10 QuickBooks Online Tips Every Small Business Owner Should Know
QuickBooks Online is powerful — but most small business owners only use a fraction of its features. These 10 tips will help you get more out of QBO and save time every month.
QuickBooks Online is the most widely used accounting software for small businesses — and for good reason. But most users only scratch the surface of what it can do. Here are 10 tips to help you work smarter in QBO.
1. Connect Your Bank Accounts
QBO's bank feed automatically imports transactions from your connected accounts. This eliminates manual data entry and makes reconciliation much faster. Connect all business accounts: checking, savings, credit cards.
2. Use Rules to Auto-Categorize Transactions
Once you've categorized a transaction type a few times, set up a rule to do it automatically. For example: any transaction from "Comcast" → categorize as Utilities. Rules save hours of manual work each month.
3. Set Up Recurring Transactions
For bills and invoices that repeat on a schedule, use QBO's recurring transactions feature. Set it once and it handles itself.
4. Use the Mobile App for Receipt Capture
The QBO mobile app lets you photograph receipts and attach them to transactions. No more shoebox of paper receipts.
5. Run Reports Regularly
QBO's reporting suite is powerful. The reports you should review monthly: Profit & Loss, Balance Sheet, Accounts Receivable Aging, and Cash Flow Statement.
6. Use Classes and Locations for Multi-Department Tracking
If you have multiple revenue streams, locations, or departments, use QBO's Classes feature to track profitability by segment.
7. Set Up Progress Invoicing
For large projects, use progress invoicing to bill clients in stages rather than all at once. This improves cash flow and is built into QBO.
8. Use the Accountant Access Feature
If you work with a bookkeeper or accountant, give them Accountant-level access in QBO. This gives them the tools they need without sharing your admin credentials.
9. Reconcile Every Month
QBO makes reconciliation easy — don't skip it. Monthly reconciliation catches errors before they compound.
10. Review the Audit Log
QBO keeps a log of every change made to your books. If something looks off, the audit log tells you who changed what and when.
If your QBO file has accumulated errors over time, a QuickBooks cleanup may be needed before these tips can have their full effect.
Related Resources
- QuickBooks Cleanup: Fix Messy Books Step by Step
- Bank Reconciliation Explained
- How to Set Up a Chart of Accounts for Your Small Business
- What Is a QuickBooks ProAdvisor?
- Free QBO Health Check
- Our Bookkeeping Services
- Contact Us
Need help getting more out of QuickBooks Online? Our QBO Support service includes 2 support calls per month with a certified ProAdvisor for just $100/month. Learn more.
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About the author
The Gap ProAdvisorsOwner & Lead Advisor — The Gap ProAdvisors
Angela is a Certified Bookkeeper, QuickBooks ProAdvisor, and IRS Registered Tax Return Preparer (PTIN) with over a decade of experience helping small businesses across Texas get their books right and keep more of what they earn. She founded The Gap ProAdvisors to make professional financial services accessible to every small business owner — no matter where they are.
