QuickBooks Goes Social With Live Community

    
    In-product Forum Lets Small Business Owners Ask and Answer Questions;
    New Tools Make Tracking Business Performance Easier
    

MISSISSAUGA, ON, Oct. 6 /CNW/ - Small business owners from across Canada can now connect with each other to share tips, ask questions and poll experts for advice, all from within QuickBooks.

New for 2010, Live Community is an online forum where users can connect with experts, accountants and other small business owners to get advice on a broad range of important business issues, all while building a professional network. Sharing best practices with other small business owners means better insights, increasing the odds of success.

Live Community is one of several new features in QuickBooks 2010 that will help small businesses save time and money. Designed for Canadian businesses and available nationally, QuickBooks lets small business owners spend less time on bookkeeping chores and more time on the things they are passionate about, like growing their business.

"Nobody knows small business needs better than small business owners, which is why we constantly ask them how to improve and update QuickBooks," said Barb Anderson , Group Sales and Marketing Manager, Global Small Business, Intuit. "QuickBooks 2010 goes beyond meeting their unique needs. We've also made it easier for new users to get up and running and get the support they need to operate a successful business."

    
    New for 2010

    The new features and improvements in QuickBooks 2010 to help small
businesses succeed include:

    -   Company Snapshot: Provides access to a real-time business snapshot on
        a single screen to help track every dollar coming into and out of a
        business. Each morning, the day's priorities are set out, so no bill
        payments are forgotten.

    -   Multicurrency Capabilities: Makes it easy to buy and sell in more
        than 100 world currencies. This eliminates the need to search for and
        manually convert currencies, and reduces the likelihood of costly
        mistakes.

    -   Tax Centre: Provides an easy and fast way to manage, track and pay
        year-end and goods and services taxes, while reducing the likelihood
        of errors and late payments. Online filing means no more searching
        for stamps and mailboxes.

    -   Easier Invoicing: Integrates with current versions of Microsoft
        Outlook and Outlook Express, allowing for easy creation and sending
        invoices or sales receipts in batches. Small business owners can now
        save time that would otherwise be spent copying and pasting cover
        letters and individually e-mailing customers.
    

Positive Customer Reviews

Early users found QuickBooks 2010 easy to use and say it will benefit their business.

"The new features in QuickBooks 2010 are a big help," said Annette Gramm , Bakerview Appraisals. "The improved Sales Tracking system, Sales Tax Centre and Multi-currency functionality, especially when tracking U.S. accounts, will definitely save me time and some accounting fees."

Another praised the ease of getting up and running.

"QuickBooks 2010 was easy to install," said accountant, Rochelle Hepworth . "For the most part, I could just sit back and let the program do its thing. When it required my input, there was always a help option available that would clarify my choices. It was written in clear, easy to understand language that did not need an accountant or IT person to assist. If you can read and click a mouse, you can install QuickBooks 2010."

Power Beyond Spreadsheets

Millions of North Americans have turned to Intuit's increasingly sophisticated yet easy-to-use financial tools to help put an end to accounting chaos. For new users, QuickBooks eliminates the need to hunt for papers, copy and paste formulas and update multiple spreadsheets. The software helps them know how much money is in the bank and when bills are due.

Regular QuickBooks users quickly realize the software is far more than a substitute for a spreadsheet. It instantly helps them determine which parts of the business are making the most money, who their best customers are and which ones command more time. They can now analyze their books in ways they may not have even thought of. That gives them a deeper understanding of their business, which means smarter decisions on how to succeed. In fact, the majority of users surveyed who expressed an opinion agree that QuickBooks helps make their business more profitable.

"QuickBooks 2010 is amazingly easy and straightforward. I would recommend it to all my clients, even if it put me out of a job," said business consultant Darrell Barber , Barber and Associates.

    
    Pricing and Availability

    QuickBooks 2010 is available in four versions to Canadian small business
owners, including:

    -   QuickBooks 2010 EasyStart Free edition -built for businesses that
        just want the basics  http://quickbooks.intuit.ca/accounting-software/quickbooks-easystart-free.jsp

    -   QuickBooks 2010 Pro Small Business - the most popular version of
        QuickBooks, with functionality such as revenue tracking, Company
        Snapshot and easy invoicing  http://quickbooks.intuit.ca/accounting-software/quickbooks-pro-tools.jsp

    -   QuickBooks 2010 Premier -offers sales and expense forecasting and
        inventory management http://quickbooks.intuit.ca/accounting-software/quickbooks-premier-money-management.jsp

    -   QuickBooks Enterprise - designed for larger, growing businesses http://enterprise.intuit.ca/enterprise-accounting/index.jsp
    

All versions are available online and at all major software retailers, including Staples, Best Buy, Future Shop, London Drugs and Office Depot. Suggested retail prices start at $79.99 . More information on features and assistance for selecting the right version is available at quickbooks.ca.

About Intuit Canada

Intuit Canada ULC is a leading provider of business, financial and tax management solutions for small- and mid-sized businesses, consumers and accounting professionals. Its flagship products and services, including Quicken(R), QuickBooks(R), QuickBooks(R) Enterprise Solutions, SuccèsPME, QuickTax, and ImpôtRapideMC, simplify personal finance, business accounting, and tax preparation and filing.

Additional offerings include ProFile(R), a professional tax preparation software suite, the QuickBooks ProAdvisor Program and the Intuit Developer Network for professional users and developers. All are provided by Intuit Canada or through its partners.

Intuit Canada has employees located in Edmonton , Calgary , Mississauga, Montreal and Ottawa . Intuit Canada is an affiliate of Intuit Inc., which is listed on the Nasdaq stock market under the symbol INTU. More information can be found at www.intuit.ca.

QuickTax is the registered mark of LexisNexis Canada Inc., used by Intuit Canada under license.

For further information: or to arrange an interview, please contact: Geoffrey Morgan, Intuit Canada, [phone], [email protected]; Chris Wood, Edelman Canada, [phone] ext. 315, [email protected]