Bookkeeping Programs

[Farrell]

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----- Original Message -----=20
From: "Cy Shuster" <741662027@theshusters.org>

>I use Quickbooks and a Palm.  There seems to be a natural division of =
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> between customer tracking, scheduling, and accounting.
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> For example, in Quickbooks, I don't have a full customer database (and =
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> customer database add-on is very primitive): I enter most transactions =
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> Sales Receipts (since I'm paid on the spot), and use a handful of =
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> customers: Mr. Cash Taxable, Mr. Cash Non-Taxable, etc.; those totals =
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> good enough.  I only enter into Quickbooks the customers who don't pay =
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> same day (and those I enter as Invoices).  These are the only ones =
that I=20
> enter twice -- and I don't need driving directions, etc., in =
Quickbooks...

I'm familiar with Quickbooks - I used it back when I did environmental =
consulting. I see you idea of the dummy customers - indeed, that would =
keep a lot of stuff real simple. Do you give your customers a receipt? =
If so, how & what kind?

I know the functions/features of Quickbooks are quite extensive. My =
guess is that we would only use the basics. Would something like Quicken =
Home & Business have all the functionality the piano technician might =
need?

FWIW, I have been using PTBiz for years. I like it - I don't love it - =
but it does what I need it to. The one BIG thing I don't like about it =
is that I can't run it on a PDA-type computer like a Palm Pilot or =
whatever it is they have now.
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> My full schedule and customer database are on my Palm, so my schedule =
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> always at hand and current.  On the Palm, you can enter data into the =
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> field on almost any record type.  For customers, I put driving =
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> and service history there (there's a nice shortcut "ds" for "date =
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> that inserts today's date; see Prefs | Shortcuts).  Don't forget that =
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> flows both ways between the Palm and Palm Desktop, so you can do major =
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> entry on your PC and then just sync up.

Are there places for recording stuff for calling for next appointment? =
Piano type, model, serial number, etc.? Can you search the database? Can =
it do things like give you weekly list of calls for appointments that =
need to be made? This is critical for me because I have a group of =
clients that wish for me to call them at their regular intervals to =
schedule the next service appointment.

Terry Farrell

> I looked at Time and Chaos, and honestly didn't see many more features =
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> what Palm Desktop has.
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> Of course, I'm only tracking 150 customers, but I'm still only using =
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> my Palm's 2 Meg of memory.
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> --Cy Shuster--
> Bluefield, WV
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