I am asked to provide training in QuickBooks. Training I do, but not in QuickBooks.
I downloaded a Trial copy and spent an hour this morning looking at it.
QuickBooks is NOT a book-keeper; it is a package designed to HELP a book-keeper.
My clients are three ladies helping out at a local church; I believe that they are not book-keepers.
Bottom-line (as the accountants say) is that QuickBooks is possibly far too complex for their parish needs.
I used a DOS-based PC-GL (general ledger) package from 1986-2011 to enter transactions by account numbers, but then each year-end turned over a twenty-page printout to a real bookkeeper who massaged it into a form that the accountant would accept. She also used to complain that I had entries that were not supported by invoices, but that's the price you pay for being more interested in programming than in accounting.
Question 1: Do you know of a simple window-based book-keeping package that should satisfy the needs of a small parish organization?
Question 2: Do you know of a BBS community that offers answers to simple book-keeping questions?
I have assembled a few pages of notes about QuickBooks for next Thursday's session, and if my feelings are correct ("You are out of your depth"), I would like to suggest alternatives to QuickBooks.
I ran a search for packages, but would rather not download, install and spend an hour on each.
If you have used book-keeping packages recently, I'd love to hear whether they are simple or complex.
I suspect that my contact was "sold" the idea of QuickBooks "because it is the package that Bookkeepers swear by", but that does not make it ideal for a volunteer clerk.
Thanks, Chris
Book-keeping applications and support
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- PlutoniumLounger
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Book-keeping applications and support
He who plants a seed, plants life.
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- UraniumLounger
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Re: Book-keeping applications and support
Knowing full well that you have already done this, I'm nothing if not redundant.
Best Church Accounting Software of 2023
Best Church Accounting Software of 2023
Bob's yer Uncle
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- PlutoniumLounger
- Posts: 15651
- Joined: 24 Jan 2010, 23:23
- Location: brings.slot.perky
Re: Book-keeping applications and support
You can say that again
Thanks for this, Bob, I have sent the link on to my friend.
I note that QuickBooks is described as "Best for Easy Restricted Fund Management", and I suppose that the local village churches here do not have a serious problem with Restricted Fund Management.
Cheers, Chris
He who plants a seed, plants life.