Business is Booming? Manage your Complex Business Needs with QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions
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If you're squeezing one more cubicle into what used to be a storage closet, then odds are, you've outgrown your office space. And if your customers are lined up on the street or sitting on hold for long periods of time waiting to place an order, then it's time to beef up your customer care staff.
While these business upgrades are easy to identify and remedy, determining when you've outgrown your current version of QuickBooks can be more challenging. To see if you need a new product or different version, ask yourself the following five questions. |
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Do I need more capacity?
Most software applications, including QuickBooks, have capacity limits that allow for a fixed number of simultaneous users who can optimally use the product. QuickBooks Basic 2002 is a single-user product, and QuickBooks Pro 2002 and QuickBooks Premier 2002 both limit the number of simultaneous users to five. QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions expands that number to 10. 1
So be sure you know how many people access QuickBooks on an average — or even your most hectic — workday. If you're the only one who needs access, then capacity isn't a problem. But if you have multiple users, make sure you have a version of QuickBooks that allows access for everyone who needs it. This could reduce your own workload and create a smoother workflow. If you have a large financial team, consider QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions. When you purchase this product, 10 software licenses are included, so you can install the product on 10 computers.
Also, capacity issues become critical as your business expands and you add more customers, products, and vendors into QuickBooks. If you have more than 14,500 items, you may need to consider Enterprise Solutions, which supports almost 30,000 items, or twice as many as other versions of QuickBooks.
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Am I satisfied with the performance of my current version?
If you have multiple simultaneous users accessing QuickBooks, you may find that sometimes they are unable to perform certain functions, or unable to quickly create Balance Sheet reports.
If you and your users are spending more time waiting than working, you may want to upgrade to QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions, to eliminate your business management bottlenecks. QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions allows more than one person to work without waiting while other users run reports or search for transactions.
Do I need more specialized tools to manage growth?
Maybe your business has expanded, and you now have offices in multiple locations. To get a complete picture of your business, you may need to automatically combine reports from multiple company files, which only QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions can do. 2
As you grow, you may also need more sophisticated customer, inventory, and employee management tools. QuickBooks Premier and Pro 2002 as well as QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions allow you to customize price levels for specific customers. QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions helps you increase accuracy of your inventory by tracking sales orders and back orders. It's also the first QuickBooks product with a QuickBooks Employee Organizer that helps you track more critical employee information and helps you to comply with the latest government employment regulations. 3
Or you may have a very specific need for an application that is unique to your industry. If so, check out the choices in the QuickBooks Solutions Marketplace. You may find an application that helps you manage exactly what you need as you expand.
Do I need remote access to QuickBooks?
Maybe you're one of those rare small business owners who end your day at 5:00 p.m., go home, and don't worry about the business. But most likely, you're just the opposite.
If you want remote access to your books, you'll need to use QuickBooks Premier 2002 or QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions. If you need complete Anytime, Anywhere access to QuickBooks, then QuickBooks Online Edition is the right choice4. As long as you have an Internet connection, each of these offer you the capability to access your books remotely.
The difference between Remote Access offered by the first two products and Anytime, Anywhere Access — provided by QuickBooks Online Edition — is twofold:
- Remote Access requires you to leave your main office computer with QuickBooks turned on, while Anytime, Anywhere Access allows you to use any computer to access your data, no matter where you are.
- With Remote Access functionality, your data is stored on one computer. With Anytime, Anywhere Access provided by QuickBooks Online Edition, your data is stored on firewall-protected QuickBooks servers.
Anytime, Anywhere access provided by QuickBooks Online Edition affords several advantages. First, you have automatic data backup every day. Second, your data is likely more secure than if it were stored locally or on your network. And finally, QuickBooks Online Edition can be accessed by multiple users simultaneously, regardless of their location.
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Do I need enhanced support, automatic product upgrades, and other additional data protection?
If your business has grown quickly and you now need 24x7 support, you may want to consider using QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions Full Service Plan. This plan allows you to maximize your company's investment in QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions. With this fully packaged software solution, you can automatically receive 12 month's of product upgrades, data protection services including free data recovery, enhanced support, and product and business tips for growing businesses.5
QuickBooks Online Edition also offers additional support and data protection. With that version, you get:
- Product support at no extra charge; Automatic daily data backup;
- Automatic product updates at no extra charge.
QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions includes everything in QuickBooks Pro and Premier 2002. Click here to compare QuickBooks products or take a QuickTour. And to see what independent product reviewers are saying about QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions, read this review from PC Magazine.
1 Users on the same network must all use the same version of QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions to access the same company file. 10 software licenses included with purchase.
2 Requires Microsoft Excel 97, 2000, or 2002.
3 Internet access required for compliance updates. Includes a free one-year introductory subscription to compliance updates. Fees may apply after one year.
4 QuickBooks Online Edition requires a computer with Microsoft Windows 95, 98, Me, NT, 2000, or XP, an Internet connection (a high-speed connection is recommended), and at least Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 (IE 6.0 is recommended). Service availability subject to occasional downtimes for systems or service maintenance.
5 Fees may apply. Components of Full Service Plan good for 12 months from date of plan purchase. Receive a year's worth of product upgrades available through the Full Service Plan (offer good for 12 months from date of plan purchase). Terms, conditions, pricing, and availability of the Full Service Plan components are subject to change without notice.
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