If you have ever gone on a hike in unfamiliar territory, or walked through a city in a foreign country, you will know the value of a good guide in the real world. If that guide was to be certified by a global organization as a knowledgeable expert, and they had further support on speed dial that could get you back on track quickly should you get lost, that would probably make you feel confident that you were in good hands, right?
A QuickBooks ProAdvisor is a professional that has been trained, tested and recognized by Intuit as someone that can guide other QuickBooks clients and/or their employees as to how to best leverage QuickBooks software both from technical and accounting perspectives. They have been given access to training materials, software tools, and dedicated support resources from Intuit to ensure they can provide you with hands on, local support when you need it.
Let’s look at four key benefits of working with a QuickBooks ProAdvisor!
Proven expertise in QuickBooks and accounting – Working with a technical expert that is also “fluent” and knowledgeable in both accounting practices and software is a great opportunity. You may be well versed in QuickBooks and accounting yourself, however a situation may arise that you haven’t encountered before. Building a relationship with a ProAdvisor can help you get around that obstacle more effectively without.
Local expert with a global Intuit backup team – Often when you are working on a project, nothing beats having a local expert that knows your region, your industry, and possibly you as a person. A ProAdvisor demonstrates that Intuit has provided tools, training and resources to ensure that they can support small and medium sized businesses in their area. Like a mechanic certified by an automotive manufacturer that has also a highly skilled driver; ProAdvisor have comprehensive knowledge of their trade and the tools of it! If something occurs that challenges even the ProAdvisor, they have dedicated resources at Intuit to assist
Available ProAdvisor programs for QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop – The “Cloud” has changed many elements of technology and business. A Cloud ProAdvisor has taken the time to become trained and tested with QuickBooks Online so they are conversant with the aspects of the QuickBooks Online that are distinct from the Desktop version.
Michele Craig, CMA is a QuickBooks ProAdvisor in Barrie, Ontario. Michele said, “As a Certified ProAdvisor for both QuickBooks and QuickBooks online, I can attest that the examination standards set by Intuit require a high level of product knowledge in many areas of QuickBooks. The Certified ProAdvisor logo is meaningful as it assures my clients that I am able to provide significant value to QuickBooks users.”
ProAdvisors are a supportive, collaborative community – Not only do QuickBooks ProAdvisors have Resources at Intuit for support, they also have an online Forum where they help each other for unique customer situations. Michele said “The ProAdvisor discussion forum is a particular favourite of mine, as it allows me to connect with other ProAdvisors and discover creative solutions using QuickBooks that even Intuit may not have envisioned.”
ProAdvisors can help QuickBooks users get more value from QuickBooks – The ProAdvisor can often point out a capability of QuickBooks that can make the users job easier, or they can educate their client about functions in another version that can help to overcome an obstacle they may be facing. Here is some more insight from Michele: “ProAdvisors can introduce a client to software features that the user didn’t even know was available, for example if the option had been turned off in the Preferences screen or isn’t available in the software version they are using.
I was called in to consult for a client who had three very different product lines and was using QuickBooks Online Essentials. I recommended an upgrade to QuickBooks Online Plus which includes the ‘location tracking’ and ‘class tracking’ features. The client was delighted to see how easy it was to track and compare the relative success of each line of business, simply by upgrading to a higher version of the software they were already familiar with. ”
If you have been a QuickBooks user for a short time or even many years, connecting with a QuickBooks ProAdvisor in your area is a wise move. Having a mentor in many aspects of business is a wise choice, and a ProAdvisor can be a great mentor to help you navigate through unfamiliar territory in both accounting practices and the use of QuickBooks or QuickBooks Online.
