I am proud to announce that the latest editions of the QuickBooks 2005 and Peachtree for Windows 2005 manuals are finally finished.

These manuals lead you step-by-step through setting up and using each program. I know how some manuals are hard to understand and can put you right to sleep detailing every possible use for the program.

Instead, these manuals offer easy-to-read-and-follow instructions on how to get things done, complete with pictures of each screen.

Featured in this edition are many of the questions you've asked over the years. Thanks to you, these manuals truly are a step above the rest.

To order, call our office at 503-238-4747.

As always, our manuals come with a 30-day guarantee. If you're not completely satisfied, you may return it within 30 days for a full refund.

• QuickBooks 2005 $39.99
• Peachtree for Windows 2005 $29.99
• Shipping & Handling $ 5.00

I have been receiving a lot of calls lately about whether you need to upgrade your QuickBooks®. If you are using any of Intuit's payroll services and are on verison 2003 you will need to upgrade before Jan. 2006. (You're probably starting to receive mail from Intuit that your QuickBooks® won't work anymore.)

Most software companies only support the last 3 versions with payroll tax updates. My recommendation is that you WAIT until Oct-Nov to upgrade. My reasoning is this; Intuit will be introducing their next version this fall. If you upgrade now to QuickBooks® 2005 you'll be able to do payroll for 2005, 2006 & 2007. If you wait until this fall and upgrade to QuickBooks® 2006, you'll be able to do payroll for 2005 (you're already doing it), 2006, 2007 & 2008. In other words, you get an extra year for the same price.

If you're not using payroll, the only reason you would need to upgrade is that the newer version offers some feature you really want.

If you have any questions, please feel free to call me and discuss them.

Quite frequently I get calls that a Profit & Loss report isn't reflecting the correct income. It just doesn't look right.

As a test, Print your Profit & Loss - Standard for the year-to-date. Then print a Sales By Customer Summary for year-to-date. The income totals on these reports should be very close to the same. (Any miscellaneous income that you don't invoice for should account for the difference).

If there are large differences, double-click on a income account from the Profit & Loss report. You should NOT see any Bills, Credit Card Charges, Item Receipts or Bill-Credits. If you do, it means that the items you are using on Bills, Credit Card Charges, Item Receipts or Bill-Credits are setup incorrectly.

This is usually caused by Non-Inventory Items being posted to a single account.

• Double-click on any Non-Inventory item
• do you see one GL account or two?
• Directly beneath the item name/number is a line that reads "This item is purchased for a specific customer" (or something close to that).
• Make sure you check the box.

Another check is to create an Item Price List (Reports - Lists - Item Price List).

• Customize the report to include the Account, Asset Account & Cost of Goods Account
• Verify that each item is getting posted where it should be.

As many of you know, over the years Peachtree Windows has not been one of my favorite programs. Fortunately, Peachtree has greatly improved the software. Because of that, I have decided to continue offering support on all Peachtree Windows programs and have resigned up on their Accountants Network. This means that I will continue giving support. Who knows, I may even start liking the program!

Their new premier programs do a good job on detailed inventory and their reports, which have always been a major concern for me, have improved.

So, for those of you using Peachtree, I promise I won't be going away anytime soon

8. Once you get the report looking exactly the way

As a professional member of the Oregon Chapter of the National Speakers Association, I can reach, entertain and educate your collegues.

If you belong to any business association that features guest speakers, I am available to address your members about QuickBooks and how this program can help your particular type of business.

I have a variety of entertaining speaking formats available for breakfast, lunch or dinner meetings. For more in-depth information, I am also now taking reservations for half-day, full-day, or break-out training sessions.

Each presentation is customized to address the specific individual needs of the professionals I'm presenting to.

To date, I've addressed the Oregon Association of Independent Accountants, the Oregon Trucking Association and the Oregon Landscaper's Association.

For booking or more information, call 503-238-4747.

I have hated doing this, but with gas rates and everything else going up I'm going to have to increase my rates. Starting August 1, 2005 the new rates will be:

• On-Site consulting $100.00/hr
• Phone Support $ 40.00/call
• E-Mail Response $ 30.00/email
• Travel (oustside the metro area) $100.00/hr one-way

As something new, I'm creating some support packages for those of you who would like to prepay for support and know that it's there. All packages will be valid for 12 months from date of purchase. These are better than a 10% savings.

• Package 1 - Includes 2 hours of on-site and 5 support phone calls $350.00
• Package 2 - Includes 5 support phone calls $175.00
• Package 3 - Unlimited phone calls $300.00

We have recently replaced all of the computers in our training room, which means we have the old ones for sale!

We're selling them as a package consisting of:

• Pentium II processor
• 4-10 meg Hard Drives (they vary)
• 17" Dell Monitor (NEW - in the box)
• HP720 Color Printer (NEW - in the box)
• Speakers
• Microsoft Office 2000 installed
• Ethernet 10/100 connections

They all work fine and are available now. The entire package is only $250.00

Hurry They're going fast. There's only 5 left!