September 21st, 2014 – We are getting a first look at the all new QuickBooks Premier 2015 that was just released today. While there are only a few major changes from last year’s version, it still remains a solid business accounting application and ahead of it’s class. But if you’re running an older version of QuickBooks Premier or any of the specific industry editions (i.e. Retail, Non-profit, Manufacturing & Wholesale, etc.) then it’s worth taking a look at some of the new features and improvements coming in the 2015 version. Most notably is the new Hope Page Insights where you now can get a full real-time report card of your businesses performance and health. You’ll also see improved reporting and file sharing capabilities but we’ll discuss more of this in detail down below. For 2015, the Premier edition has gone up in price by $100.00 and now retails for $499.95. However, there’s usually some sort of promotion going on at any given time so you should be able to pick up a license for less (here’s a list of all of the current QuickBooks Premier 2015 deals and discounts). And remember, if you happened to just pick up a the 2014 version this last month then you may qualify for a free upgrade to Premier 2015.

What’s new and improved?

As we mentioned, then improvements are not dramatic year over year but a definitely worth considering if you’re currently using Premier 2013, 2012, 2011 or older editions (If you’re on the 2011 or older version,then you’ve already noticed that your live and any add-on services like Payroll, Technical Support, Payments, and Online Banking have expired earlier this year). Here’s a list of what’s new, then most notable improvements, and highlights of Premier 2015.

• New Home Page Insights – Why did no one think of this feature sooner? With Home Page Insights in QuickBooks Premier 2015 you now the entire snapshot and health of your business in real-time with a click of the mouse. See your profits and losses trended over time, your top clients, and income and expenses and more.

• Improved Reports – The reports layout has been refreshed to help make pulling your most important reports and charts faster and are now a lot easier to read. You now also have the ability to add custom notes so you never forget what happened (also helpful wen sending a report out to your team or accountant).

• Improved file sharing with your Accountant – Now directly from the QuickBooks interface you can drop your company in DropBox, Box, or Google Drive to share with your accountant.

• Business snapshots – Premier 2015 lets you customize your dashboards so that you always have a quick access to company customer, and payment information.

• Industry-Specific reporting – Each industry-specific version of QuickBooks Premier (Retail, Manufacturing & Wholesale, Non-profit, Contractor, Professional Services, and General Business) has pre-made reports that are tailored just for your type of business. That helps you see exactly why you need to know for your line of work.

• Add-on features – With Premier 2015, you can add on features like accepting credit cards and bank transfers, pay employees, and more to manage your customer relationships.

• Manage Inventory – In the Inventory Center, you can quickly locate specific items in stock and do all your inventory related tasks in one spot.

• Progressive client bills – Generate progressive job invoices right from your existing estimate and then use QuickBooks to track and bill time & material, job phase, etc.

• Business Planning Tool – Ready to take your business to the next level? Then use Business Plan Tool to guide you through custom business plan creations. Your final plan is formatted to the recommendations of the U.S. Small Business Administration for loan applications and a bank lines of credit.

• Track your finances by location, profit center, or department – Adding and reporting on the classes you need to track is no problem in Premier 2015.

• Creative Sale Orders – In the Sales Order Fulfillment section you can create new sales orders, manage existing orders, and do partial or combined invoicing. The program will also help you prioritize your orders when there is not enough inventory in stock.

System Requirements

To run QuickBooks Premier 2015, you’ll need to have a have a Windows based PC with the following specs:

• Windows Vista, 7, or 8.1 (32 or 64-bit)
• 2.4 Ghz processor (Intel or AMD recommended) with at lease 2 GB of RAM.
• 1.5 GB of free hard drive space.
• 1024×768 or higher screen resolution, extended monitor is supported
• 4x DVD-ROM drive

Your Thoughts & Feedback.

Do you like the new Premier 2015 or not so much? Do you see anything missing? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!