General QuickBooks Information

One of the highlights for Will at the recent Scaling New Heights conference was speaking with and taking a selfie with Brad Smith, the President and Chief Executive Officer of Intuit, the makers of the QuickBooks Point of Sale and Accounting software. Brad was was promoted to this role in January 2008, culminating a five-year rise through the company where he successfully led several of its major businesses. Read his executive profile.

The SNH conference was great as always. Will taught several sessions on the Point of Sale (POS) Certification Exam. It's important for Intuit ProAdvisors to maintain their certification because Intuit releases new versions of the software. This also allows the ProAdvisors to remain on the Intuit Find-A-ProAdvisor website where there are more than 500,000 visits annually from potential clients. See our previous post about this.

This year's conference was held in San Antonio, TX and next year it'll be in New Orleans!

Some people leave an amazing legacy, and that is true of Baseball Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn. At the age of 54, he passed away but will live on in the hearts and lives of countless people. He made an incredible impact not only on the sport of baseball but also the city of San Diego, CA, home of the San Diego Padres.

He was deemed “Mr. Padre.” Tony spent his entire 20-year career with the Padres and was one of the game's greatest hitters of the latter part of the 20th century. Read more.

We are very proud to have the San Diego Padres baseball team as a QuickBooks and English Management Solutions, Inc. client. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of Mr. Tony Gwynn!

We value the confidence that our client’s place in our staff and the Intuit product. We are fortunate to work with a wide range of customer’s from small to large companies, to for-profit and non-profit. Many have worked with us for several years, and we also continue to acquire new customers who are looking for a dependable product and a reputable Solution Provider. It's important to develop solid relationships with business owners and staff. Every client is different and brings something interesting to the table.

It is with pleasure that we feature some of our client's and their stories on our Client Success Stories page. See how they got started, grew the business, and not only chose QuickBooks but also English Management Solutions, Inc. as their Solution Provider and Trusted Advisor. You also may find a company on that page with a product and/or service that you need.

Read their stories.
 

It is with great excitement and honor to share that we were named one of the Top 100 ProAdvisors for 2014. We made the list! Intuitive Accountant has released its list which “recognizes the leading consultants who have embraced the ProAdvisor program and have leveraged it in order to better serve their clients and grow their business.” Intuitive Accountant 

Intuitive Accountant is an independent news and information source written specifically for the small business advisor who needs to stay current on the latest news and offerings from Intuit and the hundreds of Add On products serving the small business.  Read more about them.

The winners will be recognized at the upcoming Scaling New Heights (SNH) conference where the ProAdvisor of the Year will be revealed. SNH is one of the biggest annual gatherings of Intuit ProAdvisor Consultants. Visit the SNH conference website here, and read our blog about this conference and the class that Will English is teaching here.

Intuitive Accountant will also be recognizing the ProAdvisors who stand out in the following categories: QuickBooks Online, Niche, Trainer, Coach, Systems Integrations, Social Media, Business Process Outsourcing, Up and Comer and Friend of Intuit. Stay tuned to see if we are recognized in any of these categories.

As a Solution Provider and Trusted Advisor, our goal is to provide the utmost in customer service, providing solutions for each client that best fits their business needs, and provide knowledgeable advice. The end goal is the right product for the right customer and to empower small business owners with the information they need to be successful.

Thank you to everyone who helped us achieve this ranking!

Our office will be closed on Monday May 26th in observance of Memorial Day and we’ll return for normal business hours of 9am - 5pm PST on May 27th. See the NOTE below.

If you haven’t implemented the QuickBooks system or you are on an older version, you may want to take this time to download the free trial and give it a try. The free trials give you the opportunity to become familiar with the interface and some of the features. The QuickBooks Point of Sale (QBPOS) provides robust tools to help retailers view their business at a glance and perform everyday tasks more efficiently. No more cash registers and hand written receipts! The QuickBooks Financial software (Pro, Premier, and Enterprise) is an automated way to be more organized while saving time. It integrates with the QBPOS so you can manage your finances more effectively.

QuickBooks Point of Sale (QBPOS). Click the yellow button to download free trial.

QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions (QBES). Click the yellow button to download the free trial.

There are promotions available that you may be able to take advantage of so that you’re not paying full price & you can receive free product. Those are always good incentives! As a Solution Provider, we want to help you every step of the way to ensure you choose the correct product for your needs, that it’s properly installed, & the staff is trained so that you are successful in using your system. Visit our Promotions page.

NOTE: During our closure on Monday: QuickBooks customers that require technical assistance or have an emergency may do one of the following:
Contact Us: Toll free 877-467-0451 or local to San Diego 858-467-0400 & follow the automated prompting for emergency help.
Use our Contact Us form or send an email to info@englishmgmt.com. Our billable rate will apply
*For non-emergencies, leave a message or send an email & we'll assist you the following business day.

Contact Intuit Support: Fees may apply:
* Point of Sale: 1-800-4INTUIT (800-446-8848), * Enterprise Solutions: 866-340-7237, * Merchant Services: 800-558-9558

QuickBooks Point of Sale (QBPOS) promotions with an opportunity for free software and hardware. Also, take advantage of our Referral Program!

ATTN. NEW CUSTOMERS:
When you are approved for a new Intuit Payment Solutions account & you purchase the QBPOS V2013 software:
Receive a free copy of QuickBooks Pro Financial V2014 software ($181 value) and a free hardware bundle ($505 value). Promotion is good through May. 

*Alternative option through 4/30/14: you can choose a free pin pad card reader instead of the hardware bundle.

ATTN. EXISTING QBPOS CUSTOMERS ON AN OLDER VERSION OF QBPOS:
Upgrade to QBPOS V2013 and receive 50% off MSRP for the new user license.

Seamlessly integrate payments into your Point of Sale software. 
Benefits of Intuit QuickBooks Payments:

Integrated with QBPOS

• Card payments and POS in one: no duplicate data entry
• Returns are easy with sales and payment information on one receipt
• Once click integration to QuickBooks Financial software

E-Invoicing gets you paid with a simple click of a button

• Free to your customers
• Payments are automatically entered into QuickBooks
• Fast, efficient, and convenient way to get you paid

GoMobile: Includes mobile payment service for iPhone, iPad, and Android devices

• Swipe cards on the floor, at events, trade shows, or wherever your customers are.
• Mobile sales and inventory information automatically sync with your POS software. 
• Get a free card reader with no commitment.
• Sync up seamlessly with QuickBooks
• Create personalized receipts with your business name and logo. 

Easy and Affordable:

• Rates start as low as as 1.69%
• Payments deposited into your bank account automatically.
• No expensive terminals or phone lines required.

We value the confidence that you place in our staff and the Intuit product by referring EM$. For the clients who refer us business that results in billing hours or a product purchase, we will give you a $25 Amazon gift card.

As a business collecting revenue from its customers, you may take payment in various forms including either credit or debit cards. You have probably heard of the phrase ‘PCI Compliance.’

PCI stands for Payment Card Industry (American Express, Discover Financial Services, JCB, MasterCard Worldwide and Visa International). Payment card industry compliance is adherence to a set of security standards developed to protect card information during and after financial transactions. These guidelines were developed due to the ever increasing security concerns about the protection of card data. See the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council (PCI DSS) website.

PCI applies to all organizations or merchants that accepts, transmits or stores any cardholder data. Basically, if any customer pays a merchant using a credit or debit card, the PCI requirements apply. The PCI DSS applies to all payment channels, including retail (brick-and-mortar), mail/telephone order, and e-commerce. Nothing is more important than keeping your customer’s payment card data secure. The size of your business will determine the specific compliance requirements that must be met. Enforcement of merchant compliance is managed by the individual payment brands and the same is true for non-compliance penalties. The PCI Security Standards Council is available to help merchants through maintaining and enhancing the PCI Security Standards.

*Check with your merchant service provider for details on their adherence to the compliance standards. They should also help guide you through the compliance process and provide monitoring and reporting to help protect your business from a breach.

Let’s take a look at some requirements as listed on the Intuit Online Security Center website:

The PCI DSS offers a single approach to safeguarding sensitive data for all card brands. PCI DSS includes the following requirements:

• Install and maintain a firewall configuration to protect cardholder data.
• Do not use vendor-supplied defaults for system passwords and other security parameters.
• Protect stored cardholder data.
• Encrypt the transmission of cardholder data across open, public networks.
• Use and regularly update anti-virus software.
• Develop and maintain secure systems and applications.
• Restrict access to cardholder data.
• Assign a unique ID to each person with computer access.
• Restrict physical access to cardholder data.
• Track and monitor all access to network resources and cardholder data.
• Regularly test security systems and processes.
• Maintain a policy that addresses information security.

How do I comply? To achieve PCI DSS compliance, merchants and service providers must adhere to the PCI DSS requirements set forth by the PCI Security Standards Council, which offers a single approach to safeguarding sensitive data for all card brands.

Why is it important? By complying with the PCI DSS, entities can protect their business and their customers while building a culture of security that benefits all parties in the payment system.

What happens if I am not PCI DSS compliant? If you are non-compliant, you could be subject to fines from the card associations. If your security is compromised because of your non-compliance, you risk financial loss, additional fines, loss of business, damage to your brand's reputation, and other loss of critical systems.

Here’s a link to an excellent article posted on the PCI Security Standards Council website: “Why Comply with PCI Security Standards?”

NEW PROMOTION: We just found out today! Open a new Intuit Merchant Services (Payments) account and purchase the QuickBooks Point of Sale (QBPOS) V2013 software for 50% off MSRP through April 25, 2014!
Offer valid with QBPOS V2013 purchase and an approved POS Payments Account!

If you already have the QBPOS system, we can help you when you are ready to expand, upgrade, and/or add additional services such as Payment Solutions & Payroll.

Learn more:
QBPOS
Intuit Payment Solutions
Intuit Payroll Solutions

The previous segment was the first part of an article recently written by Will English on how he has attained the status as “trusted advisor” to many of our clients and the importance of that. Today we would like to share with you the remainder of this enlightening article and are sure you will find the 3 takeaways beneficial.

The more comfortable you feel with the process, the more your clients will trust you and therefore listen when you make recommendations.

And this means investing in learning the retail industry.  RSPA (www.gorspa.org) is just one example of a great resource.  RSPA is a trade organization that has POS specific training and certification.  You need to be able to discuss with your retail clients GMROI, Inventory turns, Inventory Ageing, End of Day and credit card compliance.  J. recently won a large contract by being the most expensive.  Sound odd?  J. was the only dealer who discussed and recommended the tools they need to be PCI including encrypted credit card swipes.  The more you know, the more value you can add and transition yourself from the person that sold them their POS system to a valued member of their team. 

Second, learn from your mistakes (we all make them).  It’s not the end of the world when you do it wrong.  It is the end of your career if you don’t learn from your mistakes and make corrections on the next install.

Lastly, and maybe the most important of all is to do right by the customer, even if it means that it causes you to suffer short term pain to resolve issues that may not be in your control.  It is said that if a happy customer tells one or two people about you, that is great, but on average an unhappy customer will tell 6 people of their experience.
Author: English, William S., President of English Management Solutions, Inc. March 2014.
Contributing Author: Lombardi, J., Contessa of CounterPoint, Soft Intelligence, Inc. March 2014.

Throughout Will’s career of working in retail technology, he has attained the status of “trusted advisor” to many of our clients and we want to share some of the ways that he has developed this relationship. He recently wrote an article on this topic for some fellow advisors and this is very enlightening for clients too. It’s a good benchmark to use when choosing an advisor. Here is an excerpt:

There are three phases of a Trusted Advisor: pre-sale, implementation and post-sale.  The pre-sales phase is where your relationship with the customer is often made or broken.  That always means doing what is best for the client.  Your solution may be the best fit, but make sure you know that before you recommend a product.  If a client is too big for your solution, or has too many items, putting them into a product that is a bad fit just to get the sale will cost you BIG in the end.

During the implementation phase, you need know what you are doing.  A long established technology firm sold one of their first POS systems last month.  They tried to do everything in-house with disastrous results.  They are a very solid company but they didn’t understand retail or POS and made all the rookie mistakes.  They got experienced people involved after the fact, but will never regain the position as the “Trusted Advisor” because of how the install was handled.

How you handle the post-implementation phase will once again, set you apart or terminate your position.  We recently got a call from a disgruntled POS customer who was looking for a new dealer.  They big complaint wasn’t service.  They wanted a new dealer because the sales rep wouldn’t return calls.  Everyone in your firm is representing you!  Make sure someone on your staff doesn’t undermine all your hard work by handling a request poorly.

To recap, learn your craft!  Make sure you understand the product you sell, how it works and who should be using it.  Develop your skills in the retail industry.  When I teach, I tell my students that it will take at least 10-20 installs before you should feel comfortable in the product.  When you start, you don’t know what you don’t know.  The more comfortable you feel with the process, the more your clients will trust you and therefore listen when you make recommendations.
Author: English, William S., President of English Management Solutions, Inc. March 2014.
Contributing Author: Lombardi, J., Contessa of CounterPoint, Soft Intelligence, Inc. March 2014
Stay tuned for the remaining portion of the article where you’ll learn 3 great takeaways!
Read it here.