Moving your accounts to the cloud -my Intuit (QuickBooks) experience

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Okay, it’s been a while, as I have been ill. But normal service is resumed 🙂

From previous posts, you’ll know I am a fan of cloud products and technology in general. I also study and write on change, so a recent experience with QuickBooks software (UK version) is great material for me.

I have been a QuickBooks (QB) customer since 2006 – before the cloud was widespread. I have had four desktop versions which in total earned about €1100 for Intuit. So at the end of December, I decide, let’s put this online. I signed up as an Irish customer (as I am based in Ireland, obvious one would think), created my company, and then went back to the desktop product (QB 2015 on my laptop) and ran an export to online company menu option. The end result was not as expected, I had two companies. As I signed on as an Irish customer, my data cannot be transferred from QB 2015 UK desktop version. So, I would have to subscribe in £ for a UK online account if I wish to have my data transferred.

So, what’s my point other than bad service – as I had no indication of what to do correctly online. Well:

I am a very small business – what if I had a few thousand transactions a year I do not want to lose
The change to online cloud accounting, while I like it, results in fewer features that accountants or clever managers like to use – for example, more detailed reporting. So would I want to then have a double sacrifice – lose my data and less reporting

Don’t get me wrong, the cloud is the way to go, but surely Intuit (and others) can do better!