Free QuickBooks Tutorial (2020)

QuickBooks is one of the best ways to manage the finances in your business. However, it’s not the simplest tool to learn.

Here at Simon Sez IT, we’ve been making quality QuickBooks training tutorials for over ten years. We’ve watched as the tool has evolved and developed into the excellent tool you see today.

We’ve taken a big piece of our QuickBooks Pro 2020 course and made it available as a free QuickBooks tutorial below. No sign-up, no payment, just 4 hours of quality QuickBooks training.

Note: This free training is recorded in QuickBooks Pro Desktop 2020.

The guide below shows you where to find the different sections in this free QuickBooks tutorial:

Section 1 – Introduction

• 0:00:08 – Welcome and Overview
• 0:01:13 – QuickBooks Desktop vs. Online version
• 0:07:11 – QuickBooks Desktop versions explained
• 0:10:53 – QuickBooks 2020 New features Overview -PC version
• 0:21:10 – QuickBooks 2020 New features Overview – MAC version

Section 2 – Getting Started

• 0:26:34 – Setting Up Your Company File in QuickBooks
• 0:29:40 – Using the Easy Step Interview Part. 1
• 0:38:27 – Using the Easy Step Interview Part. 2
• 0:45:04 – My Company overview
• 0:49:03 – Identifying the components of the QuickBooks environment
• 0:57:57 – Converting QuickBooks desktop data to the online version

Section 3 – Customizing the QuickBooks Environment

• 0:59:43 – Preferences part 1
• 1:09:24 – Preferences part 2
• 1:17:31 – Working with users in QuickBooks
• 1:25:44 – Chart of Accounts in QuickBooks part 1
• 1:37:04 – Chart of Accounts in QuickBooks part 2
• 1:47:35 – QuickBooks Sample Files
• 1:51:31 – Company file search in QuickBooks – NEW!

Section 4 – Working with Customers and Jobs

• 1:53:34 – Working with customers and jobs part 1
• 2:05:08 – Working with customers and jobs part 2
• 2:14:21 – Estimates in QuickBooks part 1
• 2:23:55 – Estimates in QuickBooks part 2
• 2:32:15 – Invoicing from estimates in QuickBooks part 1
• 2:42:12 – Invoicing from estimates in QuickBooks part 2
• 2:47:05 – Invoicing customers for products and services in QuickBooks
• 2:49:07 – Receiving customer payments in QuickBooks
• 2:58:35 – Making deposits in QuickBooks
• 3:07:59 – Creating credit memos in QuickBooks
• 3:15:03 – Creating customer statements in QuickBooks
• 3:18:43 – Income Tracker in QuickBooks

Section 5 – Working with Vendors

• 3:22:28 – Working with Vendors in QuickBooks
• 3:31:42 – Entering bills in QuickBooks
• 3:40:10 – Paying bills in QuickBooks
• 3:46:13 – Credit Memos in QuickBooks

Section 6 – Working with Items and Inventory

• 3:49:01 – Working with items in QuickBooks part 1
• 3:57:55 – Working with items in QuickBooks part 2
• 4:04:44 – Creating Purchase Orders in QuickBooks
• 4:10:14 – Receiving Items in QuickBooks
• 4:14:17 – Creating bills for Items in QuickBooks
• 4:18:29 – Paying for Items in QuickBooks
• 4:20:10 – Manually adjusting Inventory in QuickBooks

Go here to see the QuickBooks 2019 free course.

For more information on QuickBooks, take a look at our free QuickBooks resources.

Free QuickBooks Tutorial By Section

If that all looks a bit overwhelming, or you’d rather have your QuickBooks training in the written word, then keep reading.

Below, we have separated the video above into easy-to-digest sections. Each section links to an article that contains the full transcript for that section of the QuickBooks course. 

Section 1 – Introduction

In this section, the course author, Cindy, introduces herself and explains the different versions of QuickBooks available. You must watch this first part as this course is for QuickBooks Desktop users. If you are using QuickBooks Online, then this free course isn’t for you!

We then show you some of the new features available in QuickBooks 2020. These features won’t make a lot of sense if you are brand new to QuickBooks. If you’re upgrading from an older version, then definitely watch this part!

See the full section 1 transcript.

Section 2 – Getting Started

In this section, we really get started! In section 2, we teach you how to set up your Company File in QuickBooks. You can have multiple Company Files in QuickBooks, but having a Company File is essential. 

QuickBooks has an easy-to-use tool called the Easy Step Interview that will help you get this set up. We show you how to fill in the information for your business. We then talk you through how to edit this information using the My Company feature.

See the full section 2 transcript.

Section 3 – Customizing the QuickBooks Environment

In Section 3, we continue to show you how to set up QuickBooks to suit your business. First, we teach you how to adjust your Preferences. After that, we move on to one of the most critical parts of QuickBooks – The Chart of Accounts. We help you get your Chart of Accounts set up in QuickBooks and use a template using the QuickBooks Sample Files.

See the full section 3 transcript.

Section 4 – Working with Customers and Jobs

In Section 4, we look in detail at Customers, Jobs, Estimates, and Invoicing. Most of the tools you’ll need to use as a bookkeeper or someone in an Accounts Receivable department.

After invoicing, estimates, customers, and jobs, we move onto dealing with deposits, payments, credit memos, customer statements, and the Income tracker in QuickBooks. We cover all your expenses in this chapter!

See the full section 4 transcript.

Section 5 – Working with Vendors

Section 5 is all about vendors, including how to enter bills in QuickBooks, how to pay bills in QuickBooks, and how to produce credit memos in QuickBooks. 

See the full section 5 transcript.

Section 6 – Working with Items and Inventory

Section 6 is our final section of this free course. In this section, we look at Items and Inventory in QuickBooks. Items are things that you sell to your customers or the things that you purchase for your business. Inventory is stock that you hold.

We also look at creating Purchase Orders for items in QuickBooks, creating bills for items, paying for items, and performing a manual adjustment for Inventory in QuickBooks.

See the full section 6 transcript.

This free course is taken from the full Simon Sez IT QuickBooks 2020 course. To get the remainder of the course you’ve just watched, you can become a full, Simon Sez IT member for only $25/month.

You can view the full range of QuickBooks courses that Simon Sez IT offers by going here.

Cindy McGuckin

Cindy McGuckin is an IT trainer with over 20 years of experience. Cindy currently manages the IT Training Department at Trident Technical College, she's a Member of the Association of IT Professionals, Charleston, SC chapter and the Treasurer of the South Carolina Association of Continuing Higher Education.Cindy is a Microsoft Office and QuickBooks expert and her online courses have received hundreds of 5-star reviews. Her no-nonsense approach to teaching complicated topics makes her classes engaging and interesting.