Often new users of QuickBooks who come to my classes are intimidated by the program

The Three R’s of QuickBooks
R	The Three R’s of QuickBooks are: Remember to Back up, Reconcile, and Reports. By following the Three R’s of QuickBooks consistently, you will gain confidence that the results of your efforts with QuickBooks will be positive now and on an ongoing basis.
	Remember to Back Up The most catastrophic thing that can happen to your QuickBooks is that something occurs on your computer that causes you to lose your data. Although this is rare, such an event can be very nasty. It is important that you back up your data file regularly in order to prevent tremendous aggravation and wasted time by losing your data. If you make mistakes entering information while learning or using QuickBooks, you can always correct it. However if you do not back up your file, and you lose your data, it may be impossible to reverse, and you may need to re-enter the records. Please click here to learn more about backup.
	Reconcile You need to reconcile your bank, credit card, and liability accounts every month when you receive the statements. The benefit of reconciling is that it validates that the information you entered into these accounts and your ending balance is accurate. If you do not reconcile your accounts every month, you can never be sure that your QuickBooks data is correct. By reconciling your accounts in QuickBooks you may discover unauthorized withdrawals or fees. In any event, no matter how much you think you have in your bank account, the bank may not pay a check if the funds are not there.
	Reports Read your reports regularly. If you do make a mistake using QuickBooks, it will show up in your reports. By reviewing your reports you can catch mistakes and rectify them. If a report does not make sense to you, it indicates that something is wrong. By identifying the mistake or problem you can correct it and continue using QuickBooks with confidence. The following reports will help you find out if there are errors: Profit and Loss, Balance Sheet, Accounts Receivable Aging Summary, Accounts Payable Aging Summary, and Expenses by Vendor detail.