I spend all my extra time educating myself for making my skills more marketable. Most computer programs I have on my computer and I am constantly learning new techniques but there are a couple I would like to add to my skill list but can't afford the programs: Quickbooks and Photoshop. I can't afford to pay for a class either. Any ideas? is it enough to work through a textbook?
Thank you!
Diana

To get really proficient, you do need to have the program. I know that Photoshop has a 30-day free trial, which would likely help with some basic familiarity with the program.

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Gwynne L. http://www.the25thhourva.com

QuickBooks does not have a demo version but they have an free online mini version which does not include all the capabilities but does give you an idea of the basics. To compare features of Pro vs. Online, check out http://oe.quickbooks.com/compare.cfm.

I believe that you can get the basic knowledge from a textbook but like Gwynne said you really need to work in the program.

Don't forget to check online for free how to videos and tips. There are also some threads here on resources for both.

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Lee Drozak
My Office Assistant

You can also download the free version QuickBooks Simple Start. This should give you an idea on how to use the program.

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Action Jackson Virtual Assistant|

Photoshop is a pretty good brain drain. I recommend you start with paint (kind'a a red-headed stepchild to photoshop) to learn the basics of what the tools can do and practice creating layers, etc.. It does a great deal of the basics of what photoshop does and is a good starting point. And the best part is, it's free!

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Lily Chambers, The Virtual Office Goddess, LLC
Author "How to Do Your Own Small Business Bookkeeping"

Hi Diana - I tend to agree that you would learn best by having the software. If you learn from reading it may be beneficial to read all you can before purchasing the software. Give yourself a head start :-)
Susan