QuickBooks Simple Start: The Simplest Way to Get Clients Started with Financial Software

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QuickBooks Simple Start The Simplest Way to
Get Clients Started with Financial Software

• Laurie Sheflin
• Sr. Marketing Manger, QuickBooks
• September 9th, 2005

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Agenda

• The Small and Simple Customer
• Simple Start Demo
• How are We Doing?
• Resources for SBDC Advisors

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The small simple business

• Feels it can do a better job with essential tasks
  like tracking expenses and preparing for taxes
• Wants complete and accurate records without
  spending lots of time to get there
• Believes full-fledged accounting software is
  too much

Small simple businesses want a simple,
practical, right-sized solution that requires
almost no time or effort to get started.
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CDI for Small Simple Businesses
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A small and simple solution

• Simple Start makes moving manual method clients
  from paper or spreadsheets easier
• 3-step set up
• 30 days- free support
• Money In, Money Out simplifies clients
  financial management
• Create estimates, invoices, sales receipts
• Track customer payments
• Simple Start makes getting organized and staying
  organizeda reality for every business.
• One-click access to customer and vendor
  information
• Accurate records are ready to go for tax time

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Simple Start The QuickBooks Family
Business Complexity
Simple Start
Transaction Volume
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Simple Start Demonstration

• The Homepage
• Set-up a Company
• Invoicing a Customer
• Write a Check
• The Payoff Reports
• Help Options
• Migration

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Before After
Simple Start
From many complex screens, concepts
featuresto a few, essential business tasks
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Simple Start Demonstration

• The Homepage
• Set-up a Company
• Invoicing a Customer
• Write a Check
• The Payoff Reports
• Help Options
• Migration

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Before and After Task Completion

• Before

After
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Simple Start Demonstration

• The Homepage
• Set-up a Company
• Invoicing a Customer
• Write a Check
• The Payoff Reports
• Help Options
• Migration

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Desktop and Online Editions

• Two Editions One Simple Start

Desktop
Online
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How we got our learning

• Early-read research
• Post-launch qualitative research undertaken
  within weeks of launch
• 30 Follow Me Homes in 10 states, nation-wide
• Simple Start Longitudinal Panel Study ongoing
• Measuring qualitative and quantitative feedback
  from the same set of customers over time
• 6-week and 3-month analysis complete
• Customer Pulse Checks
• 45 min/1 hour qualitative check-ins with
  customers
• Write-ups and audio voice files STS Roundtables
• Bi-weekly discussions with support team to
  capture front-lines issues, identify follow-ups

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Whos using Simple Start?

• 1-2 person businesses (second person a partner or
  family member)
• Mostly home-based
• Just getting established
• Although 1/3 are 3 years old
• Coming from manual methods, spreadsheets, and/or
  Quicken/Money
• 1/3 say finances Not at all complex

Dont need a lotwrite checks, track spending
and income and do basic accounting functions and
thats what it does.
I am everything the president, bookkeeper, and
the person who actually does the work!
I used to literally use a shoe box and paper and
pencil for everything
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Why did they buy Simple Start?

• Part of starting a new business
• We knew we were going to need financial software
  to track things and prepare for taxes from the
  beginning.
• Sudden surge in business feeling overwhelmed
  with old method
• I didnt know where things stood. Every time I
  needed to know something I had to go through my
  piles again.
• Urgency to know expenses, especially for tax
  purposes
• Used to worry about taxes the IRS will bill at
  end of year. Now I have peace of mind.
• Side business turning into a real business
• Accountant said get it.
• My accountant basically said, its either
  QuickBooks or Im going to bill you by hour to go
  through all your paperwork receipts.

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What do they want from Simple Start?

• Fast Simple to get started
• In 15 minutes, youre up and running I got a
  whole bunch of software thats unusable up on a
  shelf.
• Its really easy to get goingI turned it on,
  listened to tutorials and taught myself.
• Fast Simple to use
• Data entry is quick and easy. I don't spend much
  time on it and can have simple reports for my
  accountant.
• I now spend 2 hours a week on bookkeeping vs.
  10 hours beforejust cant do this stuff the
  old way
• Keep me organized (especially for tax time)
• I like the way the program takes care of the end
  of year tax issues that I would have to generate
  by hand. I like having bills and invoices all in
  one place.
• Offer insight into my business (to reach my
  goals)
• Everybody I know owns a house I want to buy a
  house and SS helps me not waste money all over
  the place, so I can eventually realize my dream
  and buy a house.

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Simple Start v.2
to THIS!

• From this

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The SolutionQB Simple Start Edition

• Incredibly simple to get started
• Track money coming inand money going out
• Finally get organized

Simple Start is the Simplest Way to manage sales,
expenses and customers with ease without having
to spend much time learning a new solution
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10-Minute Video Tutorial
Available at www.qbsbdc.com
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Financial Management Training Resources

• Simple Start to Managing Business Finances
  Classroom Resources
• Presentation uses Simple Start as teaching tool
• Driven by SBDC and accountant input
• Helps businesses avoid common pitfalls

Available at www.qbsbdc.com
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QuickBooks Training Site-Licenses
Available at www.qbsbdc.com
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New Business Starter Kit

• Resources to help clients check off the critical
  startup tasks
• Includes a Simple Start trial
• Order free New Business Starter Kits at
  www.qbsbdc.com

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Continuing to Understand the Needs of SBDC
Thank you to those who have volunteered time and
opinions in helping Intuit better understand the
SBDCs needs.
www.qbsbdc.com
SBDCsupport_at_intuit.com