qbteachmt
Level 15

"QBO I know is one,"

But that isn't meant for you. That is meant for you to access a data file that your QBO-using client has set up and is using. You would have access through the Accountant's Portal, where you also could have your own FEIN set up as a QBO user data file, or not. Your QBO-using client sends you an Accountant Invite.

It really depends on the significance of the data you intend to manage and the services you intend to offer.

Are you only intending to be "doing books" for the clients, so everything is inhouse and under your control? Are you working with their bookkeeper, where they do a lot of things for themselves? Will you support clients that have POS? How that data is used and managed and handed off will matter for which tools and functions you will use. You would want to eliminate redundant handling of POS data.

For instance, you might want to use QB desktop or online for your own business. It has more management and operating functions than "an accounting package" because it is a business management program. That's why it goes far beyond using debits and credits. As an example:

Your business includes general bookkeeping, payroll, business valuations, and you have multiple people working for you, and you have multiple charge rates by person and service offered, and want to be able to set up, use, and report on all those options. This includes Quantity, rates, person doing the work, client done for, and all of this is what QB excels at. You might manage your own firm using QB, but use Sage for large "accounting" functions for those clients.

And other services you offer might include Supporting QB Clients. You might have some clients that use QB Desktop and bring you their files, for you to work with, and for you to give back "changes" and that requires you to be using the QB Desktop Accountant Edition (regular or Enterprise, or both) to match the file they brought you. That also means you would keep each year, such as right now, 2020 is coming out, but you would want 2019 and 2018. You would skip installing or supporting clients using 2017, since you can convince them they should move to 2020, anyway. However, Intuit will support QB 2017 until May of 2020. This is a Huge Market, so make a decision as to if this is part of what you intend to offer.

For instance: you have a retailer that has a POS system, which integrates into QB and they use that in their backoffice. Or, you have a medical services provider, a one-person operation for mental health or massage therapy. You have QB users that will do their own payroll, but want you to do their fillings and monthly reconciliation and year end prep, all of which you go to their office, and/or use the same tool they use.

I have had lots of governmental clients, all of whom were using QB, because none of the little towns and water/sewer/fire districts would use something like Sage. It's a great market, if you know governmental accounting well enough to support the town clerks and citizen volunteers.


*******************************
Don't yell at us; we're volunteers

View solution in original post

0 Cheers