TechBrot Setup Protocol
The four-phase sequence behind a QuickBooks setup, and the checks each phase has to pass.
Read moreQuickBooks setup
QuickBooks setup services, done right the first time
QuickBooks setup services for a new business or a fresh start: the right QuickBooks product, a chart of accounts built for your industry, bank feeds, sales tax and opening balances, by a QuickBooks ProAdvisor. Fixed fee, 2–4 weeks.
$750–$5,000+ · 2–4 weeksWhat sets the price
What you can check before you sign
- Fixed fee, written first
- Your own QuickBooks file
- No hourly billing
If your file needs our paid diagnostic first, its fee is credited in full against the cleanup. Either way, you get a fixed fee in writing before any work starts.
§ 01 · The engagement
What professional QuickBooks setup actually is.
§ The engagement
QuickBooks setup builds a new QuickBooks file for your business: the right product, a chart of accounts designed for your industry, opening balances reconciled to prior records, bank feeds, sales tax for your nexus states, and a reconciled first month with a documented handoff. Fixed fee $750–$5,000+, 2–4 weeks.
They took something that felt overwhelming to me as a first-year business owner and made it simple.
What stood out the most was TechBrot Inc’s attention to detail.
Intuit QuickBooks Certification Level 2 and QuickBooks Workforce Certification,
§ 02 · Is it time?
If any of these apply, the answer is yes.
01
You’re implementing QuickBooks for the first time.
New entity, new business, or first-time accounting software. The setup decisions made now determine reporting structure, tax readiness, and audit defensibility for years.02
You operate in a regulated or specialized industry.
Construction, real estate, restaurants, professional services, manufacturing, nonprofits, e-commerce — each needs an industry-specific chart of accounts and reporting structure. Generic setup creates years of rework.03
You have inventory, jobs, or class-based segments.
Inventory accounting, job costing, project tracking, and segment reporting require deliberate setup. Add them later and you lose historical comparability.04
You collect sales tax in multiple states.
Multi-state sales tax means multi-state nexus, filings, and rate configuration. Sales-tax setup is one of the easiest places to get into compliance trouble.05
You’re migrating from another accounting platform.
Coming from Wave, FreshBooks, Xero, Bench, or spreadsheets. Migration involves opening-balance reconciliation, historical transaction handling, and integration replacement.06
You’re raising capital or preparing for an audit.
Investors and auditors read your books. A clean, well-structured QuickBooks file says “professional operator” before any human does. A wizard-built file says the opposite.When a new setup isn’t the right engagement
- The file already exists and the numbers are wrong. That is QuickBooks cleanup, not a new setup.
- You are moving years of history off QuickBooks Desktop or another system. That is migration, which carries the history across; a setup starts from opening balances.
- One bank account, no payroll, no inventory, no sales tax. QuickBooks’ own guided setup may be all you need, and a discovery call will tell you so.
§ 03 · The engagement, at a glance
What a new file includes, and when the setup is finished.
| Item | Setup |
|---|---|
| Scope | Building a new QuickBooks file: the product and edition, a chart of accounts designed for your industry, opening balances as of a defined date, bank and card feeds, sales tax, customer and vendor records and the integrations the written scope names. |
| What you provide | Your own QuickBooks subscription (passed through at Intuit list pricing; the file is yours from day one), the prior records the opening balances are agreed to, and time for the review sessions. |
| The steps | 1. Setup review, with a written scope and implementation plan (week 1). 2. File and chart build (weeks 1–2). 3. Integration and data entry (weeks 2–3). 4. Verification and handoff (weeks 3–4). |
| An example | A business that collects sales tax in more than one state: each nexus state’s agency and rate is configured at the build, and the setup summary records what was configured. |
| Not included | QuickBooks and app subscriptions (passed through at Intuit list pricing), transactions from before the opening-balance date (catch-up or migration, quoted separately), and bookkeeping after the 30-day support window. |
| Timeline | 2–4 weeks from kickoff to handoff: simple single-entity setups in 2, multi-entity, multi-state or industry-specific work in 3–4. |
| Done means | The first month reconciles in the new file, the documented setup summary is delivered (product, chart of accounts, opening balances, feeds, sales tax, records), and the recorded training session is done. The 30-day support window then begins. |
| Next step | Start with the free file review or a call; the written fixed-fee scope and implementation plan follow within 3 business days. |
| Not the right service if | The file already exists and the numbers are wrong: cleanup. You are moving years of history off Desktop or another system: migration. You want ongoing advice on how the file is used: consulting. |
§ 04 · In depth
What gets configured first, phase by phase.
The setup order — product, industry chart of accounts and opening balances first, then feeds and integrations, then a reconciled first month — and what every setup includes, set out in full below.
QuickBooks setup pricing · Which QuickBooks plan is right · Get the free file review · Send the details
§ 05 · The TechBrot Setup Protocol
Every setup engagement runs four phases.
Four phases, each with a named output — so you always know what you’re getting and when.
- 01
Setup review
Week 1
A 30-minute call reviews your business structure, industry, transaction volume, prior records, integration needs, and reporting requirements. Written fixed-fee scope and implementation plan within 3 business days.
Output: Written scope & implementation plan
- 02
File & Chart Build
Week 1–2
Company file created in the right QuickBooks product. Custom chart of accounts designed for your industry. Sales tax, payroll, class and location tracking, and reporting structures configured. Opening balances entered against a defined as-of date.
Output: Configured company file & industry chart of accounts
- 03
Integration & Data Entry
Week 2–3
Bank and credit-card accounts connected. Customer and vendor records entered. Recurring transactions templated. Third-party integrations configured — payment processors, payroll, time tracking, inventory, e-commerce, point-of-sale.
Output: Connected integrations & entered records
- 04
Verification & Handoff
Week 3–4
First-month transactions reconciled to verify the setup is correct. Documented setup summary delivered. Training session with recorded video. Optional transition to monthly bookkeeping with the same preparer.
Output: Reconciled first month + setup summary & training
§ 06 · The deliverables
What you actually get from a setup engagement.
Every setup includes
- Company file created in the right QuickBooks product
- Custom chart of accounts designed for your industry
- Opening balances reconciled to prior records
- Bank & credit card feed integration
- Sales tax configuration with nexus states
- Customer & vendor record entry
- Recurring transaction templates
- First-month reconciliation
- Documented setup summary
- Training session with recorded video
- 30-day post-setup support window
- Your client advisor is your point of contact
Configured when scope requires
- Payroll setup & employee onboarding
- Class & location tracking
- Job costing & project tracking
- Inventory setup & valuation method
- Payment processor integration (Stripe, Square, PayPal)
- E-commerce platform integration (Shopify, WooCommerce, Amazon)
- Time tracking integration (QuickBooks Time, Harvest)
- Bill pay setup (BILL, Melio)
- Multi-entity setup & consolidation
- Industry-specific reporting structures
- Custom report templates
- User permissions & access control
| Section | What it records |
|---|---|
| Company file | The QuickBooks product and edition chosen, and why |
| Chart of accounts | Each account and what posts to it, designed for your industry |
| Opening balances | Each balance, its date and the prior record it was agreed to |
| Bank and card feeds | Each connected account and the bank rules set on it |
| Sales tax | The agencies, rates and nexus states configured |
| Customers, vendors, recurring | The records entered and the recurring templates built |
| First month | The first month reconciled, and anything left open |
| Training and support | The recorded training session and the end of the 30-day support window |
Illustration of the summary’s structure, not a client file: its sections follow the setup deliverables above, and your summary records your own file and scope.
§ 07 · Product selection
Which QuickBooks product fits your business.
QBO
Online Simple Start / Essentials
For sole proprietors and very small operations. Limited reporting, no inventory or class tracking.
QBO+
Online Plus
A common choice for U.S. small-business setups. Supports inventory, class and location tracking, project tracking, and 5 users.
QBO++
Online Advanced
For growing businesses needing custom user roles, batch invoicing, advanced reporting, and priority support (Intuit’s Priority Circle). 25 users.
ENT
QuickBooks Enterprise
For larger operations needing advanced inventory, industry-specific editions (contractor, manufacturing, nonprofit, retail), or more users — up to 30 on Gold and Platinum, up to 40 on Diamond. Hosted Desktop or on-premise.
Desktop Pro & Premier
New subscriptions discontinued in 2024. Desktop 2024 has continuous support with no sunset deadline (Intuit); 2023 and older are no longer supported. We migrate Desktop clients to QBO or Enterprise rather than setting up new Desktop files.
?
Not sure which fits?
The diagnostic includes product selection. We recommend the product that fits your business — not the one we’d earn more on. Independence is part of the standard.
Features we set up and fix.
Everyday features: Bank feeds · Bank rules · Bills · Budgeting · Cash flow planner · Chart of accounts · Classes · Custom fields · Customers · Estimates · Expenses · Inventory · Invoices · Payroll · Products services · Projects · Reconciliation · Reports · Sales tax · Time tracking · all everyday features
QuickBooks Online Advanced: Batch transactions · Custom report builder · Custom user roles · Employee expense management · Fixed asset accounting · Online backup and restore · Performance Center · Revenue recognition · Spreadsheet Sync · Workflow automation · all quickbooks online advanced
Integrations: Bill.com · Expensify · Gusto · HubSpot · PayPal · QuickBooks Payments · Shopify · Square · all integrations
§ 08 · What setup is actually for
Setup is the foundation. The relationship is what comes next.
The strict technical work of QuickBooks setup — chart of accounts, opening balances, integrations — takes 2 to 4 weeks. The reason it matters runs longer than that.
A well-built QuickBooks file is the foundation everything else depends on. Monthly bookkeeping runs cleanly because the file was built right. Tax preparation takes hours instead of days because your CPA isn’t fixing structural problems first. Financial advisory work — cash-flow forecasting, margin analysis, scenario planning, fractional CFO engagement — only works on top of accurate books.
Many TechBrot setup engagements continue into monthly bookkeeping with the same preparer. Many continue further — into multi-state sales-tax compliance, payroll management, and, as the business grows, the advisory work that distinguishes a profitable operation from a struggling one. The setup is the first decision in a longer relationship. We build the file accordingly.
§ 09 · Pricing
Fixed-fee setup, written scope, no surprises.
Three tiers across the $750–$5,000+ setup range; your fixed fee is quoted in writing after the diagnostic. Software subscriptions pass through at Intuit list pricing. See monthly bookkeeping for the optional ongoing engagement after setup.
Core Setup
Quoted in writingFor: Single-entity sole proprietors and very small businesses, simple chart of accounts, no inventory, no payroll, no multi-state sales tax, under 3 integrations.- Company file & chart of accounts
- Opening balances
- Bank & credit card integration
- Single-state sales tax (if applicable)
- Training session
- 30-day support window
Middle tier
Standard Setup
Quoted in writingFor: U.S. small businesses with payroll, inventory, class tracking, or multi-state sales tax. Industry-specific chart of accounts. 3–6 integrations.- Everything in Core
- Industry-specific chart of accounts
- Payroll setup & employee onboarding
- Multi-state sales tax
- Class & location tracking
- 3–6 third-party integrations
Complex Setup
Quoted in writingFor: Multi-entity, multi-location, inventory-heavy operations, advanced industry needs, 6+ integrations, QuickBooks Enterprise.- Everything in Standard
- Multi-entity setup & consolidation
- Inventory valuation method
- Job costing & project tracking
- Industry-specific reporting
- 6+ integrations
- Custom report templates
- User permissions & access control
Not in the fee
- QuickBooks and app subscriptions: separate, passed through at Intuit list pricing.
- Transactions from before the opening-balance date: entered as catch-up or carried across in a migration, quoted separately.
- Bookkeeping after the 30-day support window: monthly bookkeeping, optional.
§ 10 · Who performs the work
Your senior bookkeeper, with every close checked against TechBrot’s close standard.
Every TechBrot setup is delivered by TechBrot, remotely, in your own QuickBooks file. You’ll know exactly who is building your file and how to reach them, backed by review before it reaches you.
The standard, every fileCertification. Intuit QuickBooks Certification Level 2 and QuickBooks Workforce Certification, held by TechBrot’s senior reviewer
Standard. Run against a defined quality standard, with review before it reaches you
Accountability. Your senior bookkeeper
§ 11 · Who works on your books
Your TechBrot team.
Every engagement runs on three roles: a client advisor who scopes it and stays your point of contact, a senior bookkeeper who prepares your setup and monthly close in your software, and a Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor who reviews every close before it reaches you. A U.S.-based bookkeeper is available on request; we can share their public directory profile with you.
Specialists when your books need them.
Senior bookkeepers who specialize in rental portfolios and Xero, and specialist partner practices for trust accounting for law firms and CFO advisory. We bring the right one onto your engagement when your business calls for it, under the same standards and review.
§ 12 · After setup
What setup commonly leads into.
Monthly bookkeeping
Many setups transition directly into monthly bookkeeping with the same preparer — the file was built right, so the close runs cleanly.
The engagementQuickBooks migration
Coming from Desktop, Xero, Wave, or spreadsheets? Migration verifies and reconciles the move before setup configures the new file.
The engagementQuickBooks cleanup
If a wizard-built or prior setup already created problems, cleanup corrects them and re-establishes a reliable baseline.
The engagementPayroll management
Payroll set up at implementation can roll into ongoing payroll management — processing, multi-state compliance; payroll tax filings are submitted on the schedule your payroll platform or CPA/EA handles.
The engagement§ 14 · Available in these states
QuickBooks setup by state.
The same engagement, written for the state’s own rules — sales-tax, payroll and registration wrinkles included. Delivered remotely in your own QuickBooks file; every state is served from the state directory.
Also in: Arizona · Colorado · Delaware · Georgia · Illinois · Massachusetts · New Jersey · Ohio · Pennsylvania · Tennessee · Virginia · Washington.
By industry: SaaS · Agency · Retail · not sure where your file stands? Start with the free QuickBooks file review · moving off Desktop? QuickBooks Desktop to Online migration.
§ 15 · Questions
What people ask before booking setup.
How much does QuickBooks setup cost?
A fixed one-time engagement in the $750–$5,000+ range: simple single-entity setups sit toward the low end, and complex multi-entity, multi-state, or industry-specific work toward the high end. The discovery call produces a written scope before work begins — book it online or call (877) 751-5575. Software subscription costs are separate and pass through at Intuit list pricing.
Do I need professional setup if QuickBooks has a setup wizard?
The QuickBooks setup wizard creates a generic company file with a generic chart of accounts. It does not design accounts for your specific business and industry, configure sales tax for your nexus states, set up class tracking, migrate opening balances, or integrate third-party systems.
What does professional QuickBooks setup include?
Every setup includes the company file in the right product, an industry-specific chart of accounts, reconciled opening balances, bank and credit-card integration, sales-tax configuration for your nexus states, customer and vendor records, recurring-transaction templates, a first-month reconciliation, a documented setup summary, a recorded training session, a 30-day support window, kept by your bookkeeper and checked against TechBrot’s close standard before it reaches you. Payroll, class tracking, inventory, job costing, and multi-entity are configured when scope requires.
Which QuickBooks product should I use?
Product selection is part of the diagnostic. QuickBooks Online Plus fits most U.S. small businesses with inventory, class tracking, or multiple users. Online Advanced fits growing businesses with reporting needs. Enterprise fits larger operations needing advanced inventory or industry-specific features. Desktop Pro and Premier are no longer sold to new U.S. subscribers, so we don’t recommend them for new setups.
How long does QuickBooks setup take?
2 to 4 weeks from kickoff to handoff. Simple single-entity setups complete in 2 weeks. Multi-entity, multi-state, or industry-specific implementations run 3 to 4 weeks. Timeline depends on access to prior records, third-party integration complexity, and client availability for review sessions.
Do you continue with monthly bookkeeping after setup?
Many TechBrot setups transition directly into monthly bookkeeping with the same preparer — the file was built right, so the ongoing close runs cleanly. It’s optional; you can also take the documented, verified file to your own accountant. No lock-in.
What if my books are already in QuickBooks but the setup is wrong?
That’s common. Depending on the damage, it’s either a cleanup (correcting errors and reconciliations in place) or a re-setup (rebuilding the chart of accounts and configuration). The diagnostic tells you which path fits and prices it in writing before any work begins.
§ 16 · Talk to a client advisor
One call tells you exactly where your books stand.
Tell us what the business does and how it sells. We’ll tell you how the file should be built and what a setup involves.
What happens when you call§ 17 · Section index
Every page in this section.
3 pages sit directly under this one. Listed alphabetically so nothing here depends on a card being chosen for it.