Total business package?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Ed
  • Start date Start date
E

Ed

I'm looking to start a new small business, and was
thinking I needed some way to track and report everything:
inventory purchases and usage, job estimates, actual
expenses per job, invoicing, profits per type of job,
customer base, and so forth. I've got experience with
Word and Excel, both using and VBA programming. I've
created an Access table and query once or twice before.

First question that comes to mind is: Does a total
business package like this already exist? Am I thinking
of reinventing the wheel?

Second, assuming it would be better to build it myself (I
might anyway, just for the fun and experience): Some
individual tasks or projects would be repeated, with the
same materials and time requirements each time. Some
whole jobs (collection of one or more tasks/projects)
would be repeated (probably for different customers).
When I create an estimate, I would like to just be able to
choose the task/project/job name and have all associated
information fill in, rather than have to put it together
piece by piece every time. Would it be better to create a
separate table of common tasks and projects, so when I
choose one on the form I will get all the associated
info? Or is this better done by using formula/VBA code to
detect the name and pull the associated info from the
inventory table?

Any input is appreciated.
Ed
 
Wurf! They look good, but for 800 clams, I think I'd rather play with
Access myself (with a pencil-and-paper backup, of course!). I have no
illusions about creating something "just as good", but for just me, if I can
get the info in and get it out, and learn something in the process, I'd
probably spend less (the cost of a few good books) and learn more.

Thanks for replying. I always appreciate the time people who know spend
educating those of us who don't.
Ed
 
Also look at QuickBooks. It will do all that you want,
plus more.


Chris Nebinger
 
Hi Ed,

IMO there's two ways of looking at this. One is to treat it as a hobby -
run the business using paper, spend spare hours or days learning
databases and working out what you need, and in a few months or years
you may have a useful home-made total business package tailored to your
needs.

The other is to look at it as a business proposition. How much is your
time worth to the business? Even if it's only $10 per hour (and I hope
it's vastly more), it makes more sense to shell those 800 clams now and
get on with making money than to spend hundreds or thousands of hours
creating a database you can trust your business to.
 
Ditto.
You will easily spend more time than $800 if you are a novice and try to
build this system yourself.
Perhaps over $8,000!
I suggest you purchase a package - any package.
 
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