QuickBooks Pro Advisor

[geekgirldany]

I was just wondering if anyone here is a QuickBooks Pro Advisor. Intuit went ahead and updated my payroll subscription for $430. Includes the upgrades for QuickBooks Pro. But what I was looking at was using QuickBooks Accountant edition. This bumps the price up to $500.

So I started thinking about the ProAdvisor program. Would get updates for all QBs programs, training, support, discounts. I think I came up with $750 including payroll subscription.

If anyone has it was just wondering if you think it is worth it.

Thanks

[John of PA]

Yes I am

Geekgirldandy,
Yes I'am a Pro Advisor. The fact that they give me the accountants' edition included in the price each year makes it worth it, becasue to have to buy it every year is almost as much as the ProAdvisor price. Also you get, I believe 2 free support calls which is nice. I do not take the courses or seminars, so I'am not considered a certified advisor. The accountants edition is nicer in doing Journal Entries. I use Quickbooks as my accounting write-up software, as well as using it to read client QB files. Hope this helps.

[geekgirldany]

Thanks John. Good information to know. I think they allow unlimited tech support now. Or that is what it lists on the proadvisor site. I got off the phone awhile ago with Intuit Payroll. He said that he could upgrade me to accountants premier for $200. So it is actually more than listed on the site. He told me to go ahead and sign up with ProAdvisor and to call him back. He would refund what they have charged me for the payroll subscription and redo with my proadvisors discount. So around $700 in the end. I think it is worth the couple of hundred bucks. I also noticed that there are no proadvisors in my immediate area. So maybe some new clients will come from it.

Thanks again!

[KJ Judd]

I'm also a QB Pro Advisor. I have gotten several good business clients from their website. Once I figured in the advertising, 16 CPE credits (if you do the QuickBooks Pro Advisor on line test), and Accountant's Premier software each year it seemed to be a good deal. (At one time I got a 10% discount because I use Lacerte. I think they may have discontinued that.)

You also get Remote Access (via WebEx) where you can log on to your client's computers from your office. Very handy if they have a quick question or are located further away.

[geekgirldany]

wow didn't know about the remote access. I suppose they do charge for this?

It seems to be a good deal. I actually lost a potential customer because they used the contractors edition and I didn't have the accountants edition so I could help them.

[Gretel]

I am also a ProAdvisor and think it's a pretty good deal considering how expensive the products are. Yes, it's true support is now unlimited but the difficult questions you have to figure out on your own.

I understand the remote access to be free the first year only. Maybe each year you renew you are considered to be in the first year?

I also go through the certification each year. It's a pain but also a blessing since certain things stay fresh in your memory. Where I am at I don't get any business from QB's database.

[KJ Judd]

Remote access

Yes, remote access is free first year (included in the QB Pro Advisor program). However if you renew each year, you get a free "first" year with each version.

I like that you can e-mail them your questions & tell them when to call you back. No more waiting on hold for hours. Also, if you get a support person you like, you can request them for subsequent questions (although you may have to wait a little longer for them to get back to you then.)

[geekgirldany]

Great information. I went ahead and signed up today. The lady I talked to said she would be my point of contact in the advisor program as far as sales goes I believe. Unforunately the guy from the payroll subscription service didn't call me back to do the exchange for that. I hope he calls tomorrow. The remote will be so good for my existing clients. I currently have them bringing disks back and forth for updates I do.

[KJ Judd]

QB files

You can also have them e-mail the file to you. I encourage them to use a password in QB before they e-mail. But that's faster than mail and works if you need a paper copy of something.

[geekgirldany]

I've started telling them all that email their information to me to put passwords on their quickbooks. When I tell them why they will ususally do it rather quickly.

I got my proadvisor kit today. Talked to the guy at the Payroll Division. He was wanting me to return my copy of QB 2006 Pro. I told him now because I paid for it last year. He finally agreed. So he credited, RMA, on the $420 payroll subscription and then charged me for a new payroll subscription for $280. They had to add on tax. Only thing that worries me is that the $280 has already been charged to my credit card but the refund is not showing yet. I hope this doesn't cause problems.

The proadvisor kit looks like it is loaded. Can't wait to get started on my certification. Thank you all for the info. Helped on making my decision.

[Lion]

Qb

I went to one of their seminars to update us on QB 2006. They gave us all kinds of coupons and freebies, such as free copy of QB Premier Account 2006 !! and a free download of Simple Start (or whatever it's called!) for a client and $100 off the ProAdvisor Program. So, I just signed up for $349 plus tax, and my package of software for all the versions will arrive Monday via UPS. You can also get a discount on the ProAdvisor Program if you purchased QB06 (probably the Premier Account version is required, though). I have lots of 20% off coupons to give my clients to purchase directly from QB or at Staples or Office Max or just about any other office supply store you know. So, GeekGirlDany, will you be my study buddy? In this tax off-season, let's get together on this board -- everyone who's using QB -- to do for each other in QB what we do re taxes in the winter. By the way, do any of you QB users then use an Intuit tax preparation product? Does the QB info transfer easily? What do you use for taxes? Guess I should start a new thread for QB and taxes or QB as used by tax preparers....

[DTS]

Lion and geekgirldany

Sandy has been encouraging me to take this certification for about 6 months or more. Now is a good time to do this. So I'd like to join your study group and study with all of you.

I have a couple of days to finish up my office move and will be settled in a day or two here at home, so after that, I'm free.

Why don't you two gals set this up and let us know what to do?

Dennis

[KJ Judd]

Study group

Count me in too. I use Lacerte & yes, things transfer fairly slick. I will be going on a long anticipated vacation next week but will chime in when I return.

[Unregistered]

QB Board

[QUOTE=GeekGirlDany, will you be my study buddy? In this tax off-season, let's get together on this board -- everyone who's using QB -- to do for each other in QB what we do re taxes in the winter

Why not just go to the QB Board and not tie up this board with QB. Not everyone is a fan of Intuit or QB,

[geekgirldany]

Lucky you got that coupon Lion. Yeah we can do a study group. Unregistered, I believe it will be okay for use this board as long as we keep it on one thread and do not post multiple threads on QuickBooks. Mods let us know. Or if need be I can setup a forum myself for us. I have hosting server. So that would be no problem.

I haven't looked over the testing on the certification. I'm going over it this weekend and my new ProAdvisor binder I am also going to install some of the QB software this weekend. I think the certification will be a great asset. As Gabrielle said it will keep us up to date QBs.

I am working tomorrow because of some late folk coming in with payroll. Then I've got tax return extensions to finish. But I should be able to start on the certification late next week.

We will decide