Why We Use QuickBooks Online

When it comes to small business bookkeeping, there’s no shortage of software out there. You’ll see new apps pop up every year, promising easier dashboards or slicker integrations. But at Prism, we still recommend (and personally use) QuickBooks Online (QBO).

Here’s why: it works.

It’s not perfect (no system is), but for what most small businesses need (clear records, clean reports, and reliable financial tracking); QBO still does the job better than most.

We use it at Prism every day. It’s how we manage our books, prep for tax season, and pull reports that help us make decisions. We also walk our clients through it. Especially those who are just getting set up or have been winging it with spreadsheets or a messy chart of accounts.

Here’s what we like about it:

• It’s widely used, so it plays well with banks, payroll systems, and other apps

• The reports are simple to pull and customize (once your books are set up right)

• It grows with you. You can start small and add features as your business expands

• It makes collaborative bookkeeping easier. You, your bookkeeper, and tax pro can all access the same data, in real time

Where it falls short:

Like any tool, QBO isn’t plug-and-play. If your account isn’t set up properly, or if transactions are being categorized inconsistently, it can cause more confusion than anything. That’s why most of the QBO support we do at Prism is helping clients clean things up or get their setup right from the start.

A big part of our job is helping business owners stop guessing and actually trust their numbers. That’s hard to do if you’re not sure your system is accurate.

So if you’re not confident your QuickBooks is working for you, we can help. We offer a QuickBooks Online Setup Audit for business owners who’ve already got QBO but want to make sure everything’s structured correctly. We’ll review your chart of accounts, bank feeds, categorization patterns, and reports—and give you a fix-it list to move forward with faith in your numbers.

• If your setup is a mess, we’ll help you clean it up.

• If you’re ready to learn how to use it better, we’ll walk you through it.

• And if you’d rather just hand it off - we do that, too!

Want to learn more?
Check out our QBO Audit service

Or just book a Vibe Check if you’re not sure what kind of help you need yet.