QuickBooks Desktop trends you need to embrace for 2023
Understand the true potential of QuickBooks Desktop with the top tips for 2023.
Whether you’re a seasoned QuickBooks Desktop user or a newcomer, identifying and embracing trends will make a noticeable difference in your accounting workflow and overall productivity.
By revisiting this webinar, you’ll discover:
- How to protect your QuickBooks Desktop data.
- 3 QuickBooks Desktop tips on making the most of the software.
- If QuickBooks Desktop is becoming obsolete.
Without further ado, let’s jump into the top QuickBooks Desktop trends for 2023 and beyond.
Webinar snapshot: Essential points summarized
How to protect your Quickbooks Desktop data
Protecting your QuickBooks Desktop data is crucial to maintaining the integrity of your financial information. Here are some QuickBooks Desktop tips to ensure your data stays secure.
User permissions
One of the first steps to safeguarding your data is to implement user permissions. This means configuring administrator roles and password-protecting all your tools and platforms.
Password managers like LastPass and 1Password generate dynamic, hard-to-guess passwords and store them securely. This is a far safer practice than keeping passwords on a sticky note on your desktop computer, which is often the case.
Cybersecurity training
Cybersecurity training is another essential part of data protection. Training your staff to spot and report phishing attacks significantly reduces your risk of data breaches.
There are many programs that fraudsters use to send phishing emails and fraudulent texts to your team to keep them vigilant. This is particularly important if your business has recently experienced phishing attempts.
Data encryption
Data encryption is the final main element of data security. Ensure you keep confidential data in platforms that:
- Conduct regular security audits.
- Are harder to access than standard communication methods, like text messages or emails.
Securely integrating apps with QuickBooks Desktop is a must, especially for remote teams. These apps help keep your data secure while enabling your team to work remotely.
In addition to these QuickBooks Desktop tips and security measures, keeping your software updated is crucial. Each update or upgrade that Intuit releases includes new security patches. As cybersecurity threats evolve, these patches serve as your first line of defense.
3 QuickBooks Desktop tips and best practices
To maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of your QuickBooks Desktop usage, you must follow certain best practices.
Here are three QuickBooks Desktop tips that will help you improve efficiency and maintain data integrity.
1. Be consistent with how you input data
Consistency in data input is crucial for maintaining clarity and accuracy in your accounting records.
When it’s time to analyze the data, you don’t want to spend unnecessary time deciphering information or questioning its formatting.
Instead, set clear standards for data input and ensure your team adheres to them. This will save you time and prevent potential misunderstandings and inaccuracies in your data.
2. Restrict access to your accounting data
While QuickBooks Desktop is a powerful accounting software, it’s not meant to handle every function of your business — or have every team member access it.
Ensure you’re only giving QuickBooks access to those needing to work with your financial data.
Also, avoid storing non-accounting data in QuickBooks Desktop as it leads to inaccuracies and misunderstandings. For instance, inputting potential sales opportunities as actual revenue will cause significant discrepancies and confusion at year-end if you never end up closing the deal.
3. Use QuickBooks Desktop integrations
QuickBooks Desktop offers a range of integrations with other tools through its app store, apps.com. These integrations let you leverage the best tools for your business without worrying about data integrity issues or disconnected views of your business.
Using integrated tools for functions like lead management and customer management keeps your QuickBooks Desktop focused on accounting tasks while giving you holistic control of your operations.
Is QuickBooks Desktop becoming obsolete?
In recent years, Intuit has certainly prioritized QuickBooks Online over Desktop. But Online still has a lot of catching up to do in many areas before it goes obsolete, particularly regarding Enterprise.
Plus, Intuit is still actively adding new features to Desktop that you should be on the lookout for, such as:
- Inventory categories: You can now group different items in your QuickBooks Desktop account into categories for a more comprehensive view of your inventory. For example, you can group different models and brands of bike chains into a single category.
- Inventory expiration dates: This feature is particularly useful for businesses that sell products with expiration dates, such as food or paint. You can include the expiration date and get alerts for each product, helping you keep adequate stock and maintain a healthy cash flow.
- Cash flow hub: This feature forecasts your incoming money and expected expenses over the next 15, 30, or 60 days.
- Mileage tracker: This new feature allows you to track mileage directly in QuickBooks Desktop, making it easier to report these expenses to the IRS and bill your customers.
- Improved bank connections: QuickBooks Desktop has expanded its connections to different banks and added encryption to ensure the security of your information.
Bottom line: How to make the most of Quickbooks Desktop
All in all, QuickBooks Desktop is a powerful accounting tool you can make even more robust with the right approach.
You optimize your admin processes when you implement the QuickBooks Desktop tips and best practices listed above, including:
- Implementing cybersecurity measures.
- Staying consistent with data input.
- Restricting access to accounting data with user permissions.
- Leveraging integrations.
Explore the QuickBooks Desktop app store to find integrations that will enhance your business operations, like Method — the #1 QuickBooks CRM and process automation tool.
