The power of effective bookkeeping using QuickBooks Desktop - plus an Important Update from Intuit.

Keeping track of sales, earnings, expenses, and purchases is fundamental to your construction business's overall health and sustainability. Effective bookkeeping produces the data you need to evaluate your current practices, anticipate challenges, and set attainable future goals.

Many business owners dread bookkeeping and accounting tasks despite their proven importance. In fact, 40% of surveyed entrepreneurs claim that bookkeeping is one of the worst parts of running a business!

Is it worth the aggravation?

Here are three reminders of how effective bookkeeping is the cornerstone of small business success:

Keeping track of reimbursable expenses

A reliable system for tracking reimbursable expenses ensures you reap all the benefits you're entitled to when filing your taxes. Expenditures sorted into categories, such as "food," "travel," and "office supplies," can be cataloged quite simply with online bookkeeping software.

Using a dedicated credit card for business expenses and updating your records every month will put money back in your pocket come tax time.

Measuring profitability and planning for the future

To grow your business, you must be able to track and compare its finances from one year to the next.

In addition to reconciling the books and bank statements every month, effective bookkeeping generates records you can use to gain a comprehensive overview of your business. This data can help you:

• Measure year-over-year profits;
• Identify opportunities to cut costs;
• Plan for major expenses (such as new office space, equipment, or staff) and
• develop data-based strategies for expansion.

Preparing for tax season

Few things are more stressful for business owners than scrambling to prepare poorly maintained financial records for tax season. In addition to the panic of last-minute filing, accurate or complete documentation can lead to severe penalties, fines, and an audit.

In the United States alone, 40% of small businesses pay an average penalty of $845 per year for late or incorrect filings!

Sound bookkeeping can save you money and give you peace of mind. You'll be assured of compliance with regulations and receive a reliable estimate of amounts owing long before your tax bill is due.

If you've been following us over the years, you know that we are raving fans of Intuit, the makers of QuickBooks, and have used QuickBooks since the first version was released in 1992. In fact, in 2005, we moved our entire client base, including our own accounting firm's QuickBooks files, to an Intuit-approved commercial hosting environment so we could offer our clients all of the benefits of the full desktop version of QuickBooks accessible online 24/7, and it has been a huge success!

We've always encouraged our contractor clients to use QuickBooks Desktop as QuickBooks Online does not offer the full features of QuickBooks. We know that QB Desktop in the Cloud is one area where you can reduce your overhead and increase productivity quickly and easily. 

It is a powerful tool that can streamline your accounting processes and provide valuable insights into your company's financial health. Here are some reasons why using QuickBooks Desktop is crucial for your construction business: 

1. Industry-Specific Features: QB Desktop offers industry-specific features tailored to the needs of construction businesses. You can track job costs, create estimates, and manage progress invoicing, which is essential for staying on top of your projects' financial aspects. 

2. Robust Reporting: QB Desktop provides robust reporting capabilities, allowing you to generate customized reports to analyze your business's performance. You can track profitability by project, compare actual costs to estimated costs, and monitor cash flow to make informed financial decisions. 

3. Integration with Third-Party Applications: QBDesktop integrates with various third-party applications commonly used in the construction industry, such as project management software and time-tracking tools. This integration can help you streamline your workflows and eliminate the need for manual data entry. 

4. Job Costing: Job costing is a critical aspect of construction accounting, and QB Desktop offers comprehensive job costing features. You can allocate expenses to specific projects, track labor costs, and monitor overhead expenses to ensure that each project remains profitable. 

5. Compliance and Security: QB Desktop is designed to help you maintain compliance with industry regulations and ensure the security of your financial data. You can set user permissions to control access to sensitive information and generate audit trails to track changes made to your financial records. 

Using QuickBooks Desktop for your construction business can significantly improve your financial management processes and give you the tools to make informed business decisions. However, change is inevitable, and as someone with responsibilities, I have little time to waste; I have learned that sometimes I have to deliver challenging news. (In case you missed our Tuesday email):

For those using QuickBooks Desktop 2021 software, it will be discontinued after May 31, 2024. (You may have received this notice from Intuit through your email). This includes all 2021 versions of QuickBooks Desktop Pro, QuickBooks Desktop Premier, QuickBooks Desktop for Mac, and QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions v21. Other Intuit products are affected by the software discontinuation.

If you don't upgrade your QuickBooks Desktop 2021 by May 31, 2024, you won't have access to live technical support if you run into problems or any other Intuit services that can be integrated with QB Desktop. This includes QB Desktop Payroll, QB Desktop Payments, and online bank feeds. Discontinued versions won't receive the latest critical security patches and updates. (More info from Intuit)

Final tip: This is the time to ask for help

There's a good reason why most small businesses outsource at least one accounting function to help manage tasks like payroll, closing the books each month, and managing accounts receivable. With all the changes coming to QuickBooks software, it would be best and all the more reason to ask for support. 

Most entrepreneurs are passionate about developing new business ideas – not crunching numbers. Employing or outsourcing a professional bookkeeper, even part-time or as-needed, can help optimize your accounting and increase profitability. It's well worth it. Invest in effective bookkeeping and build a solid foundation for a resilient, forward-moving construction business.

Feel free to contact me if you need specific guidance on using QuickBooks Desktop for your construction bookkeeping and accounting needs. And, of course, subscribe to our newsletter so you won't miss out on important industry news, events, and updates.

PS