Have you ever noticed when you ask someone what they “do” you usually get one of two responses; one, they are almost apologetic about their job, or two, their voice gets high pitched as they try to put some excitement into their answer that you can tell they clearly don’t buy into. What’s wrong with this picture? We all know we spend a vast majority of our life “working” and more time is spent with our co-workers than with our own families. How can we create some excitement into our chosen line of work, or our “job”?
We need to get a “gig”!
Just the word brings a connotation of fun and a sense of freedom! Musicians have gigs, comedians have gigs -- all of the “cool” jobs have gigs. Just think, an accountant could say, "I have a numbers gig." A software developer could say, "I develop 'gigs'" (no pun intended). I, a marketing manager, have a creative gig. You get the picture. Just the word “work” or “job” sounds boring, lacking the excitement and fun of what we know a “gig” to be. We spend too much of our life just working jobs, we need to recapture what the “cool” factor or passion was that brought us to the job and re-energize ourselves and rock that gig! If you are in-between a “gig” (like I might very well be after my boss reads this post), look for a “gig” not just a job. Life’s too short not to enjoy every minute of it, and when you find that gig, rock it!
If you’ve ever searched for just the right business accounting software, you’ve probably noticed that the price varies greatly by product. Many people wonder why there is such a variation in pricing among software products. Accounting software can range from ‘free’ to $100,000+ in price! Well, much like the price for your paid for the vehicle you drive, business accounting software prices vary for a wide variety of reasons. Here are some of the major components impacting the price tag.
Functionality
Business accounting software ranges greatly in its functionality. The free and least expensive programs offer the most basic of features, like the ability to add customers, vendors, accounts and basic business information. Small businesses and those just starting up should be able to enter their basic accounts payable and accounts receivable information into the system and also pull out basic standard financial reports. The smallest of systems will usually place limits on the number of companies, customers, users, memory, and other data. More complex functions such as multiple warehouse management, customizable reports, serial number tracking and much more are available in mid-market systems, a great option for those who are outgrowing basic systems. Larger companies will typically opt for programs where the source code is available, meaning the actual software itself (not just its features) are customizable.
Customization
There are two types of customization when it comes to business accounting software. One type is more basic and allows you to customize components within the software. As systems become more robust, more customizability is offered within the system. The other is, as mentioned above, ‘open source code’ which allows you (actually, a programmer) to customize the actual program to meet your needs. The more customization available, the more expensive the software becomes. This is because more resources are needed to plan for and implement custom programming for your software system. The ongoing support of customized software takes more time and resources, thus the more complex your system, the more your support will cost.
Support
How do you feel as a customer of the software you use? When you contact the company for help, do you feel important? Or do you feel lost in a sea of other customers, trying to get your voice to be heard? Your business accounting software is only as good as its support team. Maybe you need help in setting up your system, trying to find the most efficient way to do something, or solving a problem that seems to be taking you a long time on your own. Your software support team should be able to help you with any of these issues and more. If you have to spend time waiting and hoping for somebody to call you back, only to realize they are not experienced enough to help you, that is wasted time and lost dollars. Opt for support that is experienced and available within a reasonable amount of time. Yes the price tag may be more, but in the end you will save money and keep things running a lot more smoothly.
As with any important purchase you make, many factors should be considered when purchasing business accounting software. Every detail and feature within a business accounting software system costs money to develop, distribute, support and maintain. Instead of focusing on price, be sure that the software you choose can handle your business needs and help run your business for years to come.
Do you have employees who are paid by piecework? This type of employee payment is typically used in agriculture, manufacturing, and other industries.
Obviously there are both Federal and State minimum wage requirements you must meet as an employer. No matter what method you use to pay your employees, you need to make sure they are earning at least minimum wage. This can be difficult when you are calculating pay via piecework, unless you have the right software.
If you pay employees via piecework, be sure your payroll system has a feature to manage minimum wage adjustments, or in other words, a system that can tell you whether your employees have earned minimum wage. More importantly, if the employee’s piecework has not added up to minimum wage, the system can calculate the difference and add that amount to their pay, so that you are meeting the Federal and State minimum wage requirements.
CenterPoint Payroll Software for business and for agriculture has a minimum wage adjustment feature that can make this task much easier! Save the time and guesswork associated with minimum wage adjustments, and ask us about CenterPoint Payroll today!
Just in case you haven’t realized it yet, having good financial records and taking tight control of your business is more important now than ever. It is important to watch carefully and make adjustments to your business and personal life to compensate for the things happening around you. As Financial Consultant Roy Ferguson points out in a newsletter, you should be PTP (poised to pounce). Have you built your business on strong, sound, financial decisions, and built a reserve so you are in a position to take advantage of opportunities that might only be available for a short period of time?
Our job at Red Wing Software is to provide you with the tools to track and analyze your business investment. We can supply the tools, but we all have to use those tools to keep close tabs on what’s happening within the business. Do the reports you have been running show that you have been profitable for that few months, or are they telling you that you should be making changes in your business to make it better? What happens inside your business has a much greater effect on your success than outside forces.
If you’ve ever called Red Wing Software, you’ve probably talked to Roxie Thoner. She’s been helping Red Wing Software customers get what they need for more than 21 years! We caught up with Roxie and asked her a few questions, so you can get to know her a little better.
- What has been your favorite part of working at Red Wing Software over the years?
The people - we have a great group here which makes it fun. Also, things are always changing in the software industry so even though I’ve been here a while, there is always something new.
- What’s one of your favorite stories, having spoken with so many Red Wing Software customers?
I feel like I have many friends I’ve never met all around the country. I have to laugh when I answer the phone and someone who hasn’t called in years says, “Roxie I can’t believe you are still there.” I think they are happy I’m still here!
- Tell us a little bit about your twin grandsons!
Ezra and Ashton are our 1st (and 2nd) grandchildren and are 14 months old. It’s so much fun to watch them interact with each other. They are mobile now and what one of them doesn’t think of the other one does. I hope I can keep up with them. Everyone told us being grandparents is the best and they were right.
- What do you like to do outside of work?
Well, when I can’t go visit the grandsons, I enjoy working in my flower gardens, sitting around a bonfire and visiting with friends. Now that we are empty nesters, I’m hoping to do some quilting. I like to travel and am currently looking forward to visiting a former co-worker who now lives in Alaska this August.