Overview

Should you import your data into Kareroo?

There are a few things to consider before bothering to import your data:

1. Do you need quick access to the data?
2. Do you plan on using the data in the future, for example, expenses for this years tax return?
3. Does your previous platform delete your data when you cancel your subscription, or do they keep it accessible?
4. How easily will your data transfer?

Below we will look at each of these factors to help decide whether you should import your data, and if not, what you might want to do with it.

Quick access to data

If you need quick, easy access to the data and don't want a second platform for viewing old data vs new, then importing may make sense.

This might apply to things like shift notes, where you may want to review them when necessary and you don't want to maintain a second platform or method for storing them. In this case, it may make sense to take the time to organise your data into a CSV and import it into your Kareroo account.

If you don't need quick access to the data, perhaps shift notes from a year or more ago, or invoices from last financial year, then you may not want to bother importing this data.

Using your data in the near future

For things like this financial years invoices and expenses, it may make sense to import them even if it is a bit of a pain to do.

By doing so, you allow your most current data to be organised and managed in one place, giving you the ability to view analytics and reports more easily and maintain a better overview of your business.

Again, old data that doesn't effect current analytics or reporting may be better off stored on a hard drive, as a hard copy or in a cloud service.

Your previous platform

Some platforms will not delete your data when you cancel your subscription and may keep it accessible to you for free for a period of time.

For example, at the time of writing, Quickbooks keeps your data for 1 year after cancellation. This data is kept in a 'read-only' form and will eventually be deleted.

Some platforms may have shorter time periods or not allow access at all, so always check with your previous platform before cancelling your account.

How easily your data will transfer

Transferring data between platforms can be a bit tricky. This is because not all platforms store or use data in the same ways, and so when exporting from one platform, the exported information is likely in a different format to the one you need when importing to Kareroo.

Important: Just because you may be able to export your data as a CSV, does not mean you can instantly upload it to Kareroo as a CSV.

CSV's are organised similar to an excel table, and the columns and rows need to be in a particular order for it to be processed correctly. This almost always means you need to modify the file you get from Quickbooks, Xero or any other platform into the format Kareroo requires. This process can be easy or difficult depending on the amount of differences between the exported data and the format needed for importing it.

The other problem you may encounter is with whether the full data you need is available in the exported file. For example, we found that Quickbooks does not export invoice or expense line items. Therefore when you import invoices or expenses, they are created with one generic line item to represent the entire invoice or expense. This is not a limitation of our system, but instead it is imposed on us by the way data is exported from the Quickbooks system.

Importing data in this manner can still be useful as it gets the basic information into Kareroo, allowing for proper reporting and analytics. However you will want to keep a backup of your original data if possible.

What to do if you don't import your data

If you don't wish to import your data into Kareroo and are instead opting to start fresh, or only import select information like client details, then we recommend keeping backups of any data you can from your previous platforms.

Some data needs to be kept for 5-7 years, you will want to consult with professionals about your legal requirements here.