I started Proforma in 1978, just one year after graduating from college, in my Cleveland apartment with a $200 investment in a phone answering machine, stationery and a used file cabinet. We grew nicely in those early years. By 1984, we had grown to about $4 million in the Cleveland area. I decided it was…
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Question: We have some recurring errors in our QuickBooks. No one will take ownership of the errors, but I need to find out who made them. Is there a way to do that? Answer: QuickBooks Premier and Enterprise have a report that should give you that information. It’s called an “Audit Trail.” This will list…
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In my last blog article, I recalled a story from the early days of Proforma, and how a client’s request for 12 spiral rings led to earning a million-dollar customer with 50 percent gross profit. Here’s a story of another million dollar win. Back in those early years building Proforma, my practice was to get…
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Question: Is there a way to add data to stock reports in QuickBooks? Answer: QuickBooks Premier and Enterprise allow a great deal of customization of its reports, but sometimes you will want to add, rearrange or manipulate data beyond the scope allowed in QuickBooks. In that case, you can export that QuickBooks report to an…
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It’s important to have the facts of a given situation or opportunity. But if you cannot communicate or persuade, you will struggle to find cooperation, collaboration or build consensus. All of those are important for you to master to achieve your goals and great results. In every instance, make an effort to empathize with others.…
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I was at my friend’s house recently to work on a project with him. I had only been there a short time when he proudly showed me his new promotional product mug. My first reaction was “did you buy it from Geiger?” He quickly reminded me that he asked if he should, but when he…
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Question: How do I make a template in QuickBooks to be the default template for sales orders, purchase orders or invoices? Answer: QuickBooks Premier and Enterprise do not have a means to designate a “default” template, but there is a workaround to achieve the same result. Go to “Lists” and then “Templates.” The list shows…
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When you have set SMART Goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-Based) you must persist until you succeed. Consider your goals as a contract with yourself, and don’t let anything stop you. The fifth secret of successful people is that they never, ever, ever give up. They understand that it is not being knocked down that…
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Part of being in the promotional products industry is always staying ahead of the trends. While promotional apparel tends to follow retail, there’s no reason not to skip ahead and integrate color trends ahead of time. Based off fashion influencers, these color trends are going to be huge going forward, and they could pay off…
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In my last article, I mentioned that motivation doesn’t work. If it did, you would be halfway toward accomplishing all your New Year’s resolutions, right?! The only thing that really endures is discipline—discipline to do what we know we need to do when we don’t feel like doing it. The challenge is that discipline sounds…
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