Overview
Welcome to BQE CORE! You can watch this video to sign up and get started in CORE.
To begin, you need to subscribe or sign up for a 15-day trial on our website. Both new users (prospects) and existing users (BQE customers) can sign up for a new CORE account. Then you need to activate your account and create a new company. Next, you are prompted by a Setup Wizard where you can specify some important default settings for your company.
You can try out CORE using a blank database or a sample database. If you opt for a blank database, you can proceed with setting up the Company screen. You can also migrate your existing data into CORE (see Data Migration for more). Depending on whether you opted for a blank database or sample database, CORE displays a blank or a sample Dashboard, respectively. You can view important information on the dashboard when you actually start working in CORE. Based on your role in the company, you can go through various settings and preferences to fine tune CORE to your liking before populating it with some data.
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Owner or administrator
As a CORE owner, you are responsible for the company account, especially adding other users and entering company data.
Being on a trial, you can start going through the company-wide settings and security permissions, checking your user settings, inviting other employees to CORE, etc. Also, in the trial mode, you can configure email settings, but cannot send out emails. If you are using a blank database, you can create master lists like clients, employees, activity items, expense items, projects, and so on. But if you are using a sample database, you can skip that step and go ahead exploring different areas of CORE. It is a good idea to decide on a date when you want to purchase and start using CORE for your company. Check out the CORE overview section.
If you have purchased a CORE subscription, you can have a BQE Consultant migrate your existing data into the CORE database. Please check with your Sales Account Manager to purchase the required subscriptions.
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Employee or timekeeper
Being on a trial, you can start going through the user settings to customize CORE the way you like. If you are using a blank database during your trial period, you might have to create master lists like clients, employees, activity items, expense items, projects, and so on. But if you are using a sample database, you can skip that step and go ahead exploring different areas of CORE. Start entering your time and expenses on projects. Explore the many time and expense features provided by CORE. Check out the time and expense overview section.
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Project manager
Being on a trial, you can start going through the user settings to customize CORE the way you like. If you are using a blank database during your trial period, you might have to create master lists like clients, employees, projects, budgets, fee schedules, and so on. But if you are using a sample database, you can skip that step and go ahead exploring different areas of CORE. Check out the Projects overview section.
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Billing manager or accountant
Being on a trial, you can start going through the user settings to customize CORE the way you like. If you are using a blank database during your trial period, you might have to create master lists like clients, employees, projects, chart of accounts, and so on. If you have historical balances from a manual system or another accounting software, you can enter the opening balances in CORE (at the project level, invoice level or company level using General Journal) to use its accounting features. But if you are using a sample database, you can skip that step and go ahead exploring different areas of CORE. Check out the billing overview section.
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Principal or partner
Being on a trial, you can start going through the user settings to customize CORE the way you like. If you are using a blank database during your trial period, you might have to create master lists like clients, employees, projects, and so on. But if you are using a sample database, you can skip that step and go ahead exploring different areas of CORE. You might want to dive right into the core of your business by checking the dashboard, project resource allocation and forecasting, invoice collections, various productivity tools and company reports that CORE has to offer.
It is a good idea to decide on a date when you want to purchase and start using CORE for your company. Check out the CORE onboarding section.
You must purchase a CORE subscription and start working from your planned start date (see Subscriptions). Paid users are able to switch to and also exit the sample databases for various industry-types from within the app. Please check with your Sales Account Manager to purchase the required subscriptions.
Note: In the sample database mode, you cannot access the CORE account settings.
How To
Sign Up for a CORE Account
You can create a CORE account and use it for free on a trial basis. By default, you will be regarded as the Owner of that account. During these 15 days, you can check out the full functionality of CORE, with a blank or sample database.
Note: You cannot access Cloud Feeds during the trial period, which means you cannot connect to your bank accounts. You need to subscribe to the right Accounting package to use this feature. Please check with your Sales Account Manager to purchase the required subscriptions.
To sign up for a new CORE account, watch this video or follow these steps:
- Browse to the CORE website and sign up for a free trial.
- On the Sign Up page, enter the following required information
- First Name
- Last Name
- Email: Subscription is based on this unique email ID
- Phone
- Country: This determines your globalization and localization settings in CORE. Based on the country you choose here, your default currency, symbols, tax codes and other settings are customized accordingly. It is set to United States by default.
- Click Sign Up.
- An activation email is sent to you for verification. You need to enter the emailed code in the next screen and you are done!
Activate My Account
After signing up for a CORE account, you need to activate it to complete the sign-up process via email (you should have received an activation code email). If someone else created the CORE account for your company (Owner), then you will receive an email invitation to join it as a Standard or an Admin user.
To activate your CORE account, watch this video or follow these steps:
- After signing up, check your email for the activation code.
- Copy the code and paste it directly on the CORE Sign Up page (if still open). Else, you can click on the link provided in the email and enter it there.
- Click Activate.
- You are prompted to set your password to get started. CORE follows a strong password policy and so you must meet those requirements:
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Use 8 or more characters
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Use uppercase and lowercase letters (e.g., Aa)
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Use a number (e.g., 1, 2, 3)
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Use a symbol (e.g., ! # $ but wildcard characters like * and ? are not allowed)
Note: If you are invited to join CORE, you will not receive a separate activation email. Instead, you will be directed to this screen and just asked to enter a new password for your account.
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- Next, create a company by entering the required information:
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Company Name
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Industry
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Business Country
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- Agree to the terms and click Create Company.
After the company is set up, you are redirected to the Setup Wizard that walks you through the first interaction with CORE.
Sign In to CORE
You can sign in to your CORE account any time using your registered login credentials. To begin with, you can use a new company database or choose an industry-specific sample database instead (Accounting, Architectural, Consulting, Engineering and Legal). There is an extra layer of security that goes beyond a user name and password; you can turn on Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) in your CORE account. If your CORE admin has enforced a uniform 2FA policy for CORE users throughout the company, then the users signing in for the first time are prompted to set up 2FA before gaining access to CORE. However, this 2FA option is disabled for trial accounts and companies.
Tip: Save the CORE sign-in page for a one-click start next time. You can bookmark it, drag it to the shortcut bar in your browser, or drag the page to your desktop. Rename the icon if you want.
Note: Click here at the bottom of the Sign-In page to see the list of the latest features, key events, webinars, improvements, and bug fixes made to CORE.
To sign into CORE, watch this video or follow these steps:
- Browse to your CORE Sign In page.
- Enter your CORE account email and click Continue.
- Next, enter your account password and click Sign In.
Note: CORE temporarily locks you out if you provide an incorrect password multiple times during login. This is a security measure to protect your database. - If you have enabled the Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) method for logging into CORE in User Settings or Settings then after entering the login credentials here, it prompts you to submit the verification code. The code is sent to your preferred channel (phone or text). You can enter the code here and click Verify. The code is valid for 15 minutes only. This ensures that unauthorized people cannot log into CORE and access your company data.
- If your account is linked with multiple company files, CORE provides you with a list of companies to choose from. On the Choose a Company dialog, click Get Started.
- If you forgot your password, click Reset Password to have BQE email you the password reset link.
Sign Out of CORE
To sign out of the CORE program:
- Go to the top user menu.
- Click Sign Out at the bottom of the menu.
You are signed out of the program and taken back to the Sign In page.
Reset My Password
CORE temporarily locks you out if you provide an incorrect password multiple times during login. This is a security measure to protect your database. If you forgot your CORE password, you can have BQE send a password reset link to your email account. You can reset or retrieve your forgotten password in CORE by specifying your email address.
To reset your password:
- On the CORE Sign In page, click the link for forgetting the password.
- On the Reset Your Password page, enter your email address used in CORE.
- Click Continue. BQE emails a password reset link to you.
- Follow the instructions in that email to reset your password.