The biggest fallacy out there is that the software on your computer is a snap to master. QuickBooks, Sage 50, Word, Excel – just sit down and type, right? Well, that might get you by in the beginning. But to truly master an application, you have to know its secrets. All the shortcuts that will save you time and effort. All the features that you didn’t know were there. And if you’re using that software in your job, using it every day, you may not have the time or opportunity to explore the application on your own.

That’s were training comes in. A good training session will show you what didn’t know that you didn’t know. Sure, the instructor may demonstrate features you’re already familiar with, but he or she may also show you the little things that make it easier, better, more efficient when you use those features. Things like typing the letter T in a date field in QuickBooks to enter today’s date. Or double clicking an ID field in Sage 50 to open the maintenance window for that ID. All these seemingly little things add up. And making your job easier is worth the investment of a little time and money.