Have you decided that QuickBooks Online is no longer the right fit for you or your clients’ business needs? Converting QuickBooks Online to Desktop is a decision that you likely did not come to overnight or lightly. There is a lot that goes into any technology migration, and just thinking about all the steps and unknowns of switching tools may be enough to make you reconsider. But should you sacrifice the software your business, accounting firm, or clients need because of all the potential issues of converting QuickBooks Online to the QuickBooks Desktop version of your choice? The answer, of course, is no.
To learn more on this topic, register for the Insightful Accountant webinar, "Benefits of Moving QuickBooks Desktop Clients to the Cloud" on June 9, 2021 at 12 p.m. Register here.
Why Convert from QuickBooks Online to QuickBooks Desktop?
The answer depends on what features and functionality your business needs from QuickBooks. For many businesses, QuickBooks Online is a strong choice. As a software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution, it gives businesses access to QuickBooks in the cloud and there are several different versions with different features available at each level.
However even though QuickBooks Online has continued to evolve over the years, QuickBooks Desktop is more feature-rich and robust. For example, QuickBooks Desktop allows you to undo bulk transactions, revert to prior versions of a company file, complete batch invoicing, and use advanced reporting.
Depending on the size and complexity of your business and QuickBooks data and files — and the level of customization you prefer —QuickBooks Desktop is likely to be the stronger choice. If that’s the case, the good news is you don’t have to lose the benefits of the cloud when transferring to a hosted desktop version. You can easily host your QuickBooks Desktop software in the cloud to continue to have anytime, anywhere access as well as real-time collaboration.
QuickBooks offers a helpful comparison of what can be done in QuickBooks Online versus QuickBooks Desktop here.
Put Your QuickBooks Hosting Provider to Work
Once you have made the decision, you are ready to start the QuickBooks hosting migration process. What does that process entail?
- Clean up all your QuickBooks files and data.
- Create backups of your company files.
- Buy or lease your QuickBooks Desktop software plus hosting subscription from an Intuit Authorized Hosting Provider you trust.
- Use a conversion tool to start the conversion process and make sure the files to convert are compatible with the tool.
- After migrating your data, compare reports between the old and new files, check through customer data, check settings and configurations, connect bank, credit card accounts, and payments and invoicing.
- Connect any of your third-party apps.
If that list is making you sweat, never fear. Rather than taking hours of your own time to make the switch (hours that would be much better spent elsewhere!), rely on a hosting partner who will take on the migration process and ensure an effortless transition. That means you do not have to worry about managing these steps... sounds good, right?
Many issues can arise when converting from QuickBooks Online, and your hosting provider should have the capability to manage them. Not every provider includes this service, so confirm your hosting partner will undertake the migration process before choosing. Your hosting provider should also perform transition of all your licensed third-party applications. The process is relatively fast - QuickBooks migration to hosted desktop is done the same day. Instead of spending hours yourself, the right hosting provider takes on the challenges, so there is one less headache for you or your clients.
The switch from QuickBooks Online to a hosted desktop version is a smart move and easy to do with the right partner. Improved functionality, enterprise-grade security, and 24/7 hosting support far outweigh concerns about transition hassles. If you have been on the fence, equip yourself with a trusted hosting provider and take the plunge.
To learn more on this topic, register for the Insightful Accountant webinar, "Benefits of Moving QuickBooks Desktop Clients to the Cloud" on June 9, 2021 at 12 p.m. Register here.