Last time, I touted the benefits of Intuit’s QuickBooks Customer Manager. Here, we’ll look at another Intuit product that’s helped me move my business forward: QuickBooks Premier Edition, Professional Services ($499).

As a business of one, it might seem like overkill to some that I bought the top of the line QuickBooks, but there’s a method to my madness. When I first started out, I used Quicken Premier Home and Business. Let’s just say, I learned from my mistake.

The program was incredibly limited and not meant for what I was trying to do. Without getting into all the snafus - and there were plenty - there was no way to do job costing and forecasting. Understanding how your expenses and time measure up against payments, and using this information to forecast how your business should perform going forward is crucial.

But I do take some of the blame. My error was thinking too small when first setting up my business. I should have assumed I’d grow quickly and should have envisioned how many clients I wanted eventually. By thinking small, I picked an accounting package that did not scale. I advise you to spend the few extra hundred dollars and get a program that will let you dream big and not hold you back.

And believe me, an accounting package can hold you back. The invoices I was sending over to clients using Premier Home and Business were too simplistic - basically a one-line bill. With Professional Services, I can send clients a PDF with my logo and details about the job, my rate and any extras that need to be outlined, such as expenses. Also, the invoices integrate with Customer Manager so I can automatically input contact information. One gripe: I can’t copy an invoice to my e-mail inbox without plugging the e-mail address into each invoice.

The GUI and navigation on Professional Services are a snap to learn. Icons are perfectly matched to their function. Forecasting is represented by a chart, deposits by a bank vault, invoices by, well, a tiny invoice. The wizards are fantastic, too, as they baby-step you through setting up bank accounts, client accounts and other financial information. The navigation bars are customizable and updated as you make your way through your accounts. The latest places you’ve been in the program are shown on the left-hand menu bar - nice indeed.