August 2004 - Vol. 2 No. 8
What's on your Top Ten List?
We are more than half way through the year; we all had good intentions of developing better work habits as we made our New Year's Resolutions in January. The fact is, as the days went by and the work days got hectic it was easy to slip back into our old routine of just flying by the seat of our pants. It is not too late to revisit your New Year's Resolution. We have developed a simple system to help you get those really important tasks done. We created pads with 50 pages called the Top Ten List. A quote is even under the title "Plan your work and work your plan" to keep you motivated.
This list is such a simple concept, but the results are phenomenal. All you do is list ten things you feel that are your most important tasks for the day. Repeat this process each and every day, even include your personal tasks on your list. As you think of tomorrow's tasks, flip the page and start listing those tasks. When a task is not completed on today's list rewrite it on tomorrow's list. The best part about this system is you get to cross the tasks off as you complete them. I guarantee when you list your ten most important tasks daily you will get more done, forget fewer things, be more prepared and items will always be ordered on time.
Want to hear more tips and systems like this? Plan to attend the SewWhat Educational Conference in Philadelphia - September 29 - October 3, 2004. I am teaching a class "Designing from Start to Finish" on September 30th at 1:30 pm which encompasses what I have learned in my 22 years of running a successful Custom Window Treatment business. This seminar is completely different from any seminars I have conducted in the past. This seminar will help you make permanent changes in your business; most of my suggestions require little or no cost, but make a huge impact. Join us, you will be glad you did!
Q u i c k B o o k s Ti p . . .
Did
You Backup Yesterday, I hope so . . .
What if you opened your QuickBooks company file and you received an error message saying that your data cannot be opened? You close QuickBooks and try AGAIN and AGAIN and receive the same message; somehow to your horror your data has become corrupt. QuickBooks was fine yesterday, but today is different. If you have not backed up the nightmare has just begun.
I received a call a couple weeks ago from Teresa Grysikiewicz, with Interior Attire, saying she received an error message in QuickBooks and could not open her file. She had not backed up in a couple of weeks; Teresa had called Intuit and they said they could not help her. I called her back and I didn't have a solution either since she had not backed up. Teresa came up with a great solution on her own. She used Windows System Restore to restore her computer back to a particular restore point. Windows XP creates System Checkpoints daily for you. You can even create your own restore point; this would be very useful just before installing a new program or making critical changes to your system. To access System Restore, click Start >> All Programs >> Accessories >> System Tools >> System Restore and choose a restore point. The great feature about System Restore is it completely reversible and you can choose another restore point. I would definitely give System Restore a try if you are have computer trouble e.g., virus. When you use System Restore you will not lose saved documents, emails, history or your favorites. I was pleasantly surprised to find out the QuickBooks file could be restored to the day before. So, if you forget to back up this would be an option worth trying.
I do, however, highly recommend that you create rotating backups for QuickBooks. This is the safest way to ensure your data will be preserved and intact. Create five backups, one for everyday of the week. If you do not use QuickBooks daily, just make sure you backup QuickBooks every day that you use it.
I use an Iomega external hard drive for my main back up system. The Iomega hard drive has a QuikSync feature, which backups every file each time we make changes. I also have a flash drive, which is a great back up that is very portable and can be disconnected from your computer; they can even come in the form of a watch. Flash drives are about the size of a car key and plug into a USB port. Flash drives are not meant to be a back up for your entire computer, however, they are great to hold several large files.
Are you still trying to figure out QuickBooks? . . .
Don't wait until 2005 to start using QuickBooks the right way! I can't believe we are more than half-way through 2004, it will be December before you know it. Purchase our 2004 Minutes Matter QuickBooks System now, don't put if off any longer. 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. Current Minutes Matter QuickBooks users will receive a $25 discount.
NEW! Look for our upcoming Webinars for QuickBooks and Microsoft Outlook.
A S i t e To S e e . .
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Does a Wholesale Workroom Need Studio?
We have had many people ask us how a wholesale workroom can benefit by using Minutes Matter Studio. Here are some perfect examples of how Studio will benefit every workroom.
When going over Work Orders with a workroom recently, we had dimension questions regarding a couple of treatments. Renderings had not been created for two of the treatments since they were so simple.
One of the treatments was stationary draperies with Euro pleats on a square iron rod with a stationary roman shade; we were working with a double window, a 9' ceiling and 23" above the window. The rod was mounted just under the crown; the only question was if a 36" stationary roman shade look would too heavy for the space. We used a 9' ceiling template in Studio, added our window and resized it to match the Measuring Sheet, added the draperies and roman shade and resized those images. Then we snapped the dimension lines with Studio's Dimension Tool. Within five minutes we could tell the 36" shade was exactly the length we wanted.
In the laundry room we were doing a pelmet drapery. Our questions were how far in from the side would the drapery pull up and how high it would pull up on our window. We decided we would make the FW of the drapery 2" wider than the window. We tested different lengths on the pelmet drapery and came to the conclusion that the tip should touch the bottom of the window. We brought the window to the front to give us more insight.
We did these spec sheets in a matter of minutes, printed both of us a copy and were sure the window treatments would be perfect for the space. These treatments were just installed and they turned out exactly like the renderings.
The moral for this story: Studio is a great tool for wholesale workrooms. Download it for FREE and see for yourself; click on the Studio image below or go to our website to download the 30-day trial!
Would you like to attend a class for Studio and never leave your home or
office?
Visit
"The Lounge" (Studio's forum
on our website) for more details. These classes have a limited number of seats per class.
So, sign up soon; classes will fill up fast! Just
email the form in the link us to let us know what class you would like to attend and
we will send you a confirmation via email.