QuickBooks 2007 Is All Business

A new fleet of QuickBooks products has emerged on the horizon ready for new converts and old customers alike. To those of you considering QuickBooks get set to enjoy the most highly acclaimed small business accounting package available today. If you're a current QuickBooks user, there is much to like about QuickBooks 2007--it has the familiar QuickBooks look, organization, and some exciting improvements that may have you upgrading before year's end.

Intuit introduced a number of significant improvements and updates in the 2006 version but 2007's list, while not as extensive, is no less impressive. Setup is simplified and streamlined with the EasyStep Interview, though you only need to use it if installing for the first time. One note of caution here--if you select a particular QuickBooks edition from the list (See Figure 1) and need to change it later; you will have to uninstall QuickBooks and reinstall. You won't be prompted to register again if you reinstall on the same computer. Form customization is easier with the improved WYSIWYG Layout Designer that provides instant previewing of any changes you make. It is more of a free-form design tool that allows virtually unlimited changes to meet your specific needs or conform to preprinted paper form designs.

Select the Industry-Specific Edition That Best Fits Your Needs

The most noticeable enhancement in this new version is the Google™ tie-in. During installation, you have the option of installing Google Desktop™ for enriched search capability. You also get $50 credit toward promoting your business with Google AdWords™. Google AdWords™ help promote your product or service by intelligently placing an ad link to your web page when someone performs a Google search using keywords related to your business. You also receive a free listing for your business using GoogleMaps™.

Don't install Google Desktop™ unless you have a fairly up-to-date computer. While Google Desktop™ does work faster and with greater accuracy than the old search method, it consumes a large amount of computer resources. Google Desktop™ needs 256MB (Megabytes) of RAM (memory) and up to 5GB (Gigabytes) of hard disk space free just for indexing your files. Unless you want a less than satisfactory experience with your new enhanced accounting software, your computer needs to be muscular, sporting at least a Pentium 4 CPU and 1 GB of RAM.

Your Accountant will be pleased with the new features that make it easier to manage your information via the improved Accountant's Copy. The Accountant's Copy makes it easier for your financial advisor or tax professional to make changes to your files without interrupting normal business functions using a Dividing Date feature. Serving as a freeze point for transactions on a particular date, this feature allows you to go about your business as usual while your Accountant makes necessary changes that you import and merge back into your live data. While the Accountant's Copy is out to your Accountant, you are not able to reconcile any bank statements. You'll need to make sure that your Accountant also has the same, or newer, version of QuickBooks available so that the Accountant's Copy will work.

If you use the online Payroll Services, you'll notice some new features like payroll grouping for employees who receive paychecks on different schedules, After The Fact Payroll that allows you to enter payroll expenses from any source, and the new Client-Ready payroll reports that look like the professional payroll reports from payroll specialty companies.

Get in ship-shape with the Shipping Manager that now has the ability to use USB-connected scales and thermal label printers. You can also handle multi-parcels, get email notifications, and use the new automated features to streamline your shipping transactions. The improvements to the Shipping Manager remove the need for any third-party shipping software.

Are you still not convinced or ready to move to QuickBooks 2007? You may want a gentler introduction to managing your business with Quick Books Simple Start 2008: A free, lightweight member of the QuickBooks family. (See review.) I

Intuit offers a wide range of QuickBooks products that are designed with your small business in mind. You'll find that the improvements over previous versions continue to take the product forward with each revision giving you a richer experience and more options. QuickBooks has a well-designed interface that is easy and pleasurable to use. The 2007/2008 product line is more than just a pretty face though; it goes to work for you.