Quickbooks (Pro or Contractor) - Contractor Talk - Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum

DSCOFEVER · 03-04-2008, 10:24 PM

I am brand new to this forum, and here is my dilema:

I already have quickbooks pro 2008, because my wife started her own company and needed the program. Well, how easy is it to use instead of the contractor's edition?

I have been playing with pro and it doesn't seem all that user friendly. Here is what I am looking for.

Have different jobs for the same customer (i.e. I'm an electrician that will be doing work for general contractors. The same contractor will be doing multiple jobs. I need it for job costing)
Is there a way to create a purchase order and cost it directly to a job in pro?
I also want to know what else everyone likes more about contractor's edition?

Thanks for any input you can provide. Thanks.

Sarah9910 · 03-05-2008, 12:01 AM

Well..this is right up my alley!!! And just for you. I created a custom comparison chart of QB Pro to the Premier Accountant Edition and the Premier Contractor Edition on my website. Go to www.successif.biz and click on the Articles and Links tab and look for the "QuickBooks Detailed Comparison chart for Contractors". The callouts in purple are from me, the comparison chart is from Intuit.

Personally, if I was in your shoes, I would have purchased the Premier Accountant Edition because then you and your wife can utilize the different features for different types of companies by "toggling" to the different versions. It's a very cool feature.

But all that aside, you can do PO's in Pro and you could create a Custom Field to track the workers comp exp dates if you need to track that, it wouldn't "remind" you if they are overdue, but you could create a report to run each month to keep an eye on their exp dates. But then you are a sub so you might not need that feature.

Check out the chart and see if you can read and understand it. Let me know if I can help, this is a good week for me, I'm in my office most of the week if you have questions.

And yes, you can have jobs in Pro. Just try Pro for awhile and if you need to upgrade, all your data will be fine, just load the newer version and you'll just have more features.

Remember two very important things, set up your preferences and set up your items. AND...be sure jobs are jobs and customers are customers. I'll soon have a power point on my website that is called "14 reasons you may need help with Quickbooks". View it when it's there (by the end of the week) just to be sure you don't make those mistakes.

Oh yes...good luck, it's not really that difficult, it's just that we all have different things we are good at. Don't ever ask me to do an electrical project or I will really stress out and probably kill myself in the process.

72chevy4x4 · 03-05-2008, 07:37 AM

I've used Pro for a number of years but do not have experience w/ the contractor's version. I 'think' the C's version has special categories already setup to make the startup process less painful. I would highly suggest using the intuit payroll service-there are different levels of service, but having them take out the payroll taxes and complete the fed/state forms is peace of mind.

DSCOFEVER · 03-08-2008, 12:41 PM

Thanks for the information, I'm sure I will be posting more questions on here.

DSCOFEVER · 03-14-2008, 01:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sarah9910

But all that aside, you can do PO's in Pro and you could create a Custom Field to track the workers comp exp dates if you need to track that, it wouldn't "remind" you if they are overdue, but you could create a report to run each month to keep an eye on their exp dates. But then you are a sub so you might not need that feature.

Remember two very important things, set up your preferences and set up your items. AND...be sure jobs are jobs and customers are customers.

Thanks for the information, I do not need to set up any worker's comp certs as I am a subcontractor for generals. They will need to track mine (haha, not my problem, it's their's)

As for the preferences and set up, what do I need to do for that. Also, you mention jobs are jobs and cusomers are customers. How do I set that up on the system, it seems that they are recognized as the same things.

Thanks

Sarah9910 · 03-14-2008, 06:03 PM

Preferences is the way your system works (behind the scenees). Click help for more information on it, be prepared to spend some time.

Customers and jobs are different. A job belongs to a customer. They are in the same area, but are definitely different.

Norrrrrrrrrrrrm · 03-14-2008, 06:55 PM

Hi Sarah,
This question is geared to you(or anyone). I have a mac and looking at QB also. I have been doing some research on it and see that the mac version in 07 belongs in the trash. I heard the 08 version is supposed to be better. Is there an QB contractor for macs. I am a one man band but may pick up help in the future when it gets busier. What would be the best version for me? For what I have seen in my research I am still not sure. Cunfusedly yours,Norm

Dansbell · 03-14-2008, 08:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sarah9910

I would have purchased the Premier Accountant Edition because then you and your wife can utilize the different features for different types of companies by "toggling" to the different versions. It's a very cool feature.

I have actually been considering the accounting edition. I noticed on the chart you provided that the accounting edition did not have check marks by:

- job costing center quickly shows individual job costs.
- Track and print change orders on estimates.

Are these features not available in the accounting edition?

CatAlii · 03-14-2008, 11:35 PM

Hi Norm - the only option for Macs now is the online version of QuickBooks. For that very reason I decided to turn my Mac into a dual boot computer using Mac's BootCamp utility. I loaded Windows so that I could run QuickBooks and use a design suite that I had just purchased for a PC. Windows runs great on the Mac and I'm able to run QB Premier 2008. I compared the various versions of QB on Intuit's website and the online version didn't have all the features we needed.

Sarah9910 · 03-15-2008, 05:51 PM

Accountants version of QB is really the best because it allows you to "toggle" to any of the priemier versions. So, even though those items you mentioned are not checked on the accountants version, all you need to do is "toggle" and use the contractors version and you will have all those features.

Sarah9910 · 03-15-2008, 05:56 PM

I wonder if you all realize that I have a FREE QuickBooks Q & A session on April 15 and on March 24. You have to sign up to attend, that is because if no one signs up, I won't hold it. It probably will run for 90 minutes. You will be able to see my screen, we all talk on a conference call. It's a win win situation. I'm going to revamp my website soon to be "just for contractors" since that is my specialty. Spread the word so that we get it full of only contractors and can talk specifically about that!!!

Sarah9910 · 03-15-2008, 06:40 PM

Hi Norm: sorry I didn't answer this sooner but my experience with Macs is zilch, other than about 20 years ago for about 5 days. I tried last year to help a client with their MAC version of QB and I wasn't very pleased with the program or my lack of experience with it. I am trying hard recently to stick to just what I know best. I've been too busy to update my website recently and I hate that since updating it is when the search engines find it, but I'll keep trying to post articles. Almost all my articles are geared toward contractors though, so I guess that tells me something! Sorry i couldn't help you more.

Norrrrrrrrrrrrm · 03-15-2008, 07:52 PM

Thanks for responding Cathy and Sarah.

Sarah9910 · 04-28-2008, 01:17 PM

Dansbell, sorry for not addresssing this sooner. The Accountants toggles to all editions, so any features in the other additions are available in the Accountants edition.