Create a New Company File in QuickBooks Online- Instructions

Create a New Company File in QuickBooks Online: Video

            This video lesson, titled “Creating a New Company File,” shows you how to create a new company file in QuickBooks Online. This video lesson on creating a new company file in QuickBooks Online is from our complete QuickBooks Online tutorial titled “Mastering QuickBooks Online Made Easy.”

Overview of How to Create a New Company File in QuickBooks Online

            If you aren’t importing a company file or company file data after signing up for QuickBooks Online, then you must create a new company file in QuickBooks Online. After signing up for a free trial or buying a new company file subscription, a “Get Started” wizard appears and provides an overview of this process. Read the information and click the “Next” button to continue.

            In the next screen, enter your “Business name.” If this is your legal business name, check the “This is my legal business name” checkbox. Then click the “Next” button to continue. The next screen asks how you have been managing your finances. Select the button for your answer and then click “Next” to continue. If you want to import data from QuickBooks Desktop or Sage 50/Peachtree, then follow the instructions shown onscreen to learn how to find up-to-date instructions about importing company data from your version of QuickBooks Desktop or Sage 50/Peachtree.

            Alternatively, to create a new company file instead of importing data, simply continue to answer the questions posed to you in each screen of the “Get Started” wizard and click the “Next” button to continue through the screens. You can also click the “Back” button, if needed, to go back and change answers. Many screens also have a “Skip” link you can click to skip optional steps, if desired.

A picture of a user creating a new company file in QuickBooks Online.

            When finished, QuickBooks then opens the Dashboard page for your new company file. It also provides a tour of the program’s interface you can view, if desired. Depending on your setup choices, a setup checklist widget that contains a list of initial tasks you can do to finish the setup and customize your company file before you start using it may appear within your Dashboard page.

            You can click the links to step through the actions in the setup checklist, if desired. To minimize the setup checklist, if shown, click the triple-dot button in its upper-right corner and then select “Minimize checklist.” To show the setup checklist, if minimized, click the triple-dot button in its upper-right corner and then select “Show checklist.”

Instructions on How to Create a New Company File in QuickBooks Online

1. To create and customize a new company file if you aren’t importing a company file or company file data after signing up for QuickBooks Online after signing up for a free trial or buying a new company file subscription, read the information in the first page of the “Get Started” wizard that appears and provides an overview of this process, and then click the “Next” button to continue.
2. In the next screen, enter your “Business name.”
3. If this is your legal business name, check the “This is my legal business name” checkbox
4. Then click the “Next” button to continue.
5. The next screen asks how you have been managing your finances.
6. Select the button for your answer and then click “Next” to continue.
7. If you want to import data from QuickBooks Desktop or Sage 50/Peachtree, then follow the instructions shown onscreen to learn how to find up-to-date instructions about importing company data from your version of QuickBooks Desktop or Sage 50/Peachtree.
8. Alternatively, to create a new company file instead of importing data, simply continue to answer the questions posed to you in each screen of the “Get Started” wizard and click the “Next” button to continue through the screens.
9. If needed, to go back and change answers, you can also click the “Back” button.
10. To skip optional steps that appear in many screens, if desired, click the “Skip” link if it appears.
11. When finished, QuickBooks then opens the Dashboard page for your new company file.
12. It also provides a tour of the program’s interface you can view, if desired.
13. Depending on your setup choices, a setup checklist widget that contains a list of initial tasks you can do to finish the setup and customize your company file before using it may appear in your Dashboard page.
14. You can click the links to step through the actions in the setup checklist, if desired.
15. To minimize the setup checklist, if shown, click the triple-dot button in its upper-right corner and then select “Minimize checklist.”
16. To show the setup checklist, if minimized, click the triple-dot button in its upper-right corner and then select “Show checklist.”