(And Why You Might Want Us to Just Handle It All for You)
Let’s be honest, bookkeeping isn’t why you started your business. Whether you’re running a busy construction company, managing a law firm, or adjusting spines in your chiropractic office, chances are you’d rather be doing literally anything else than categorizing transactions in QuickBooks.
Luckily, there are plenty of ways to make QuickBooks work for you instead of feeling like it’s working against you. Below are some of the most useful QuickBooks hacks to help you save time, avoid errors, and, if you’re smart about it, avoid doing it all yourself.
1. Automate Bank Feeds & Transaction Rules
If you’re still manually entering expenses, it’s time to let go. Connect your business checking and credit card accounts to QuickBooks. This pulls transactions in automatically, giving you real-time updates and eliminating double-entry errors.
Take it a step further by setting up bank rules. Tell QuickBooks, for example, that all charges from “Home Depot” are job materials and it will auto-categorize them every time. It’s like teaching your books to do your thinking for you.
2. Use Recurring Transactions for Routine Expenses
Do you pay the same rent, utilities, or contractor fees every month? Use the Recurring Transactions feature. This way, QuickBooks creates those expenses on a schedule, weekly, monthly, whatever you need, without you lifting a finger.
It’s the digital equivalent of “set it and forget it.” Just make sure you check in once in a while to confirm nothing’s gone rogue.
3. Batch Entries = Big Time Savings
If your business creates multiple invoices, bills, or checks every week, you can enter them in batches using QuickBooks Online Advanced. Upload a spreadsheet, select your transaction type, and watch QuickBooks process them all at once.
This hack is particularly helpful for construction companies or law firms dealing with lots of clients or job-related billing. More time building or billing, less time typing.
4. Work Smarter with Multiple Tabs & Bookmarks
Here’s a simple but overlooked trick: open QuickBooks in multiple tabs. Have one tab open with your Profit & Loss report and another with your expense entries. No more jumping back and forth or losing your place.
And don’t forget to bookmark frequently used pages like Customers, Reports, or your favorite financial dashboard. These small efficiency boosts really add up.
Download Your Free Comprehensive Checklist
Our FREE comprehensive Bookkeeping checklist covers everything you need to remember for daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly bookkeeping. Download it now to ensure you don’t miss a step, and set your business up for success.
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5. Learn the Keyboard Shortcuts
If you’re a shortcut-lover, QuickBooks has you covered. A few helpful combos to remember:
- Ctrl + Alt + I – Create a new invoice
- Ctrl + Alt + W – Write a check
- Ctrl + Alt + F – Search for a transaction
Spend a few minutes learning these, and you’ll save hours down the road. Plus, you’ll look like a total pro to anyone watching.
6. Customize Your Chart of Accounts
QuickBooks comes with a default chart of accounts, but customizing it to your business can drastically improve your speed and clarity. If you’re in construction, group all job costs together. If you’re a chiropractor, break out services like patient visits, insurance payouts, and supplements.
The goal? Make it easy to categorize things quickly and run reports that make sense.
7. Use Classes and Locations to Track Everything
Tracking transactions by class or location gives you more detailed reporting. Think of classes as departments or service lines: Marketing, Field Work, Legal Team, etc.
This is especially powerful if you want to see profitability by job, practice location, or case type, without needing to export everything to Excel. (Nobody wants that.)
8. Speed Up Invoicing with Products & Services
Set up a Products and Services list so you can add items to invoices in one click instead of retyping the same thing over and over.
For example, a law firm might list “Consultation – 1 Hour” as a product. A chiropractor might include “Adjustment Session.” This also helps track your top revenue generators and standardizes pricing.
9. Digitize Your Receipts. Now!
Still using the glove box or “shoebox method” for receipts? QuickBooks makes it easy to snap and store receipts right from your phone. Match them to bank transactions later. It’s a lifesaver during tax season, and let’s be honest, that “pile” on your desk isn’t going to organize itself.
10. Connect Payroll, Payments, and Time Tracking Tools
If you’re handling payroll, paying subcontractors, or tracking billable hours manually, integrations are your best friend. QuickBooks Payroll, TSheets, and third-party apps all sync beautifully with QuickBooks Online.
By automating payroll, employee time tracking, and online payments, you’ll reduce errors and ensure every dollar is accounted for.
The Ultimate Hack? Let Someone Else Handle It
Even with all these tips, QuickBooks still requires setup, oversight, and let’s face it, a bit of patience. If you’re too busy managing your team, chasing clients, or living life, let us take it off your plate.
We specialize in:
- QuickBooks setup and optimization
- Bookkeeping catch-up and clean-up
- Payroll management
- Ongoing monthly support and reporting
Whether you’re catching up on months of chaos or just want cleaner reports and less stress, our team can help you get organized, stay compliant, and actually enjoy looking at your financials.
You didn’t start your business to be a bookkeeper. Luckily, we did.
About The Author
Are you learning to navigate Quickbooks but need a little help? James Wegener, the CEO of The QuickBooks Guy, LLC, is here to guide you every step of the way. With over 20 years of experience in bookkeeping and a deep understanding of financial software solutions, James is the go-to expert for those seeking to optimize their financial operations.
Don’t let bookkeeping challenges hold you back any longer. Reach out today at 678-923-5904 or drop an email to TheQuickBooksGuy@gmail.com.
