Your bookkeeping workflow will be smoother and faster with QuickBooks 2011 -- but only if you spend more time using the program than figuring out how it works. This Missing Manual puts you in control: You'll not only find out how and when to use specific features, you'll also get basic accounting advice to help you through the learning process.
Set up QuickBooks. Arrange files and preferences to suit your company.
Manage your business. Track inventory, control spending, run payroll, and handle income.
Follow the money. Examine everything from customer invoices to year-end tasks.
Find key info quickly. Take advantage of QuickBooks’ reports, Company Snapshot, and search tools.
Streamline your workflow. Set up the Home page and Online Banking Center to meet your needs.
Build and monitor budgets. Learn how to keep your company financially fit.
Share your financial data. Work with your accountant more efficiently.
Getting Started
Chapter 1 Creating a Company File
Opening QuickBooks
Before You Create Your Company File
About the EasyStep Interview
Starting the EasyStep Interview
Modifying Company Info
What’s Next?
Opening an Existing Company File
Converting from Another Program to QuickBooks
Chapter 2 Getting Around in QuickBooks
The QuickBooks Home Page
The Company Snapshot
Using Menus and the Icon Bar
Switching Between Open Windows
Chapter 3 Setting Up a Chart of Accounts
Acquiring a Chart of Accounts
Naming and Numbering Accounts
Creating Accounts and Subaccounts
Modifying Accounts
Hiding and Deleting Accounts
Merging Accounts
Chapter 4 Setting Up Customers and Jobs
Creating Customers in QuickBooks
Customer Data Entry Shortcuts
Creating Jobs in QuickBooks
Modifying Customer and Job Information
Categorizing Customers and Jobs
Adding Notes About Customers
Merging Customer Records
Hiding and Deleting Customers
Chapter 5 Setting Up Invoice Items
What Items Do
When You Don’t Need Items
Should You Track Inventory with Items?
Planning Your Items
Creating Items
Service Items
Product Items
Other Types of Items
Setting Up Sales Tax
Modifying Items
Hiding and Deleting Items
Chapter 6 Setting Up Other QuickBooks Lists
The Vendor List
Categorizing with Classes
Price Levels
Customer and Vendor Profile Lists
Fixed Asset Items
Creating and Editing List Entries
Merging List Entries
Hiding and Deleting List Entries
Sorting Lists
Printing Lists
Chapter 7 Managing QuickBooks Files
Switching Between Multi- and Single-User Mode
Backing Up Files
Restoring Backups
Sending Company Files to Others
Verifying Your QuickBooks Data
Cleaning Up Data
Cleaning Up After Deleting Files
Bookkeeping
Chapter 8 Tracking Time and Mileage
Setting Up Time Tracking
Entering Time in QuickBooks
Running Time Reports
Tracking Mileage
Generating Mileage Reports
Chapter 9 Paying for Expenses
When to Pay Expenses
Entering Bills
Automating Recurring Bills
Purchasing Inventory
Handling Reimbursable Expenses
Paying Your Bills
Producing Checks
Writing Checks Without Entering Bills
Paying with Cash
Paying with Credit Cards
Recording Vendor Refunds and Credits
Running Expense-Related Reports
Paying Sales Tax
Chapter 10 Invoicing
Choosing the Right Type of Form
Sales Forms and Accounts
Creating Invoices
Creating Batch Invoices
Invoicing for Billable Time and Costs
Invoicing for Backordered Products
Estimating Jobs
Creating Progress Invoices
Handling Refunds and Credits
Editing Invoices
Voiding and Deleting Invoices
Chapter 11 Producing Statements
Generating Statements
Chapter 12 Transaction Timesavers
Printing Sales Forms
Emailing Sales Forms
Memorized Transactions
Finding Transactions
Chapter 13 Managing Accounts Receivable
Receivables Aging
Receiving Payments for Invoiced Income
Applying Credits to Invoices
Discounting for Early Payment
Deposits, Down Payments, and Retainers
Applying Finance Charges
Cash Sales
Making Deposits
Chapter 14 Doing Payroll
Paying Yourself
Doing Payroll Yourself
Adding Payroll Transactions from an Outside Service
Choosing a Payroll Service
Applying for a Payroll Service
Setting Up Payroll
Entering Historical Payroll
Running Payroll
Paying Payroll Taxes
Preparing Payroll Tax Forms
Chapter 15 Bank Accounts, Credit Cards, and Petty Cash
Entering Transactions in an Account Register
Handling Bounced Checks
Transferring Funds
Reconciling Accounts
Managing Loans
Tracking Petty Cash
Chapter 16 Making Journal Entries
Balancing Debit and Credit Amounts
Some Reasons to Use Journal Entries
Creating General Journal Entries
Checking General Journal Entries
Reclassifications and Corrections
Recording Depreciation with Journal Entries
Recording Owners’ Contributions
Chapter 17 Generating Financial Statements
The Profit & Loss Report
The Balance Sheet
The Statement of Cash Flows
Other Helpful Financial Reports
Chapter 18 Performing End-of-Year Tasks
Checking for Problems
Viewing Your Trial Balance
Generating Year-End Financial Reports
Generating Tax Reports
Sharing a Company File with Your Accountant
1099s
Closing the Books for the Year
Managing Your Business
Chapter 19 Managing Inventory
The QuickBooks Inventory Process
Running Inventory Reports
Performing a Physical Inventory
Adjusting Inventory in QuickBooks
Chapter 20 Budgeting and Planning
Types of Budgets
Ways to Build Budgets
Creating Budgets in QuickBooks
Filling in Budget Values
Creating Additional Customer:Job or Class Budgets
Copying Budgets and Creating What-if Budgets
Running Budget Reports
Chapter 21 Working with QuickBooks Reports
Finding the Right Reports
Running Reports
Printing and Saving Reports
Customizing Reports
Memorizing Reports
Swapping Reports Between Company Files
Quickbooks Power
Chapter 22 Online Banking Services
Setting Up Your Internet Connection
Setting Up Your Accounts for Online Services
An Intro to Exchanging Data with Your Bank
Online Banking Using Side-by-side Mode
Online Banking Using Register Mode
Chapter 23 Configuring Preferences to Fit Your Company
An Introduction to Preferences
Accounting
Bills
Checking
Desktop View
Finance Charge
General
Integrated Applications
Items & Inventory
Jobs & Estimates
Multiple Currencies
Payments
Payroll & Employees
Reminders
Reports and Graphs
Sales & Customers
Sales Tax
Search
Send Forms
Spelling
Tax: 1099
Time & Expenses
Chapter 24 Integrating QuickBooks with Other Programs
Bonnie Biafore writes about personal finance, investing, accounting, and project management. She is the author of O’Reilly’s Online Investing Hacks, Quicken 2009: The Missing Manual, and Microsoft Project 2007: The Missing Manual. She writes a monthly column called WebWatch for Better Investing magazine and is a regular contributor to http://www.interest.com.
