Cougar Mountain Sucks!!

Question:

We are a small company (9 employees) that does amazing business! We currently use Cougar Mountain Software and we all agree on one thing: it BITES! We are interested in converting to QuickBooks. However, it took the owner of our small company 6 weeks to convert us to CMS! Needless to say, she is not too interested in that process again. Is there anyway to convert easily? Do you have any suggestions to make the task less daunting? We are desperate not to give anymore money to CMS for support of their lousy software... Any help would be appreciated.

Heather

Answer:

I'm sorry that your current software bites. I have never used it, but after visiting their website I can't say that I was incredibly impressed. Since I have never used your software, I can't give you specifics regarding how a conversion might go.

However, one thing that I usually tell clients who are converting is to forget converting history. I usually try to have the file set up and ready to go January 1 (if you are a calendar year filer). I then have them start fresh at the beginning of the year at the transaction level, when the tax return is completed then I transfer the opening balances.

The only thing that would take considerable time is actually keying your vendors, customers, etc.; and inputting your A/R and A/P balances. I can't imagine that this would take anywhere near 6 weeks.

One other thing that you should consider before you convert...you should have someone with more intimate knowledge of your business assess your needs. Because as sucky as it may be, Cougar Mountain may offer some functionality that you need...that QuickBooks doesn't offer. They hold themselves out to be geared to middle market companies and database driven. QuickBooks is a small business software application.
So depending on just how amazing your "Amazing" business is, you may have already outgrown QuickBooks.

Changing Classes for Many Transactions.

Question:

Hello, I am going through the tedious process of reclassifying several posted expense accounts from one class to another. There are multiple entries in each category. Is there a way to "select all" or "fill down" and change class without opening each entry and laboriously changing class one by one. This client has 300 entries a month and I am working back from January due to her decision to change "classes" in some categories. Thank you.

Answer:

Sorry, there is no easy way to reclassify groups of transactions. It appears that you have the right idea...You might want to prepare the client for a big bill though.