• QuickBooks Consultant's Reference Guide 2010

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  • The Sleeter Group's best selling QuickBooks troubleshooting guide is packed with techniques to diagnose and fix your clients' QuickBooks files.

  • Sleeter Group Conference

  • This year's event is being held at the fabulous Paris Las Vegas in Las Vegas, NV, November 8-11.

  • Sleeter Group Consultants Network (SGCN)
  • SGCN is a community of experts in accounting software. Members work with their clients to provide the best solutions in training, implementation, and support, and are backed by each other and the resources of The Sleeter Group.
  • The Sleeter Group breaks product development barriers by providing developers with the information they need to improve their offerings through product positioning guidance, feature enhancement ideas, application integration improvements, platform and delivery option considerations, and distribution strategy development and implementation, as well as by communicating best-of-breed solutions to the accounting consultant community.
  • Sleeter Group Podcasts
  • The Sleeter Group has partnered with The CPA Technology Advisor to offer insights and advice.
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Newsletter

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December 2009
 Message From Doug  

Happy Holidays Doug Sleeterfrom all of us at The Sleeter Group. As 2009 draws to a close, I’m reflecting on a year that was challenging – but, more importantly, how so many of you rose to the occasion and looked for innovative ways to address these challenges.

We’ve seen consultants faced with smaller marketing budgets, respond by narrowing their marketing to reach niche markets where they have special expertise. I’ve talked to many members who have been expanding their revenue opportunities by working with VAR programs and as a result are offering higher quality services to their clients. I’ve heard from many of you that you are using innovative new technologies to streamline your and your clients’ processes to make your office more efficient and expanding your offerings to your clients. Over and over again, we have heard how you have turned significant challenges into opportunities that leave you poised for greater success in the coming year.

We have also been looking towards innovative ways to bring you more resources. We are now offering an Online Conference Library – which includes recordings on most of the sessions offered at our 2009 Accounting Software Conference. If your last encounter with conference recordings were a bulky package of cassette tapes, you are in for a surprise. Not only are all the recording available online, but they are synchronized with the onscreen PowerPoints and demos. You can read more about it in the article below.

I wish all of you a warm and happy holiday season and a successful and joy-filled new year.

 Online Conference Library is Now Available  

Share the joy and knowledge from the Sleeter Group’s 2009 Conference!

Whether ProLibraries you missed The Sleeter Group’s 2009 Next Generation Accounting Solutions Conference or not, you can share the content with your employees and colleagues through the Online Conference Library. We recorded most of the cutting-edge sessions from the Conference. These in-depth presentations were given by leading experts in accounting software, services, and practice management, including Randy Johnston, Darren Root, Leslie Shiner, and Doug Sleeter. The presenter’s audio is synchronized with the presentation slides and computer demonstrations, for an easy-to-watch educational experience.

Each purchase gives you the ability to share the Conference content with up to three other individuals. You may purchase a Library in the following ways:

  • Main Conference, including all of the general sessions and the majority of the breakout sessions, for $399
  • "Taking Your Practice Online" Pre-Conference session, for $149
  • "Train the QuickBooks Trainer" Pre-Conference session, for $149
  • Full Conference, which includes all of the above, for $499

The online library is now available!

Visit ProLibraries today for more information and to order.

 A Special Video Consultants Corner  

Our surveys are back and Leslie Shinerthe results speak for themselves. Leslie Shiners is "hysterical", "engaging" and "extremely entertaining". Other survey responders said:

"I could spend all day listening to Leslie."
"I LOVED HER!"
"I try to not miss any of her sessions."
"Leslie Shiner shines!"

No, these aren’t review from a holiday comedy blockbuster. These are survey results for Leslie Shiner’s keynote address at our 2009 Accounting Software Conference, Don’t Just Survive, Thrive and Come Alive in Your Business. You can watch our recording of this session FREE and see a demonstration of our Online Conference Library. Our full library includes 46 sessions, include two more by Leslie Shiner.

Watch Leslie’s keynote address here.

 Webinar Schedule  

Our Webinars have become the "Graduate School" for QuickBooks and small business accounting technology. Our Webinar presenters are among the country’s leading experts in accounting software. All two hour Webinars are $69 and offer 2 CPE credits. Member of the Sleeter Group Consultants Peter BrudreskiNetwork receive a 20% discount (to receive the discount, members must log in to our site before registering).

Featured Webinars:

QuickBooks Multicurrency: Beyond Processing Transactions
with Esther Friedberg Karp and Peter Budreski (pictured)
Jan 11, 2010 9:00 – 11:00 AM Pacific
Multicurrency is now part of the feature set in QuickBooks, since imports and exports in the US each exceed the $100 billion annually, and foreign currency transactions are becoming a way of life for more and more businesses of all sizes. Many US-based businesses have limited experience in dealing with the multicurrency environment, and therefore do not know how to take advantage of this groundbreaking feature. Esther Friedberg KarpThis course provides an insight into how to manage multicurrency beyond processing simple transactions.

Other Upcoming Webinars:

Managing Inventory with QuickBooks with Amy Vetter
Dec 17, 2009 8:00 – 10:00 AM Pacific
Construction Accounting using QuickBooks with Leslie Shiner
Jan 26, 2010 12:00 – 2:00 PM Pacific
QuickBooks at Year-End with Amy Vetter
Jan 27, 2010 8:00 – 10:00 AM Pacific
Profitable Business Growth for You and Your Clients with Leslie Shiner
Jan 27, 2010 12:00 – 2:00 PM Pacific
Tracking Labor Costs and Setting Billing Rates with Leslie Shiner
Jan 28, 2010 12:00 – 2:00 PM Pacific
Setting up QuickBooks the Right Way, the First Time with Amy Vetter
Feb 4, 2010, 9:00 – 11:00 AM Pacific

For a complete schedule, including self-study titles, visit www.sleeter.com/webinar.

 CRM as a Business Solution  

If your business Results CRMgoals include differentiating yourself among other consultants, increasing your income, or expanding your services, offering a CRM solution could be the key to a successful 2010.  Once considered a luxury reserved for large enterprises, CRM software has become a critical component for success that is accessible to all businesses. Click here to read the full article on The Benefits and Importance of Offering CRM as a Business Solution by Naseem Saab.

 Sleeter Store Reference Books on Sale for the Holidays  

Your bookkeepers and associates have been nice, not naughty, this year.  So why not reward them with resources from The Sleeter Group as a holiday gift? 

We’re putting our reference books in the Sleeter Store on sale at 20% off from now through the end of the year! These make great surprises for your colleagues, while at the same time helping them advance their knowledge, which of course benefits you as well. The sale includes the following titlesConsultant's Reference Guide:

QuickBooks Consultant’s Reference Guide 2009 is a must have for consultants. Our QuickBooks 2009 edition is updated with extensive coverage of QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions, third party add-ons, and all the new features of the 2009 version. Regularly priced at $89.95, it’s now only $71.96 per copy through 12/31/09, limit five, while supplies lastQuickBooks Point of Sale.

QuickBooks Point of Sale: Best Practices for Success – Version 7 is an invaluable book both new and expert QuickBooks Point of Sale users.  Readers will learn the best practices for implementation, daily transactions, and financial exchange with QuickBooks Financial Software.  Filled with step-by-step instructions and easy-to-read graphics, the book covers behind-the-scenes accounting information so there are no surprises when QBPOS is integrated with QuickBooks.  Regularly priced at $79.95, it’s now only $63.96 per copy through 12/31/09, limit five, while supplies lastQuickBooks for Not-for-Profit Organizations.

QuickBooks for Not-for-Profit Organizations 2008 helps not-for-profits successfully use QuickBooks accounting software to support their programs and services.  With step-by-step directions and exercise files containing a complete year of sample not-for-profit financial data, this book thoroughly explains how to get as much as possible done in a short time.  Regularly priced at $69.95, it’s now only $55.96 per copy through 12/31/09, limit five, while supplies last.

Take advantage of these great offers now during the holiday season!  Order today to beat the holiday shipping rush.  Visit the Sleeter Group Store at http://www.sleeterstore.com.

Please note that quantities on books are limited to five copies per title.  Offer limited to existing stock, though we anticipate having enough on stock to meet the demand in this promotion.  No rainchecks.  All offers in this promotion are limited to orders placed by 11:59 p.m. on 12/31/09.

 Tricks of the Trade  

Every day, members of The Sleeter Group Consultants Network tackle the day-to-day problems of their clients in the real world. The following is an example problem and solution that surfaced this month on our Sleeter Group Consultants Network E-Mail Group.

Question: I have a client that is considering switching to QuickBooks Online. What experiences have you had with QuickBooks Online, and how is it better or worse than using QuickBooks hosted by a good, licensed Hosting service?

Stuart McClain responded: I’ve had clients on QuickBooks Online for over two years now and they have been very happy. They are just now starting to track on-hand quantities, but it does not yet have full inventory functionality. You can track by Class as well as Location now – which means you do not have to use Class for location, but could use it for something else and still have location. When it came to using PayCycle (now Intuit Online Payroll) you just had to have the two windows open – hit EXPORT and it was done – no importing of IIF files or anything. You can also customize some of the ‘terms’ – i.e. Customers can be called Patients or Clients.

QuickBooks Online is less expensive that a fully hosted license. You always get upgrades – no need to purchase new versions.

Online Edition is not as flexible in terms of customizing reports or saving as PDF – so you have to print them to a PDF printer driver and save that way….bank reconciliations are not saved…..as in Premier etc.

Final Response: Thank you so much for sharing this! 

The Sleeter Group Consultants Network is the nation’s premier accounting software consultant’s network. Sleeter Group Consultants NetworkWe provide expert QuickBooks consulting, add-on integration services, business process workflow consulting, outsourced bookkeeping services, and financial statement preparation. To locate one of our certified consultants, visit our Find a Consultant page. To learn more about becoming a consultant, visit our Become a Consultant page, or call our office at 888-484-5484 or +1-925-416-6300. Members of the Network receive a discount on our resource products as well as our annual Accounting Solutions Conference. Membership also includes a copy of our Consultant’s Reference Guide.