Businessweek

Intuit Inc. provides business and financial management solutions for small businesses, consumers, accounting professionals, health care providers, and financial institutions. The company’s primary products and services that include QuickBooks, TurboTax, and Quicken help customers solve major business and financial management problems, such as running a small business, paying bills, filing income taxes, or managing personal finances. ProSeries and Lacerte are the company’s primary tax preparation offerings for professional accountants. Its Intuit Financial Services business provides digital banking solutions to banks and credit unions that help their customers to manage money and pay bills. Business Portfolio The company organizes its portfolio of businesses into four principal categories, including Small Business Group, Tax, Financial Services, and Other Businesses. SMALL BUSINESS GROUP This category includes three segments: Financial Management Solutions, Employee Management Solutions, and Payment Solutions – targeting the small business market. Financial Management Solutions This segment includes QuickBooks financial and business management software and services; QuickBooks technical support; financial supplies; and Demandforce, which provides online marketing and customer communication solutions. QuickBooks: The company’s QuickBooks product line brings bookkeeping capabilities and business management tools to small business users in a design that does not require them to be familiar with debit and credit accounting. It offers a range of desktop and online products and services to suit the needs of different types of businesses. Its desktop software products include QuickBooks Pro and QuickBooks Pro for Mac, which provide accounting functionality for small businesses; QuickBooks Premier, which provides small businesses with advanced accounting functionality and business planning tools; and QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions, designed for larger businesses. The company’s premier and enterprise products also come in a range of industry-specific editions, including contractor, manufacturing and wholesale, nonprofit, professional services, and retail. Its online offerings include QuickBooks Simple Start Online, which provides accounting functionality suitable for very small, less complex businesses. QuickBooks Online Essentials and QuickBooks Online Plus provide online accounting functionality suitable for progressively larger businesses. All three offerings allow multiple users to access the application from any location through the Internet using a personal computer, tablet device, or smartphone. QuickBooks Technical Support: The company offers various technical support options to its QuickBooks customers. These include support plans that are sold separately and priced based on the length of the plan. It also offers various free technical support assistance to customers; a free self-help information section on its QuickBooks.com Website; and free access to the QuickBooks Community, an online forum where QuickBooks users could share information with each other. Demandforce: The company’s Demandforce offerings help small businesses communicate with their customers, build their online reputations, and utilize a network of local businesses for online marketing. Features include email and text message appointment reminders and confirmations; electronic marketing offers and newsletters; online customer reviews and referrals; and tools for tracking and measuring electronic marketing efforts. Financial Supplies: The company offers a range of financial supplies designed for small businesses and individuals that use QuickBooks and Quicken. These include standard paper checks and Secure Plus checks with CheckLock fraud protection features; envelopes, invoices, and deposit slips; and business identity products, such as business cards and stationery. The company also offers tax forms, tax return presentation folders, and other supplies for professional tax preparers. QuickBase: The company’s QuickBase offering is a software as a service platform that allows users to select ready-made online workgrou