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Accounting & ERP Guides, Comparisons, and Tools for Growing Businesses
Still trying to figure out whether QuickBooks, Xero, Zoho, or a full ERP system is the right fit; or whether your current setup just needs to be cleaned up and configured properly? This is where Certum Solutions publishes the guides, comparisons, checklists, and case studies we wish more businesses had before they signed a software contract or hired a bookkeeper. Everything here is written by our own accounting and ERP consulting team for U.S.-based small and mid-sized businesses (roughly $1M–$50M in revenue) evaluating their systems in 2026; not outside contributors guessing at what matters.
Not sure where to start?
Head-to-head breakdowns of QuickBooks, Xero, Zoho, Odoo, and ERP options, built to help you decide, not just compare features.Free checklists, templates, and calculators you can use todayStep-by-step walkthroughs recorded inside real QuickBooks, Xero, and ERP accounts.Real Certum client stories: the problem, the system we implemented, and the result.In-depth articles on QuickBooks, Xero, Zoho, ERP, & running the financial side of your business.Latest from Certum
The newest guides, updates, and breakdowns from our team — covering QuickBooks, Xero, Zoho, ERP, and everything in between.
What is a Workers’ Compensation Ghost Policy and Why Should You Care?
In the construction industry, there’s a reasonably high risk of injury on a job site. It can be a good idea — or even a legal requirement — for businesses to have a workers’ compensation policy that covers employees’ injury or illness in the workplace. But, there’s a surprising type of insurance that can leave construction workers without coverage: a ghost policy.
![Common QuickBooks Desktop File Types and When to Use Them [Video]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3134cbe3264f3aee755c45/1616017297915-6QCK63DDCROOLDE1T279/Thumbnail-Common-File-Types%5B1043%5D.png)
Common QuickBooks Desktop File Types and When to Use Them [Video]
As we continue with our YouTube videos, I covered a commonly asked question this week on QuickBooks file types, when to use each kind, and what to do when you don’t know where your file is saved.
QuickBooks Online Advanced Demo: Features, Workflows, & More
Explore QuickBooks Online Advanced in this full demo with Katie Bunschoten. Learn about workflows, automation, expenses, reporting, and how QBO Advanced compares to QuickBooks Desktop.
![QuickBooks Enterprise Manufacturing Guide [Video]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3134cbe3264f3aee755c45/1788368468544-Z6KPW66YELVVPVJN19NQ/Screenshot+2026-09-02+at+1.00.20%E2%80%AFPM.png)
QuickBooks Enterprise Manufacturing Guide [Video]
Get a complete overview and understanding of the intricacies within QuickBooks Enterprise. This tutorial has a general overview, details on industry areas, preferences, customers, vendors, inventory, employees, reporting, and more fun tips!
![QuickBooks Desktop Invoice Reminders [Video]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3134cbe3264f3aee755c45/1605207925752-Z6ONJD32LYAFC7KORZ6S/katie%27s+desk3.png)
QuickBooks Desktop Invoice Reminders [Video]
In this video, we describe how to go over automatic (or as automatic as possible) invoice reminders for your customers using QuickBooks Desktop. There’s a bit of nuance, but once completed, the software will draft the invoice reminders for you and remind you to send them.
![QuickBooks Online Automatic Invoice Reminder Emails [Video]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f3134cbe3264f3aee755c45/1599775270898-PAW6NHWSOIJXFLEJYLVR/Katies+Desk+Slide.jpg)
QuickBooks Online Automatic Invoice Reminder Emails [Video]
Automated Invoice reminder emails are set up differently in QuickBooks Online Plus, QuickBooks Online Advanced, and QuickBooks Desktop. These videos go through the two different avenues to send automated reminders to your customer when their payment is due on the QuickBooks Online platform. I will add another post with the QuickBooks Desktop method soon.
How to Enter Checks in QuickBooks Online, and When to Use Checks Instead of Enter Expenses
In this quick video I show you how to enter a check in QuickBooks Online (we used Advanced, but it will work for all QuickBooks Online editions). You will also learn when you would want to use the Write Checks function instead of the Enter Expenses function. While you can enter checks using the Expenses screen, I don’t recommend it typically for a few reasons. If these reasons are not important to your business, then using the Expenses screen is sufficient.
Comparing User/Security Permissions in QuickBooks Online Plus, Advanced, and in QuickBooks Enterprise Desktop
Learn more about security permissions in QuickBooks Online Plus, QuickBooks Online Advanced, and QuickBooks Enterprise Desktop, and discover which one will best fit your business.
Getting Started with Barcode Scanners for QuickBooks Enterprise
The Zebra is an Inventory Scanner. I can walk into the warehouse, scan items, and do tasks. You can also use the Zebra TC20, but the TC25 is more robust
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
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Guides, comparisons, checklists, video tutorials, and client case studies covering QuickBooks, Xero, Zoho, ERP systems, inventory software, and general accounting topics for small and mid-sized businesses.
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Certum's own accounting and ERP consulting team writes everything here, based on client implementations we've actually done — not generic outside content.
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All three, plus Odoo, Cin7, Katana, and other ERP and inventory platforms. Certum is vendor-neutral, so the content reflects what actually fits different business situations, not one software brand.
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Everything in the resource library — guides, checklists, comparisons, and downloads — is free to read and download, whether or not you're a Certum client.
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New guides and comparisons are added regularly, and existing posts are updated when software pricing, features, or plans change (like the 2026 QuickBooks Online price increase).
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Start with the Software Comparisons category, or book a free consultation and tell us where you're at — we'll point you to the right guide or give you a direct answer.
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Yes. Contact us at help@certumsolutions.com with what you'd like covered.
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Our most-requested guides, tools, and breakdowns — picked for businesses actively evaluating software, cleaning up their books, or getting ready to scale.
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