Practicing with the Sample Company Files

Practicing with the Sample Company Files

At any time, either before or after you have set up your company in QuickBooks, you can open one of the sample company files that accompany your QuickBooks program and experiment with various features of QuickBooks without altering information in your own company file.

Practice with the Sample Company Files

The first time you open QuickBooks, you see the Welcome To QuickBooks screen. Later you might see a different welcome screen, with the same options. Click the option to Explore QuickBooks. If no welcome screen appears, skip to step 7.

Select one of the files for a sample business.

If you are upgrading from an earlier version of QuickBooks, you might be asked to update your sample file to the new version. Type the word yes to perform the update.

Click OK.

If you were required to upgrade your sample file from an earlier version, QuickBooks requires you to create a backup file before the upgrade can be completed. Click Yes to proceed with creating the backup. (If you are asked to accept the defaults, click OK.)

Continue clicking Yes on the next screens to complete the backup process.

If the introductory screen did not appear automatically, select File, Open Company from the QuickBooks menu.

Click the name of the sample file you want to use.

Click Open.

You are reminded that this is a sample file. Click OK to gain access to the sample file data.

Entering Data for a New Company

The process of entering company data has the effect of customizing QuickBooks so the program becomes a unique financial information resource for your company. Use the checklist that follows this section to help gather the information you need to make the setup process smooth and efficient. When you open QuickBooks the first time, you are given several choices of actions to take. Select the option to Create a new company and you'll be ready to begin entering your company data.

The company file is the term QuickBooks gives to the place on your computer where your company's financial information is stored. When you select the option to open a new company file, the EasyStep Interview begins. Follow along, answering each question as well as you can. You can make corrections later if necessary.

Open a New Company File and Follow the Interview Questions

Select the Create A New Company File option from the Welcome screen (your Welcome screen might look like the one presented here, or it might look like the one shown in the previous task). Selecting this option opens the EasyStep Interview. If the Welcome Screen doesn't open automatically, choose File, New Company from the menu.

Click the Start Interview button to begin the EasyStep Interview.

Enter the name under which your company does business and the legal name of your company.

Enter the federal identification number for your company.

Enter the address, phone number, and other requested information about your company.

Click the Next button to proceed through the EasyStep Interview.

This step is optional. You can enter an administrator password or leave the field blank. If you enter a password, re-enter the password to make sure there is no error, then click Next.

You are asked to give your company a filename. All your company data is stored in this file. From this point forward, you can exit the interview at any time (see "Stopping and Restarting the Interview," later in this chapter) and your data is saved.

Click Save.