Minutesmatter & Minutesmatter
Solutions,
Inc.
June 2004 - Vol. 2 No. 6
Appointments, client information and task lists, where can you see all that!
Appointments and client information is one of our most valuable assets. I highly recommend keeping up with this information electronically. We use Microsoft Outlook, not Outlook Express, to schedule our appointments, keep all client information, manage our email, reminders for tax reports and electronic post-it notes. Outlook is very easy to set up and use. Since our personal and business lives are so tightly intertwined, we enter all personal contacts in Outlook as well. All consultations, installations, doctor appointments and even personal time is scheduled to prevent conflicts. We also use the calendar to document trips to the bank, post office etc.
We keep Minutes Matter Appointment pads next to every phone to ensure all information is recorded during the first telephone call/contact with the client. After the call, we enter the client information into Outlook including directions to client's home or office. A large size font is used for driving directions since the contact sheet is printed each time anyone visits the client's home or office. Have you ever had to ask your client for directions a second time? Entering this information in Outlook prevents those embarrassing questions. When a client calls years later for another appointment, reconfirm all information especially email addresses and cell phone numbers since those numbers are subject to change.
Once all the information has been entered in the contact database, you are ready to record the appointment. We always enter similar appointments the same way e.g., Consult - Jones DR & MB (Design Consultation with Deloris Jones for Dining Room and Master Bedroom), Install - Smith LR (Installation for Rebecca Smith's living room) or Hair cut & color - Debbie (this does not mean I color my hair). Use abbreviations or shorten words when entering descriptions on the calendar. There is a large note section to record client's requests, furniture type, colors etc. You can also color code each appointment; we use red for appointments and installs, yellow for general, orange for reports due, purple for birthdays & holidays; this makes it easy to distinguish between the different entries. You can print your calendar in a day, week or month view. We print them daily and pin them on corkboard next to our computer. What is really great about having a calendar & database in electronic format is you can sync it with a PDAor a phone with PDA capabilities. All your information is now available on a very small computer about the size of your hand. I rarely enter information in my PDA, information is entered in Outlook and then I sync my PDA with my computer daily.
Remember the 80/20 rule when planning your week. Everything you do can be divided into one of these categories. Here is how it works; 20% of your activities will account for 80% of your results, 20% of your customers will result in 80% of your sales, 20% of your products will result in 80% of your profit. Consider this as you are scheduling your time, many people work on low value tasks and are busy all the time. Sometimes we even procrastinate things that could change our business. Let me give you some examples: creating a company brochure or updating your business cards, setting up a better filing system or learning a new software program e.g., QuickBooks or Minutes Matter Studio etc. I think you get the picture.
The below illustration displays a partial month view in Outlook, notice the colors allowing you to see at a glance your appointments.
Here are a few basis things to keep in mind when scheduling appointments:
- Use only one calendar; do not record appointments or client information in two places.
- Don't schedule appointments back to back; give yourself some time in between.
- When scheduling installs don't give exact time for the second install, inform client it will be between 1:00 & 2:00, or say we have you scheduled for the afternoon. The first install could take longer then expected. When scheduling a Design Consultation, we inform the client we will be there sometime around 2:00. It is better not to be exact since you never know if you will get tied up on the phone at the last minute; if the client has taken off work you must be on time.
- Get all the information the first time you speak with client.
- Make sure you have scheduled those really important tasks that could make a real difference in your business or personal life.
- Actually schedule time on your calendar for everything you need to get done during the week.
If you would like to see and hear more detailed information about Microsoft Outlook sign up for one of my classes at th 8th Annual SewWhat Education Conference & Trade Show on August 7th in Greenville, SC or October 2nd in Philadelphia, PA.
Q
u i c k B o o k s T i p . . .
QuickBooks
Desktop - Adding Icons
You can customize any program to display the functions you use most. Customizing the desktop in any software will save you a lot of time, remember, the 80/20 rule I described above. It is easy and only takes about 30 minutes in QuickBooks.
First, start by deleting the icons that can be accessed by hot keys e.g., Customer:Job (Ctrl J), Invoice (Ctrl I) etc. and adding icons that are preset by QuickBooks. For a full list of hot keys refer to the Minutes Matter QuickBooks booklet or the QuickBooks manual. Click View>>Customize Icon Bar delete unnecessary icons and add those icons you need. Pay Sales Tax is one of the preset icons you would choose to add to the QuickBooks Icon bar.
To add additional icons that are not listed in the Customize Icon Bar window: start by opening a Purchase Order, now click View>>Add "Create Purchase Orders" to Icon Bar, then select a desired icon. Repeat this procedure for any other function/task you do on a regular basis. The toolbar below displays some of the icons that are very useful to have on your icon bar.
Rewritten for 2004! If you haven't already upgraded to our 2004 Minutes Matter QuickBooks System, what better time then now. 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: 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.
What size is that finial?
Studio has a unique feature that allows sizes of finials to be displayed each time you move your mouse over a finial or any other image. You do not have to get your vendor catalog to find the finial size from Orion, Sarkis Studio or Resin Solutions. Simply hold your mouse over the thumbnail image and a detailed description appears. This is very helpful information when you only have 5" from the window to a corner of the wall. You instantly know what finials will work and what finials won't.
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?
Each month we feature a company's window or bed design in our newsletter. Each person will receive a $20 gift certificate good toward any Minutes Matter purchase. To have your treatment considered, please submit the picture with details of the treatment to treatment@minutesmatter.com.
Treatment Details . . .
-
Inspiration for cornice, "The Window" book by Becky Charton & Belinda Brolo, pg. 18. This treatment is installed in a dining room.
-
All fabric is COM. Cornice fabric is upholstery weight, draperies are silk fabric. Ball tassel fringe was sewn on top of drapery panel along lead edge. Draperies were lined and interlined.
-
Window with Transom is 78"W x 112"L with 11" of space between top of window and crown. The cornice is 82"W at top, bottom measurement is 88"W and 51"H at highest point. Shortest point in cornice is 35". Draperies are 86"L with a 12" stack and have a 2" break on floor. Cornice was installed so that top of cornice would be above crown approx. 2" with a return of 6".
-
Bendable plywood was used for shaping along sides of cornice. Cornice was padded with 10oz. polyester batting and 10/32" covered welt was used around entire cornice. Cardboard tack strip was used when attaching the welting area for a crisper look. Back of cornice was lined with blackout lining to prevent wood from showing and gimp was glued along all edges of lining for a finished look inside cornice.
These treatments
were fabricated by Beverly Craft, Bev's Threads, Gallatin, TN.
