We are excited to be the first to offer cloud-hosted QuickBooks Point of Sale for multi-lane environments. Multi-lane is perfect for those who need more than one cash register - whether it's at multiple location or multiple points of sale within one store. Businesses that use Swizznet, eliminate IT worries and reduce costs, as we handles all the IT infrastructure, which allows you to focus on growing your businesses.

We worked closely with Intuit to perfect the single and multi-lane hosting solution and can help you get off and running quickly and easily. Users of Swizznet's QuickBooks Point of Sale hosting solution can also free themselves from the hassle of buying and maintaining the software licenses via our software license rental program.

Check out the full news article to find out more.

Hosted QuickBooks Tip of the Week: Including the Transaction # in the Subject Line when Emailing Forms

Have you ever wanted to customize your forms to include the transaction number in the subject line? It's quick and easy to customize your forms:

1.    Edit > Preferences > Send Forms > Company Preferences Tab
2.    Change the Default for : Select the form to customize (Invoice, Estimate, Statements, Sales Orders, Sales Receipt, Credit Memo, or Purchase Order)
3.    Insert in the Subject Line to add the transaction number

The transaction number will appear in the subject line of the form.

Please tune in to next week’s QuickBooks tip.

Hosted QuickBooks Tip of the Week: Using the QuickBooks Loan Manager

Have you ever wanted to track your loan principal and interest payments? QuickBooks makes it easy with their Loan Manager which is built right into the software.

When a loan is repaid in regular fixed payments, this repayment usually includes both compounded interest and principal installments for the period.

As each successive payment is made the interest portion gradually decreases and the principal portion increases. The QuickBooks Loan Manager creates an Amortization schedule for the duration of the loan, showing how much of each payment is applied to principal, interest and escrow (additional fees related to the loan). It also allows you to make payments for either the regular scheduled amount, or additional payments, and to run "what-if" scenarios to compare different loan choices.

Click here for detailed instructions on how to use the QuickBooks Loan Manager.

Please tune in to next week’s QuickBooks tip.

Hosted QuickBooks Tip of the Week: Setting a Closing Date in QuickBooks

Have you ever wanted to lock prior periods in QuickBooks? Intuit recommends that you close or lock your year ending date.  Some companies even lock or close periods after they reconcile their bank accounts.

Here's how to close the books through a certain date or or lock a period:

1. Switch to single-user mode
2. Go to Edit>Preferences and then click the Accounting tab
3. Click on the Company Preferences tab
4. Then click on Set Date/Password
5. Select the closing date and select a password. Then hit OK.

Please tune in to next week’s QuickBooks tip.

There are thousands of different add-on's available to extend the functionality of your QuickBooks application. Unfortunately there is no set standard for how the applications are built and how they integrate with QuickBooks. Some are "cloud-friendly" and will integrate seamlessly with your QuickBooks in the cloud, while others are just not able to be used with a hosted solution or require costly custom setups and configurations.

Here at Swizznet, we are QuickBooks cloud integration experts and can help you determine which applications will easily integrate, which may require a custom server setup and which add-on's just aren't able to be used in the cloud. By understanding your needs and helping you to choose the right application we can save you money, time, and headaches.

The last thing you want to do is buy an application only to find it's going to cost significantly more to use with QuickBooks in the cloud (or it won't work at all) and be stuck with that application.

Whether you need to integrate with a CRM, shopping cart, time and billing modules, inventory management, check writing software or a CRM, we can help you find the right solutions to get you off and running quickly and easily.

We will continue to highlight cloud-friendly add-on's and solutions in coming blogs, but if you're looking to extend the functionality or have questions, contact us today.

We are always on the look out for the best solutions to help meet our clients business needs which integrate easily and seamlessly with QuickBooks in the cloud. Today we're focusing on inventory management. Finding a solution to meet your inventory management needs that integrates with QuickBooks (especially in a hosted environment) can be confusing and challenging.

One of our partners, AO: Rapid Inventory has a great solution to give you the inventory management tools you need while integrating with your hosted QuickBooks application on our platform.

Many of our users have asked us: "How is AO: Rapid Inventory different from QuickBooks Advanced Inventory?"

While QuickBooks Advanced Inventory can be a good solution for some businesses, it requires the added cost of using QB Enterprise with the full support plan and requires the additional cost of a custom virtual server in the hosted environment. This can add up to a very expensive solution!

AO: Rapid Inventory is cloud based and gives your users anytime, anywhere access. You can also limit access for users who don't need access to QuickBooks, but do need access to Rapid Inventory.

Rapid Inventory integrates with our system for no additional cost via the QuickBooks Web Connector (this is free to add with the standard hosting package). Plus, you can use it with QuickBooks Pro or Premier, a huge cost savings for those that don't truly need Enterprise. In addition to saving you money, Rapid Inventory also gives you more advanced reporting functionality to better manage your business.

Check out the full blog post and comparison on their site here.

Hosted QuickBooks Tip of the Week: Save Time with the QuickBooks Find Feature

How many times have you spent hours combing through QuickBooks looking for a mistakenly entered transaction? Most of us forget about how powerful the find feature is within QuickBooks.

Stop searching through transactions by clicking “previous or next” or viewing transactions individually to find what you are looking for. Save time by using the built-in Find Feature.  To open the Find Feature use the keyboard command CTRL+F and it will open the search window.  You can customize your search to find what you are looking for quickly and easily. 

Please tune in to next week’s QuickBooks tip.

Hosted QuickBooks Tip of the Week: Accessing and Utilizing the QuickBooks Audit Trail

Ever mistakenly enter the date on a transaction and then have trouble finding it? Want to know what work a user did in the file on a certain date of over the course of a date range? This information is readily available in your QuickBooks file Audit trail.

The QuickBooks Audit Trail keeps a record of everything that happens within your QuickBooks file.  It can be used as a training tool or a control tool.

To access the Audit Trail Report:

• First, open your file in your current version
• Select the Reports>Accountant and Taxes>Audit Trial
• The report will default the activity for Today.  You can customize the dates to fit your needs.

Note:  The Audit Trail will only keep track of transactions and changes made to transactions, it does not keep track of changes made to lists

Please tune in to next week’s QuickBooks tip.

Hosted QuickBooks Tip of the Week - Creating a Backup of Your Company File

It’s the start of a new year and for those whose accountant is not using the cloud with them, it's time to create a backup copy of your company file.  Making a backup is quick and easy:

• First, open your file in QuickBooks
• Select the File>Create Backup.
• Select Local Backup
• Click on the Options Button
• Click on the Browse Button to select where you want to save your backup
• Click OK
• If you get a prompt that asks if you want to save the backup on the same hard drive that holds your company file – select Use this Location
• Click Next
• Click Save It Now
• Click Next
• If you get a prompt that asks if the company file is stored on a drive in a remote computer – click OK
• Check to be sure it is saving in the correct place and check the name it is saving it as
• Click Save
• When the program finishes the backup you will be prompted – click OK

Now you can save the backup copy to a flash drive, CD or email it.

Please tune in to next week’s QuickBooks tip.

Swizznet's goal is to always provide you with the fastest and most reliable hosting possible. As part of this commitment we do things like utilizing the latest Citrix technology (including the more advanced licenses to true load balancing and optimize speed across the system) to ensure speeds 4-5 times faster than any other remote application technology platform.

Did you know that Swizznet's primary data center is also located in Kansas City? What's so great about being located in Kansas City you may be asking yourself. Well, Kansas City is the heart of what has been dubbed the "Silicon Prairie."

Why is Kansas City suddenly "The" place to be for internet based companies? Google, of course! That's right, Google has chosen Kansas City to be the test bed of Google Fiber, the search-engine giant’s fiber-optic network. Google Fiber advertises speeds of up to a gigabyte per second – a rate that massively exceeds the average Internet speeds at homes hooked up with cable modems.

Google has spent months and unknown sums installing optical fiber around the area and Swizznet is poised to be one of the first QuickBooks hosting providers to take advantage of these super fast speeds.

Find out more in a recent news article from the Seattle Times: "Speedy fiber has Kansas City all Googley"

Hosted QuickBooks Tip of the Week - Add a Favorite Screen to the Icon Bar

Do you find that you are continually having to navigate to a particular screen in QuickBooks? Save time by creating a shortcut to that screen on the main menu. To do this:

• First, open the screen that you would like to add to the Icon Bar
• Click on the View Menu
• Select Add “the name of the screen” to Icon Bar
• Choose and icon and then type in the name for the icon
• Click OK

Please tune in to next week’s QuickBooks tip.

Hosted QuickBooks Tip of the Week - Take Advantage of the Intuit QuickBooks Knowledge Base

Frustrated and need assistance with just about anything related to using QuickBooks?  Intuit QuickBooks Support has a vast knowledge base of answers to most questions.  Visit the Intuit QuickBooks knowledge base site at: http://support.quickbooks.intuit.com/ and enter your question, keyword or error code to get answers fast.

Please tune in again for next week’s Hosted QuickBooks tip.

More and more CPA firms are adopting cloud computing to save themselves and their clients time and money.  While the benefits of cloud computing are undeniable, CPA firms have certain professional liability implication they need to understand before moving their client's data to the cloud.

According to the Code of Professional Conduct there are three main considerations for CPA’s with regards to cloud computing:

1. The CPA should enter into an agreement with the third party regarding the maintenance of confidentiality of client information
   We guarantee the confidentiality of a CPAs client information via our Terms and Conditions as well as our Privacy Policy. In addition, our terms stipulate that the CPA is the sole owner of the data and we have no rights to their data as the vendor.
2. The CPA should take steps to reasonably assure him/herself that the third party has appropriate procedures in place to maintain confidentiality
   We utilize the best technology and solutions to ensure that your client's data remains confidential - including: using the highest level of encryption to protect data, every 30 min backups, PCI compliance (including monthly vulnerability scans by a third-party), and housing all data in SSAE 16 data centers.
   
   In addition, we have had our systems (including our financial stability) vetted by both Intuit and the Managed Service Provider (MSP) Alliance as part of becoming and Intuit Authorized Commercial Host and an Accredited Managed Service Provider.
3. The CPA should disclose the use of third-party service providers to its clients, preferably in writing, before disclosing confidential information to the third party
   We recommend that our CPAs who are not using the system with their clients, but are storing the client's data on our system, include this disclosure as part of their letter of engagement with their clients.

The AICPA recently published a great article on just this topic that I recommend you check out: "Professional Liability Risks Related to Cloud Computing." It even includes a Cloud Vendor Checklist to help CPAs in selecting and vetting cloud computing providers.

Ever find yourself shying away from looking at new cloud technologies because of the headache of implementation and having to convince your IT of the security and value? You're not alone. Many accountants often find themselves shying away when it comes to talking to their IT team about cloud technologies. The tides are changing and most IT execs have warmed up to the idea, but some common obstacles remain, including:

• How to get various cloud platforms for different departments integrated together?
• How will this new cloud technology or platform meet reporting requirements and/or integrate with our current reporting tools?
• Large demand to vet and help implement new cloud technology solutions across the organization, not just in the accounting department

Keeping these obstacles in mind, here are some keys to improving the cloud computing implementation process:

1. Engage the IT team early in the decision making process so they they can help inform and shape the cloud technology selection requirements

2. Position the technology as valuable across the whole organization

3. Walk the IT team or your contact through why the new technology is valuable in achieving your accounting goals to create an ally and advocate

Getting buy-in and subsequent implementation of new cloud technologies can be easy if you use the right approach and strategy - partnering with the IT team instead of seeing them as an obstacle to change.

Find out more in the article "Talking to IT About Cloud Technology," from Accounting Today by Dan Zitting.

Hosted QuickBooks Tip of the Week - How to Change the Default Message when Emailing forms from QuickBooks

Want to customize the message that customers or vendor's receive when you email them forms from QuickBooks? No problem! Here's how:

• First, open your file in QuickBooks
• Select the Edit>Preferences Menu item
• Click on Send Forms>Company Preferences
• Choose the type of form (Examples:  Invoice, Estimate, Statement)
• Click the drop-down menu to change the salutation (Dear or To) and the format (, and so on) of the customer’s name.
• Edit the default message as needed (Click anywhere in the text and enter your changes)
• Click OK

Please tune in to next week’s QuickBooks tip.

Check out a quick overview video about Swizznet's QuickBooks hosting and cloud computing solution.

Dim lights

Wishing you a wonderful holiday season!

We are grateful for your support and appreciate the continued opportunity to be your technology partner.

We hope you enjoy a prosperous 2013!

Missed the Webinar, but still want to watch the recording? No problem!

Watch Now!

In this interactive webinar, we’ll show you how SmartVault can be integrated into common workflows in your practice – tax preparation, bookkeeping, “clean up” and virtual CFO services – so that you can work more efficiently, be more responsive to your clients, and ultimately deliver more profit to your practice. In this session specifically designed for Swizznet customers, you’ll see a live demo of SmartVault in action and learn how to:

• Make the move to a paperless office and leverage secure online document storage and backup of your files
• Securely share files with your clients, and give them an easy way to upload files to you
• Publish reports, financials, and tax returns to your clients, and automatically notify them when a new file is available
• Scan and attach source documents to entries in QuickBooks and other applications, so you can store a document once and access it anytime, anywhere, and from inside any app

SmartVault has done it again! That is to say they continue to find ways to help you work faster and smarter - saving you time and helping you go paperless.

SmartVault, a Swizznet partner, had just upgraded their portal that allows you to actually view (not just preview) all your files from within the portal without having to download them. Their new "view in browser" feature enables accountants to work faster as you no longer have to wait for an application to load or a file to download. Plus, now you don't have to remember to go back and delete downloaded confidential files.

New enhancements include:

• View files in the SmartVault portal without having to download them (you don't even need the software that was used to create the file!)
• Manage documents more securely – confidential documents can be viewed without having to download them and them remembering to delete them
• Browse and preview files first in the SmartVault client portal, so no time is wasted downloading the wrong file
• View, share, download, copy, and move files conveniently from a single location in the SmartVault client portal

Click here to find out more about their new enhancements.

To find out more about how to use SmartVault and Swizznet to streamline the accounting process and go paperless in the cloud, sign up for our webinar this Thursday, Dec 13 at 12 p.m. PST.

SmartVault for Accounting Professionals in the Swizznet Hosted Environment

By now you know that the next generation accounting firm is all about the cloud – it’s about working more efficiently, delivering better service to your clients, and getting more bang for your buck. But changing your workflow, even slightly, can be a scary proposition.

That’s why SmartVault is all about helping you work the way YOU work – by integrating with the tools you’re using, like QuickBooks and Swizznet – so you can make the move to a paperless office in the cloud, without changing the way you work today.

In this interactive webinar, we’ll show you how SmartVault can be integrated into common workflows in your practice – tax preparation, bookkeeping, “clean up” and virtual CFO services – so that you can work more efficiently, be more responsive to your clients, and ultimately deliver more profit to your practice. In this session specifically designed for Swizznet customers, you’ll see a live demo of SmartVault in action and learn how to:

• Make the move to a paperless office and leverage secure online document storage and backup of your files
• Securely share files with your clients, and give them an easy way to upload files to you
• Publish reports, financials, and tax returns to your clients, and automatically notify them when a new file is available
• Scan and attach source documents to entries in QuickBooks and other applications, so you can store a document once and access it anytime, anywhere, and from inside any app

We’ll show you all of that in less than an hour – and even take 10 to answer your questions live!

Register Now!