<><><>› SMALL BUSINESS SYSTEMS› Made By: Black Moon Systems› A Review by Dennis Kline, member› of the OL' HACKERS AUG, N.Y.›› THE SEARCH›› Over the years I have tried many› well written programs to incorporate› an accounting system that would› handle my Air-Freshner Service› business. I have tried many including› Visicalc, Accounts Receivable, The› Bookkeeper, The Color Accountant, The› Home Accountant, Peach Tree› Accounting and the list goes on and› on. Each of the aforementioned› programs either had some bugs in them› or just took too long to go to the› listing I was addressing. Time was of› the essence, and the frustration was› growing on my nerves. I tried mixing› programs, and modifying them for my› needs, however,it just did not work.› The best of them all was "Peach› Tree", but you had to keep on› swapping several disks even though I› modified the programs for (3) disk› drives. Then came "Syncalc",which was› good but again still frustrating.›› LOOSING A FRIEND›› I was at a point of changing to› an IBM Computer which was really› against the grain, for my first love› is the Atari. I have been an Atari› user since its inception going from› the early"Atari 800" model to my› "XL800", modified to 256K, with› (2)Happy 1050 drives,and (2) plain› 1050's. Then one day I was reading› the OL''HACKpRS (N.Y.) newsletter an› 8BIT club to which I have been and› still am a member even though I now› live in Florida. There was a write up› about a new business program written› about "Black Moon Systems", by one of› our members and which seemed in› reality to be just what I was looking› for. The price was right,and I had› nothing to lose so I ordered the› program. To my surprise when I loaded› the program for the first time I› could not believe the Menu. My first› thought was this an IBM program› loading on my Atari computer. To my› delight I started playing with the› program and found all my frustrations› gone forever. The program was user› friendly in that it would run my› entire business without having to› make any modifications. It had just› about everything I wanted except it› was missing "Accounts Receivable› Reports". I found I could live with› this problem, however I wrote to Ben,› the writer of this program, only to› find that he was working on an up› grade which would include the› Accounts Receivable Reports. Ben said› he would let me know when it was› completed. It took about a year for› the new revision of SBSV1.4 to come› out.›› THE GAMBLE›› I quickly sent a small payment› for the up-grade which was worth› waiting for. Again, when loading the› new revision I could not believe what› his program could do. The central› office for which I bought my› distributorship uses (3) IBM Main› Frame computers that were recently› up-graded at the cost of $12,000.00,› when I showed them what my out dated› Atari XL800 computer could do at its› low cost price, they could not› believe it, they said I must have an› IBM. Therefore, I had to actually› bring them to my house and run "SBS"› before they would say 'I don't› believe what I am seeing'.›› THE WINNER›› The capabilities of the "SBS"› had features that their expensive› program did not have. My Invoices was› exactly like theirs except I could› add things that they could not. A few› examples #- Thank you for your› order.: - Merry Christmas &› Happy New Year.,or anything else that› I wanted to add.›› FEATURES TO MAKE LIFE EASIER›› The SBS program has so many new› features that I have had no free time› to check them all out. This SBS› program was like finding water in the› hot dessert, it has everything. To› give you an idea, for those who have› not tried this great program, let me› give you a run down. First of all› this is an inexpensive program which› comes with very easy to follow› documentation in a loose leaf binder.› If you have several different› business's you set-up different data› disks. Some examples would be if you› were managing a building, you could› record rental income and expenses.› Also, it could be used for your own› personal income and expenses, note› that this a tax deductible expense if› you use it to help keep records for› Income Tax time.› Everything you run comes off the Main› Menu which allows you to choose› from:› -ORDERS› -REPORTS› -INCOME ENTRY› -EXPENSE ENTRY› -INVENTORY› -UTILITIES› -CHANGE DEFAULTS›› Note, if you should want to get back› to any part of the menu just Hit the› Escape Key.›› A LOVE AFFAIR›› What I like the most about the› SBS is its ability to produce› INVOICES, PURCHASE ORDERS, and› QUOTATIONS with autonumbering. Having› the latter, especially with my› Service type business helps me keep› tract of monthly payments. Also,› under Reports, I can print out my› Accounts Receivables so I always know› at an instant who owes me and for› what period of time. To give you an› example of A/R Report, this will show› Invoices still due. All you have to› do is specify a name or partial name› as a search string. Then before your› eyes you get a total amount and a› breakdown with tax and shipping. The› only snare here is if you want an› accurate balance report you must edit› out balances as they are paid. This› can be done using ASCII compatible› word processor and then make sure you› make changes to your data disk.›› MORE FEATURES›› Also, the other Reports that can› be generated are as follows:› R@RSBS REPORTS MENU› -EXPENSE REPORTS› -REVENUE REPORTS› -PROFIT/LOSS REPORTS› -SALES and TAX REPORT› -CHART OF ACCOUNTS› -CHANGE DATA PATH› -EXIT to MAIN MENU›› WHAT, EVEN MORE?›› The best of all is the Label› Master and Multi-Column Lister. With› this program which comes on a› separate disk I can print out› customers labels up to (6) lines by› (34) character area. Therefore, I can› send out a mailing list to my› customers without having to keep a› separate program. With the Multi-› Column Lister, it allows you to print› out your Label Master data files on› labels from one to six across, and› can work with any printer.›› The SBS is written in Atari› Basic so that it can be customized› anyway you want. The program also can› be run with the ICD RTIME8, although,› I have not had the chance to use it.› I hope to use it as I am a user of› Spartdos. After compiling all my data› I can print my information using (5)› different form choices.› An example would be plain paper 8 1/2› X 11, or tractor feed, with or› without a company letterhead.›› ***IN SUMMARY***› The SBS is a very easy program› for people just starting out with› this program because of the ease of› just pressing a key and following the› prompts. For those who are more› advanced with the computer it has› advanced features.›› <<>>› The program has "SPEEDKEYS" used in› Reports and Expense Entry.› A=Advertising› B=Bank Charges› C=Contributions›› and the list goes on and on.›› ---RAMDISKS---› Which is available for Reports› programs where you can save wear and› tear on your disk drive.›› ===CHANGE DEFAULTS===› This menu choice will ask you to› enter in the default pathnames the› other programs will use to find your› datafiles.›› +++PROGRAM PATCHES+++› A patch is a listed group of line› numbers that when entered into a› Business Program will overwrite the› existing line and change the› program.›› In my recent conversation with› "Black Moon Systems", I found that a› further revision is the works with› new surprises (I cannot wait).›› Therefore, any questions, comments,› suggestions, orders, etc. should be› directed in writing to the address› below:›› BLACK MOON SYSTEMS› P.O. Box 152› Wind Gap, PA 18091› As for myself when ever I had› questions about the program the› company was quick to respond.›› Please note that if you need the› following: Forms,Labels and› Stationery for the SBS Programs you› can obtain them from the following:› NEBS› 500 Main Street› Groton,MA 01471› 1-800-225-9550›› NEBS, has the Moonsoft Software› programs listed in their Directory of› Software (DOS) Business Forms› Reference. In ordering use Mail Code› #95818 so that the 8Bit Atari gets› the credit and hopefully it will help› keep Moonsoft products in their› catalog.›› At the present time the only› dealer in the USA handling the "SMALL› BUSINESS SYSTEMS SOFTWARE" is:› B&C Computer Visions› 2730 Scott Blvd.› Santa Clara, CA 95050› (408) 986-9960› FAX:(408)986-9968›› To sum up, Small Business› Systems is a uniquelly versatile› program applicable to a wide variety› of uses and users. If I had to grade› SBS from A to F, I would give it an› "A"., and it is highly recommended as› an excellent investment.›› REVIEWED by:› Dennis Kline› <><><> ››