Quickbooks sharing via Dropbox

[pcman2010]

I'm trying to assist a client who needs to share QB data with their accountant on a weekly basis using Dropbox. Do any of you have the specific steps in order to make this work or best practices?

Thanks in advance.

 

[RichmondTech]

I did this a few weeks ago so the bookkeeper can share with the boss.

1. Install DB on the bookkeeper's machine.
2. Create portable Quickbooks company file and move into DB folder.
3. Install DB on the boss's computer using the same credentials as the bookkeeper.
4. Access files.

 

[pcman2010]

Thanks RichmondTech, can you elborate on how you handle the sharing of QB data on Dropbox? I forgot to add these are separate person and two different locations not in the same office or network or LAN.

 

[cprompt]

Thanks RichmondTech, can you elborate on how you handle the sharing of QB data on Dropbox? I forgot to add these are separate person and two different locations not in the same office or network or LAN.

I don't believe you can share the data between two active QB programs through dropbox. Each machine would have a local copy, which when updated, would synchronize to the other. However, if the other was open at the same time, it would synchronize as a duplicate copy, and you would have two different copies.

You can share the QB file on a network, but I would NOT consider trying to share it over a internet connection to two different locations.

What I have done with my son's secondary shop is to set up a machine at the primary shop that access the shared QB database locally, and then I installed a VNC server on it and gave him the passwords needed to access. That way the QB data is all LOCAL, but he can create invoices, print them, enter payments, deposits, etc. and it is all in the one single database.

RichmondTech's solution might work, using the portable db, but I've never used it and again I'm afraid with DropBox you might get different databases, but I could be mistaken.

 

[Mushin]

Easeier solution is to setup a VPN with somthing like log me in Hamachi

Be sure to "sell" this solution because it can turn out to be an easy service to offer that will generate good revenue. your should probably sell it as a subscription type service billed yearly or every 6 months...

 

[RichmondTech]

I'm trying to assist a client who needs to share QB data with their accountant on a weekly basis using Dropbox. Do any of you have the specific steps in order to make this work or best practices?

Thanks in advance.

My solution addressed the original question in that the accountant only needed to see snapshots of Quickbooks (on a weekly basis). I did not imply that the two users could modify the data in real time at the same time.

 

[thecompu-doctor]

Instead of using dropbox, you can use microsoft's live mesh. They work similarly, but with live mesh you can share individual files in your mesh and not your entire box. Plus you can install mesh on your computer and say, i want to share my QB folder or any other folder, not just a single drop box folder that you dump stuff into.

 

[RichmondTech]

Instead of using dropbox, you can use microsoft's live mesh. They work similarly, but with live mesh you can share individual files in your mesh and not your entire box. Plus you can install mesh on your computer and say, i want to share my QB folder or any other folder, not just a single drop box folder that you dump stuff into.

Neat, I haven't heard of that. I know in my customer's application, QB was the only thing that was going to be shared so sharing the whole Dropbox folder was ok. You can share specific folders within the Dropbox folder with specific users if they already have their own Dropbox account.

I try to stay away from Microsoft services for my customers because they tend to discontinue them after a few years. Windows Mail, PlaysForSure, and Zune come to mind.