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The purpose of this article is to provide QuickBooks help to a typical small business owner to understand the differences between using the remote access capabilities with QuickBooks Pro and QuickBooks Online Plus. A less expensive QuickBooks Online version is also available, from Intuit, the manufacturer of the QuickBooks products. That software was not considered for this analysis. Before we address the differences, its first important to understand the term remote access. The term remote access has been with us for a long time and has emerged to mean, according to Wikipedia,a form of communication with a data processing facility from a remote location or facility through a data link. One of the more common methods of providing this type of remote access is using a virtual private network(VPN). The definition is further enhanced by the term remote desktop, which also according to Wikipedia, refers to a software or an operating system feature allowing graphical applications to be run remotely on a server, while being displayed locally. Some allow attaching to an existing user’s session (i.e. a running desktop) and “remote controlling” it in front of the user’s eyes. Whereas, according to a Google definition, online accounting relates to accounting that can be done on the World Wide Web. With this understanding of the remote vs. online accounting, we can provide some QuickBooks help by addressing the differences in two typical small business accounting QuickBooks products,- QuickBooks Pro and QuickBooks Online Plus.

QuickBooks Pro with remote access provides you remote access to your desktop QuickBooks Pro accounting software and data while the data is maintained on your local hard drive or in a wired network in a different department,floor in your building,city,or state. QuickBooks Online Plus is web enabled, and provides many useful online accounting functions and features. Its very easy to access the software as long as your have short cut key or its included as a favorite in your web browser. The most important disadvantage is QuickBooks Online Plus’s inability to handle inventory. For companies that have inventory, this drawback is key and for companies that do not maintain inventory the drawback is not important. The key advantages and disadvantages of QuickBooks Online Plus as compared to QuickBooks Pro is analyzed below.

The advantages of QuickBooks Online Plus as compared to QuickBooks Pro with remote access are summarized and ranked by level of importance as follows:

1. You are able to connect different departments,offices, or your home or just about from anywhere as long as you have Wi-Fi. A wired ethernet network is no longer needed

2. Includes up to 3 simultaneous users plus your accountant. The cost to add another 25 users is a little more than $3 per month per user

3. Off site daily backup at Intuit servers

4. QuickBooks updates are automatically provided with no installation and free support is provided

5. Quicker and simpler sign in ” Just press your Web shortcut key”

The disadvantages of QuickBooks Online Plus as compared to QuickBooks Pro with remote access are summarized and ranked by level of importance as follows:

1. Does not process purchase orders and inventory. For this reason retail,distribution and manufacturing businesses should not use QuickBooks Online Plus

2. Cannot process multiple currencies

3. Only one QuickBooks window at a time can be opened in QuickBooks Online Plus

4. No Company snapshot/dashboard in one desktop view

You can even outsource some of your bookkeeping and online accounting functions with QuickBooks Online Plus, as long as you establish a system to check and monitor the outsourced employee(s) work. Also by using a typical web based sign-on for QuickBooks Online Plus, you can have simultaneous access from any location, which allows owners, employers, investors to share,collaborate,communicate, and make timely and informed decisions, since everyone receives in real time the same online accounting information. Now, your accountants can provide QuickBooks support by reviewing your QuickBooks online accounting financial data with QuickBooks Online Plus,from anywhere as long as they have internet access. There is no time waiting for them to get back to their office to answer your questions.

I am impressed with the above-mentioned benefits of QuickBooks Online Plus as compared to QuickBooks Pro with remote access, and for these reasons if there is not a need to account for inventories or multi-currencies, then my inclination is for QuickBooks Online Plus to handle a typical small businesses accounting needs.

Notwithstanding the above recommendations and before you make any decision it’s important to meet with your CPA or accountant for QuickBooks help,to perform an accounting needs analysis of your business. No matter what you do, it’s also important to test the processing speed of your computer to determine whether the QuickBooks Online Plus as compared to QuickBooks Pro with remote access is best suited for your particular situation. You should also observe and test how your employees manually enter the day to day accounting information to evaluate the speed by which the employees are able to enter the data and the computer/web performance and speed of your significant online accounting processes i.e. billing customers,recording deposits,paying vendors,etc..

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