The Intuit Community Blog

Hurry up and leave!

What helps me stay refreshed at work is being able to travel when I’m not at work. The hustle and bustle of an airport is relaxing to me (I know, I’m weird). Even getting pulled aside for extra screening while going through security doesn’t bother me (unless I’m running late for a flight).

 

Is there something out there that helps you unwind? I know in this economy everyone is saving their pennies, but sometimes overdoing it at work can lead to a less-productive environment. So; if it’s been a while since you’ve taken some time off – go to the beach, the store, the other side of the country – or wherever you need to go to relax.

 

If you’re like me and traveling is your thing, through the end of today, SouthWest Airlines is having a 30/60/90 sale where you can book travel for as low as $30 each way.

 

http://www.southwest.com

 

Good luck and happy flying!

Create your own Wiki Page!

Did you know you could create your own Wiki sub-page on the Intuit Community? If you have created a work-around or even an extensive guide, this is a great place to post it. You will even have a direct link to your Wiki-page to post in your blog, or own site.

Do you have content that doesn't fall under a current Wiki category? Just email the Intuit Community team with your idea. One of the Hosts will get back to you about your idea so we can get more help for other users posted on the site.

Thanks to everyone who has already contributed to the Wiki's, and everyone who plans on contributing in the future!

New Partner: Vertical Response!

VerticalResponse Now Available on the Intuit® Workplace!

You wanted a simple integration with your QuickBooks account? You got it!

You know you deliver professional looking email marketing, postcards and online survey campaigns, with VerticalResponse, an intuitive and affordable web-based marketing solution. Now we're making it even easier for you to grow your business.

Tired of downloading your data from QuickBooks and uploading it into VerticalResponse? Now with the Intuit Workplace, you can create an account and  easily transfer your QuickBooks Customer data with standard fields into your VerticalResponse account.

Already an existing VerticalResponse User?

If you already have a VerticalResponse account, all you need now is to install the VerticalResponse for Intuit Workplace app into your Workplace account and set it up to use your QuickBooks data.

Installing VerticalResponse for Intuit Workplace - You Only Have to Do This Once!

1. Go to the VerticalResponse for Intuit Workplace Application 
2. Click on the "Signup Now" link that will take you to the Workplace login page. If you haven't yet, create a Workplace account now. It takes just a minute.
3. Once logged in to the Workplace, you'll be asked to "Choose a Subscription Plan". Select "Free Trial" and click on "Next".
4. When you've agreed to the Terms Of Service, click on "Subscribe".
5. From the Confirmation page, click on "Go to this application".

Setting Up Your App To Use QuickBooks data

1. You'll be asked if you'd like to use your QuickBooks data. Go ahead and select "Use QuickBooks Data" and click on "Next". 
2. A Java installer will download the Workplace Sync plugin and install it on to your PC (Sorry not available for Mac). Depending on the number of records you have in your QuickBooks Company file, it may take Intuit a while to sync your QuickBooks data in to the Workplace. i.e. 1000 records takes about 15 minutes. Download Workplace Sync FAQ Document
   
   
   
3. Once you've completed installing the Workplace Sync app, go ahead and proceed to the VerticalResponse for Intuit Workplace app.
4. Enter your VerticalResponse password and you're ready to mail to your QuickBooks customers. Make sure you bring over your data often so you'll always have an up-to-date list in your VerticalResponse account.

* For security purpose, you'll only need to enter your password the first time you access your account through the integration.
* Works with QuickBooks: QuickBooks 2009 (QuickBooks Pro, Premier, Enterprise)

Intuit to Acquire PayCycle

Intuit to Acquire PayCycle Companies Joining Forces to Provide new Online Payroll Offerings to Small Businesses, Accountants and Financial Institutions MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. – Jun. 02, 2009 – Intuit Inc. (Nasdaq: INTU) has signed a definitive agreement to purchase PayCycle Inc., one of the nation’s fastest-growing online payroll services, serving more than 85,000 small businesses. The cash transaction is valued at approximately $170 million, subject to adjustment. Privately held PayCycle, based in Palo Alto, Calif., is a leader in online payroll for small businesses, accountants and financial institutions. The acquisition will give small businesses access to one of the most innovative, easy-to-use and cost-effective online payroll solutions from one of the strongest and most trusted brands in financial management software. In addition, it will provide hundreds of thousands of accountants with the ability to easily and profitably offer services as stand-alone payroll providers for their small business customers. Customer Value          “We’ll offer small businesses a range of low-cost, high-value alternatives to expensive payroll outsourcers and time-consuming, error-prone manual payroll methods,” said Nora Denzel, senior vice president and general manager of Intuit Employee Management Solutions. “In addition, the acquisition will enable Intuit to develop and deploy the next generation of online payroll tools more quickly.”          PayCycle chief executive Jim Heeger, a former Intuit chief financial officer, said the two companies’ strengths complement each other.           “We share a common vision: using the Internet to deliver a secure and easy-to-use payroll solution to small businesses,” said Heeger. “Like Intuit, our employees are proven innovators and industry thought-leaders who develop and deliver game-changing offerings that redefine traditional ways of doing things.” Strategic Importance  The acquisition supports Intuit’s strategic goals in two ways.         First, it underscores the company’s connected services strategy, which is designed to give customers online access to its products and services. Today, Intuit derives more than half its total revenue from connected services offerings.         Expanding the online capability of its payroll offering advances Intuit’s move into the “software as a service” markets for small business. As a result, the company expects to accelerate the growth rate of its overall payroll business.         In addition, PayCycle’s partnerships with financial institutions are expected to extend Intuit’s ability to offer integrated payroll solutions to an even larger set of partners and deliver a simple payroll solution to a greater number of small businesses.

Intuit Invites America to Vote for Favorite Entrepreneur

Fifty 'Small Business United' Grant Competition Finalists Eligible to Win Up to $30,000

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. – May. 18, 2009 – Fifty entrepreneurs will soon have more money in their pockets to give their businesses a boost in this tough economy. All are finalists in the Small Business United Grant Competition sponsored by Intuit Inc. (Nasdaq: INTU), maker of the best-selling QuickBooks® financial software. Each finalist will receive a $5,000 business grant, plus free Intuit software and services.

Judges selected the finalists from more than 1,900 submissions. The finalists hail from 43 cities in 23 states, coast to coast, and range from architects and accountants to restaurateurs and retailers.

But the race isn’t over yet. The finalists are now competing for an additional grand prize of $25,000, or one of four $10,000 runner-up grants. To win, they need America’s help.

To make their case, finalists created videos telling their personal business stories that are available at www.smallbusinessunited.com. The videos range from anecdotes about overcoming adversity to serving customers better during tough economic times. The public can view and rate the videos until May 31.

In addition, a judging panel including Anita Campbell of Small Business Trends, Donna Ettenson of The Association of Small Business Development Centers, John Jantsch of Duct Tape Marketing, and Becky McCray of Small Biz Survival, will also evaluate the videos. They will select the grand prize and runner-up winners based on quality, creativity and the public ratings. The public opinion will account for 40 percent of the overall score and is based on whether the videos are inspiring, useful or funny.

“These finalists truly reflect the can-do spirit of small business and America’s entrepreneurs,” said Kiran Patel, executive vice president and general manager of Intuit’s small business group. “It was tough for the judges to narrow the list from the nearly 2,000 entries we received. We appreciate all of the businesses that entered the competition, for sharing their stories of inspiration and aspiration, and bringing the small business community together over the past few months.”

The competition is part of Intuit’s Small Business United initiative, launched earlier this year to give America’s 27 million small businesses a boost. More than 1 million entrepreneurs have visited the Small Business United Web site to seek advice from their peers and to take advantage of the campaign’s other offerings, which include free Intuit products, services and resources.

Small Business United Grant Competition Finalists

Steve Bardocz, Savance (Livonia, Mich.)
Melissa Baswell, Mountains of the Moon (Chicago, Ill.)
Maya Bhat-Gregerson, Compostable Plates, LLC (Vancouver, Wash.)
Andrew Brown, Global Language Network (GLN) (Washington, D.C.)
Jana Chang, Haute Fan Couture (St. Augustine, Fla.)
Payson Cooper, Payson & Co., LLC (New York, N.Y.)
Andria Davis, Brushy Mountain Publishing (Asheville, N.C.)
Joshua Davis, The Gelato Fiasco (Brunswick, Maine)
Charlotte Devine, Charlotte A. Devine, CPB Financial Management (Monroe, La.)
Dina DiNucci, Park Place Coffee (Portland, Oreg. )
Dorothy Fest, PiggyBack Books (Long Beach, Calif.)
Perry Foulke, Perry Foulke Makeup (New York, N.Y.)
Kimberly Funasaki, Little Ambassadors (Honolulu, Hawaii)
John Hand IV, Syzygic, LLC (Boulder, Colo.)
Tom Harding, Art Aids Art/Home in the 'Hood (Altadena, Calif.)
Cathy Henry, J-Dig Cards (Dallas, Tex.)
LaRayne Jeffries, Angels Camp RV & Camping Resort (Rocklin, Calif.)
Maia Josebachvili, Urban Escapes (Great Neck, N.Y.)
Steve Kunert, SNK Enterprises, Inc. (Cedar Rapids, Iowa)
Michael Madden, Broadcasters Mentoring Group (Calabasas, Calif.)
Annie Maribona, Fat Fancy (Portland, Oreg.)
Eric Paul Meredith, Alter EatGo (Chicago, Ill.)
Roger Moore, Pura Stainless (Big Sky, Mont.)
Matt Raye Moreno, Timeless Imagery (Reno, Nev.)
Alison Mountford, Square Meals (San Francisco, Calif.)
Kim Moyer, Kaizen Farm (Meridian, Idaho)
Suzanne Nicksic, Organic Garden Company (Chicago, Ill.)
Nicole Palczynski, Gold 'N Dulcinea (Santa Monica, Calif.)
Todd Petitt, Africa Bags (Loveland, Colo.)
Jennifer Pleiman, Focused Trainers (Los Altos, Calif.)
Eric Ratinoff, act3 (St. Louis, Mo.)
Paul Rosenfeld, FanMinder (Mountain View, Calif.)
Ioana Sherman, Ioana's Music Lessons (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
Alice Shin, Kogi BBQ (La Crescenta, Calif.)
Wayne Siefert, Green Packaging, Inc. (Lansdale, Penn.)
Emily Mae Starr, StarrMatica Learning Systems (Clinton, Iowa)
Cathy Strobel, Southern Breeze Equestrian Center, Inc. (Sugar Land, Tex.)
Gen Tanabe, SuperCollege (Belmont, Calif.)
Kelly Tanabe, SuperCollege (Belmont, Calif.)
Valentina Tacchi, Valentina Fine Italian Hosiery (Oregon House, Calif.)
Rachel Tayse Baillieul, BayingHound (Columbus, Ohio)
Julie Theel, Pet Generation, (Rancho Mirage, Calif.)
Terre Thomas, Fairy Godmother (Minneapolis, Minn.)
Gillian Verga, Weightcircles (Los Gatos, Calif.)
Donna von Hoesslin, Betty Belts (Ventura, Calif.)
Amy Walton, Easy As Pie (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.)
Leslie West, BlueDotPapershop.com (Plymouth, Mich.)
Derrick Wills, ID Graphics, Inc. (Decatur, Ga.)
Kathy Wolper, Kathy's Just Desserts, Inc. (East Norriton, Penn.)
Johnna Zeigler, Oregon Rain Soap (Tualatin, Oreg.)
 

Quick links:

• View the stories of the 50 finalists
• Read and rate videos
• Watch the Small Business United video

Resources:

• Intuit Press Room
• Intuit on Twitter
• Small Business United Blog

About Intuit Small Business United Campaign

Intuit’s Small Business United campaign is designed to bring America's entrepreneurs together and to fuel their growth by providing free products, services and resources that help them attract customers, save money and make money. Visit www.smallbusinessunited.com for more information about the initiative and information on how to redeem free business tools and products from Intuit.

Another exciting event...

Small businesses are owed more than $33 billion in overdue payments. Find out how to decrease your risk in this area and other challenges in a tough economy at the Intuit Money Matters Town Hall, May 14 at 10:45 a.m. Pacific Time, or 2:15 p.m. Pacific Time http://bit.ly/intuitth

Help us improve our content

Check out this wiki submission about Payroll.... and provide feedback, edits, etc.

From our lab: A free tool to get customers..

Check out our free tool to get new customers for free. Lear more.

 

 

Check out our new free tool to get local customers.  learn more

 

The "learn more" link should point to: http://intuitlabs.com/apps/lasso

-Tommy

Sole Proprietorship Webinar

We had a great webinar today on Sole Proprietorship and QuickBooks

See powerpoint below and /or click here for recording (video and audio)

Sole Proprietor and Accounting

View more presentations from skwilder.