Sunburst Software Solutions Inc

When setting up your QuickBooks Item List have you ever wished that you had access to the CSI (Construction Specifications Institute) Cost Code List? MasterFormat™ is the specifications-writing standard for most commercial building design and construction projects in North America. It lists titles and section numbers for organizing data about construction requirements, products, and activities. By standardizing such information, MasterFormat facilitates communication among architects, specifiers, contractors and suppliers, which help them meet building owners' requirements, timelines, and budgets.

170 pages. From the June 2007 Newsletter.

So how do you find a "good" bookkeeper and test their knowledge before hiring them?  Well, we have scoured the internet searching for a "good" QuickBooks and Construction Bookkeeping Test, and while we have found some that would test an applicant's basic knowledge of QuickBooks as well as some basic accounting knowledge, none have addressed any construction related functions.

8 pages.  From the April 2007 Newsletter

IMPORTANT:  To receive the answers to the Construction Bookkeepers Test, you must request them This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it (NO phone calls please) and provide your company name and phone number – we will only provide the answers to legitimate business owners.

We will devote an entire lesson on the QuickBooks Menu's and what they contain. Knowing how to get around Quickbooks and where to find certain functions will be very beneficial to you as you begin to use the program.

Intuit has put the most commonly used features in plain site....right on the Home Page. You are allowed to add other functions that you will frequently use to the Home page, when you begin to setup your QuickBooks Preferences (Lesson 4). However, the Menu's do contain other equally as important, though less often used, functions and it is in your best interest to know where they are and what they are for.

16 pages.

What should a "New Hire Packet" contain? Federal W-4, State W-4, and Form I-9 at a minimum. Additionally, you may want to utilize our free "New Hire Checklist" to provide your bookkeeper with additional information about the employee.

5 pages. From the March 2007 Newsletter.

There are numerous ways in which you can perform accounting for your construction contracts; many Quickbooks ProAdvisors and even CPA's will recommend that you use "work in progress", but is that really the right or best choice for your business? Read about these various methods in this resource from the IRS and decide for yourself.

8 pages. From the March 2007 Newsletter.

A companion piece to the Construction Tax Tips - Accounting for Construction article; Accounting Methods for Construction Contracts was published by the Internal Revenue Service, Small Business and Self-Employed, Taxpayer Education and Communication.

26 pages. From the March 2007 Newsletter.

QuickBooks for Contractors Training - Lesson 2 - The EasyStep Interview is geared toward new QuickBooks users who are coming from a manual method of tracking their business income and expenses or those who are coming to QuickBooks from another accounting program and provides a basic overview of setting up a QuickBooks company file from scatch.

We'll devote an entire lesson on the EasyStep Interview, because it's not so easy and tends to point you in the wrong direction in some instances. By selecting the options we'll be demonstrating in a sample "walk through" of the entire EasyStep Interview process will enable you to use QuickBooks to its fullest potential for your construction business.

32 pages. From the September 2006 QuickBooks for Contractors Newsletter.

QuickBooks for Contractors - Lesson 1 - Getting Started is intended for new QuickBooks users, or users who feel that they would like a "refresher" course and will introduce you to the QuickBooks Premier Contractor Edition.

We will also talk about:

• QuickBooks capabilities and limitations
• Why you need to keep books for your business
• Discuss how much bookkeeping and accounting knowledge you must have
• Discuss Cash and Accrual based accounting methods
• Discuss how your accounting method affects QuickBooks

41 pages. From the June 2006 QuickBooks for Contractors Newsletter.