TL;DR
Moving from QuickBooks Desktop to QuickBooks Online gives you access to your books from anywhere, easier collaboration with your bookkeeper, bank feeds, and receipts stored with your transactions. What worries most owners is their existing data, and that is exactly why a migration should start with a review of your Desktop file instead of a single button. This post covers the benefits, what gets reviewed first, and the new migration service now available through Balance and Beyond.
If you've been using QuickBooks Desktop for years, you're certainly not alone.
Maybe it works. Maybe you know exactly where everything is. Maybe the thought of moving years of financial information into a new accounting system makes you want to close the laptop and deal with it another day.
I get it.
But as more businesses move toward cloud-based accounting, QuickBooks Online (QBO) offers some significant advantages, particularly for business owners who want easier access to their financial information, better collaboration with their bookkeeper or accountant, and less reliance on a single computer or locally stored company file.
And the good news?
You don't have to figure out the migration yourself.
Balance and Beyond Bookkeeping is now offering QuickBooks Desktop to QuickBooks Online Migration Services to help businesses make the move with confidence.
Why Consider Moving from QuickBooks Desktop to QuickBooks Online?
Moving accounting software isn't something most business owners put at the top of their wish list.
After all, if your current system has been working for years, it's easy to think:
"Why change it?"
But the way businesses operate has changed significantly. Owners, employees, bookkeepers and accountants are increasingly working remotely, accessing information from different locations and relying on cloud-based technology to keep everything connected.
QuickBooks Online was designed with that environment in mind.
1. Access Your Books From Almost Anywhere
One of the biggest advantages of QuickBooks Online is accessibility.
Instead of your accounting file living on one computer, server or local network, QBO allows authorized users to access the company file online.
That means you can check your financial information whether you're at the office, working from home or travelling.
For busy business owners, that flexibility can make a huge difference.
2. Make Working With Your Bookkeeper Easier
If you're using QuickBooks Desktop, you may already be familiar with the process of sending files back and forth, arranging remote access or trying to coordinate who can access the company file and when.
QuickBooks Online simplifies that relationship.
Your bookkeeper, accountant and other authorized users can access the books without needing to exchange company files.
For businesses working with a remote bookkeeper like Balance and Beyond, this can make ongoing bookkeeping much more efficient.
It also means fewer versions of files floating around and less wondering:
"Is this actually the most recent copy?"
3. Connect Your Bank and Credit Card Accounts
One of my favourite features of QuickBooks Online is the ability to connect bank and credit card accounts directly to the bookkeeping system.
Transactions can flow into QBO through the bank feed, where they can be reviewed, matched and categorized.
This doesn't eliminate the need for proper bookkeeping and monthly reconciliations, but it can dramatically reduce manual data entry.
And fewer manually entered transactions can mean fewer opportunities for errors.
4. Keep Receipts and Supporting Documents With Your Books
No more digging through an overflowing receipt folder six months later trying to figure out what a $147.63 purchase was for.
QuickBooks Online allows receipts and supporting documents to be uploaded and attached to transactions.
This can help create a much cleaner digital recordkeeping system and make it easier to find documentation when you need it.
Your future self, and probably your bookkeeper, will thank you.
5. Integrate With Other Business Apps
Many businesses today use several different platforms to operate.
You might have payment processors, e-commerce platforms, payroll software, expense management apps, time tracking programs or other business tools.
QuickBooks Online can integrate with many third-party applications, creating opportunities to reduce duplicate data entry and streamline your bookkeeping workflow.
The right integrations depend on your business, but moving to a cloud-based accounting platform can open the door to a much more connected system.
6. See What's Happening in Your Business More Easily
Your bookkeeping shouldn't just tell you what happened last year when it's time to file your taxes.
It should help you understand what's happening in your business now.
With properly maintained books in QuickBooks Online, you can access reports such as:
- Profit & Loss
- Balance Sheet
- Accounts Receivable
- Accounts Payable
- Sales reports
- Expense reports
- Cash flow information
Having easier access to current financial information can help you make better-informed business decisions throughout the year.
But What Happens to Everything Already in QuickBooks Desktop?
This is usually where business owners get nervous.
"What about all my existing data?"
That's exactly why a QuickBooks migration should be approached carefully.
Depending on your company file, a migration can involve much more than simply clicking a button and hoping everything transfers correctly.
Before migrating, your existing QuickBooks Desktop file should be reviewed so that we understand exactly what we're working with.
Depending on your business, that may include reviewing things such as:
- Your Chart of Accounts
- Customers and vendors
- Accounts Receivable and Accounts Payable
- Bank and credit card accounts
- Classes
- Payroll information
- Inventory
- Sales tax setup
- Opening balances
- Historical transactions
- Reports and other important accounting information
Every QuickBooks file is different, which is why I believe migrations should be approached as an individual project rather than a one-size-fits-all service.
A Migration Is Also an Opportunity to Clean Things Up
There's another benefit to moving from QuickBooks Desktop to QuickBooks Online that isn't talked about nearly enough.
It's an opportunity to review how your bookkeeping is set up.
Businesses change.
Maybe you started with one service and now offer five. Maybe departments were added. Maybe accounts were created over the years that are no longer relevant. Maybe your Chart of Accounts has become much larger than it needs to be.
A migration can be a good opportunity to review your existing structure and determine whether it still makes sense for the business you operate today.
Sometimes the goal shouldn't be to recreate every single thing exactly as it existed in Desktop.
Sometimes the better question is:
"How should we set this up going forward?"
Introducing QuickBooks Desktop to QuickBooks Online Migration Services
I'm excited to now offer QuickBooks Desktop to QuickBooks Online Migration Services through Balance and Beyond Bookkeeping.
This service is designed for businesses that are ready to move to QBO but want someone experienced with QuickBooks and bookkeeping to help manage the transition.
The goal isn't simply to move data from Point A to Point B.
It's to help ensure your new QuickBooks Online company is set up thoughtfully so that you can actually use it effectively once the migration is complete.
Migration projects can include reviewing your existing QuickBooks Desktop company file, preparing the file for migration, completing the transition to QuickBooks Online and reviewing the migrated information.
Because every company's books are different, migration services are quoted based on the complexity and requirements of your individual QuickBooks file.
Need a Little More Help After the Migration?
Moving the data is only one part of transitioning to QuickBooks Online.
If QBO is new to you, you may also want some help getting comfortable with your new system.
Balance and Beyond offers additional services that can be purchased separately as add-ons to your migration, including:
- QuickBooks Online Training. Learn how to navigate QBO and confidently handle the areas of the program you need for your day-to-day business.
- Customized Invoice Setup. Set up and customize your QuickBooks Online invoices so they better reflect your business and branding.
- Bank & Credit Card Feed Connections. Get your financial accounts connected properly so transactions can flow into QBO and be managed efficiently.
- QuickBooks Online Payroll Setup. If you're using QuickBooks Online Payroll, we can help get your payroll system set up and ready to use.
You can choose the additional support you need without paying for services you don't.
Already Comfortable With QuickBooks Desktop? That's Okay.
Moving to QuickBooks Online doesn't mean QuickBooks Desktop was a bad choice.
For many businesses, Desktop has been an excellent accounting platform for a very long time.
But your business today may look very different from the business you had when your QuickBooks Desktop file was originally created.
If you're looking for more flexibility, easier collaboration, cloud access and a bookkeeping system that fits the way your business operates now, it may be worth considering whether it's time to make the move.
And you don't have to tackle that move alone.
Thinking About Moving From QuickBooks Desktop to QuickBooks Online?
If you've been wondering whether QBO is right for your business, Balance and Beyond Bookkeeping can help you evaluate your current QuickBooks Desktop file and determine what would be involved in making the transition.
We'll look at your existing setup, discuss how you currently use QuickBooks and identify what needs to come with you into QBO.
From there, we can provide a migration plan and quote based on your specific needs.
Ready to bring your bookkeeping into the cloud?
Contact Balance and Beyond Bookkeeping to learn more about our new QuickBooks Desktop to QuickBooks Online Migration Services and schedule a consultation.
Better books. Better systems. More time to focus on your business.
Frequently Asked Questions
It depends on the size and complexity of your Desktop file, which is why I review it before quoting anything. A straightforward file with a clean Chart of Accounts and no inventory moves faster than one carrying years of history, payroll and classes. I will give you a realistic timeline once I have seen what we are working with.
Usually more than people expect, but not always everything. Some items convert cleanly, some need to be rebuilt in QuickBooks Online, and some are better brought over as opening balances rather than full transaction history. Part of the pre-migration review is telling you exactly what will and will not make the trip, before you commit to anything.
Migrations are quoted individually because no two QuickBooks files are the same. A small file with a handful of accounts is a very different project from one with inventory, payroll and ten years of transactions. I will look at your file and give you a real number on a discovery call rather than a range that changes later.
Yes, up to a point. We agree on a cut-off date so your Desktop file and your new QuickBooks Online company do not drift apart, and you keep working in Desktop right up until that date. After the cut-off, everything lives in QuickBooks Online so there is only one set of books to trust.
Make the Move to the Cloud a Non-Event
Picture your books open on any device, your bookkeeper working in the same file, and receipts attached where they belong. That is what a planned QuickBooks Desktop to QuickBooks Online migration with Balance and Beyond looks like for Burlington small businesses.
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