a large community of users that post a wide range of online resources.
- Adapts to the user’s needs based on its multiple subscription options.
- Allows integration with familiar tools (like Excel) and other third-party platforms.
Why should I learn QuickBooks?
QuickBooks greatly simplifies accounting concepts and makes short work of manual bookkeeping tasks. That means you’ll have more time to spend on other value-added tasks. Our research indicates that nearly 80% of small businesses use QuickBooks for this reason.
Because of its user-friendly report generation, QuickBooks helps you comprehend your company’s finances. It gives you quick access to common tasks, such as tracking income and expenses or organizing credit card accounts and payments.
You also get access to pre-designed templates for invoicing and receipts that help your team send professional financial statements to customers. These tools make it easier to assimilate to modern-day business practices and stay ahead of your competitors.
Top ways to effectively learn QuickBooks Online
While QuickBooks’ intuitive user interface lets you jump into the platform without much assistance, additional training courses help you grasp the finer details of the software.
While the answer to, “is QuickBooks easy to learn?” is no for some, these resources change that.
QuickBooks tutorials
One of the biggest benefits of using QuickBooks is its huge user base whose members frequently post in community forums and user discussions. You can find answers to thousands of questions from experienced user accounts, as well as in free video guides and webinars.
These step-by-step tutorials help you acquire answers to the problems you encounter and discover new ways to apply QuickBooks functions to elevate your business.
QuickBooks Learning Center
QuickBooks Learning Center officially provides comprehensive tutorials to help you study its core features. It includes step-by-step walkthroughs of the software’s core features, which is especially useful for beginners.
Udemy courses
Udemy is a learning resource that offers paid online courses taught by accounting professionals. You can find several comprehensive QuickBooks classes on Udemy that are specially tailored to your current level of expertise. For example, if you’re using QuickBooks Online Advanced Payroll for the first time, you can take a course that helps you set up employee payroll properly. Some instructors even offer sample company files for practice.
QuickBooks trainings
QuickBooks offers a training and certification program for accountants and bookkeepers to become experts in the software. QuickBooks will recognize certified users with a ProAdvisor status. Leveraging this boosts the trust and confidence of the clients in your industry.
What does QuickBooks training cover?
Online invoicing and AR monitoring
Learn to integrate online invoicing and accounts receivable (AR) as part of your regular accounting functions. This lets you track and manage the money moving in and out of your account. Plus, it ensures you keep a digital record for tax purposes.
Bank reconciliation
Explore how to match bank transactions with those recorded in QuickBooks to ensure your company’s financial record accuracy. This process will help you pick up discrepancies while keeping an up-to-date chart of your company’s cash position.
Expense tracking
Knowing how to track and categorize business expenses in QuickBooks helps you maintain accurate records. This simplifies your financial management system so you can easily understand spending patterns and prepare for tax season.
Generating reports
QuickBooks’ detailed reports give you access to:
- Profit and loss statements.
- Balance sheets.
- Cash flow reports.
This is essential to your business’ performance as it helps you make informed decisions and present financial information to your stakeholders.
Managing payroll and filing taxes
QuickBooks’ training program helps you manage the details of payroll and tax filing. This includes:
- Setting up payroll.
- Processing payments.
- Understanding your tax obligations.
Accurate business finances help you avoid penalties and file your taxes efficiently.
Tracking expenses
While you might already have a record of your expenses, QuickBooks training helps you understand how to categorize them and how they impact your business’ financial health.
As a result, you can effectively control your budget and set financial goals.
Why should I invest in QuickBooks training?
Many business owners run their companies just fine without any training in QuickBooks. But oftentimes, you want to do better than “fine.”
QuickBooks training classes help you reach your company’s greater potential by using your accounting tools and integrations more effectively.
By investing in QuickBooks training, you’ll learn the complexities of the software and equip your team with the skills to manage your finances more effectively. As a result, you:
- Make better-informed decisions.
- Improve your company finances.
- Find new ways to automate your data entry.
Why do some people find QuickBooks hard to learn?
Is QuickBooks hard to learn? While not everyone finds their accounting software intuitive, QuickBooks shouldn’t be too challenging for most people. However, here are some common reasons why users find it difficult.
Requires accounting knowledge
Is QuickBooks easy to learn for non-accountants? While user-friendly, QuickBooks still assumes a certain level of familiarity with accounting principles (but don’t worry — you won’t need to join any accounting firms).
This can however make the software difficult to digest for those without a background in accounting, as it involves concepts like:
- Accounts payable and receivable.
- Invoices and estimates.
- Sales, revenue, and profit.
- Creating financial reports.
Steep learning curve
QuickBooks Enterprise has a steeper learning curve than Online due to a larger number of functions. However, QuickBooks has been simplified over the years based on user feedback, with features such as:
- Direct customer support channels and online information services.
- Clear navigation menus.
- A customizable dashboard.
- Personalized user experience settings.
These changes made navigating basic accounting concepts in QuickBooks much easier. As per our expertise, we would recommend starting with the Essentials or Plus version of QuickBooks Online for:
- New users of QuickBooks.
- Self-employed professionals.
- Small-to-midsize businesses.
QuickBooks Online Essentials and Plus are more affordable than some of the higher tier versions, plus they include all the essential features you’ll need.
That said, Intuit offers clear instructions for tasks and comes with helpful guides to help you absorb the information you need to use its products. This is helpful to users who are less tech-savvy or new to accounting.
Constant updates
QuickBooks consistently introduces regular software updates with new features to improve your user experience. While beneficial, these constant updates do require you to learn continuously. This gets challenging if you’re not regularly using the software.
Key takeaways
QuickBooks is a powerful accounting software for financially managing a business. It boasts various features that help you with everything from invoicing to tax filing.
QuickBooks is a much more user-friendly platform than other accounting software, especially for those without accounting experience.
So, is QuickBooks easy to learn? It might have more of a learning curve for new bookkeepers, but QuickBooks is beginner-friendly and is easier to jump into than other accounting software on the market.
That said, investing in training greatly improves your ability to manage your business’ finances effectively. Staying updated with its features and knowing how to use them is a great way to keep your company’s finances on track.
If you’re looking for an affordable way to keep your finances accurate and automate your business operations, there is no better combination than QuickBooks and Method.
With Method, you can extend the power of QuickBooks by customizing workflows, managing customer relationships, and eliminating repetitive tasks — all in one place. This means less manual data entry, fewer errors, and more time to focus on growing your business.
Leverage features like:
- 24/7 customer portals.
- E-signature approvals.
- Digital form functionality for lead capture.
- Time tracking tools.
- Email campaigns with automatic follow-ups.
The best part? Any update you make on one platform is instantly synced with the other, so you get a full view of every lead and customer without compromising your secure financial data. Check out the video below to learn more.
Is QuickBooks easy to learn: Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Is QuickBooks training free?
Many of QuickBooks’ online training resources are completely free, including their self-paced training and webinar recordings. You can also find YouTube training videos made by third-party experts that offer in-depth tutorials and new ideas to improve your QuickBooks experience.
For official QuickBooks’ in-person, two-day training, costs start at $800 with an additional $250 for each additional attendee.
Is QuickBooks harder than Excel?
QuickBooks and Excel have different purposes, but their difficulty varies based on your background and how you use them. Excel is a spreadsheet tool for basic data management, while QuickBooks is a specialized accounting software.
Drawing from our experience, if you’re deciding between QuickBooks and Excel for accounting purposes, then QuickBooks has the features you need to do the job correctly and efficiently. Excel lacks the suite of tools you need to manage your finances.
Is QuickBooks beginner-friendly?
The answer to, “Is QuickBooks easy to learn?” is yes. QuickBooks is a beginner-friendly accounting software designed for anyone — from those new to accounting to industry experts.
It offers user-friendly features and has a straightforward interface that makes it easy for those with little bookkeeping knowledge to jump right in with minimal training.
What are QuickBooks apps?
The QuickBooks app store is a huge collection of third-party integrations that add additional functions to the platform, such as making online payments and project management tools.
For example, Method integrates seamlessly with your QuickBooks account to give you an instant, two-way sync with your customer data. It provides powerful customer relationship management (CRM) and automation tools to your QuickBooks account to manage your team more effectively.
See how you can extend the power of QuickBooks in this free demo!
Image credit: Mikhail Nilov via Pexels
