Detail shop software? Quickbooks? What do you use?

[2BlackChevys]

I am getting closer to opening a full time fixed location and I was wondering if there are any "detailing" specific software programs out there or should I just get quickbooks? What are you guys using?

[JLWinter]

You might want to look at this Auto Detailing Business Software | Scheduling, Customer Management ServiceCEO (http://www.insightdirect.com/auto-detailing-software). Run through the demo and see if it is what you want.

[SuperiorAutoLLC]

I use Quickbooks Online; it works great for me and I love how it and my GoPayment by Intuit application sync together, keeping everything organized.

[Radarryan]

I am not a professional detailer but when I was in graduate school, I did consulting with new start-up companies. I always insisted that they used Quickbooks. Intuit does a phenomenal job. My dad's small business (~40 employees) uses Quickbooks and has since the 90s. He cannot live without it. One of the nice things about QBs is Intuit allows you to order business cards, checks, etc and combine everything into a package -really saves money! Their payroll service is nice if you have employees and/or are a corporation. They make it easy to pay your taxes online and e-file and e-pay, which some states (I know Texas does) now require. In my opinion, there is QBs, and then there is everyone else.

[JonFD]

Well radarryan you just sold me on quick books. I'm sick of using excel.

Is it user friendly?

[SuperiorAutoLLC]

Well radarryan you just sold me on quick books. I'm sick of using excel.

Is it user friendly?

It is extremely user friendly. And everyone is so helpful if you need to call them for something.

[explorerlyon]

I am a CPA and use QuickBooks constantly. Most of my clients with businesses use QuickBooks. It is a good program and there are a lot of people that know the software that can help you. I do not like QuickBooks online because it lacks a lot of features. QuickBooks comes out with a new version every year, i.e. QuickBooks 2013. You only need to upgrade every three years.

[JonFD]

Is there an app that works with quick books or maybe QB does it... Where I can add customer info, ie number and email and what I charged and have it go into some sort or folder on QB?

[Radarryan]

Well radarryan you just sold me on quick books. I'm sick of using excel.

Is it user friendly?

Glad I can help! The reason I would always recommend QuickBooks is because of the user friendliness. It allows consultants and people who understand accounting and finance to look at your numbers in the proper format, even if you have no business or accounting background. Quickbooks does all the "heavy lifting" for you. Their team at Intuit has great customer service, as previously mentioned. The reports you can generate with QuickBooks can really serve as an eye opener. One thing I do recommend: go with the Premier edition. The extra abilities of the software more than makeup for the added price. When I was consulting, there were limitations with the Pro edition that the Premier did not have -especially when it came to inventory. If you want to break up your costs by car, then you need an inventory management system that will allow for that, as the Premier will and in my experience the Pro did not. It was a lot more work that the company got charged for when I had to come up with a workaround to manage their inventory and have it work within the QuickBooks software rather than just have the software do it for them. They ended up spending more than if they were to just buy the Premier edition and had results that are not as easy to obtain. Disclaimer: they may have changed the Pro edition since the last time I encountered it, around 2011. For all I know, it may have a sufficient inventory management system.

Hope that helps.

[JonFD]

Amazing explanation. Honestly thank you. I believe it's only a $60-$70 difference between the two, premier is the way to go. I'm going to give it a shot and shoot ya feedback in a week or so!

[2BlackChevys]

Looks like quickbooks it is! Thanks guys!