Four years ago, I started using QuickBooks for some of my clients. I want to share with you an experience I had with two of my QuickBooks clients this past summer.

These two clients are very similar. Each is a sole proprietor. Each has their spouse helping take care of the office. Each started using QuickBooks at the beginning of 2000. Both have been in business for many years and had previously been doing their bookkeeping manually by looking through receipts and canceled checks every spring. Neither would ever be ready to work on their tax returns until late March, mostly because they hated the entire process. Then it would be panic-city. I would tell them about their large balance due and they would have a week to come up with the money.

Thanks to QuickBooks, that has all changed. The first year was a learning period, getting things to operate smoothly and accurately. We start seeing the benefits at the end of the first year and we continue to have extremely useful information as we go through the second year. Just by coincidence, both businesses are doing better this year than ever before. I was able to warn both of them in July that they faced a large balance due next April 15th. We put some money aside now, and started planning to save the rest before the end of the year. Without an accurate and timely QuickBooks profit and loss statement, we would not be prepared and next April would be panic-city all over again.

Accurate, useful information as the year progresses. Less stress in the spring. No surprises come April 15th. All great benefits, and I haven't even talked about how QuickBooks will invoice your customers, keep track of accounts receivable, or balance your checkbook.

Please consider using QuickBooks. You may find yourself saying the same thing as my two friends: "Why didn't we do this a long time ago!!"