As an accounting professional, being able to collaborate smoothly with clients is critical. QuickBooks Online Accountant offers awesome tools to streamline your bookkeeping workflows and facilitate transparency.
With Accountant, you can access client files, clean up data, prepare reports, and deliver insights…all through one centralized dashboard.
Follow this guide on getting started with QuickBooks Accountant and leveraging its capabilities for seamless client teamwork.
Onboarding Clients to QuickBooks Accountant
The first step is getting your clients connected into your Accountant dashboard. Here’s how:
Have your client invite you:
- Inside their QuickBooks Online account, they select Accounting > Invite Accountant
- They enter your email address and click Send Invite
- You receive an email to join their books
Or, you can invite your client:
- Inside Accountant, click Clients > Add Client
- Enter your client’s company name and email
- They will receive an email to connect their QBO account
Either way, the setup takes just minutes. Once connected, you’re ready to collaborate!
Key Features for Seamless Collaboration
With your clients added, you can leverage powerful Accountant features:
Managing multiple clients – See a high-level overview of all your clients in one dashboard. Switch between their books with ease.
Client view – Toggle to your client’s QBO view to see their setup, work contextually, and show them how to do things.
Accountant toolkit – Includes account reconciliation, journal entries, reclassified transactions, detailed reports, and more.
Client retention – Stay connected with clients by proactively identifying issues and providing strategic insights.
Custom user permissions – Granularly control what your clients can see and do in their QBO account. Avoid accidental changes.
In-app chat and notes – Quickly communicate with clients right within Accountant. All communications are securely archived.
Data access – Work on live client data or easily download .qbo files to work offline. Changes sync back to the cloud.
With these features, Accountant offers everything you need to engage and support your bookkeeping clients.
Best Practices for Seamless Client Collaboration
Follow these tips as you onboard new clients and manage their books:
- Set permissions thoughtfully – Only allow clients access to what they need in QBO. Less chances of data disruption.
- Use organizational tools – Take advantage of tags and groups in Accountant to segment your clients. This keeps things tidy as your client base grows.
- Automate workflows – Use Rules to standardize routines like new client onboarding and status reviews. Scalability!
- Communicate clearly – Leave detailed notes and to-do’s for your clients right in Accountant. Audit changes made.
- Send regular reports – Schedule automated monthly/quarterly reports to provide insights. Use comments to customize explanations.
- Answer questions quickly – With in-app chat and notes, you can address client questions in real time. Strengthen trust.
- Back up always – Download local copies of client .qbo files often for redundancy. Avoid potential data loss.
With best practices established, Accountant supercharges your client engagements. Everything is streamlined in one place so you can deliver proactive and responsive service.
For any questions on optimizing your Accountant workflows, reach out to QuickBooks support number experts for assistance.
Regular Check-ins Ensure Continued Success
A key to thriving client collaborations is consistent touchpoints after onboarding. Set up regular check-ins to discuss financials, address concerns, and align on strategy.
Here are some best practices for productive ongoing check-ins:
- Schedule monthly or quarterly – Monthly works best for high-touch clients. Quarterly allows a bit more independence. Pick what fits your client needs.
- Review reports together – Walk through key financial reports, highlighting trends and metrics. Use comments to explain specifics.
- Bring an agenda – Note down specific discussion topics beforehand. This keeps the meeting focused and productive.
- Share your screen – Display reports, dashboards, or tools in Accountant as you discuss. Visuals help concepts sink in.
- Set action items – Document any follow-up to-do’s for both parties via in-app notes. Track accountability.
- Ask for feedback – Check in on what’s working well or what could be improved. Continuously improve your client experience.
- Summarize takeaways – Recap next steps and critical information discussed. Have an agreement on what comes next.
With consistent, structured check-ins, you and your clients stay aligned. Both parties know what needs to happen next and can spot potential problems early. Regular touchpoints build open communication channels and trusted working relationships.
The Partner Your Clients Need
QuickBooks Online Accountant transforms your client engagements:
- Accessibility – Work from anywhere with cloud access to client books. You’re no longer tethered to office or desktop.
- Collaboration – Chat, share reports, and exchange notes in real time. Easy back and forth communication.
- Organization – All clients and tools consolidated in a single dashboard hub. Switch between books effortlessly.
- Productivity – Automate workflows for scaled growth. Let Accountant handle repetitive tasks.
- Analytics – Use custom reporting and visualizations to uncover trends and insights for clients.
With QuickBooks Online Accountant, your clients have a strategic partner to guide their financial success. You can focus on value-added advisory services while Accountant handles the tedious bookkeeping tasks. The result is the trusted collaboration that builds long-term client relationships. Sign up today to transform how you service your clients!