QuickBooks 2016: The Missing Manual

Chapter 1. Creating a Company File

A company file is where you store your company’s financial records in QuickBooks, so it’s the first thing you need to work on in the program. You can create a company file from scratch or convert records that you previously kept in a different small-business accounting program, Quicken, or even another edition of QuickBooks like QuickBooks for Mac.

If you’re new to bookkeeping, another approach is to use a file that someone else created. For example, if you’ve worked with an accountant to set up your company, she might provide you with a QuickBooks company file already configured for your business so you can hit the ground running.

This chapter begins by explaining how to launch your copy of QuickBooks. Then, if you need to create your company file yourself, you’ll learn how to use the QuickBooks Setup dialog box or the EasyStep Interview to get started (and find out which other chapters explain how to finish the job). If you’re converting your records from another program, this chapter provides some hints for making the transition as smooth as possible. Finally, you’ll learn how to open a company file, update one to a new version of QuickBooks, and modify basic company information.

Opening QuickBooks

Here are the easiest ways to open QuickBooks:

• Desktop icon. Double-click the desktop shortcut that QuickBooks created during installation.

• Windows taskbar. The fastest way to open QuickBooks is to click its icon on the Windows taskbar, shown in Figure 1-1 ...