What software keeps track of Address?

[jccordes2]

Question??

Do you gus know what software would enable me to save names & address's in a database that would then be able to print onto full sheet labels.
For Billing, advertising and etc?

please let me know if you guys have any ideas or does quicken work? or Gopher?

thanks

Jeff

[BSDeality]

you can export the customer list in gopher and then put it in a word document to make labels.

[TLS]

Word can do this, and its free on most computers.

I'm not an outlook user, but I heard you can do the same on there with your addresses.

[jccordes2]

Thanks BS and TLS.

BS,

do you use that Gopher software??
how do you like it?

[NNJLandman]

Try MS Access it is on all Microsoft computers...well most of em, easy to learn, great database program.

Jeff

[Potchkins]

gopher is good stuff

[BSDeality]

yah JC, I use gopher. I love it, they're really on the ball (for the most part :)) I only wish they would hurry up and get their palm module released, they've been promising it since last year.

[Loganwildman]

Originally posted by NNJLandman
Try MS Access it is on all Microsoft computers...well most of em, easy to learn, great database program.

Jeff

This is not accurate. Access is only available if you purchase the MS Office professional suite. Most computers manufactures offer this as a $200-$300 upgrade to the price of a new machine.

[TLS]

Outlook IS on every Windows computer.

MOST have either Works or Word.

jccordes2 is looking for software that will enable him to print lables.

Gopher is a full on lawn management software package.

He just wants to print lables.

[PMLAWN]

ACT a great data base with sales automation programming. Can keep track of all you do at the site and when to send fliers for different jobs( FERT--AERATION) at the right time. Auto Fax and Mail Merge to make mailings easy. Can break down your customer base into any group you want or place them into many different groups.
I have used it as my main sales tool in Real Estate, Home Improvement and Landscape Maintenance. Will work in any sales field.
You can print any type of label you need

[jccordes2]

PMLAWN,

So ACT can keep track of billing aswell, where do you find this software?

Does it print professional invoices?

Is there availabilty to insert adversiting on the invoices?

thanks

Jeff

[BSDeality]

i thought JC was looking for a billing software that could also export the customer list to print labels, not just print labels from a list.

[TLS]

Originally posted by jccordes2

Do you gus know what software would enable me to save names & address's in a database that would then be able to print onto full sheet labels.

thanks

Jeff

I took it that his primary goal was printing lables.

Now Jeff seems to be leaning towards billing. TWO TOTALLY DIFFERENT THINGS.

I urge you to try this program.
http://www.avanquestusa.com/products/mydie/index.htm
I've been using it for about 10 years now.

Cant beat the price. If you don't like it, it's only $40, not $400 or $4,000 like others!

[jccordes2]

Sorry guys, I hope I am not confusing anyone. I should have stated from the start more indepth,
I am looking for software that can:

-Add company Logo.
-keep track of billing and print invoice.
-letter head for introduction letters with company logo.
-Print Name and Address to label.
-add information/advertising to bottom portion of invoice

basically I want to find software to grow a business to a commercial level from the start??

thanks

Jeff

[LIBERTY LAWNCARE 2]

Originally posted by jccordes2
Question??

Do you gus know what software would enable me to save names & address's in a database that would then be able to print onto full sheet labels.
For Billing, advertising and etc?

please let me know if you guys have any ideas or does quicken work? or Gopher?

thanks

Jeff

What accounting software are you CURRENTLY using to do your billing? If you are using a package that I know or have worked with, I can send you directions on how to create labels from your existing customer database.

Some accounting software packages have the ability to create labels from customer or vendor databases. If they don't, you can export them into MS Excel & do a mail merge to create your labels.

I use QuickBooks Pro. I have tied my customer database into my Stamps.com so that I just hold down ctrl and click off the addresses I want. Prints out nice envelopes.


ACT is okay, GoldMine will BLOW IT OUT OF THE WATER. I have used, installed, trained, troubleshot & written customized databases in both programs. GoldMine will do just about everything you can possibly imagine with data. It will even tie into certain accounting programs like QuickBooks, Macola, CounterPoint & Business Works. You can sync it with a Palm too.

Where I worked before, I put all service calls into GoldMine, which in turn sent it to the Palm of the tech out in the field. Then when the tech indicated that the call was complete, it sent the call back to me with the tech notes including time, billable time, travel time, parts used etc. GoldMine put it into my TO DO list so that I knew to bill it out. Then after I billed it, the bill was attached to the customer history tab as well as the details of the service call. It let me know when customers had overdue invoices, and I could go on & on & on. BEAUTIFUL piece of software - makes everything SO much easier.

As far as Customer Database Management software, GoldMine is THE best. If I could convince my husband that a Palm is good for something other than bouncing off the garage wall - I would use GoldMine tied into QuickBooks in a heartbeat.

[Team Gopher]

Hi jccordes2,

Please feel free to visit our site and download our trial software.

Thanks BSDeality :)

[Loganwildman]

Originally posted by TLS
Outlook IS on every Windows computer.

MOST have either Works or Word.

jccordes2 is looking for software that will enable him to print lables.

Gopher is a full on lawn management software package.

He just wants to print lables.

Outlook Express is on every computer that has Internet Explorer. It is just the basic email program. When you purchase MS Office suite, you get Outlook which is Microsoft's full featured product that includes calendaring and collaboration functions.
I believe that if a person buys the MS Works suite it comes with Word, but not Access or Excel.

Here is links to Microsofts product pages

http://www.microsoft.com/products/works/products/suite.asp

and

http://www.microsoft.com/products/info/product.aspx?view=22&type=ovr&pcid=ee959bd8-14b4-4601-91a7-eea1043249fa

I'm not trying to pick on you TLS, just making sure folks have accurate information.

Word has a mail merge feature that will do mailing lables, and it works very well. However, you first have to have the address's setup in excel, lotus, access or some other similar program. If you need some help with this let me know.

[TSM]

hello Val. Brave of you to use your name on a message board!
I am a LA3 user and you and I have talked on the phone a few times, but not recently.

Real Green is, in my opinion, the best software solution for managing your business. But i do have issues with real green.

I think issues will arise with ANY software. I feel most, if not ALL, software companies know they have you RIGHT WHERE THEY WANT YOU!! So with ANY software, be prepared to open your wallet on a regular basis to keep it current.

[walker-talker]

If you want programs for labels, there are free downloads here http://www.averydennison.com/

I use Lawn Monkey for my scheduling and invocing. Its great because I have my logo at the top and their address printed on the invoice. The top portion I perforate so they can tear off and return with their payment. I also fold the invoice and place in a double window pane envelope. I dont have to make address labels or return address labels. Fold and seal....thats it. At the bottom of the invoice I might put my monthly adds, depending on the time of the year. The only bad thing about that is that its just text...no graphics. Most all scheduling/invocing programs offer free downloads. Try them all before you make your decsion because it is a costly one! I have a friend that has about the same about of clients as I do. He spends about 2 hours every month writing out his invoices and sealing them. It takes me about 15 minutes.

[walker-talker]

Originally posted by TSM
Brave of you to use your name on a message board! Just curious, why is that brave?

[TSM]

Originally posted by walker-talker
Just curious, why is that brave?

I dont know, just that seeing as how she works for a software company...no company will keep all their clients happy...it could cause for some controversy?
i dont know...just something i said i guess:o

notice most posters do not use their real identity, some do, most do not

[PMLAWN]

Jccordes, sorry so late in the reply, I cut down the grass but it keeps coming back.
ACT does not do book keeping or billing. I use Quick books Pro for that but the newest versions will interact.

Liberty, How much programing does Gold Mine need to set up and how much time does it take to learn if I'm use to ACT. My wife worked with a professional product that she installed for many big companys and she always tryed to get me to switch, but the learning curve was to much. She has moved into a drifferent field and doesn't bother me as much about it, but I still am open to trying better things

[jccordes2]

PMLAWN

thanks for the response, your right, I've been hearing ACT isn't the program of choice. I am hearing Quickbooks Pro and either Goldmine, Real Green, or Gopher is the software i'm looking into.
Realgreen seems to be in the $4000 range, Goldmine i'm not sure, and Gopher i think around 4 to $500. I would like to grow my business from the start doing it right. ??? Money is some concern, but not the only deciding factor. If I need to invest $4000 in software I will. Still deciding???

[LIBERTY LAWNCARE 2]

Originally posted by PMLAWN
Liberty, How much programing does Gold Mine need to set up and how much time does it take to learn if I'm use to ACT. My wife worked with a professional product that she installed for many big companys and she always tryed to get me to switch, but the learning curve was to much. She has moved into a drifferent field and doesn't bother me as much about it, but I still am open to trying better things

PMLawn - If you've used ACT, there isn't much of a learning curve.

As far as setting GM up, you can import a great deal of data from an Excel spreadsheet & ACT too. There is a construction industry template already set up that can be downloaded, but not one for landscaping & mowing.

Customizing GoldMine isn't too difficult. It can be time consuming at first. But once it's set up, you'll re-coup the time spent 50 times over in the first year.

For example, sending out 150 renewal mowing contracts takes approx. 1-1/2 to 2 hours. This includes selecting the clients, creating a filter, confirming the renewal offer ($$), merging, printing the offer & envelope, folding, stuffing the envelope, sealing & stamping it. The bulk of the time 1 to 1.5 hours is spent stuffing envelopes & sealing them!

GoldMine is about $180.00 for a single user version, the add-on for QuickBooks is about $100.00

Check out these links for more info;
https://www.digitalriver.com/dr/v2/ec_MAIN.Entry16?SP=10024&PN=29&xid=44225&V1=30016332&V2=30016332&V3=1&V4=38&V5=0&S1=&S2=&S3=&S4=&S5=&DSP=0&CUR=840&PGRP=0&CACHE_ID=0
http://www.frontrange.com/goldmine/


I should write a lawncare/landscaping template for GoldMine & QuickBooks & sell it to them. I used to beta test & trouble shoot both programs. Then I can buy the big truck that I want. :)

[PMLAWN]

Thanks, Liberty, I will check into that.

[Lawn Care Louie]

JC, if you look at other threads (search "software") you can see that most people consider Lawn Assistant (from Real Green) at the top of the list. Depending on your customer base, it will run you $3000 - $5000. They helped a buddy of mine and put him on a payment plan over several months.

If you are looking to grow your customer base (not just manage what you currently have), I think Lawn Assistant is the best thing out there. Look at www.realgreen.com