Best Practices

Recently one of our customer’s computers locked up which can be quite alarming. If this happens, the first step would be to make sure the power cord is completely plugged in to the computer and there are no visible signs of damage to the cord. The cord may come slightly loose from time to time. If after doing this step there still isn’t anything displayed on your computer screen, you can hold the power key down on the CPU for 8-10 seconds. This is called a hard reboot. It’s not a very good idea and should only be done as a last resort. Windows is pretty good at recovering from an issue of this sort. We recommend a computer reboot once a week. You will see a better computer performance. Other options you have is to simply replace the computer or throw it out the window and we don’t recommend the latter of those two. :-)

If you do continue to have issues and your equipment is quite dated, you should consider an upgrade. If your equipment is still within warranty, contact the manufacturer.

Information Technology; you’ve probably heard the term especially if your job involves working on or with a computer and with a telephone. And in this day and age, we would be hard pressed to find an employee who uses neither. The definition of Information technology (IT) according to Wikipedia is: “Information technology (IT) is the application of computers and telecommunications equipment to store, retrieve, transmit and manipulate data, often in the context of a business or other enterprise. The term is commonly used as a synonym for computers and computer networks, but it also encompasses other information distribution technologies such as television and telephones.” (“Information technology.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.)

When our systems are working properly, we are able to maintain a consistent, efficient work flow with data securely and properly transferring, employees remain more focused, and the system stays updated, but when something happens in the application of computer based information systems, we quickly feel the effects and need immediate solutions. For example, if you are connected to the company server and accessing files but something occurs that causes connectivity issues, such as a slower processing speed or worst, your access to those files is denied, what do you do? You can’t complete your work. If you didn’t save what you were working on, you could have lost that information. That’s time, money, and data lost. And no business owner wants to lose any of those! More and more companies are choosing to allow employees to work remotely from home too and it is crucial that the information system works correctly.

Some larger businesses have their own IT department. Several choose to employ an IT team member, while other businesses hire an outside company that specializes in all aspects of information technology. When you choose the latter option, you are not bearing employment costs and liabilities. You can depend on a 3rd party who has a skilled, knowledgeable team and the appropriate resources. A good, reputable company will tailor the services to your particular business needs.

We have built a successful business relationship with Digital I/O for all of our IT needs. They offer a superb level of service and are available whenever we need their assistance, always with a smile and a professional, helpful attitude. Their team knows the details of our system because they have worked with us to develop it to suit our business model. As our business has grown and needs have changed, Digital I/O has been right beside us every step of the way.

With remote and onsite assistance, their goal is to make your daily operations more focused and effective. The Digital I/O approach to systems management delivers:
• More efficient systems and processes
• Greater ROI from existing systems
• Improved employee focus
• Better security for data management and transfer
• Secure remote access
• Timely Updates and Complance Evaluations

Call today and tell them you heard about them from English Management Solutions, Inc.! http://www.digitalio.com/ 

And contact us for all of your QuickBooks and Bookkeeping needs!

In times past, the majority of consumers preferred to have face-to-face interactions with those they did business with, and many people still do, but we now live in an age of technology. More often than not, people are doing business with companies that are not local to them. We live in a technologically savvy world.

We’re not saying that one way is better than the other but this causes one to look at the effectiveness and costs of each. Do you enjoy the convenience of the internet and phone? How many times have you ordered things online? Do you ever call a toll-free number and talk to a company representative when you have a question, need support, or want to place an order? Have you ever joined a webinar or an online meeting? Business people in various locations can conduct meetings in a virtual environment. This allows people from anywhere in the world to join the same telephone call or virtual meeting and share information as well as receive much needed technical support. They’ve removed the need for participants to meet face-to-face. We live in an age where information is instantly and readily available to more people, and I’d venture to say that people enjoy the convenience.

If you’ve received technical assistance with a product or service, you understand the importance of working with a knowledgeable, caring technician even if it’s over the phone. The nature of our business at English Management Solutions, Inc. requires both onsite and remote meetings. We also communicate with our customers by email and phone on a daily basis. We are able to quickly assist our clients without the need for travel arrangements, the associated costs and time. Will English has performed complete system installations and upgrades by conducting remote meetings. With virtual meetings, Will can remote into our client’s systems to see where the problems lie, make the corrections, train the participants on how to use their software, etc. By using a virtual meeting platform, participants receive a specific website link to follow so the host and attendees can share their computer screens. They also receive a conference phone number with an access code for the audio portion. Participants can be at their own computers or all in one room with the computer screen projected onto a blank wall or projection screen. If everyone is in one room, they can simply use the phone’s speaker option.

Think about it. It is not uncommon for a consumer to call a company for product support and speak with a technician located in another part of the country or world. The larger companies usually have call centers, but smaller companies can provide more efficient, personalized assistance, and the caller does not have to work their way through a lengthy answering system until they’re routed to an available technician, only to hope they’ve reached the right department. When you work with a consultant or technician who already knows your product and/or system, they are a step ahead of someone who has to familiarize themselves with what you have in place, how you’re using it, etc. A patient, knowledgeable consultant/technician who speaks with clarity can carefully provide the necessary assistance even if they are in another part of the state, country or world. Don’t let distance be a deterrent in working with an expert, because to establish a business relationship with one is invaluable!

 

We’ve transitioned from April to May and find ourselves at the end of another work week. Was your week busy and productive?

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Even though Will was not on the road too much this week, he was equally as busy with local clients as well as conducting phone and remote support sessions.  Our office staff maintained a constant work flow with our Bookkeeping clients, current QuickBooks clients and prospective clients. One of our new clients is having a library built but it’s still in the construction phase. The manager wants to go ahead and start working with the QuickBooks Point of Sale (QBPOS) to become familiar with it, enter inventory, etc., so Will installed the QBPOS software on her laptop for the time being. Once the building is completed, he will set-up and install all of the equipment (which includes computers, peripheral devices that are used at the register, and the POS software) and train the staff on using the software.  They also received a copy of the QuickBooks POS Store Operations handbooks to have as a quick resource by the register. You can learn more about this valuable guide by clicking HERE.

Product demonstrations are a great way for customer’s to see the functionality of the software, and people like the visual presentation. When they receive the information audibly and visually, it tends to stick with them more than by listening alone. Will met with several business owners who are not yet using the QuickBooks software but are ready to take that step. They learned more about the system, got their questions answered about how it will work for their specific business needs and goals, etc. This is a part of the initial discovery visit. Some of our current clients are opening new locations so they need the software and hardware. And most prefer to work with Will for the installation so they know it is set-up and installed correctly from the beginning. Most people enjoy some surprises, like birthdays and the like, but not when it comes to their business software and equipment.
 
What a week for referrals! Thank you to all who have placed their confidence in us by referring our services to their friends and colleagues! We appreciate the new business and customer loyalty. Will assisted one new client with exporting out their item list and the customer vendor's from QuickBooks V.8.0 HQ to V.8.0 in one of the other locations. Another owns a chain of toy stores and they’re opening 2 more locations this year. Whether or not a customer already has the QB software we can assist them.

And Will is preparing to teach some classes at the upcoming Scaling New Heights conference. It’s an honor that he’s chosen each year to be a presenter. We’ll provide more information on this conference and the classes he’s teaching in the very near future.

We had a very busy week with a unique and very exciting opportunity! 

The Big Fix. It’s a new reality TV show coming out this summer. We are all excited that Will was selected by Intuit to represent the QuickBooks Point of Sale (QBPOS) product and demonstrate it for an episode of this show. He spent about 1 hour yesterday getting miked up and being filmed. There was a lot of interruption while he was performing the demonstration, but that’s a fairly normal demo for him with the exception of being miked with a camera following him around. Will was thrilled and grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this production. Stay tuned for more post production information!

Before the day of the filming, Will assisted one of our apparel retail clients by installing the QuickBooks Point of Sale V.2013 upgrade for their multi-store environment. He did this onsite for one of the stores and completed the work remotely for the other 2 locations, one being in NY. We’re talking about 5 POS multi-store license upgrades, a new store, and new register equipment. As our customer’s needs grow and new software versions become available, we are able to make sure they not only have all the software and equipment needed but that everything is properly installed and set-up.

Since Will was out of San Diego county and had some time between the day of the multi-store installation and the filming for The Big Fix, we scheduled a few other client visits along the way as well as he stopped by a few client’s stores as a courtesy visit to see if they had any user questions and/or issues to resolve, and sure enough, he was quickly put to work! At an apparel store that also sells sunglasses and skateboards, our client had tried to upgrade their QBPOS system on their own but it failed to let the employee log back in or pull up any of their company information. They tried what they could to troubleshoot the issue but nothing worked. The good news is that they still had one main computer working so they could ring up customers and Will was able to get everything else back up and running correctly that day. His patience and knowledge was a relief for them!

The owner of a gourmet specialty food store, another client he visited, sent this kind Thank You on Wed.: “It was such a pleasure seeing you today! Thanks for thinking of us and stopping by - it was so nice. And thank you so much for helping me out with my QuickBooks today!! You are just the best. I hope business continues to go well and we'll be in touch soon, I'm sure.”

Now we say Thank You back to all of our clients and readers! Have a great weekend!
 

Today is Good Friday, March 29th, and many people are celebrating hope more so than any other time of the year. We all have hope and confidence in something and someone. Now you may be asking what does this have to do with QuickBooks and your company or the company that you work for. Well, a lot actually. It’s a somewhat different type of hope but we don’t function without this element.

The definition of Hope by Wikipedia is: Hope is the state which promotes the belief in an outcome related to events and circumstances in one's life. "to desire with expectation of obtainment"; or "to expect with confidence". "In many traditional Christian texts, the word is an indication of certainty and a positive expectation of future reward. “Hope” in the Holy Bible means “a strong and confident expectation.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hope

When you make business decisions, they are all based upon hope for a favorable outcome. When you decided to implement a Financial and/or Point of Sale software system at your company, you did your research and talked to professionals in the industry to make a well informed decision. Your decision was in part based upon hope; hope that the system will in fact do what it is supposed to, that you will receive the necessary training to use it, and that you have a reputable source for when questions and issues arise. You know you’re not alone to figure it out by yourself.

When you’ve run across some problems or needed instructions on how to perform certain functions in the software, didn’t you feel a sense of relief when your consultant fixed the problem or showed you how to accomplish what’s necessary? What a sense of freedom and confidence one has when they have the correct tools and the knowledge in how to use those tools on business and in life.
 

We are very excited to announce the release of the QuickBooks Point of Sale Store Operations Handbook 2.0 (ordering information is below)! Co-authored by Steve Green, President of SDG Business Solutions, LLC and William English, President of English Management Solutions, Inc., this publication is a step-by-step guide with screenshot tips for an end-user of QuickBooks Point of Sale (QBPOS), or an Accountant or Bookkeeper supporting a client that uses QBPOS with QuickBooks Financial (QBFS).

Read the Table of Contents and an excerpt from the first chapter below.

With the new features and functionality of QuickBooks Point of Sale V2013, Will and Steve have provided a guide that is a great tool for end-users, bookkeepers, accountants and consultants, who need a quick and concise resource that explains how to post transactions, setup and manage inventory and sales activities within QuickBooks Point of Sale (QBPOS) as well as manage the steps required in the QuickBooks Financial Software (QBFS) to complete the POS accounting.

By following the steps outlined in this book, in just a few minutes each day, you will be able to perform the steps in QBPOS and the bookkeeping steps in QBFS necessary to complete the processes required to maintain your accounting.

Topics include: The Inventory Process, Making the Sale, Sales Orders/  Layaways/ Work Orders, End of Day, Financial Exchange and Completing the Accounting Functions, and ends with Tips and Tricks.

Order your copy today by ordering from our Online Store or Contact Us!
1 copy is just $49.95 + shipping & sales tax if in CA
5 Pack = $150 + shipping & sales tax if in CA

Will English is on his way to the Sleeter Group's 2012 Accounting Solutions Conference. This year English Management’s affiliate team member Elizabeth Thornton, Senior Bookkeeper & Intuit ProAdvisor is joining him. The Sleeter Group's Ninth Annual Accounting Solutions Conference is the place where consultants, partners, developers, and accountants from around the country gather for three days of collaboration, networking, inspiration and, of course, the latest in accounting and technology innovations. They’ll highlight how connected, mobile and cloud solutions can dramatically improve business processes for the small business market. This annual event is attended by hundreds of accountants, bookkeepers, consultants, and IT professionals, as well as some of the best-known and up-and-coming vendors in the market.

Join Us at our Upcoming QuickBooks Point of Sale Fundamentals Webinar on Tue. Oct. 16th, 2012!

WHAT IS A WEBINAR? Webinars are the perfect delivery method for busy professionals who want to take part in live training from the comfort of their office or home.  Using the popular GoToMeeting application, you will be able to view all of the step by step processes in real time and can listen in on the audio using your computer speakers or dial in by phone.

You will also be provided with a printable PDF of the PowerPoint presentation covering the key points to follow along with and make notes.

Learn More and Register Today!

It's that time of year again for most retail businesses; Inventory time! Many businesses rent inventory scanners instead of purchasing them for their once a year count. We rent the CipherLab 8000-C Portable Data Collector and want to provide you with a simple guide on doing a physical inventory count by using the Data Collector.

When you rent the inventory scanners from us, we also provide you with a PDF Quick Start Guide and the software download link. We are always just a phone call away if you run into a snag and have some questions. If you would prefer to have one of our trained staff members assist you with the inventory count, we will discuss availability and fees when you contact us.

Here's a simple step-by-step guide on doing a physical Inventory count with the CipherLab 8000-C Portable Data Collector:

You do not need to print spreadsheets containing your inventory prior to scanning.  Here are the steps:

To start a physical inventory, click on the Inventory menu and start Physical Inventory.

Then, find an item with a zero quantity and type zero into the counted field and press the Save and Continue button.  This sets the start flag.

Load items into scanner.

Put scanner into the cradle after changing the scanner from scan to upload.

Go through the Upload Wizard.

Accept the scans.  If you have bad scans, print the worksheet of unrecognized scans and try to find them manually.

Save and Continue to save the Accepted Scans.

If any item counts (i.e. I have sold some) have changed, a flag will be set. Review all flagged items and correct as needed.

Once you are certain that everything has been counted, check the box “Set all items counted to zero” then press the Apply Changes to Inventory.
 
Print the reports you need and that’s it.

More information on the Portable Data Collectors

Contact Us today!
(858) 467-0400 Local
(877) 467-0451 Toll-Free Outside of San Diego 
(858) 467-0410 Fax
info@englishmanagement.com M-F 9am-5pmPST