QuickBooks for Contractors

QuickBooks Tip: Discover the useful Source Name in QuickBooks Reports

by Muriel Murray September 14, 2014 Job Costing with QuickBooks

QuickBooks has many hidden goodies that are useful for contractors. I want to teach you all of them. This time I’m going to try something new: I’m adding QuickBooks screenshots to this post. Let me know in the comments if you find these articles more useful with illustrations. I’m also working on a free downloadable […]

Read the full article →

I’m back, and my QuickBooks job-costing training videos are done!

by Muriel Murray August 15, 2014 Job Costing with QuickBooks

I’ve finally created my awesome training video about how contractors should use Items in QuickBooks. It will teach you a lot about Items, how to make QuickBooks work for YOUR business, and Job Costing. All these things are related, and for contractors they are at the core of what makes QuickBooks so helpful, but also […]

Read the full article →

Where have I been?

by Muriel Murray August 15, 2013 QuickBooks for Contractors

You may have noticed that I haven’t posted in several months. I have not disappeared off the face of the earth, I promise. I’m working on an awesome training video about how contractors should use Items in QuickBooks. It will teach you a lot about Items, how to make QuickBooks work for YOUR business, and […]

Read the full article →

How do I print my company name and address on the QuickBooks Statement?

by Muriel Murray April 16, 2013 QuickBooks Accounting 101

My company name and address prints on the Invoice but not on the Statement. In QuickBooks, the formats for Statements and Invoices (as well as Credit Memos, Sales Receipts, Estimates, and Sales/Work Orders) are managed under Templates (Lists > Templates).  The templates can also be re-formatted by clicking Customize when you are editing an individual Invoice or […]

Read the full article →

(Why) Should I use account numbers in my QuickBooks company file?

by Muriel Murray April 11, 2013 QuickBooks Accounting 101

QuickBooks, unlike some other accounting software, does not require you to assign numbers to your chart of accounts, and doesn’t add them by default. I have no opinion whether your contracting business should use account numbers in QuickBooks. Your CPA may care, however, so check with her/him. If you decide for whatever reason to assign […]

Read the full article →

QuickBooks Items: Is there a benefit to using Non-inventory Part Items in a construction business?

by Muriel Murray March 26, 2013 Job Costing with QuickBooks

A reader asked this question about using QuickBooks Items in his contracting business, and went on to say: “It is counter-intuitive for me to call materials I purchase then resell a “service.” Would I benefit listing the materials purchased as Non-inventory Parts? Would this categorization help me with use tax tracking?”   I’ll talk about […]

Read the full article →

QuickBooks Items: What does “double-sided” Item mean?

by Muriel Murray March 21, 2013 Job Costing with QuickBooks

You won’t find a reference in QuickBooks Help to “double-sided” or “two-sided” Items, but the terminology is common among QB experts and experienced QB users, especially in construction. In brief, it means that an Item is designed for use in Cost of Goods Sold transactions as well as Income transactions; that is, the Item is […]

Read the full article →

Why should I back up my QuickBooks file?

by Muriel Murray March 19, 2013 QuickBooks for Contractors

Back up your QuickBooks file. This advice may seem obvious, but I mean it in a very specific way: Use the QuickBooks File > Create Backup… menu function to make a backup. On the form that opens, click the Options button, and select Complete verification (you have to be in Single-user Mode to select this […]

Read the full article →

QuickBooks Premier Contractor Edition: Do I really need it for my construction business?

by Muriel Murray March 19, 2013 QuickBooks and Workers Comp

The short answer is No. The QuickBooks Premier Contractor edition includes some reports and forms customized for contractors, and a specialized menu that pulls together in one place several things that contractors might want to do. In theory, you can create any of these reports and forms yourself in QuickBooks Pro. The one function missing […]

Read the full article →

12