That Bookkeeper - Latest Comments

Re: Dear PayPal. This Canadian has a few requests.

Schwabe — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 18:23:31 -0000

Would love to see faster PayPal payments too! Though generally I find payments are delivered a bit faster than they say, it's more like within 4-5 days. Ex- if you get paid and withdraw money on Monday, usually you'll have it by Thursday or Friday at the latest.

Re: 2 Great Bookkeeping Sites

thatbookkeeper — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 11:26:54 -0000

Hi Erica,

Thanks so much for the comment. I'll be checking out those other bookkeepers today.

I would love to take you up on that offer. Once I get out from underneath this big pile of paperwork, you'll be hearing from me.

Re: 2 Great Bookkeeping Sites

E.T. Barton — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 02:15:13 -0000

Hey Eric...Erica here. As in "Erica, The One Hour Bookkeeper." Thank you for the referral. I could definitely point you to some interesting bookkeepers. One of my faves is Linda Hunt of www.SumSolutions.com. Sylvia Jaumann is another good one. I like the tone of your blog too, and if you ever want to write for me, shoot me a line. ETBarton@OneHourBookkeeper.com.

Re: Ask ThatBookkeeper: Whose job is it to use Freshbooks?

Schwabe — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 00:37:43 -0000

Great post! Freshbooks is amazing for revenue, but still lacking polish for expenses (although for most it's probably just fine).

Re: 2 Great Bookkeeping Sites

English in london — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 23:38:42 -0000

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Re: 2 Great Bookkeeping Sites

learn english manchester — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 23:33:52 -0000

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Re: ThatPick (July 14, 2011): Arkli

thatbookkeeper — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 13:44:06 -0000

That's great Mike. Thanks.

I usually write my posts in Windows Live Writer, but if I'm ever editing things online, especially if I'm getting a campaign ready, it's nice to be able to get into the code.

I can't wait to see what you've got in store.

Re: ThatPick (July 14, 2011): Arkli

mike_j_potter — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 12:37:20 -0000

We took out the option to see the raw HTML because we figure most people wouldn't use it. We can easily add it back in for our "advanced" users. :) I'll add that as a bug to get fixed quickly and let you know when its done.

2. Looks like you have the Wordpress plugin working. Using the plugin you can import drafts into Arkli, and use them as the basis to schedule your campaigns.

If you like that wordpress plugin you should see what we're working on next. :)Mike

Re: ThatPick (July 14, 2011): Arkli

thatbookkeeper — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 12:28:21 -0000

Ok, never mind on #2.

I just went to write another draft, and Voila! Here's a screenshot of what I saw. Now that, my friends, is what I call integration.

Re: ThatPick (July 14, 2011): Arkli

thatbookkeeper — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 12:01:41 -0000

Thanks Mike.

I'm sure it's more clear on the site. I, as usual, was so excited to try it out, that I may have overlooked that detail. I'll update the post to reflect this, in case someone doesn't read the comments.

I've got two questions.

1. Is there a way to access the raw html when you're in the blog post editor? I can't see it.

2. Is there a way to access current drafts from my blog, and use those in a new campaign? I come up with post ideas all the time, and usually just keep them as drafts in WP. It would be great to be able to pick up where I left off with those drafts, instead of starting a new post.

Once again, thanks for your comment. I love it when owners get out there and personally interact with the community. These are the companies I want to support. Good luck with Arkli.

Re: Thinking Back About Freshbooks

thatbookkeeper — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 11:52:29 -0000

Wow, what a great way to start my day. Thank you so much for the kind words. I'm glad you like the site. If you ever have any comments or questions, don't hesitate to let me know.

Re: ThatPick (July 14, 2011): Arkli

mike_j_potter — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 08:40:59 -0000

Thanks for the great review of Arkli. I'd be more than happy to give you a quick demo of Arkli and some of the more advanced features in the tool.
Just a few clarifications: We count your blog as a social media channel - so you can have 1 blog, 1 Twitter account and 1 Facebook account linked to the free account. We will clarify that on our website as some people wouldn't consider YouTube or a blog to be a social media account.
As a small startup (we've only been in business since January) we're looking for feedback from users on everything from the sites we should support, the user experience and user interface, as well as pricing. I appreciate all the feedback and look forward to the comments.
Thanks,
Mike
CEO of Arkli - Your Social Campaign Manager

Re: Thinking Back About Freshbooks

Virtual Business Assistant — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 00:43:41 -0000

Thanks for the share and loved reading it. I loved what you have done here. The design is elegant, your stuff classy. Yet, you have got an edginess to what you're offering here. Ill definitely come back for more .

Re: Freshbooks–The Verdict

thatbookkeeper — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 17:21:32 -0000

Thanks for the comment.

Very true. This hasn't been easy in the past. It's hard enough just transferring data between 2 QuickBooks databases.

According to this blog post (http://bit.ly/iC8ICv), Freshbooks is about to join forces with Intuit to make this easier. I really hope they get this to work smoothly.

Re: Freshbooks–The Verdict

Nnganwian — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 23:57:18 -0000

To get data in/out of quickbooks you have to use Quickbooks SDK, a poorly documented API for accessing Quickbooks data (the guideline says "Do NOT attempt to develop using the SDK without the QBSDK Message Syntax and Descriptions to guide you). Need I say more.

In any case, Quickbooks lives on a PC and Freshbooks lives in a browser. You would need an intermediary PC program to access the Quickbooks API and the Freshbooks API. A daunting task Freshbooks has yet to undertake.

Re: Linux bookkeeping: calculating payroll

thatbookkeeper — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 11:45:05 -0000

Good point. Or even setting up Freshbooks & Shoeboxed accounts, and having it be part of a special online bundle. If I had as much time as I did ideas that need implementing...could somebody please work on the 30 hour day for me?

Re: Linux bookkeeping: calculating payroll

Schwabe — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 11:21:52 -0000

I see yeah that does inflate costs. Though from your client's perspective, some might be okay with paying a premium for shared access to a web based accounting solution like Xero. And apparently you can get a discount as a 'partner':
http://www.xero.com/partners/b...

Looking forward to your rundown of the online options.

Re: Linux bookkeeping: calculating payroll

thatbookkeeper — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 08:33:48 -0000

I've checked out quite a few of them. Xero, WorkingPoint, and WaveAccounting all have full featured accounting options. The big benefits to QuickBooks are for the bookkeeper/accountant, rather than the business owner.

I can get a full featured accountant edition of QB for $25/month. The same plan on Xero is $39, and $19 on WorkingPoint, but that's per company. Since I have multiple clients, I would need to setup separate accounts for each one, which makes it more expensive. It's also nice to not have to manage multiple logins.

WaveAccounting is a free option, but I believe WorkingPoint is the only one that supports full inventory management, which I sometimes need. Finally, payroll. I'm not sure why this is an expensive or non-existent add-on. Xero, Freshbooks, and Wave don't do it at all, and WorkingPoint charges $50/month (per client).

I so desperately wish that someone would come along and solve this from a bookkeeper's perspective. Even Quickbooks own online product (US only) would cost me $65/month per client. If I had the time and the skills, I'd just write my own. Maybe someday...

Thanks for the discussion. Given the length of my reply, I think I need to do another post on this, with some comparisons between the online options.

Re: Linux bookkeeping: calculating payroll

Schwabe — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 22:19:09 -0000

Regarding a web based solution, have you taken a look at Xero ?
http://www.xero.com

Well funded too, we'll definitely be hearing more of them:
http://www.crunchbase.com/comp...

Re: Linux bookkeeping: calculating payroll

thatbookkeeper — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 16:09:37 -0000

Thanks for the comment.

My only concern is with QuickBooks. I've heard horror stories about having database issues when running it virtually. If I were to lose or corrupt my client's files, I'd be in big trouble. If I find a solution for QB, or if I ever migrate to an online or Open Source option, I'll no longer have a need for Windows, even virtually. Wouldn't that be nice?

Re: Linux bookkeeping: calculating payroll

Schwabe — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 15:18:28 -0000

If you want to stick with Ubuntu long term, I might recommend setting up your Windows install as a virtual machine. This way you can boot into Windows from inside Ubuntu. I've been using VMWare Workstation to boot into Windows 7 from Ubuntu for when I need to use Windows-only software.

Re: 5 Steps to Spring Cleaning Your Home Office

thatbookkeeper — Thu, 26 May 2011 16:48:43 -0000

Thanks Corie,

I couldn't agree more. Nothing kills a good workflow like having to constantly search for the files you need. I find the constant struggle for me is balancing the need for a clutter-free workspace, and having all my files close by. With all the paper I deal with on a daily basis, having it all near me can get overwhelming. I suppose that's what I get for being a bookkeeper.

Thanks so much for your comment.

Re: 5 Steps to Spring Cleaning Your Home Office

Corie Drane — Thu, 26 May 2011 16:35:58 -0000

It's important to do those things, whether it's springtime or not! I mean, offices should always be clean, so that a person wouldn't had hard times while working! The most significant thing to do, I guess, is to keep important files organized. It would be of great help to use time in working, rather than finding necessary files. It's good to place them beside you, though, so that they will all be reachable!

Re: Dropbox–Now Even Better For Your Business

thatbookkeeper — Sun, 15 May 2011 11:13:02 -0000

Hi Katybeth. Thanks for the comment.

I use Evernote a lot too. I use it to keep track of notes, screenshots, and various bits and pieces I come across during the day. Dropbox is where I store the important files I need to access on a regular basis. I suppose if what you needed to backup and sync was mostly documents, you could use Evernote for that as well.

I certainly have done some work remotely, although up until now most of my clients have been local. Please let me know if you need any help with your business.

Re: Dropbox–Now Even Better For Your Business

Katybeth — Sun, 15 May 2011 08:23:06 -0000

I love Evernote--what do you find the differences are between Evernote and Dropbox? Do you work with people virtually or just in the Alberta area?