I'm an electrician, not a bookeeper and need some help

Posted by Grover on August 30, 2008, 4:35 pm

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I love Quickbooks Pro 2008, but......

I maintain an inventory - usually non inventory items ( I buy for the
job, and usually include additional items to have "on-hand") - and
like the way Quickbooks lets me input my supplier invoices to set the
cost and markup of individual items.

What I don't like is that I have to select each item individually as a
line item on my invoice to the customer - they get to see my charge
for each individual outlet box, receptacle and switch. They usually
come back with "I could have gotten it cheaper at Home Depot"-
forgetting about my overhead - van, insurance, tools, liability
insurance, and expected "on-hand" items like connectors, staples, and
sundry bits of hardware.

Is there any way to "pick" items from my items list (which would
include quantity and marked up cost), and be able to enter the total
of that list as an item on my invoice to my customer?

Presently, I work up a materials list in Excel, total it, add my
markup, and add it as a line item on my invoice. I have even tried
creating a "dummy" invoice to account for all the material, and
manually entering the total from that invoice to my "real customer
invoice", but that fouls up my open invoices........

Thanks for comments and suggestions!

Grov

Posted by Gary Charpentier on August 31, 2008, 12:57 am

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Grover wrote:

> I love Quickbooks Pro 2008, but......

> I maintain an inventory - usually non inventory items ( I buy for the

> job, and usually include additional items to have "on-hand") - and

> like the way Quickbooks lets me input my supplier invoices to set the

> cost and markup of individual items.

> What I don't like is that I have to select each item individually as a

> line item on my invoice to the customer - they get to see my charge

> for each individual outlet box, receptacle and switch. They usually

> come back with "I could have gotten it cheaper at Home Depot"-

> forgetting about my overhead - van, insurance, tools, liability

> insurance, and expected "on-hand" items like connectors, staples, and

> sundry bits of hardware.

> Is there any way to "pick" items from my items list (which would

> include quantity and marked up cost), and be able to enter the total

> of that list as an item on my invoice to my customer?

> Presently, I work up a materials list in Excel, total it, add my

> markup, and add it as a line item on my invoice. I have even tried

> creating a "dummy" invoice to account for all the material, and

> manually entering the total from that invoice to my "real customer

> invoice", but that fouls up my open invoices........

> Thanks for comments and suggestions!

> Grov

A group is your friend.

Set one up, doesn't matter what's in it as you are going to change it every
time. Put it up on the invoice, add lines to it for everything sold. Have it
selected not to print detail. Enter the text you want on the invoice on the
last line.

Happness.

Oh, as for your problem. Boss used a contractor who used the Boss' home depot
credit card for the job. That way the contractor didn't have any finance issues
to deal with. I think he charged labor for the time shopping. Might be a
solution for those customers who want to nickel and dime. Perhaps a sundry
items line that is a percent of the total labor to cover those little things.

Posted by QBConsultant on August 31, 2008, 10:32 am

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I agree that you need to create a group. Go to the items list, add
new, Group. This should work for you! Good luck!

Michelle L. Long, CPA, MBA
Author of: Successful QuickBooks Consulting: The Complete Guide to
Starting and Growing a QuickBooks Consulting Business
http://www.SuccessfulQuickBooksConsulting.com
http://www.amazon.com/Successful-QuickBooks-Consulting-Comprehensive-starting/dp/14348106

Posted by Grover on August 31, 2008, 10:48 am

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Many thanks Gary!

I had tried a group before, but it always showed up on the screen
version of the invoice - never did try to print/email it to see that
the individual items do not show up.....

Grov

On Sat, 30 Aug 2008 21:57:17 -0700, Gary Charpentier

>Grover wrote:

>> I love Quickbooks Pro 2008, but......

>> I maintain an inventory - usually non inventory items ( I buy for the

>> job, and usually include additional items to have "on-hand") - and

>> like the way Quickbooks lets me input my supplier invoices to set the

>> cost and markup of individual items.

>> What I don't like is that I have to select each item individually as a

>> line item on my invoice to the customer - they get to see my charge

>> for each individual outlet box, receptacle and switch. They usually

>> come back with "I could have gotten it cheaper at Home Depot"-

>> forgetting about my overhead - van, insurance, tools, liability

>> insurance, and expected "on-hand" items like connectors, staples, and

>> sundry bits of hardware.

>> Is there any way to "pick" items from my items list (which would

>> include quantity and marked up cost), and be able to enter the total

>> of that list as an item on my invoice to my customer?

>> Presently, I work up a materials list in Excel, total it, add my

>> markup, and add it as a line item on my invoice. I have even tried

>> creating a "dummy" invoice to account for all the material, and

>> manually entering the total from that invoice to my "real customer

>> invoice", but that fouls up my open invoices........

>> Thanks for comments and suggestions!

>> Grov

>A group is your friend.

>Set one up, doesn't matter what's in it as you are going to change it every

>time. Put it up on the invoice, add lines to it for everything sold. Have it

>selected not to print detail. Enter the text you want on the invoice on the

>last line.

>Happness.

>Oh, as for your problem. Boss used a contractor who used the Boss' home depot

>credit card for the job. That way the contractor didn't have any finance issues

>to deal with. I think he charged labor for the time shopping. Might be a

>solution for those customers who want to nickel and dime. Perhaps a sundry

>items line that is a percent of the total labor to cover those little things.