5 Ways to Customize the Way You Work in Peachtree

Having the ability to do things your own way can make just about anything worthwhile. If you can set up your workflow the way you want, even the most difficult tasks become easy over time - and high level small business accounting and payroll software programs have quite a few ways to customize your workflow to suit yourself! Today we look at 5 of those personalization strategies in Peachtree Accounting.

Setting the Global Options

In Peachtree Accounting the Global Options allow you to control the way the program behaves, looks and feels. Go to Options>Global to get the Maintain Global Options dialog box, and each user of the programs can set their own preferences. After all, it would hardly be personalizable if everyone simply had to work to the boss's preferred setup!

Point out your preferences

The first section on the left hand side of the Accounting Tab within Global Options is the Deciaml Entry screen, which determines how Peachtree inserts decimal points. This can be very handy if you have a narrow taskset and find that your thumb is getting Repetitive Strain Injury from reaching down to the period on the number pad all the time!

Get warned about potential mistakes

If you're like me, then you're fine with the process of doing things ... but occasionally miss a critical step such as saving a record! In the Accounting tab of the Global Options you can set Peachtree to warn you if a record was changed but not saved, to help avert any disasters while you re-train your brain.

Choose to Update reports automatically when records are saved

Depending on whether you want good performance from your Peachtree Accounting product, or up-to-the-minute accuracy in the recording, you can choose to either uncheck or check the General option to 'Update reports automatically when records are saved'.

Spellchecking

Many of us rejoiced on the day that Firefox began to check our spelling for us ... and Peachtree Accounting can too. Use the Spelling Tab in Global Options to set up the program to do a spellcheck when you save or close a transaction, and help with maintaining a professional image.

More Peachtree User Problems Solved

Peachtree Complete and Peachtree Accounting are wonderful programs ... however they are quite complex structures, and do interact in strange ways with different tasks, operating systems and users sometimes! Today we check out some of the niggles that customers have had with Peachtree support, checking out possible solutions and guidance for using the products properly.

Check stub formatting

Some users have expressed interest in being able to format check stubs to show various invoice details. In some cases it is possible, but some it is not - for instance, the GL distribution line is not available for printing on a check stub. Manually typing the numbers in the description field is the most automated ay to do this, unfortunately!

Clients are interested in running Peachtree on Parallels on a Mac

Peachtree can be run for a Mac using Parallels, however there are a couple of known issues with it. Performance is noticeably less than on Windows-based PCs - it seems there just aren’t enough people out there using Peachtree on a Mac to do the comprehensive programming work necessary to fine tune the performance. Email also doesn't work for some clients using Parallels.

Users experience issues with several Microsoft Office 2010 programs, especially on computers running Windows 7

Every time a software vendor brings out a new version of something (especially when it is Microsoft!) everybody else has to scramble to catch up. Some users are requiring peach tree support for issues with emailing through Microsoft Outlook 2010, and sending documents to Microsoft Excel 2010, for example. In many cases this is due to the 64-bit version of Windows 7 running, causing odd issues. In most cases an expert visit is required to sort out workarounds and potential improvements to the situation.

Invoice numbers are being assigned in non-consecutive order

This is a fairly simple problem with a fairly simple reason, and an equally simple fix! If you have manually used an invoice number out of sequence, Peachtree will assume that you want to keep numbering from that point, and increment invoice numbers by one from the new set point. Simply manually set it back.

Users are required to re-register Peachtree every time it is opened

This seems like a major issue, but in fact is not. A corrupt entry is the most likely cause, and if the program worked correctly upon installation you should be able to fix the issue by simply re-installing it.

Peachtree User Problems Solved: June 2010

Peachtree Quantum and the other Accounting versions of the program are quite involved pieces of software. They interact with different data, different operating systems, different task sets and user styles in different ways ... sometimes unexpected ways! Sometimes the manual just isn’t enough - but luckily there is quite an assortment of excellent Peachtree Support available online. Today we offer some solutions to common problems that have been bugging Peachtree users this month.

Users cannot customize checks and forms without an application error message. In some cases the entire system shuts down.

This is not a widespread Peachtree problem, but has affected more than one user in the recent past. On attempting to customize a check or form, users get a 'peachtree.exe application error / The unknown software exception occurred in the application at location [location]' message.

The culprit in all cases has been a corrupt file. If users could customize forms at some time in the past, uninstalling and re-installing the software fixes the problem.

Users need guidance on moving Peachtree 2010 to an upgraded server

Peachtree support experts advise that you should keep the drive letter and directory structure the same on the new server as the old. If this isn’t possible, you'll need to redefine the DATAPATH on each workstation to avoid losing custom forms, due to the way that Peachtree looks for forms.

Saving selected invoices to pay

Old Peachtree Classic users have mentioned that they found the ability to save selected invoices to a 'To Pay' list, and have someone review it over the following couple of days, is one of the features they miss most in the Sage Accounting Software version of Peachtree. One workaround, though it is a slower process, is to go through Tasks - Payments, rather than Tasks - Select for Payment. You will need to manually enter each check, but it does enable you to save them without printing.

We often recommend that you call in a certified Peachtree support consultant, even for some small issues. You'll get plenty of tricks and tips that can later be used to self-solve issues with your Sage Accounting software products.

Don’t Get Overwhelmed

A friend of mine began running a small business from her home last year and was doing really well. She was baking pies, cakes, and cookies for local restaurants and it really became a big success. Unfortunately she neglected to have any kind of accounting software programmed into her computer and the paperwork got really out of hand. That’s when she begged me to help her make sense of all of it.

I have an accounting business myself and have a degree so it really wasn’t difficult to explain to her what type of program she needed for her business. She needed small business accounting software that is easy to use and understand so that she could keep up with it herself and not have to hire somebody to do her books. She didn’t think she would be able to handle it but once I showed her the different programs there were and helped her pick the right one, she quickly learned how to use it.

This is the mistake many small business owners make when they start their business; they think that because they are running a very small business from their home that they don’t need any kind of professional accounting software. They think they can keep up with the billing and invoicing and orders on a pad of paper and use hand written receipts. The problem with that is you lose track very quickly and you don’t have any saved data to predict profit and loss. When you run a business you need to see what is working best for you and what isn’t. In my friend’s case, she knew her cherry pie was her best seller but she didn’t know by how much. She also didn’t know by how much her apple pie was not a big winner. I showed her how she can use the software to make charts and graphs to show which of her items is selling best and to show how much each item has profited her.

This type of information is very important in a small business because every penny counts and if you have a product that isn’t selling well and have a product that is very popular, you should invest more in the most popular product and drop the other. By using these simple business tools her business doubled in profit in just six months. She has almost outgrown her home bakery and is in the process of building a larger kitchen in her basement.

Business Tips for Self Employment

When I started my own catering business I didn’t consider the business end of it; I was just thinking about getting clients and cooking the food. I never considered the work it would be keeping up with the bills, payroll, ordering, and all the other fine details that go along with owning a business. It didn’t take long before I knew I needed some help and that’s when I started looking into the Peachtree Complete software for accounting. It seemed to have everything I needed to run my business and seemed quite easy to use.

I needed one program that would keep track of billings, payroll, would print checks and invoices, and wash dished. I’ve gotten it to do all those things and more, except wash the dishes; nothing is perfect I guess. I was spending so much time chasing down invoices and wondering if I paid certain bills that it was taking away from doing my work in the kitchen. Once I started using the business accounting software my life got a whole lot easier.

Once my business took off and I started getting a lot of clients I hired somebody to do all my accounting and payroll. The great thing about the software I’m using is that it’s so easy to learn and use I was able to train the girl in just a few days. Most of the applications are self explanatory and require no real accounting knowledge. It does all the work for you; all you have to do is type in the numbers. It comes with payroll and inventory software; I didn’t have to buy separate programs to get all the tools I needed to run my business.

I really enjoy having my own business and I like the fact that there is little paperwork involved in using the software I have for my accounting needs. I give my clients the option of paperless invoices and just send reminders to their email addresses. I am able to link my online banking up to my software to make bill payments a breeze. I had no idea there would be so much involved in running a business and I’m very lucky that I found all the great business tools all wrapped up nicely in one complete program. I don’t think I would have been as successful as I am now had I not found a way to keep all my accounting business under control.

Your Small Business is Our Top Priority

One thing that up and coming small businesses absolutely cannot compromise on is the company’s accounting. It is simply too crucial to short change. That is definitely one of the major problems with businesses these days. They do not put enough of their resources into their company’s bookkeeping. Another problem that managers have is the lack of ability to properly keep up with the company’s financials. With a good software program, you will no longer have to worry about the bookkeeping or organization of your company. There are programs that have all of the benefits you need to keep your small business running smoothly and efficiently.

Some of the software that's useful includes MAS90 accounting, MAS200, ACT, Timeslips, and Sage. It's important to stay informed of possible updates, too. Not a computer wizard? No problem! Certified trainers are ready to teach you everything you need to know when it comes to software. Often there are locations all over the country that allow you to have a few days of uninterrupted accounting training. This ensures your employees that they will have a secure knowledge of the programs your company is integrating into its system. With a good training system, your employees can receive one-on-one attention from trained professionals, anytime your employees have questions or need help on anything when it comes to Peachtree software.

One of the major problems with accounting is inaccuracy. It should not be that way. When it comes to accounting a small mistake can balloon out of control before anyone catches it. That's why a strong accounting software system is so key when it comes to running your small business. Find a company that specializes in system integration and that makes the learning process as easy and efficient as possible -- they're out there! A good company will be eager to answer your questions and provide you with the software training from Peachtree support to Act software training.

Accounting Software with the Training you Deserve

When it comes to accounting couldn’t we all use a little help? All of those numbers and figures can be quite confusing. If you are a business owner then you know exactly what we are talking about. Handling the numbers and figures for a small or large company can be a little overwhelming. The answer is not hiring from outside the company. The answer is to train from inside the company. You do not need someone coming in and taking over what is rightfully yours. It will be better for the company if you could train your own members to be well rounded. JCS Computers has just the solution for you when it comes to Sage accounting software!

JCS Computers has been around since 1989. We cater to over 10,000 customers all over this nation and would love to make you a part of the fun! We know what we are doing and would love to train you on the same information. A few of the products we offer are: MAS90 accounting software, MAS200 software, Sage accounting software, and ACT. These are just a few of the programs you are offered through our growing company. We choose business efficiency over decline. Your business’ success is our priority and all of our programs make that success all the more attainable.

You may be wondering how it is exactly that we are going to train your employees in accounting. They do not need to go to a twelve week course or a semester of college. We can teach them everything they need to know in one of our ACT software training classes. JCS Computers offers training classes for all of our software so that you are never left in the dark. We offer classes in California, Illinois, Michigan, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, and Missouri. It may be a trip to visit us but it will be well worth it in the long run. Your employees will be trained in any area you wish so that you do not need to keep bringing in people from the outside. If any problems arise after the training occurs then feel free to call us up. Our instructors are certified and ready to help you in any circumstance.

The dream of any small business is success and efficiency. JCS Computers would love to partner with you and make that dream a reality. We are only one phone call away. Do not hesitate to jump start your business into the fastest growing stage it will ever experience.