Don’t just back up your system; back up all of your data for peace of mind.

Picture this: you give somebody—one of your staff or an outsourced accountant—access to your QuickBooks Online file. When you check it the next day, the file is riddled with mistakes: inaccurate numbers, incorrect dates, and even some of the wrong vendors. At this point, there are two typical routes that people like you can take.

1. You can rest easy knowing that you have a QuickBooks backup ready to go.
2. You can spend the next several hours manually converting your data to its former glory.

Now, which one sounds more appealing to you? If you picked the first option, we agree with you. If you picked the second option, well… good luck!

Those who use QuickBooks Desktop take all the necessary precautions to ensure that their data is safe in the event of an emergency. Why isn’t that the case with Online? Because QuickBooks Online has system backups, not many people pay any mind to the thought of losing any of their data. However, what many people do not realize is that QuickBooks Online backs up the system—not your files. You cannot go back and restore a file or certain aspects to their previous state. It is more of an emergency QuickBooks backup than a selective one.

Why is it important to be able to restore my files?

Aside from the previously stated inability to back up selective data from your QuickBooks Online, there are a few other reasons you might want to back up your QBO file:

• You might want to create a hard-copy for the archives
• You are about to import new data and need to be able to restore the file if something goes wrong
• You want to restore deleted transactions if necessary
• You want to transfer your QBO file from one account to another
• You might want to keep your history in there; when you modify your chart of accounts or products and services, your history changes too since QBO is live

If you are just now realizing that you cannot do any of these things right now, you might be a bit scared. The prospect of losing important data and setting yourself back hours—or even days—is definitely frightening, but there is no need to worry!

How do I back up my QuickBooks Online?

There are several resources you can use to ensure that you always have the ability to securely and accurately restore your QuickBooks Online file:

Rewind

Rewind promises peace of mind for you and your clients. Their app seamlessly integrates with all versions of QBO and has a number of other beneficial features:

• Full backups every night
• On-demand manual backups
• Individual transactions are saved in real time
• Restore transactions you deleted
• Restore any transaction from any date and/or time

And this is just the tip of the iceberg. Check out Rewind’s website to get the full list of features they offer and decide if it is the right backup for you!

SafetyNet

The truth is in the name: this application acts as your safety net whenever you need it. You can stop sweating the details and do your accounting with confidence when you have:

• On-demand manual backups
• On-demand complete restoration of your file
• Snapshots of your QBO with one click
• Secure data encryptions

You can get the rest of the details, along with a list of customer FAQ’s, on SafetyNet’s website. Also, note that there is no sign-up required; you just sign in with your Intuit account!

QuickBooks Online Advanced

ChronoBooks is a backup service that comes with the QuickBooks Online Advanced package. With ChronoBooks, you receive:

• A full backup every day
• Incremental backups throughout the day
• On-demand manual backups
• The ability to restore your data to any date and time
• The ability to copy your QBO file between accounts

Whether you were thinking about upgrading to QBO Advanced or just deciding which QBO version to get in the first place, ChronoBooks is a great add-on that takes the weight off your shoulders.

If none of these options suit you, you can also search for a QuickBooks backup application in the Intuit app store and see if any there tickle your fancy!

Overall, you should have something to back up your data; the cost of losing it far outweighs to cost of saving it. If you have any questions about which app best suits your business, or any other QuickBooks-related questions, feel free to contact our team!