Don't worry, I'm not talking about witchcraft or a new way of determining whether a customer has the ability to pay, I refer to the Palm Pilot. This has been a favourite toy - I mean tool, for some time but a recent software addition has made it very useful for billing time. The program is called SDS Time, it allows me of this pocket device to quickly and easily create a new 'job', name it and then log all the time I spend on that job over hours, days or weeks. I'm sure there are other ways to do this, but none more convenient than this that I have found. I no longer need to guess how much time I spent on a job.
------------------ Gray M. Hodge Cam River Signs Somerset, Tasmania.
Posted by Bob Rochon (Member # 30) on :
Thanks Gray,
Estimate has a wonderful timer that integrates into the windows start menu, quickbooks also has a really cool timer program that can easily be billed right within Quickbooks.
The only problem I see within my own gadgetry collection is that the more gadgets I have the more time I spend trying to figure out which computer has " what " info.
So in the shop I use the estimate timer, and out of the shop I use a Timex and a #2 pencil
One of these days I'm sure I'll have a Palm too but I just haven't gotten that far yet.
Gotta have Gadgets!!!!!!!
------------------ Bob Rochon Creative Signworks Millbury, MA bob@creativesignworks.com
"Some people's kids"
Posted by Graham Hodge (Member # 168) on :
I agree Bob, it does get confusing. The time management experts tell us that we should have one source of day-to-day info, generally considered a DayTimer or Franklin Planner. My Palm fits nicely into a Franklin leather binder so I have the paper planner (lets face it, paper will not be replaced for convenience in some things just as vinyl will not completely do away with the brush). Then I have the Palm and the paper in one binder. A lot depends on whether you are a 'road warrior' or not. When I'm away from the office I like my office with me. The Palm contains my complete and uptodate customer and supplier database, all kinds of Word docs, a simple spreadsheet for quotes, SDS Time as I've mentioned, I even have the whole Bible on it for spiritual help plus the usual World Time, thoughts and jottings, and yes, the odd game. Now I just have to connect it to my mobile phone! I must sound like a Palm agent, I'm not, just excited about a very useful tool.
------------------ Gray M. Hodge Cam River Signs Somerset, Tasmania.
"With every breath, we have a choice." --Linda Silver Eagle Georgia, USA
Posted by Bob Rochon (Member # 30) on :
Gray, how do you load software into them and can you load things like quickbooks and or Estimate, that might replace my laptop.
Even a PIII 700 laptop takes forever to boot up, so I sometimes don't have my calendar handy.
------------------ Bob Rochon Creative Signworks Millbury, MA bob@creativesignworks.com
"Some people's kids"
Posted by Graham Hodge (Member # 168) on :
Bob, only software that is written for the Palm OS can be used. Programs are downloaded to the PC then installed to the Palm via syncronisation. I use MYOB for estimates on the PC but they don't have a Palm version, Quickbooks may have a version. The best place for Palm software, much of it free is http://www.palmgear.com/software/index.cfm
------------------ Gray M. Hodge Cam River Signs Somerset, Tasmania.
