Veechi Curtis - MYOB Software For Dummies

MYOB Software For Dummies, 7th Australian Edition

by Veechi Curtis

MYOB Software For Dummies, 7th Australian Edition

Published by
Wiley Publishing Australia Pty Ltd
42 McDougall Street
Milton, Qld 4064

www.dummies.com

Copyright 2012 by Wiley Publishing Australia Pty Ltd

National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication data:

Author:Curtis, Veechi.

Title:MYOB Software For Dummies / Veechi Curtis.

Edition:7th Australian ed.

ISBN:978 1 7421 6998 9 (pbk.)

Notes:Includes index.

Subjects:M.Y.O.B. (Computer file)

Accounting Computer programs.

Small business Accounting Computer programs.

Dewey Number:657.0285536

All rights reserved. No part of this book, including interior design, cover design and icons, may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, by any means (electronic, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the Publisher. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Contracts & Licensing section of John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd, 42 McDougall Street, Milton, Qld 4064, or email auspermissions@wiley.com .

Cover image: iStockphoto.com/Rudyanto Wijaya

Screen captures from MYOB reproduced with permission. Copyright 2011 MYOB Technology Pty Ltd. MYOB is a registered trademark of MYOB Technology Pty Ltd and its affiliates.

Microsoft Excel screenshots reprinted with permission from Microsoft Corporation.

Typeset by diacriTech, Chennai, India

Printed in China by Printplus Limited

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About the Author

Veechi Curtis loves to teach and communicate with others (just try to stop her talking!). Shes passionate about small business, and loves helping people realise their dreams and succeed.

Born in Scotland, Veechi attended university in Bathurst, New South Wales, where she completed her degree in Accountancy and Business Management. She has been an MYOB Certified Consultant for more than fourteen years, training hundreds of businesses in how to make MYOB software work for them. As a journalist, she has written for many publications including Australian PC World , Australian Personal Computer , Australian Reseller News and CCH Australia Limited , and has also been a columnist for The Sydney Morning Herald .

Running a business in theory is very different from running a business in practice. In MYOB Software For Dummies , Veechi draws on her experience of running her own business over the past fifteen years, as well as her experience in acting as a director on several boards of local businesses and community groups.

Veechis first book was the bestselling Making the Most of MYOB Business Software , which is now in its ninth edition. Veechi is also the author of the Australian edition of Small Business For Dummies .

Veechi has three children and lives with her husband in the beautiful Blue Mountains of New South Wales.

Dedication

To Mum, whose courageousness and generosity is an example to live by.

Authors Acknowledgments

As with most things in my life, this book was a team effort. Without my energetic and zany family to encourage me and keep me laughing, Im sure the first few pages would still be languishing, alone, on my computer. Extra special thanks also go to my husband, John, for his daily jokes and cryptic silliness. (Transforming accounting into a light-hearted subject can be quite a challenge.)

Publishers Acknowledgments

Were proud of this book; please send us your comments through our online registration form located at http://dummies.custhelp.com .

Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following:

Acquisitions, Editorial and Media Development

Project Editor: Maryanne Phillips

Acquisitions Editor: Rebecca Crisp

Editorial Manager: Hannah Bennett

Proofreader: Liz Goodman

Production

Layout and Graphics: Wiley Composition Services, Wiley Art Studio

Cartoons: Glenn Lumsden

Indexer: Veechi Curtis

Introduction

Not many people will talk to you in the dead of night, listen without answering back, offer advice whenever asked, and not take up more than their fair share of the bed. Its these qualities (and many more besides) that make MYOB software such a perfect companion.

I admit that reaching this comfortable state of cohabitation can take a while. Lots of people feel totally overwhelmed by MYOB at first, but fortunately, the sensation is always temporary. You can do it! Ive taught MYOB to literally hundreds of people over the years and Im yet to meet someone who hasnt mastered the software in the end.

In fact, its often the very people who are the most unsure in the beginning who end up being the best bookkeepers. Thats because being cautious pays off in the long run its a quality that carries real worth in accounting. So, however anxious you feel, Id like to assure you that you can now cast your cares to the wind. Be brave, be confident and read on.

About This Book

Whether MYOB software is a complete stranger or an old and trusted friend, my aim in MYOB Software For Dummies is to show you how you can get the most out of this wonderful software. I include a mixture of advice, explanations, warnings (often because Ive learnt the hard way!) and examples of real-life businesses.

MYOB software isnt only about producing a set of accounts for tax time. More importantly, its about giving you the tools to help you understand your business better. This book does the same thing. Not only do I explain the mechanics of everyday transactions, I also describe how to set up your company file in the best possible way, so that you can see whats going on in your business.

Last, I understand that your time is precious and youd much rather be out running your business than wrestling with software. For this reason, I stick to the practicalities and, wherever possible, steer clear of boring theories and explanations. (Ive even decided to save my treatise on quantum physics for a future edition.)