Did you know that PEBCAK = "Problem Exists Between Chair and Keyboard"? In this new series, contributing author Alicia Katz Pollock explains why PEBCAK is a common issue for QuickBooks Online users.
“PEBCAK” is an expression jokingly used in the tech support industry to describe customer calls where the problem isn’t with the software, but with how it’s being used.
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For those of you who are new followers, I use PEBCAK! alerts to describe common errors that my clients make, so that you don’t make them, too. In training QuickBooks Online, I often reference PEBCAK because it’s crucial to set up and use of QuickBooks Online correctly. Reports are only as good as the information that YOU enter.
If you’re not sure what to do with a transaction, DON’T GUESS! Make a quick phone call to your client, accounting professional, or to me. At least make use of an “Ask My Accountant” Other Expense account to put the transaction in a safe holding tank for later, so you don’t forget about it. It’s infinitely easier to fix a mistake before it’s made, than it is to spend hours tracking down an error or having to undo additional transactions that were incorrect as a result.
My goal is to help you be proactive, building your QBO skills so that you do everything correctly from the start.
The QBO Interface
Depending on when you started your subscription to QBO, and which version you are using, your interface may vary (and appear different) from the instructions (and illustrations) here.
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The Navigation Pane
The Navigation Pane or Sidebar takes you to the major Centers.
When you want to go to an area, click on these buttons. Hold your cursor over them, and a submenu will fly out with additional subsections.
After you click on one of the Centers, you’ll know where you are by the shading and a subtle green bar on its left.
Don’t miss “My Accountant”. This Center allows you to upload bank statements and other documents to share between Clients, ProAdvisors, tax preparers! It also has a communications center where you can have conversations together.
The Quick Create Button
The Plus Sign is how you create new blank transactions of all types. If it’s a blank form to fill in, look for it here.
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The Search Button
The Search magnifying glass allows you to instantly jump to any transaction. Enter a Customer name, an Invoice number, or a dollar amount (hot tip: start with a $) and you’ll pull up a list of all matching items. If there’s only one match, it will open right up!
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The Search button also brings up a list of your most Recent Transactions. Click on a transaction to jump right back into what you just did.
The Gear
The Gear in the upper right corner takes you behind the scenes to the settings and tools needed to administer your company file.
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The QBO Dashboard
The Dashboard provides you with a quick overview of your company status.
- A Setup Wizard (not shown in the picture below) walks you through the steps needed to set up your file. When you don’t need it anymore, click Hide in the upper right corner of its box. If you want it back, click Resume setup.
- Invoices, Expenses, Profit and Loss, and Sales charts offer a quick glimpse of your statistics.
- The Bank Accounts click straight through to your Banking Feed to pull in transactions that have cleared your bank.
- Tips highlight new features, training suggestions, and recommended third party apps that may streamline your workflow. Keep an eye out for new content here!
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Opening Multiple Windows in QBO
I find it helpful to have three or four different tabs open to different parts of QBO while I work. This way, I don’t have to constantly open and close the screen I need!
For example, I keep the Banking Feed open in one window, while I create the corresponding Deposits in another tab.
I keep a third tab open for Advanced Searches.
I usually keep a fourth tab open with whatever screen I need for reference.
To do this, right-click on the button you need, and choose Open in New Tab (the wording will vary depending on the browser you use). A new browser tab will open to the right, allowing you to click back and forth to your heart’s content.
Suggestion: Add a set of bookmarks on your browser’s shortcut bar for the different screens you use all the time. Open a new tab and click on the bookmark to navigate right to it.
Advanced: Most browsers allow you to save a set of tabs. That way, you can have all your favorite windows open up at the same time automatically when you start your browser. Then all you have to do is toggle from one to the other. The exact instructions will vary with your browser.
Next Steps
I’m a big fan of tips and tricks that make us more efficient. Technology is supposed to save us time and effort, but what it really does is open up our time to take on more projects. The better you get to know QuickBooks Online’s interface, the more clients you’ll be able to take on.
Leveraging your computer’s features just makes “get ‘er done” that much more fun. When you eliminate PEBCAK, you become a Rockstar in the office.
To make using QuickBooks second nature, consider my QuickBooks Online Knowledge Base. It’s full of tips, tricks, and best practices to make you a QBO Expert. You get lifetime access, and I update it constantly with new features and discoveries at no extra charge to you.
What are your favorite QBO Navigation tricks? Leave a comment below.