Minutesmatter & Minutesmatter
Solutions,
Inc.
May 2004 - Vol. 2 No. 5
Is the filing system in your computer set up properly?
Implementing a good filing system on your computer is just as important as your physical office filing system in your office with hanging files. However, they are filed completely different. Computer files have several main categories with numerous levels of subfolders.
For the most part, you only have one main folder to store every thing you create on your computer and it is usually called My Documents. When Windows was installed on your computer, a file folder called My Documents was created. Microsoft added several subfolders under My Documents e.g., My Pictures, My Music etc. You will need to add several more VERY general subfolders. A few folders you might add would be one for your business, one for personal and any other main categories. I added a subfolder for Outlook Exports to store my exported data from Outlook. When you install Minutes Matter Studio a file folder called My Studio Designs was created. Since numerous files will be created in Studio we created a main file folder in My Documents. I also created a QuickBooks folder and back up to five different folders (each day of the week), then daily all our files are automatically backed up to an external hard drive.
For example: Create several subfolders in My Pictures file folder e.g., Client's Measured Windows, Personal, Window & Bedding Photographs, etc. See the previous article in Solutions Newsletter entitled Filing Digital Photographs. Under Personal you might have folders named Church, Vacations, Family and Friends then create subfolders in those folders.
The important thing to remember is to create many sublevels when storing/filing data on your computer. It is much easier to locate a document when you have a great filing system.
Backing up will be much easier since you only have one main file folder to back up "My Documents". You won't have to search your entire computer to make sure all your files are backed up.
Q
u i c k B o o k s T i p . . .
Open
Windows List
QuickBooks has a great navigation tool called Open Windows List. Every time you open a window/task in QuickBooks it is displayed in this list. Numerous windows can be open at one time (see screen shot below); when you want to switch to another window/task just click on the desired window; notice the active window Purchase Orders is highlighted. Press the Esc key to close windows that are no longer needed.
QuickBooks developed this helpful tool several years ago. It is displayed on the left side of your screen under Navigators. If your Open Windows List is not being displayed, click View, and select Open Windows List.
Caution: Keeping 10 or more windows open at the same time can cause your computer to run slower. I usually keep 6 or 7 open at one time.
NEW for 2004! We have just completed our new Minutes Matter 2004 QuickBooks System. The manual has been totally rewritten, it is printed in full color and includes numerous screen shots of the QuickBooks program; a picture is worth a thousand words! The Chart of Accounts and Item Codes are now on CD.
The new price is $69. Current Minutes Matter QuickBooks users may purchase this system & receive a $25 discount.
Below is an example of a screen shot, in Minutes Matter 2004 QuickBooks system, for a customized invoice illustrating boxes to check to enable an invoice to print Sales Tax & Payments and where to enter a long contract line that will print on invoices.
A S i t e T o
S e e .
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Templates from Microsoft
Microsoft has a created hundreds of templates and best of all they are free for you to download.
They have everything from greeting cards to an Employee Confidentiality Agreement.
You've designed it; let us help you fabricate it!
Why reinvent the wheel? Minutes Matter Studio includes images for patterns from M'Fay and Instructions from Minutes Matter. These products are very inexpensive. Of course, we do not offer a pattern/instruction for everything you fabricate but we have a lot of them. Remember, when you see a number beside an image in Studio, that indicates that it is a M'Fay pattern, if the image name starts with MM that indicates that it is a Minutes Matter Instruction, part of the Minutes Matter Instructional System. We have spent countless hours developing these products. Why should you spend anymore time creating patterns/instructions that have already been developed? How much is your time worth?
The left diagram below represents the Basket Weave Drapery Instruction from Minutes Matter Instructional System. The right diagram below represents the Basket Weave Drapery designed in Minutes Matter Studio. Designing and fabricating can't get much easier than this. Start investing in these products and watch your bottom line start to grow. Another huge benefit; you will spend less time designing and fabricating. Time is our most prized possession.
For those of you that haven't tried Studio, click on the Studio image below or go to our website to download the 30-day trial! Since it is FREE what have you got to lose?
