Are you an accountant that needs fast and easy access to your client’s QuickBooks company file?  If so, this blog entry is right up your alley!

Back in November, the Method team was at the Sleeter Conference in Phoenix, Arizona.  I am missing Phoenix right now, especially with our -15C (5F) temperatures …..never mind, there I go off topic.  Anyways, part of the trip entailed me doing a presentation in front of a “small” (I am being sarcastic) group of Sleeter members.  After the presentation, I sat down with nearly 25 Sleeter members, over the course of 2 hours.  They were telling me how they loved the presentation about Method and I received feedback as to how we can make our process even better for accountants.  Here were the main points I was hearing:

#1 - I want to host the QuickBooks file.  I don’t want my client to host it!

#2 - I want to limit the access. I give them to this file so they don’t put entries into areas they shouldn’t be in.

#3 - I don’t want to pay for this!  I want my client to pay for the subscription.

I thought to myself, now why in the world would an accountant want to host the file, and not the other way around. And that’s when the feedback from the group really kicked in.

In most cases, the accountant is really the one who needs to host the QuickBooks file, not the client.  The client and their staff normally enter in sales receipts, invoices, bills, checks, makes PO’s or maybe just add new customers and vendors.  The advanced QuickBooks functions are usually done by the accountant anyway; hence the reason the accountant needs access to the QuickBooks file.  The main reason why the QuickBooks company file usually resides at the office is because this is the only way other QuickBooks users can access the needed data in QuickBooks.  This isn’t the case anymore.

With Method, the accountant would actually purchase the license of QuickBooks (or transfer it from its existing location) and host the company file at their office.  This ensures that the accountant has access to the QuickBooks file at all times  This prevents accountants from having to make actual visits to the client’s office, or using a remote connection (like WebEx or LogMeIn), or borrowing and returning copies of the QuickBooks file from the client.  Those scenarios make me cringe!

So what about the users at the office?  They would enter in all their information into Method which would update the QuickBooks file REAL TIME!  The accountant can be working away in the QuickBooks file and everyone at the client’s office can be working away so no loss in productivity.  If the accountant happens to have QuickBooks closed, it doesn’t matter.  The next time they launch the QuickBooks database, it will be automatically updated with the new information.  It gets even better; installation at the client’s workstation locations is easy.  Load your web browser such as Internet Explorer or Firefox, go to the methodintegration.com website and login with your Company Account, Username and Password.  That’s it.  No need to install any software.  This means if you need to get another workstation up and running, you can do so in no time. 

Now as an accountant, you told us that you want your client paying for their Method subscription.  So how do you sign them up for an account yet have them pay for it?  Well you use the new accountant invitation process of course.  Below is a visual representation of the process.

Steps for signing up a client:

1. Visit www.methodintegration.com.
2. Click Editions at the top of the screen.
3. Choose the Method Edition you would like to sign up for your client.  For example, Method Starter Edition.
4. Under “Pricing” and “Accountants & Bookkeeping services” click send them and invitation.
5. Fill in “Step 1” with your, the accountant’s, contact information.
6. Fill in “Step 2” with your client’s contact information.
7. Fill in “Step 3” with which default screens and sections you would like your client to see.  Remember, these can always be changed later on. Yes, this means that you, the accountant, can limit which areas of Method, and therefore QuickBooks data, you want to give access to!
8. Click Sign Up.
9. Your client will now receive an email, with a link requesting that they confirm their contact information and enter in their payment information.  They will also get a chance to choose a username and password.
   
10. Once they confirm this information, you, the accountant, will receive a confirmation email with your administrator user name and passwords, and the steps needed to sync Method with QuickBooks.
    
11. Your client will have been sent a separate email with their non-administrator user name and passwords, and instructions on how to login.
    

This process saves you from having to collect the monthly subscription fee from your client and ensures that the installation of Method is done correctly.

It really is a sweet process and is a perfect example of how feedback can help everyone out.

As always, I'd love to hear your feedback, comments as suggestions.

Cheers,

Danny Do Couto
Method Integration