This post is about starting and getting started with QuickBooks Online Accountant. Getting started as a business owner in an accounting firm. So many things have changed since I began my practice almost 20 years ago.  When I started my business, I looked up ads for part-time bookkeepers (yes!  The newspaper…wow, have things changed!).  I would drive to the client’s office and work on their books.  I used QuickBooks Desktop back then.  This was pre-ProAdvisors too.   

Where do you get started?  Easy!   Become a Quickbooks Online ProAdvisor.  It’s FREE!  Over the next few weeks, I will take you through the journey of the new entrepreneur starting their accounting firm.   We will follow the steps using the new section of the Intuit Community especially designed to help people just starting out and using this pdf as a guideline.  We will discover everything needed and the steps to navigate your new program.  Special thanks to Cheryl Grindell for this amazing pdf!

The steps to becoming a ProAdvisor

• 1Sign up for QuickBooks Online Accountant.  You get a Free copy of QuickBooks Online for your business. You get the Work section for practice management.  You get training!  Free Full Service Payroll!  Signing up is easy!  You can manage your client list from within the program.  
• 2Get certified.  Watch the videos, learn the program.   There is also a test drive of QBO to play in while you learn. Access that here.   You can try what you learn and not do any damage to your company file.  Play in the test drive.   Once you log out, it is gone and ready for you to start again.
• 3The “app”mosphere is phenomenal.  It is out there waiting to connect to your QuickBooks file or your customer’s file.  Apps let you make QuickBooks more business type specific and help us to automate tasks.  Check it out on apps.com. My personal favorites are LeanLaw, Hubdoc and Chronobooks, to name a few!
• 4With QuickBooks Online Accountant version, we get the accountant’s toolbox feature.  It is an amazing bunch of tools accountants need to help with cleanup or back work. You can quickly reclassify transactions and see what accounts have been reconciled.  You can access to the audit log, closing date, and much more.
• 5Once you pass the certification, you will be listed on the search engine, ” Find a ProAdvisor“.  This will get you leads that could turn into clients.  I also recommend reaching out to a local CPA or tax professional that could help you get referrals.   You can refer clients back to the tax professional too. It is a win-win!

The details….

Decide on your business type.  I find that many people start their businesses a sole proprietorship.  One great reason is there is no cost.  The company ID is your social security number. I started this way.  I kept my full-time job and did this on the side while my business grew. If your business starts to take off, you can decide if you want to change the entity to an LLC.  Better yet, become an S Corp.  Changing your company entity to an S Corp will free you from paying self-employment taxes.  Note:  you will have to pay yourself a payroll if you go down the road to changing to an S Corp.

The Video….

In the video below, the steps to sign up to be a ProAdvisor are demonstrated.

On a side note, this Wednesday, my friends Sarah Prevost, Brandy Derrick and I are doing a free webinar this week with the guys from LeanLaw called “Client Onboarding”.  While is it specific to onboarding your Law Firm clients, I am sure there will be some tips and tricks there for all types of customers.

If you have any questions or would like to see a future video on another topic, please reach out to me on Facebook.  If you are starting in the business world, we would love for you to join our Facebook group.

QB Community Live! is our Facebook group.   Matthew Fulton of Parkway Business Solutions and Vendorsync and I created this space to help others.  We are blessed to have so many smart people as members to help one another.   People helping people.  And we have fun there too!  Who says accountants are boring?  Come and join us!