Scott Gregory, QuickBooks Expert

Can I Change the Color of My Home Screen in QuickBooks?

While you can't directly change the color of the home screen in QuickBooks, you can make some changes to other colors within the program.

Here's how:

• In the menu bar, click Edit > Preferences > Desktop View. Once there, you will see a window that looks like this:

 

Once you change the color scheme, you'll see exactly how things change. The color of the Home screen won't change, but colors in other areas will.

BONUS TIP:

• While in the "Desktop View" preference above, be sure to select the "One Window" option so that each of your windows inside QuickBooks opens up in full screen.

OTHER HELPFUL INFORMATION

• Free QuickBooks learning guides - lots of them!
• Is your QuickBooks backup process automated AND off-site? It should be!

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How Do I Find the Location of my QuickBooks Data?

Been scratching your head trying to figure out where QuickBooks hides your company data file and information?

Here are two easy ways to see exactly where your QuickBooks information is located:

• While working in your QuickBooks company file, click File > Open Previous Company (in the menu bar). Once there, you'll see exactly where your data file is located. You'll see something like c:\Program Files\Intuit\etc. This is called the "path", so if you were trying to find this via the My Computer icon, you would just follow the "path" to get to it (i.e. click the C: drive icon, then click the Program Files icon, etc.)
  
  Note that if you work on multiple QuickBooks company files, you'll see up to four of them listed when you use this method to find your file.
  
  
• Tap the F2 key (or use CTRL + 1). A screen will pop up that shows a LOT of information about your QuickBooks data file, and among that will be a box that shows the location of your file.

MORE HELPFUL QUICKBOOKS INFORMATION

• QuickBooks Training Videos Now Available
• The One QuickBooks Tip that Will Save Your Business Thousands of $

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Tracking Gross Profit Margins? Introducing Gross Profit Wizard Add-on for QuickBooks

Are you a manufacturer, distributor or wholesaler using QuickBooks?

If so, you know how challenging it is to evaluate your selling price, costs and gross profit margins within QuickBooks. In most cases, you have to evaluate your margins AFTER the fact by running the Sales by Item Summary or similar report.

GOOD NEWS - TRACKING MARGINS IS MUCH EASIER NOW!

I am pleased to let you know that I have co-developed a new tool that will help make it easier for you to evaluate your gross profit margins as you create quotes, sales orders or invoices within QuickBooks.

Our new add-on for QuickBooks is called Gross Profit Wizard. Here is a short video that gives you an overview of just how it works and how it can be a great tool to improve your profitability:

 

DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE TRIAL COPY OF GROSS PROFIT WIZARD

I encourage you to take a closer look at Gross Profit Wizard and download a fully-functional 30 day trial. You'll quickly see how easy it is to use and how it brings much more visibility to your profit margins on each order or quote.

In addition, this software comes with a full 60 day money-back guarantee, so there is absolutely no risk to you.

QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?

I welcome your feedback on Gross Profit Wizard. Feel free to add a comment in the box below or click the "Contact Scott" button below to send a direct response to me.

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Building Better Business Finances - The QuickBooks Profit and Loss Report

Are you running a profit and loss report (aka an income statement) for your business every month?

If not, you should be!

WHAT IS THE PROFIT AND LOSS REPORT?

This report gives you a very handy recap of your income and your expenses. And of course, the difference between the two (and this is where we cross our fingers that there is more income than expenses!).

The profit and loss report quickly summarizes the various transactions that you have entered throughout the day, week, month, etc. (i.e. invoices, checks, etc.)

THE PROFIT AND LOSS REPORT IN QUICKBOOKS

Click Reports (in the menu bar) > Company and Financial > Profit and Loss Standard. From there, you'll see the report for the current month-to-date as shown in the sample below (click the image for a larger view):

This report helps you quickly see how your expenses stack up against your income. From there, you can develop plans to either increase your income and/or reduce your expenses in the weeks or months ahead.

Don't run this report only at tax time. Better - run it at the end of every month so there are no surprises. It will help you know exactly what is going on.

RELATED INFORMATION:

• 15 Trouble Spots that May Be Lurking in Your Business Finances

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See the current availability of an inventory item in QuickBooks

Did you happen to notice the button at the bottom of your Item list that says "Activities"?

Take a look there and you'll see an option that will help many manufacturing, distribution and wholesale businesses that use QuickBooks - the "Current Availability" option (if you don't see this, you are likely using an older version of QuickBooks that did not contain this functionality - save 20% on your QuickBooks upgrade).

Select an inventory part or inventory assembly in your item list, then navigate to the Current Availability option to get a screen that looks like this (click the image for a larger view):

 This screen is packed with critical information to help manage your inventory of that item in QuickBooks, including:

• Quantity on Hand
• Quantity on Sales Orders
• Quantity Reserved for Assemblies
• Quantity on Purchase Orders
• Quantity on Pending Builds

For any of the amounts listed, you can head to the bottom of the screen and see all the details. For example, you can see all the open purchase orders, all the open sales orders, etc.

In case you are wondering, this is the same as the "Current Availability button" that appears within the various screens in QuickBooks as shown below:

RELATED INFORMATION:

• Great Tool for Analyzing Inventory in QuickBooks
• Average Cost and Inventory in QuickBooks
• Gross Profit Wizard for QuickBooks - see your margins as you work

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Why Does My Sales by Rep Report Show "No Sales Rep"?

This question was recently submitted, and it may be the same question many of you may be asking:

Q: Dear Scott: "How come my Sale by Rep report shows "No Sales Rep"? I know I entered the rep for each customer on the customer screens."

A: The Sales by Rep report is actually looking to your sales documents (i.e. invoices and/or sales receipts) to pull the proper information. If the rep field is not showing up on either of these documents, QuickBooks will substitute the "No Sales Rep" as the salesperson.

The fact that you have entered the sales rep on the customer screen allows QuickBooks to remember the association between that customer and that sales rep on each future transaction. However, it is essential to make sure the sales rep field is also showing up on your sales forms as shown in the example screen shot below:

 

Once it shows up there, it will then be included in any totals on the Sales by Rep report:

 

If there is no sales rep listed on the sales form, QuickBooks will default to the "no sales rep" as shown in the report above.

RELATED INFORMATION:

• Running a Sales by Customer Summary Report in QuickBooks
• Running a Sales by Item Report in QuickBooks

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