Membership has it's price
db
will be more interesting and valuable if:
a) You introduce yourself. It doesn't have to be personal, but maybe
what you do and why your here, and where you learned about the group.
b) If you share questions, answers, or other thoughts about Mac
business
c) If you recruit more members. So mention this on other relevant lists
you participate in.
db
db wrote:
> In just a few of days, we have 35 members. Lurking is OK but this group
> will be more interesting and valuable if:
>
> a) You introduce yourself. It doesn't have to be personal, but maybe
> what you do and why your here, and where you learned about the group.
I'm a small builder, with employees only out of necessity sometimes. I
like the simplicity and flexibility working alone offers. I do also
pair up with other small builders sometimes; that's easier than having
employees. I also do Mac training, consulting, troubleshooting on the
side. I'm here because I'm eternally optimistic that working together
we can accomplish a whole lot more than we can by working alone. And
I'm hopeful we can help each other here. How did I learn about the
group? Well, let's just say I had first hand knowledge of it's start.
;-)
> b) If you share questions, answers, or other thoughts about Mac
> business
I'm on MYOB for accounting, but always looking for something better. My
ideal would be applications that store data in open standards, so that
data was easily transportable, making it less likely that a company
could have a controlled monopoly. And apps would be owned 1/2 by users
and 1/2 by developers.
I also use SketchUp, a great 3D design app, and occasionally
VectorWorks for any design work. I am constantly exploring PIM/Project
management apps.
Which reminds me...the other thing I'd like to see in software is much
better integration between apps. The ideal: I'd design in SketchUp.
That would link very completely to a CAD program like VectorWorks.
Vectorworks would create a bill of materials that would link to a
project management app, like Merlin. And both of these would link to an
accounting app, to generate an estimate. and my accounting app would
allow me to enter data that would link back to my project management
app so I could track how I'm doing there. And payroll tax tables would
be standard and free from the Feds and States, so accounting app
developers wouldn't be able to use those as means to make us pay for
upgrades/support/tax tables each year. And everything with a date, task
or contact, would integrate with Address Book and iCal.
I don't want much do I?
> c) If you recruit more members. So mention this on other relevant lists
> you participate in.
That's how all of you got here.
Muad'Dib
I am a solo Macintosh consultant working out of the NYC area. I do
AppleScript workflow automation solutions, FileMaker Pro development,
Macintosh training, remote help desk services and some web and graphic
design. Until recently I was co-owner of a sound design and audio
software company with a friend but sold my half to him to pursue my
computer work further.
Currently I use Marketcircle's Daylite and Billings software to keep my
one-man show afloat. I recently started a Google group for users of
their products to gather, which is where I found this group. Anyone
using or interested in Marketcircle products is encouraged to join.
Here is the link:
http://groups.google.com/group/Marketcircle-Users
We all know personally why we choose the Mac to run our business and
our clients' businesses. Sharing your experiences in a place like this
can be extremely beneficial for all parties involved. Looking forward
to participating!
JR-London
I've spent pretty much all of my working life in sales and after 12
years in the exhibition business with some great employers and some
dreadful ones I started my own graphic and exhibition company 3 years
ago. We offer creative graphic design, graphic production, portable
display stands and exhibition design.
I live and work just South of London in the UK ( Home Office Worker )
and have been totally Mac based which has never caused a problem in
sending and receiving information from mainly PC based clients.
I deal with 35 key suppliers worldwide and have many good corporate
clients in the UK so I'm doing both a lot of purchasing and invoicing (
could always do with more of the last one ! ). I've run all my accounts
without any accounts software and that was at the advice of my
accountant ! an ex Price Waterhouse tax specialist who set me up with
Excel Spreadsheets that keep all the day to day records. I've often
thought I'm missing out and should be on MYOB or something but my
spreadsheet accounting has worked so well I've no real need to change.
I use JobPro software to run my business ( a Filemaker App ) which can
hold all your client details, calendar, live jobs, purchase stock,
monitor stock, time billing, raise invoices, quotes etc, etc. I've also
been a long term Personal Organizer user and have been going through
the SOHO pain. I've got Apple Address Book up to date but don't use
iCal as it's just not as clever as the PO calendar so I'm one who waits
with interest to see if Chronos can ever give us back the calendar we
deserve in SOHO.
Here's a strange one to end on, for all the great software out there I
still would not be without my Franklin Organizer which sits on my desk
by my computer and comes out in my bag where-ever I go. When I'm with a
client all the notes of the meeting go in there and I then put them
onto Addess Book when I get home. All my appointments go in there as
well so I've always got an instant at-a glance to what's going on.
JR
db
There are now 39 members and only 2 of us have posted more than once,
so let's hear from the rest of you.
Tell us about you and what you'd like to see this group discuss.
Beancounter
great to see a forum where others are utilizing the Mac for their daily
life and not caving to the dark-side of the computing world.
The Mac/Apple world has been in my husband's blood since he brought the
first Apple home in 1976. He has Apple II, serial number '5', lovingly
stored away and pulls it out every now and then for a showpiece at some
gathering. He was the buyer that brought Apple into the Heartland at a
retail level and assisted with getting it into the education system
here as well. I think I sat and played 'Little Brick Out' until 4 in
the morning the night he brought the first Apple home.
Our business world - Mac support, a small ISP on Mac servers only, and
some sporadic sales on eBay when we pick up some product deals. I
sometimes do retail liquidation and appraisal work, traveling with my
Mac and a (ish) Windows machine that sometimes gets pulled out of the
vehicle security box under great reluctance. I love walking into a
client site, waking up my Mac, grabbing the wireless signal, getting my
mail, exchanging documents and not worrying about the dreaded virus
issues. Outside of those infrequent deals, I am helping my hubby on his
company needs, which really means the office management and bookkeeper.
Currently I have undertaken the tedious migration to yet another
financial package - MYOB. We have done the Flexware thing, invested a
lot of time, money and effort into learning the product to have it fall
off the map. Went the Quicken route, even did beta testing for them
and found what I feel is a bug that I cannot live with that corrupts
the database. The company did not feel it was a critical enough bug to
address in a manner that informs the user of the issue so I walked away
from that one as well. So after putting a huge amount of data into
that program, it is now onto MYOB!
At one point in my numerous jobs life, I worked for an accounting
software house as a Quality Assurance Analyst and at another I worked
for a large professional services group in the testing line of business
- did that through Y2K, what a ride. So with that said, I am pretty
critical of any software. My goal is to learn this MYOB stuff since
three of my husband's customers need to migrate to a current, updated
accounting program this year and would like it to be Mac-based so that
we can help them get set up and then support them as the need arises.
MYOB seems the best answer for all of them. However, this learning
process is not without frustration already.
I guess after being part of a design team for accounting software and
then doing the testing from design and writing of the test plans to
actually doing the testing, I have an attitude about what I want in a
program. So with that in mind, MYOB was and is the choice, but I am
frustrated with the lack of setup continuity in the documentation. I
guess I would even be willing to pay a reasonable amount to take live
'training,' but that does not seem to be available. Well, at least I
have found a Mac-based ISP managment program that will work with MYOB
so I can minimize the amount of manual journal entry activity from that
segment of his business. Then, the only real heavy manual journal
entry area will be the ebay transactions once I get MYOB set up.
So that is probably more than everyone wanted to know. I hope some of
it made sense. I am glad to see a Mac forum that gives the opportunity
to share information about the good and the bad that we all deal with
when it comes to our dealings with technology in our business environs.
We have seen the migration from the Wintel world to Macs slowly move
into the personal world and it is now being considered more strongly in
the business world. Recently, I spoke with a consultant that is
talking to certain state departments that are looking at moving into
the Mac realm from Windows because of security and hacking issues.
Wouldn't that be great.
All that aside, I look forward to upcoming conversations on the forum!
*bernie#
PC-consultant/technican. But In my business, and private I'm using mac
since fall of 2004. The only thing I still keep on PC is my
accountantsoftware.. there aren't any decent ones in Sweden..
db
spread the word further.
I'll do a new thread for another alternative, but in response to
"beancounter", I'm not a fan of any accounting software company that
abuses it's position to make us pay outrageous (IMHO) fees for tax
tables, suport, etc., but given the current state of affairs, MYOB is a
choice. Actually I find QuickBooks nuch easier to learn and use, but
their lack of integrated payroll combined with their limited Mac
support and even steeper fees, sent me to MYOB. I strongly agree with
you regarding the lack of a decent setup tutorial (and other training
and reference materials). It's also a sin that they are charging extra
to access what they do have (IMHO). But, if you are looking for live
training, here is a link: http://www.myob.com/us/training_seminars/