In a world of overhyped software upgrades, Intuit QuickBooks Premier 2006 is the real deal. More than a step up over its predecessor, QuickBooks Premier 2006 is an extreme makeover, with a revamped home page that newcomers will find easier to master and a shorter setup interview with far fewer screens to navigate. Personal relationships are the lifeblood of small business, and QuickBooks 2006 takes this into account with streamlined, single-page views of customers, vendors, and employees along with all related invoices, estimates, and payments. The 2006 version of this popular bookkeeping app corrects some of the program’s previous shortcomings by adding a faster SQL database, beefed-up (though not best-of-breed) inventory-management tools, and an audit trail that’s activated by default. QuickBooks Premier 2006 is a great bookkeeper for both longtime users and first-time bean counters.
Premier is designed for companies with up to 20 employees, while Pro is for a business with 10 or fewer workers. Premier has advanced features, such as tools for creating business plans and an Expert Analysis tool that gauges your business’s financial health against the industry norm. Industry-specific versions of Premier include manufacturing and accountant editions.