Biz Briefing:  Quick Note about Quick Books

Several of my clients are in business for themselves. You may know someone in the same boat whether they run a small office or are more of a self-employed consultant.  Quick Books basically has a monopoly on the market for small business accounting software.  I use it and you probably do too.  Quick Books has grown increasingly unfriendly in recent years.  Business owners used to upgrade their Quick Books about every 4 years.  However, their real goal over the past couple of years has been to push customers into their new Quick Books Online offering.  A functional subscription is about $60 a month (and pricing has gone up on that too).  The desktop or regular Quick Books program (Mac and Windows) was $200-300.  In 2020, it went up to $349 per year.  Next year — wow [ouch] Quick Books desktop is going to be  $799 / year.  I know people holding on to Quick Book Pro 2016 for dear life.   Hold on if you can.  That version of Quick Books (any prior 2020) is considered insecure.  PROTECT THE COMPUTER IT’S ON LIKE FORT KNOX.  The future is QB Online. It’s been great for their bottom line, not ours!

Sad ending to the season for the Mets.   Yankees and Dodgers World Series anyone?

30 Second Tip

When you are having an issue or quick with your devices, try a Restart.  You probably know how to  restart your computer.  However, there is not true restart on the iPhone / iPad.  So, you must Shut Down and then turn it back on.  Settings >> General >> Shut Down.   Then hold the big button on the right side of the iPhone (or top for iPads) for 5 seconds to turn it back on. 

Solid Steel Real Deal

I’ve begun setting up iPhone 14 Pro models for my clients.  So far the ratio is all iPhone 14 Pro and no regular 14’s (but remember I am not down on the plain old 14, having just at 13 myself).  However, there is something special in the hand when I hold the 14 Pro.  The weight and the feel of the stainless steel case is so apparent.  It reminds me of when I hold one of the cheaper Timex watches.  It’s light and made out of brass.  An aluminum watch would feel the same way. However, then think back to the feeling of a watch made out of all stainless steel (or mixed with some gold).  Think of that bracelet with all solid links.  There is precision engineering at work.  It feels like a significant object.  That is my tactile perception of the iPhone 14 Pro.  I haven’t even addressed the camera yet.   The difference between the 14 and the 14 Pro is like really good vs. a knockout. It’s still a bit shocking to me that the price difference is only +$200 for the Pro.  I see value in the $999 price point, especially when the carriers or Apple are willing to give interest free financing. 

Song of the Week

I haven’t done one in a while, so how about a tune you probably haven’t heard, from my favorites.  “More to Life” by Stacie Orrico.   Stacie was a known pop singer in that late 90’s early 2000’s era when Brittney and Christina were the MTV stars.  However, she had a marketing problem.  She wasn’t Christian enough for Christian music, but she was too squeaky clean for the predators of the pop music industry.  So — she ended up becoming a big hit in Japan and Malaysia around 2003 where they valued a singer with high morals.   Sadly, Stacie quit the business.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mRLkwwNb9js

There is a happy ending though.  Today, Stacie is living her dream playing in clubs as a blues singer in the Atlanta area. 

There’s got to be more to life…. than wanting more,