Chrome Identities, Themes & Customization – How To Create Insane Work Efficiency In The Cloud
The cloud accounting and business software that many accounting professionals are embracing, learning about – or are scared of – is internet-based.
Your browser setup and user habits largely dictate your cloud technology experience.
This article will introduce you to optimizing your Chrome browser.
And then, we will run through setting up identities & themes, adding extensions and using tabs &bookmarks to change/add actions. It’s a quick and easy way to make the FinTech SaaS* user experience more productive, less frustrating and create time savings.
*Financial technology software as a service – QBO, Dext, Plooto, Wagepoint.
Chrome works well with most FinTech SaaS, and many FinTech SaaS providers recommend it as the choice browser.
Chrome is a quick browser – it loads and displays pages easily
Seamlessly drag tabs out into separate windows and join them back together with your mouse – especially useful for those of us with dual (or triple) monitors
Google Chrome has a friendly interface, making it easy to use
Chrome will ask if you would like to translate a page from another language
You can search right through your address bar – for Aussie puppy photos (or CRA rules if you insist)
If a site crashes on one of your tabs, other open tabs will not also crash
Set up your settings
There are many settings you can organize, so tasks and preferences are auto-magical.
Settings and customization are accessed through the triple-stacked dots, the right end of the address bar. There are a variety of “settings” that are visible from the drop-down menu.
Create “Identities” for Productivity (email), Accounting, Personal – you will want to do this!
Synch google accounts to make favourite settings and bookmarks available from multiple devices
Add themes & extensions
Set what windows open when you start up each browser – this is a big time-saver, huge in fact.
Preset where you want your downloads to go
Check your privacy settings
Create auto-fill(s) – also a big time saver
Customize font and size
Choose whether to save user/password information
TIP! There is a search bar in settings, top centre. Use It! Do not get caught in the time suck of scrolling around looking for the setting you require.
Clear your FinTech cache at least daily!
Really, yes – really! Every day or more! You won’t need to don the tinfoil hat nearly as often if you keep it cleared. Clearing your cache and cookies is like taking all the garbage to dump.
Cloud FinTech, as well as our beloved practice management SaaS, creates a ton of garbage. It stinks up your programs. The smell and weight of it make them all crazy (you’ve experienced it!). Get rid of it.
Let’s make it quick & easy, so you do it - often
Set up the first bookmark as your cache clearing (see: setting up bookmarks below)
Ctrl + F5 also clears cache (see: keyboard shortcuts link at the bottom of post)
Clearing one “Identity” will not clear your other ones. How great is that?
Preset your cache clearing settings.
Settings>search “cache”>click “clear browsing history”>choose “obliterate from the beginning of time”>click browsing history, download history, cookies (yum), cached, hosted app data
DO NOT click “clear browsing data” yet!
Hit the star button to create a bookmark
Click Clear browsing data
You can set up identities for the different aspects of your computer life
Identities help you stay on task
Minimize the number of open tabs
You can clear cache without affecting all your programs
Create your identity
Settings>people>add person
Name the identity>pick an avatar (there’s a martini glass!)
For each identity, PC users can add a desktop shortcut or pin to your taskbar for easy, quick access: Mac users, no desktop shortcut, just a dock pin.
It’s quick and easy to access your other identities.
Header>people>choose
Taskbar (Mac Dock)>click
Desktop shortcut>click
Connect your Google account
Header>people>sign in to Chrome
Settings>advanced sync settings
Your browsing data, bookmarks, history, passwords, and other settings, are saved and synced to your Google Account
If your device is stolen or damaged, you can get back your bookmarks, history, passwords, and other settings just by signing in to Chrome again on your shiny new device
When you sign in to Chrome, you’re signed in to other Google services – GoogleDrive, Gmail, YouTube…
Going Incognito is just a term for private browsing.
When you are in “Incognito” mode, your browsing, search histories, and cookies will not be retained.
PC: Settings>new Incognito window
Mac: Header>people>choose
What are the benefits of “going Incognito”?
You can work across multiple accounts at once
Protect your privacy when working on computers other than your own
Test security of unknown websites
Limit personal information for sites that mine (Facebook)
Check your search ranking – great for those trying to boost or create their SEO
Adding themes, extensions and making your identity – well… yours
All customization, including themes & extensions, is available through the settings dot stack.
Themes are fun.
They help you easily identify which one you are working in
They are browser skins to personalize your identities
Mac users have no desktop shortcut option, but your theme is obvious on your dock
They are fun
And they pretty
Extensions are useful.
Extensions add functionality to your browser, right from the header
Extensions can add security
Extensions let you modify web pages
Add Bookmarks
This is the key to efficiency when using browser-based programs.
I set my customers up with all the everyday tasks they need to accomplish.
I have them open a new tab, hit the bookmark for the task, and they can work right from there.
Client setup is relative to what bookkeeping they do, of course.
Set up the standards such as Cache, Home, Customers, Invoice, Receive Payment, Suppliers, Bill, Pay Bill, Expense, Search…
Bookmarks are key to using browsers efficiently.
A simple way to work in several transactions and operations at once
Big productivity booster for FinTech Saas users
Make sure you can see your bookmarks.
Setting dots>bookmarks>bookmark options>show bookmarks
Bookmark your most used actions and activities.
Bookmark using the “star” in the far right of your address bar when you are in a task or page
You can rename, shorten the name or use just an icon to make more bookmarks visible on your browser
Bookmark on the fly, or set it up all ahead of time
You can reorder your bookmarks by dragging
Use new tabs to accomplish tasks simultaneously, keep a transaction open while you check on something else, compare pages or transactions.
The efficiency and workflow management of bookmarks and open tabbing cannot be emphasized enough.
Open a new tab to change tasks
Don’t have too many tabs open
Open a new tab>hit the bookmark
I sell my cloud accounting bookmarks.
Browser optimization: Setup and Consistent Use
Clear! Your! Cache!
Refresh your browser (F5 is your new best friend).
Remember that if you change a transaction, you have to let any related activities or tasks be aware of the change. For example, if you add an expense while you have the bank feed tab open, you can’t just go back to the feed and think it will now “match” to the new expense. Refresh (F5) the bank feed tab, and then it will show up.
Don’t overtask your browser.
This is where multiple identities come in handy. Have one dedicated to FinTech and one for other uses. Try not to cross-pollinate, or you will wind up with too many tabs open, stress your cache and lose productivity.
Go Incognito.
Need to jump in on another client file, but don’t want to close out of the one you are in? Is the blue circle of QBO death taking over (even though you cleared your cache)? Go Incognito! Same bookmark bar, but it’s a hidden user, so it’s not picking up your current login information.
Want some keyboard shortcuts?
You should; they’re awesome. No “over mousing”!
Here is a link to them.
Simply yours, Kellie :-}
::Shameless Call To Action::
I sell cloud accounting templates, standard operating process handbooks and client guides.
