As a distributor, you are looking to be a problem-solver for your clients. If you can come up with a solution, you become the hero and deepen your relationship with the account. Since we know that a 5% increase in customer retention can lead to 25% to 95% increase in profitability (Bain & Co.), these…
Read MoreTag: Organization
Understanding Numbering in a Chart of Accounts
Ask the Accountant… Question: Do I need account numbers in addition to account names? If so, are there particular numbers? Answer: I like using account numbers with account names for accounts in the chart of accounts (COA) because it makes it easier to distinguish one account from another more readily, as some account names are…
Read MoreMapping Customer Names Into QuickBooks From Excel
Ask the Accountant… Question: I have been trying to load customers into QB Premier from an Excel file, but I keep getting error messages about duplicates. How can I fix that? Answer: Here’s the fix: QB Premier runs on lists. Once you enter data into lists, you can use that list entry over and over…
Read MoreHow to Keep Track of Purchase Order Documents
Ask the Accountant… Question: Is there a good way to keep track of documents related to purchase orders? Answer: We certainly have a lot of paperwork attached to the orders in our industry! It is a challenge to keep a record of orders and the attending documentation. Keeping paper files can be cumbersome, but see…
Read MoreUsing ‘Leading Periods’ to Organize Sales Orders
Question: I use QuickBooks Premier. I have orders where copy or instructions are frequently the same. When I create these sales orders, is there a way to get these words onto the order without retyping them every time? Answer: Yes. You can save and reuse words or phrases that you use often by creating a…
Read MoreSupernova Success Equals Organizational Skills
Time to spill a few more sales secrets, kids! And these secrets are organizational in nature … This past week, I once again sat down with a multi-million-dollar producer and interviewed her, trying to uncover attributes, work habits and her secrets of success. Just call me Bernstein from The Washington Post. Wait, maybe I should…
Read More11 Keys to Great Success in Life and Business: Key 8: Major in the Majors
All work is not created equal. There are really two types of work. The first type is the work that can make you wealthy. The second type is the work that might make you crazy and certainly won’t make you wealthy. In our business, there are only four types of activities that will make a…
Read MoreCan I Run a Report on Amount of Sales from Customer Groups in QuickBooks?
Question: Is there some way in QuickBooks to run a report showing the amount of sales from a particular group of customers? Answer: Yes. QuickBooks allows you to define “Types of Customers.” When you open a customer in the Customer Center, click on “Additional Info” on the left side of the screen. There you can…
Read MoreA Personal Reflection on Life and Loss
Life has its ups and downs. We can all rejoice about the good things we have experienced in life. As a kid, you may have done special things in sports or celebrated academic accomplishments.
Read MoreBeing Bob Hope: Becoming an Iconic Brand Superstar
Those of you who know me personally know that I am a film buff, and classic comedy historian and collector. I’ve been a member of The Sons of the Desert, the international Laurel and Hardy organization, since I was 15 years old, and I founded the Cleveland, Ohio, branch of that organization in 1973.
Read More