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CrafTracker 1.0 Evaluation Copy User's Manual CrafTracker 1.0 copyright 1992 Stephen Ginsburg * Warranty Disclaimer THE AUTHOR OF CRAFTRACKER MAKES NO WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION ANY WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND/OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. THE AUTHOR DOES NOT ASSUME ANY LIABILITY FOR THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE BEYOND THE ORIGINAL PURCHASE PRICE OF THIS SOFTWARE. IN NO EVENT WILL THE AUTHOR BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR ANY ADDITIONAL DAMAGES, INCLUDING ANY LOST PROFITS, LOST SAVINGS, OR OTHER INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING FROM THE USE OF, OR INABILITY TO USE, THIS SOFTWARE AND ITS ACCOMPANYING DOCUMENTATION, EVEN IF THE AUTHOR HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. Introduction CrafTracker v1.0, Home Business Manager, is a proprietorship Schedule C software package for personal computers running MS-DOS 3.1 or greater. It is designed for small businesses in manufacturing or trade, operated by a sole proprietor. It is a simplified system to record the figures needed to complete the Schedule C part of the business owner's federal tax return, as well as figures needed for state sales tax return, monthly or quarterly. This manual is divided into four sections. Section I covers the installation and setup of the program, CrafTracker 1.0. Section II, "First Things First", offers suggestions on what you should do once you have installed the program and are about to run it for the first time. Additionally, it covers an overview of the program. Section III explains how to use the program, i.e., it explains the "user interface", which means the various screens you see when you run the program and explore its functionality. This section covers the ways in which you interact with the program through the keyboard, moving from field to field and entering data. NOTE: Almost all of the material in Section III can be found online (that is, on screen while the program is running) by pressing the "Help" key, F1. That means, that if you are stuck in the middle of something you don't understand while using CrafTracker, you can press the F1 function key, and a "window" with a helpful program tips will "pop up" at the bottom of the screen. Furthermore, in many cases pressing F1 a second time (while the first help screen is up) will bring up another window with more than one line of additional help. Finally, Section IV is concerned with how to use the program throughout the year to manage the most important aspects of your home business. NOTE: CrafTracker is designed to be user friendly. A person with only a little computer experience should be up and running with confidence in no time, and power users can probably skim or skip much of the detail. Nevertheless, it is assumed that you have some knowledge of your computer and its operation. This would include familiarity with the keyboard and the various controls on your computer, as well as a rudimentary unserstanding of the operating system, MS-DOS, particularly as relates to the management of files and directories, and the basic operating system commands. If you are a brand new PC user, you will need to consult your DOS manuals and perhaps other sources before you can use this program comfortably. Section I: Installation and setup * Requirements First, please be aware that to run CrafTracker you must have the right equipment, namely, a computer that either is, or is 100% compatible with, an IBM PC, XT, AT, 80386, or 80486, running MS-DOS* or PC-DOS* operating system version 3.1 or better, and preferably with a minimum of 512k RAM. It will also be necessary that your system have a hard drive with at least 600kb free disk space before installation. Because CrafTracker will more than likely write new data to disk each time you use it, the more free disk space you have the better, although it should be noted that the program is not unusually "disk-hungry". * Program files If you've acquired the Shareware version of CrafTracker from a BBS, then you will find the program files compressed into a single file. If this file is called craftr.zip, to install the program you will need to "unzip" this file using PKware's ZIP/UNZIP utility, which is available from online information services such as Compuserve. (Of course, since this document is compressed along with the other program files you're either viewing it with a file viewer that can peek into a zipfile, or you've unzipped it already!). The unzipped program files must be placed in a single directory, together on a hard drive, e.g., drive C:. Typically, you might choose to name this directory "craft". To create this sub-directory from the root directory, at the DOS prompt, C>, type md craft If you already have a sub-directory with this name, then you will have to choose another name. In any event, copy the zip-file to this directory and unzip it there. If, on the other hand, you've obtained craftr.exe instead of craftr.zip, then you need to copy this file into your newly created "craft" directory and simply type craftr and the program files will automatically be expanded. Later, if you choose, you may delete craftr.exe form the craft directory (although it would be wise to maintain a copy of it as a backup). Once you've copied the files to a directory on your hard drive, you can print out a copy of this document by typing printdoc at the DOS prompt. (Make sure your printer is online and loaded with paper before you do). To run CrafTracker, change to the craft directory (or whatever you have chosen to name it) and simply type craft When CrafTracker is run it checks to see whether there exist in its directory the necessary database and index files. If the search comes up short, these files are created. Section II: First Things First Now that you've installed the program you will need to know what to do first in order to make the most of its services. Also, you may want to have a summary of the program's capabilities. Here are some facts and suggestions: 1) From the Main Menu select "Inventory" and press the "Enter" (Return) key. (We'll refer to this key from now on as <Enter>). You'll see a blank Inventory form on screen, and partially over it a message window (in red on a color monitor) informing you that there are no records in the inventory. Press a key to make the message disappear. The cursor (the cyan colored highlight bar on a color monitor, reverse video on monochrome) is on the first data field, called "Model ID or Part". If you have taken a "Beginning inventory" at cost, as required on the IRS Form 1040 Schedule C, you might want to do so now (if it's the beginning of the year!). If you have taken your inventory by some other means, you may transcribe it to CrafTracker now. See below, Sections III and IV, for a better understanding of how to accomplish this. Look at CrafTracker's Archive facility specifically. 2) CrafTracker thinks that any inventory currently of record is an end-of-year inventory. That is to say, the total value of the current inventory of record is inserted into CrafTracker's Schedule C Report in line 39, "Final Inventory". You need to tell CrafTracker that the inventory you have just taken (or transcribed to CrafTracker from some other record) is a beginning-of-year inventory. CrafTracker will put this total into line 33, "Beginning Inventory". To do this, select "Archive" from the Main Menu and press <Enter>. You will see the "Archive Data" form on your screen. Answer the first two questions by pressing "n", for "no", and answer the third question, that asks you whether you want to archive the current inventory, by pressing "y", for "yes". CrafTracker will then automatically archive the inventory you have just taken, or transferred. Now, any subsequent inventory you take will be considered an end-of-year inventory. More information is to be had below in Section IV. NOTE: Important!! Realize that ARCHIVING your inventory deletes whatever previous inventory CrafTracker considered to be the Beginning Inventory, as figured in line 33 of the Schedule C form. Furthermore, whatever inventory is current becomes the new Beginning Inventory. Therefore, approach this function cautiously. 3) You may wish to record your local sales tax rate so that CrafTracker can speed up some calculations for you. From the Main Menu <Enter> "Set Sales Tax" and follow instructions on the form that you will see. You can do this as often as you like. Once again, more information on this can be found in Section IV. 4) Recording Sales -- Each sale is recorded in a row (line) of the Sales Journal. You can bring up the Sales Journal from the Main Menu. The Main Menu is the first thing you see on the screen (after the two "nag" screens you get in the unregistered, shareware version). Each row in the Sales Journal tracks date, invoice number, item identification, customer identification, unit price, extension, sales tax collected, total collected, and whether or not the sale is an account receivable. Note on using invoices to track your sales: Although it is not absolutely necessary, CrafTracker will keep better track of your sales if you assign each one some identifying number to be recorded under the column heading "Invoice Number". (Obviously, if you ARE using invoices in your business, it is those numbers which you record in that column.) 5) Recording Expenses -- Each time you spend money on the business, whether for purchase of materials directly related to manufacture, other miscellaneous purchases, or expenses, you record the transaction in the Expenses And Purchases Journal. This screen is also available from the Main menu. The Expenses And Purchases journal tracks date, check number, vendor identification, and amount and type of expense. The "expense type" is important for the creation of the Schedule C report which CrafTracker prepares for you at tax time. Additionally, you can note whether the expense is an account payable. 6) Returns and Allowances - Returns and Allowances, though not strictly speaking expenses or purchases, are nonetheless handled in the Expenses And Purchases Journal as an "expense type". If you've recorded a sale, and later the item is returned for full credit, you can enter this transaction into the Expenses And Purchases Journal, and record the expense type under "Returns and Allowances". If you've recorded a sale and later made an allowance for some of the purchase price, again, you can enter the amount into the Expenses And Purchases Journal and record the expense type as "Returns and Allowances". For more information on how to enter data into the Expenses And Purchases Journal, and more on "expense types", please refer to Section III. 7) Managing Accounts Receivable - Accounts receivable are tracked through the Sales Journal. When you record a sale on a line of the journal, the last column in the line asks you to state whether or not the transaction is a charge sale. If so, another form pops up onto the screen, the Accounts Receivable form, in which you may enter additional information pertaining to the sale. Moreover, the Accounts Receivable form is available as a choice from the Main Menu. 8) Managing Accounts Payable - the last column of the Expenses And Purchases Journal allows you to select whether or not the particular transaction is a payable account. There is an Accounts Payable form which is accessible from the Main Menu, as well as from within the Expenses And Purchases Journal. 9) Depreciation - This item on the IRS Form 1040 Schedule C is not explicitly figured by CrafTracker. You must supply this yourself. For assistance, consult a tax professional. 10) Home Office Expenses - This item on the IRS Form 1040 Schedule C is not explicitly figured by CrafTracker. You must supply this yourself. For assistance, consult a tax professional. 11) How is my business doing? - The sine qua non of CrafTracker is its ability to assemble the figures needed for your IRS form 1040 Schedule C at the end of the year. Essentially, this form is a report which can tell you whether or not your business is profitable. It's referred to as a "Profit and Loss" statement. However, because past and current inventory figure into this calculation, it is essential, if you want the most accurate, up-to-date figures, that you take and archive your beginning-of-year inventory in a timely fashion. A simpler method is to ignore the Schedule C Report and just compare totals from the two journals to see which is greater, total sales or total expenses. NOTE: Make sure you've taken a beginning-of-year inventory and archived it. You would do this once every year, say, on January 1. Note that in your CrafTracker directory, on disk, this inventory is stored in the files "invold.db" and "invold.idx". (Note: Under no circumstances, of course, should you alter the names or content of the data files the program creates, that is, if you wan the program to work OK.) Section III: Using the program CrafTracker presents itself to its users as a conglomeration of three types of screen pictures, or "windows": message windows, data forms, and a Main Menu. A window is a section of the screen that looks like a box or rectangle. It is a different color from the background, and has a noticeable border. Renderings of most of these screens can be found in the next section. Moreover, most of what follows below can be found on screen by pressing the Help key, F1. * Message windows Message windows are simply that and no more; they relate useful information to the user and require no interaction or entry of data other than pressing of a a key to signal to the program that you are through reading the screen and wish to continue. NOTE: In most cases, to quickly remove a message window from the screen (exit the window), press the "Escape" key (<ESC>). * The Main Menu The Main Menu is CrafTracker's command center. It is from there that you select particular functions of the program that you wish to engage during a CrafTracker session. To choose a function, for example, the Sales Journal, do one of two things: Use the Up or Down Arrow keys to highlight the selection you want and then press <Enter>, or simply press the highlighted letter of the selection you want. For instance, if you want to record a sale in the Sales Journal from the Main Menu you can either highlight the "/Sales Journal" line (line 1) and press <Enter>, or you can simply press "s". The Sales Journal form will come up on screen. NOTE: On a color monitor the cursor (highlight bar) will appear as cyan, and the highlighted letters are yellow on magenta. On a monochrome system the highlights are in reverse video. * Data forms The Sales Journal, and most of the screens in CrafTracker, are data forms. These are windows that require you to fill in information for the program. A line or other space in which one piece of information goes is called a "field". For example, the program might prompt you for a telephone number and require that you type the number in a certain area of the screen. This would be referred to as the "Telephone Number" field. (Throughout this manual we've capitalized names of forms and fields, and additionally, put field names in quotes.) You navigate forms and fields by pressing "hot keys". In general, you can move from one field to the next, on a given form, by pressing the "next Field" key, F8. Likewise, you can back up to the previous field by pressing the "previous field" key, F7. Also, in most cases Right and Left or Up and Down Arrows will accomplish the same thing. The <Enter> key will also move the cursor to the next form item, but it has the additional functionality of "accepting", i.e., recording, the data you have put into the field you are leaving. In general, to get from field "A" to, say, field "D" on a form, it will be safer to go through the intervening fields "B" and "C" by using the cursor keys rather than pressing <Enter>. NOTE: In most cases, to remove a data form from the screen (exit the form) you can press the "Exit" key, F10. Below is a listing of the various hot keys for data forms: key action-------- backspace Deletes the character to the left of the cursor Ctrl-END Moves to the last item on the form Ctrl-HOME Moves to the first item on the form Del Deletes the character at the current cursor position down Moves to the next item located physically below the current one End Moves the cursor to the end of the field Enter Moves to the next item on the form <ESC> Exits the current choice list or window F1 Invokes the system help function, if enabled F2 Processes the attached choice list (a popup list of acceptable field entries), if any, for the current field F5 deletes row (Sales Journal, Expenses and Purchases Journal) F6 Clears the field F7 Moves to the previous item on the form F8 Moves to the next item on the form F10 Exits the current process or data form Home Moves the cursor to the beginning of the field Ins Toggles between insert and overstrike typing mode left Moves the cursor one position to the left right Moves the cursor one position to the right Shift-F3 Clears the field and redisplays the original value in the field Shift-F6 Clears from the cursor to the end of the field Shift-tab Moves to the previous item on the form space Toggles the strings for boolean toggle fields, if enabled for field tab Moves to the next item on the form up Moves to the next item located physically above the current one NOTE: Pushbuttons, such as "PRINT", or "SAVE" are in all caps on the form, and are usually at the bottom. You use them by putting the cursor on them and pressing <Enter>. They perform specific functions, such as writing data to disk, clearing the form, printing a record, moving to the next record, etc. Two of the data forms have screen areas which are called "scrollable regions": the Sales Journal and the Expenses and Purchases Journal. These regions look like checkbook registers; you enter data across several fields on one line. That is, each row of the scrollable region represents one data record (one sale or one expense, for example). As you enter one row after another, the region itself appears to scroll up if you move the cursor down, or down if you move the cursor up. You can enter as much data as you like, hard disk space and computer memory permitting. Below is a listing of some of the specialized hot keys to use while moving through a scrollable region. Note that these keys apply while you are within the region itself (the part that looks like a check register and scrolls), which behaves in some ways as though it were all one data item. That means for instance, to leave the journal (scrollable row) part of the Sales Journal form, you might press F8, which will move the cursor directly to the "PRINT" pushbutton at the bottom of the form. To move from one field to another all in the same row, on the other hand, you would press "tab" (moves to the right) or "Shift-tab" (moves to the left), or the <Enter> key. <Tab> Next field | <Shift-Tab> Previous field <Enter> Next field or item | Arrow keys Up, down, across <F10> Exit form | <Shift-F3> Clears the field <F5> deletes current row | F1 Help * The Help key, F1 Probably the single most important program hot key is the "Help" key, F1. From almost every area of the program, online help is available by pressing F1. In many cases there are two levels of Help. If available, you access the second level by pressing F1 a second time. The Help Screen is a window that occupies the lower portion of the screen, overlapping whatever other form may be currently displayed. You exit each level of Help by pressing <Esc> or <Enter>. The bottom row of the screen is reserved for other useful information, which is updated as you move from item to item, form to form, in the program. This is in addition to any help available through pressing F1. And finally, most of the forms themselves display navigational help at the bottom. Section IV: Understanding the program When you load and run CrafTracker, you will first see a start-up screen that displays the name and version of the program. Then, after you press the <Esc> key, you come you come to the Main Menu: @ CrafTracker v1.0 ################################## # Sales Journal # # Miscellaneous Cash In # # Expenses and Purchases # # Model Identification # # Inventory # #--------------------------------# # View Accounts Receivable # # View Accounts Payable # # View Customer Record # # Set Sales Tax # # Print Inventory # # Print Customer List # # Archive # # Generate Report # #--------------------------------# # Backup # #--------------------------------# # QUIT # ################################## @ * Main Menu The cursor (black text on cyan background for color monitors, reverse video for b/w monitors) is placed in the first line, "Sales Journal". As noted in Section II of this manual, the arrow keys move the cursor up and down. We'll step through CrafTracker's various functions, all of which are accessible from the Main Menu. * The Sales Journal Two journals are maintained for your business transactions, a Sales Journal and an Expenses and Purchases Journal (usually known in accounting circles as a Disbursements Journal). In them you record the transactions, sales, purchases, manufacturing expenses, and operating expenses that CrafTracker uses to generate the information you need for your Schedule C. The Sales Journal records all sales by date, invoice number, customer name, item sold, selling price, quantity sold, total sale, sales tax collected, and whether the transaction was a cash or charge sale. @ [ Sales Journal ] +------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Date Invoice Model Customer Sales Quant Extension Sales Gross Chg| | Number ID ID Price Sold Tax Sales Y/N| |---------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+| ||UU/UU/UU|UUUUUU|XXXXXX|XXXXXXXXXX|UUUU.UU|UUUU|UUUUUU.UU|UUU.UU|UUUUUUU.UU|!|| ||UU/UU/UU|UUUUUU|XXXXXX|XXXXXXXXXX|UUUU.UU|UUUU|UUUUUU.UU|UUU.UU|UUUUUUU.UU|!|| ||UU/UU/UU|UUUUUU|XXXXXX|XXXXXXXXXX|UUUU.UU|UUUU|UUUUUU.UU|UUU.UU|UUUUUUU.UU|!|| ||UU/UU/UU|UUUUUU|XXXXXX|XXXXXXXXXX|UUUU.UU|UUUU|UUUUUU.UU|UUU.UU|UUUUUUU.UU|!|| ||UU/UU/UU|UUUUUU|XXXXXX|XXXXXXXXXX|UUUU.UU|UUUU|UUUUUU.UU|UUU.UU|UUUUUUU.UU|!|| ||UU/UU/UU|UUUUUU|XXXXXX|XXXXXXXXXX|UUUU.UU|UUUU|UUUUUU.UU|UUU.UU|UUUUUUU.UU|!|| ||UU/UU/UU|UUUUUU|XXXXXX|XXXXXXXXXX|UUUU.UU|UUUU|UUUUUU.UU|UUU.UU|UUUUUUU.UU|!|| ||UU/UU/UU|UUUUUU|XXXXXX|XXXXXXXXXX|UUUU.UU|UUUU|UUUUUU.UU|UUU.UU|UUUUUUU.UU|!|| ||UU/UU/UU|UUUUUU|XXXXXX|XXXXXXXXXX|UUUU.UU|UUUU|UUUUUU.UU|UUU.UU|UUUUUUU.UU|!|| ||UU/UU/UU|UUUUUU|XXXXXX|XXXXXXXXXX|UUUU.UU|UUUU|UUUUUU.UU|UUU.UU|UUUUUUU.UU|!|| ||UU/UU/UU|UUUUUU|XXXXXX|XXXXXXXXXX|UUUU.UU|UUUU|UUUUUU.UU|UUU.UU|UUUUUUU.UU|!|| ||UU/UU/UU|UUUUUU|XXXXXX|XXXXXXXXXX|UUUU.UU|UUUU|UUUUUU.UU|UUU.UU|UUUUUUU.UU|!|| ||UU/UU/UU|UUUUUU|XXXXXX|XXXXXXXXXX|UUUU.UU|UUUU|UUUUUU.UU|UUU.UU|UUUUUUU.UU|!|| |+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+| | +-----------++--------++-----------+| | PRINT TOTALS: |UUUUUUUU.UU||UUUUU.UU||UUUUUUUU.UU|| | +-----------++--------++-----------+| |F1 Help F5 Delete Row F10 Exit F8 Go to PRINT button F7 Go to Journal | +------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ @ Enter the date of the sale in the first column, and the Invoice Number in the second. If you are writing to a new row, CrafTracker will conveniently fill in the current date, which you can override. CrafTracker will also automatically increment the invoice numbers. If you are writing and numbering invoices or other documentation for each sale, this number will identify such. In the third column, enter a model name or number, or other identification which you may choose to assign to a single type of item sold. NOTE: Another way, and perhaps better, to fill in model identification is through the Model Identification form from the Main Menu. There, you can record the complete name as well as a lengthy description. CrafTRacker stores this name in a special list, called a choice list. The first five characters of this name can then be accessed in the Sales Journal, when you enter the "Model ID" field and press F2, the "Choice List" key, which brings up the complete list of your model names for you to choose from. Highlight the model name you want by using the Up/Down Arrow keys, and press <Enter>. The name you've selected will be copied automatically into the "Model ID" field in the current row of the Sales Journal. NOTE: If you sold more than one type of item under one invoice, then it will be necessary to duplicate the date and invoice number on successive lines of the Sales Journal. That is, each line of the journal covers only one type of item sold. In the next column you enter a customer identification. This can be, for example, the first ten characters of either the first or last name, or the name of a business. After you enter data in this field, CraTracker will pop up the Customer Record form. The program will search through the "customer" data file on disk, and if it finds an exact match to these first ten characters, CrafTracker will assume that you've made the sale to this very customer, and the popup form will contain the current data on that customer. If no match is found, the popup will be blank. In either case, you may optionally enter or amend data as you see fit. Here is the Customer Record form: @ [ Customer Record ] +-------------------------------------------+ |Name XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX| | | |Address XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX| | (street) | | XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX | | (city) | | XX XXXXX-XXXX XXX | | (state) (zip) (country) | |Phone (UUU) UUU-UUUU ext UUU | | | | | | ADD NEXT PREV SAVE DELETE | | | +-------------------------------------------+ @ The data entry fields for this form should require little explanation. The information you record here, to keep track of your customers, is optional, and has no bearing on the accounting of your business. The operation of the pushbuttons at the bottom of the form is explained in detail in Section II of this manual. NOTE: IF YOU ENTER DATA IN THIS FORM THAT YOU WISH TO SAVE, YOU MUST USE THE "SAVE" PUSHBUTTON. That is, put the cursor on the field marked "SAVE", and press <Enter". If you skip this step and overwrite the data in the form, that overwritten data was NOT SAVED. We return to our discussion of the Sales Journal. The "sales price" column is for entering the unit price at which you sold the item, and of course the next column is for entering the quantity sold of this particular item in this sale. CrafTracker will calculate and fill in the next column, the "extension". This brings us to the next entry, the "sales tax" column. Refer again to the diagram of the Main Menu above, particularly to the eight row, labeled "Set Sales Tax". When you choose this item from the Main Menu, the following form appears on screen: [ Set Sales Tax ] +------------------------------------+ |Enter your local sales tax rate: | | | | UU.UU % | | | |Is this information correct? (Y/N) !| +------------------------------------+ Here, for your convenience, you may enter a sales tax rate to be used by the program to calculate the amount of sales tax to be charged for a particular sale. For example, let's say that you live in Smalltown, Ohio where the local tax rate is 6%, and further, that you make most of your sales locally. You enter "6-0-0" in the first data field (where the cursor is) in the form, and press <Enter>. The cursor moves to the field just after the "(Y/N) ". Notice that the default for this field is "n", or "no". If you are satisfied with your tax rate entry (6%), type 'y' or "Y". The 6% rate is now the default. That means that in the Sales Journal, after you enter "Sales Price" and "Quant Sold", and CrafTracker has figured the exension for you in column 7, it has also automatically calculated the total tax and placed the value in column 8, "Sales Tax", based on the 6% tax rate you chose in the Set Sales Tax form. Of course, you are free to override this amount at any time, and would do so if, in fact, you charged a different rate -- or even none at all -- for any particular sale. Furthermore, you may use the Set Sales Tax form, from the Main Menu, to alter the rate as many times as you wish. Once the sales tax has been figured, the program calculates the total amount and places it in column 9, "Gross Sales", and the cursor moves to column 10. this is a simple Yes/No field. Here "yes" means that the particular item sold in this row was sold on credit, or, in other words, it is an account-receivable. Likewise, "no", or "n", means that the customer paid in full for the item. In the case of a "Y" or "y" entry, the Accounts Receivable form pops up on the screen. Here is what it looks like: [ Accounts Receivable ] +------------------------------------+ |Customer ID XXXXXXXXXX | | | |Invoice Number XXXXXX | | | |Date of Sale UU/UU/UU | | | |Date Due UU/UU/UU | | | |Unpaid Balance UUUUUU.UU | | | |Is this information correct? (Y/N) !| |------------------------------------| | NEXT PREVIOUS DELETE | |------------------------------------| |F1 Help F8 Next field F10 Exit | |<Enter> accepts F7 Previous field | +------------------------------------+ CrafTracker will fill in some of this data by default, namely, the "Customer ID", "Invoice Number", and "Date of Sale" fields, which are duplicated from the respective Sales Journal entries. You may fill in the "Date due" and "Unpaid Balance" fields, and you may edit any of the data in any of the fields for this particular account. Note that when this form is accessed in this way, as a popup window over the Sales Journal, the "NEXT","PREVIOUS", and "DELETE" pushbuttons are unavailable. (On a color monitor they appear as black text on a white background.) On the other hand, this form is accessible from the Main Menu choice "View Accounts Receivable". When used as such, the functionality of the two aforementioned pushbuttons is restored and you may edit the data of any and all records freely. For example, if a customer who owes you money pays part of his debt, you may bring up the Accounts Receivable form from either the corresponding record in the Sales Journal, or from the Main Menu. In either case, you can edit the data, and save it to disk when you put a "Y" or "y" in the field prompted by the question, "Is this information correct". However, when a customer clears the debt, you can only delete the corresponding Accounts Receivable record by accessing the form from the Main Menu. Once you've made the decision that the information entered into the form is correct, namely, by your choosing "Y" or "y" in answer to the query in the last field, or, conversely, once you've decided to discard the information and exit the form without saving, by hitting the Exit key, F10, you are returned to the Sales Journal. When you elect to leave a row in the Sales Journal, and there is new or unsaved information in that row, the program will display the Save Window, a popup window with two pushbuttons. +--------------------------+ | This row is altered. | | Save changes, or cancel. | | | | SAVE CANCEL | | -><- <Enter> selects | +--------------------------+ These choices are clear: either save all the modifications you have made in the current row of the Sales Journal, or erase them, and return to the Sales Journal. That is, push "SAVE" to save the row to disk, or push "CANCEL" to delete the changes and return to the Sales Journal. ("Pushing" is accomplished by highlighting the pushbutton and pressing <Enter>). NOTE: Choosing "CANCEL" in no way destroys previously saved data. Finally, if you wish to print the contents of your Sales Journal, put the cursor on the PRINT pushbutton at the bottom of the form (If you're in the rows of the Journal, F8 will move the cursor to PRINT) and <Enter>. CrafTracker will remind you to set your printer on line, and then will print the contents of the Sales Journal from disk. Example: Let's say that on February 6, 1992 you sold 6 widgets and 3 whatzits to a customer named Perry Gorrick. Mr. Gorrick paid cash for the whatzits, burt bought the widgets on credit. The next day you sit down to enter this information in your Sales Journal. CrafTracker fills in the date, 02/07/92, for you, so you override it and type in 02/06/92. Notice that if you try to fill in an "illegal" date, such as 02/30/92, CrafTracker will complain with a beep and refuse to accept the entry. Next, CrafTracker fills in the invoice number for you, incrementing from the previous row. If this is not, in fact, the number of the invoice (or other documentation) that was used in the sale, you will make a change as necessary. You've sold many widgets before, so you've recorded the model identification you've assigned to this item in the Model Numbers form (We will explain this form in detail later on), but you don't happen to recall what tag you've assigned. Therefore, when the cursor is in the "Model Number" field, you press the Choice List hot key, F2, and CrafTracker will display a popup window on screen, above or below the current model number field. (On a color monitor this window has black text on a green background, and the highlight bar inside it is black.) You might have assigned the shorthand ID of "widge" to widget, or a number, or the complete name. Displayed in this window is a choice list of all the model ID's you've previously assigned. You find the ID you've assigned (which can be anything you like, say, a number, or the name of the item, or shorthand name for the item. We'll discuss this later when we talk about the Model Number form you access from the Main Menu.) Place the highlight bar on this line and press <Enter>, and the program inserts the first five digits of this line into the current field in the Sales Journal. In the next column you fill in the data concerning your customer, Mr. Perry Gorrick. The field accepts up to ten characters; you could enter, for example, "Gorrick, P", or anything you like. Note, however, that if you want CrafTracker to keep accurate records of your customer database, withut the likelihood of duplication or omission, you must be careful to make sure that this entry matches exactly the entry you supply in the "Name" field in the Customer Record form. Since Mr. Gorrick is a new customer, CrafTracker brings up a blank Customer Record form, with only the "Name" field filled in to match the characters you've supplied in the "Customer ID" field in the Sales Journal. You begin entering the rest of the data in this form: carefully, supplying address, phone number, etc. In the next column you enter the unit price you charged for the widgets, $12.84, and in the next column you enter 6 for the number sold. CrafTracker multiplies this together for you and puts the result, $ 77.04, an puts this into the column called "Extension". Next comes the tax. Assuming you've already recorded the local rate, 6%, into the Set Sales Tax form from the Main Menu, we'll see that the program has calculated the total tax charged for the widgets, $ 4.62, and put this amount into the "Sales Tax" column. The program then calulates the total amount charged for widgets, $81.66, and puts that amount into the "Gross Sales" field. You recall that your customer bought this item on credit, so you respond to the last column by entering 'y', for 'yes'. This causes the Accounts Receivable form to pop up over the Sales Journal. The program has entered some of the data for you. When you are done with this form, the Save Window pops up on the screen. After saving the current row of the Sales Journal, the Save Window disappears and the cursor is placed in the "Date" column of the next row, which, if it is a new row, defaults to the current date. Since your customer bought some whatzits on the same date, using the same invoice as the widgets, you need to duplicate that information in the respective fields on this, the next row. Therefore, when you come to the "Date" and "Invoice Number" fields, you will enter the same information as on the previous row where you recorded the sale of widgets. * Expenses And Purchases (Disbursements) The Expenses and Purchases Journal is used for all business disbursements, and shows the following: date, check number, payee, and amount of the transaction. This amount is spread to purchases, manufacturing expenses, and operating expenses. @ [ Expenses And Purchases ] +--------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Date Chk # Payee Expenses A/P | |+------------------------------------------------------------------------+| || UU/UU/UU|XXXXX|XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX|UUUUU.UU|! || || UU/UU/UU|XXXXX|XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX|UUUUU.UU|! || || UU/UU/UU|XXXXX|XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX|UUUUU.UU|! || || UU/UU/UU|XXXXX|XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX|UUUUU.UU|! || || UU/UU/UU|XXXXX|XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX|UUUUU.UU|! || || UU/UU/UU|XXXXX|XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX|UUUUU.UU|! || || UU/UU/UU|XXXXX|XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX|UUUUU.UU|! || || UU/UU/UU|XXXXX|XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX|UUUUU.UU|! || || UU/UU/UU|XXXXX|XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX|UUUUU.UU|! || || UU/UU/UU|XXXXX|XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX|UUUUU.UU|! || || UU/UU/UU|XXXXX|XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX|UUUUU.UU|! || || UU/UU/UU|XXXXX|XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX|UUUUU.UU|! || || UU/UU/UU|XXXXX|XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX|UUUUU.UU|! || || UU/UU/UU|XXXXX|XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX|UUUUU.UU|! || || UU/UU/UU|XXXXX|XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX|UUUUU.UU|! || |+------------------------------------------------------------------------+| | +---------+ | | PRINT Total: |UUUUUU.UU| | | +---------+ | |F1 Help F8 Go to PRINT button F7 Go to Journal F10 Exit F5 delete | +--------------------------------------------------------------------------+ @ Navigation of this form is identical to the Sales Journal, and is covered in the previous section of the manual. When the cursor enters a blank row, the program automatically fills in the current date, which you may override, of course. Each line of the journal is to be used for one particular type of expense. Therefore, if, say, you wrote a check covering more than one expense type, put each type on a separate line, duplicating the date and the check number. Of course, if you're entering a cash transaction, there will be no check number to supply. NOTE: One way of handling different methods of payment is to open a separate checking account for your business. When you happen to pay by cash, out-of-pocket, you can write a check to yourself later out of your business account and enter that transaction into the Expenses and Purchases Journal. The "Description of Transaction" field is for identifying the payee, but you may customize the entries to meet your own needs. Enter the amount you paid for this particular expense type in the next field, "Expense". CrafTracker will then display the Expense Type form, shown below. [ Expense Type ] +--------------------------------------------------+ |Type of Expense XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX | | | |Comment XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX | | | |Is this information correct? (Y/N) ! | | | |F1 Help F8 Next field F7 Previous field F10 Exit| +--------------------------------------------------+ NOTE: It is very important that you take the time to understand the use of this form, since CrafTracker relies on the information you supply to compute the amounts that go into particular lines in the Schedule C report. When this form pops up on the screen over the Expense and Purchases Journal, the cursor is placed in the first field, "Type of Expense", and another window (black cursor and letters on green background on a color system) pops up just below this field. This window provides you with a list of choices. You must pick one of them, by placing the cursor on it and pressing <Enter>. When you do this, the choice is automatically inserted into the "Type of Expense" field in the Expense Type form, the choice list window disappears, and you are moved to the next field, "Comment". Here are the "Expense Type" choices in the choice list window: Advertising Part II | Bad debts Part II Car & Truck Part II | Commissions & fees Part II Depletion Part II | Employee benefit Part II Insurance Part II | Interest - Mort Part II Interest - Other Part II | Legal & Professional Part II Office expenses Part II | Other Part II Pension Part II | Rent - Vehicles Part II Rent - Other Part II | Repairs Part II Returns & Allowances Part II | Supplies Part II Taxes & Licenses Part II | Travel - Travel Part II Travel - Meals Part II | Utilities Part II Wages Part II | Cost of labor Part III Materials & Supplies Part III | Other Manu. Costs Part III Purchases Part III | "Part II" corresponds to those items in lines 8 through 27b on the Schedule C form 1040, which are referred to there as "Expenses". "Part III" corresponds to lines 34 through 37, "Cost of Goods Sold". The Part III costs are direct manufacturing costs. For a more detailed explanation of the significance of these items consult professional tax assistance. The "Comment" field is provided for you to further identify expenses which you choose to lump under the choice "Other", or "Other Manu. Costs". When you are satisfied that the information you have filled in is correct, enter 'Y' or 'y' in the last data field on the form. You will be returned to the Expenses And Purchases Journal and placed in the last column of the same row. If the transaction you are recording is a payable account, type 'y' or 'Y'. If not, type 'N' or 'n'. A 'Y' in the last column will cause the Acounts Payable form to popup on screen. @ [ Accounts Payable ] +---------------------------------------------------+ |Payee XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX | | | |Date of Purchase UU/UU/UU | | | |Date Due UU/UU/UU | | | |Unpaid balance UUUUU.UU | | | |Is this information correct? (Y/N) ! | |---------------------------------------------------| | | | NEXT PREVIOUS DELETE | | | |---------------------------------------------------| | F1 Help F8 Next Field F7 Previous Field | | <Enter> accepts F10 Exits form | +---------------------------------------------------+ @ Some of the information is copied into the form from the current row of the Expenses And Purchases Journal. You will need to fill in the date due and the unpaid balance. Note that you can assess this form from the Main Menu if you wish. This makes it easier to edit the data in a particular account. For example, if you owed $100 to XYZ Manufacturing and paid off $60 in a first payment, you can bring up the record and ammend the "Unpaid Balance" field to show that you now only owed $40. Note that when you access this form from the Expenses And Purchases Journal, the three pushbuttoms at the bottom are unavailable. When you are satisfied that the information in the form is correct, type 'Y' or 'y' in the last data field. After entering data in the last column, and optionally filling in the Accounts Payable form, the Save Window pops up. this is the same window that appears when you are prompted to save data in the Sales Journal. There are two pushbuttons "SAVE " and "CANCEL". See the above discussion of the Sales Journal for a picture of this window and an explanation of its use. To exit the Expenses And Purchases Journal at any time, press F10, the "Exit" key. * Miscellaneous Cash In In order to track other forms of income related to the business, other than sales, a Miscellaneous Cash-In form is provided. [ Miscellaneous Cash In ] +-------------------------------------------------+ |Date UU/UU/UU | | | |Amount UUUUUU.UU | | | |Explanation XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX | | | | | | ADD NEXT PREV SAVE DELETE | | | |-------------------------------------------------| | F1 Help F8 Next field F7 Previous field | | F10 Exit form <Enter> accept data | +-------------------------------------------------+ Here you provide the date and amount, and then an explanation for the income. This amount shows up on line 6 of your Schedule C Report, where it is referred to as "Other Income". We'll discuss this shortly. An example of Other Income would be, say, a refund from a manufacturer whose goods you purchase to manufacture your own product. NOTE: IF YOU ENTER DATA IN THIS FORM THAT YOU WISH TO SAVE, YOU MUST USE THE "SAVE" PUSHBUTTON. That is, put the cursor on the field marked "SAVE", and press <Enter". If you skip this step and overwrite the data in the form, that overwritten data was NOT SAVED. * Model Identification When you run CrafTracker for the first time, before you enter any data into either of the journals, you may very well choose to record the names, or other identification, of the items you manufacture or otherwise provide for sale in your business. This information, the Model ID, is used as shorthand in a couple of ways by the program. For this purpose, a Model Number form is provided and accessed from the Main Menu. @ [ Model Identification ] +------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ |Model Identification: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX | |Description: | |______________________________________________________________________________| |______________________________________________________________________________| |______________________________________________________________________________| |______________________________________________________________________________| |______________________________________________________________________________| |______________________________________________________________________________| |______________________________________________________________________________| |______________________________________________________________________________| |______________________________________________________________________________| |______________________________________________________________________________| |______________________________________________________________________________| |______________________________________________________________________________| |______________________________________________________________________________| |______________________________________________________________________________| |______________________________________________________________________________| | | | ADD NEXT PREV SAVE DELETE PRINT | | | | F1 Help F8 Next field F7 Previous field F10 Exit form <Enter> accept | +------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ @ There are only two data-entry fields on the form: a place to record the name or ID of a sale item, and an editing field for further identifying the item. Additionally, there are the customary functional pushbuttons at the bottom of the form. For example, let's suppose you make and sell (or, say, import and sell, if that is your business) widgets. In the "Model Number" field you might enter an identifying number, followed by the name, or, you may prefer to record just the name, or an abbreviation of the name, "widget". Below it, in the description field, there is room for about 200 words of any kind of clarification you choose, whether it be physical description of a widget, the calculation of its unit cost or price, or whatever. In any event, you need a blank form to enter data into. That's what the "ADD" button at the bottom is for; it clears the form and puts the cursor at the top. You use the Next-Field Key, F8 to move from one item to the next. Note that while enter data in the "Description" field, you must use F8 or "Previous-Field Key, F7, to put the cursor in a different field -- <Enter> merely returns the "carriage". Save your data with the "SAVE" button, move among records with the "NEXT" and "PREV" buttons, and delete a record with "DELETE". Finally, "PRINT" will print the currently displayed record only. To print all the records, you must bring them up one at a time and print them. NOTE: IF YOU ENTER DATA IN THIS FORM THAT YOU WISH TO SAVE, YOU MUST USE THE "SAVE" PUSHBUTTON. That is, put the cursor on the field marked "SAVE", and press <Enter". If you skip this step and overwrite the data in the form, that overwritten data was NOT SAVED. NOTE: Every time you add a new model identification record, that ID is added to the choice list available (Choice List key, F2) in the "Model ID" field in the Sales Journal, starting from the NEXT TIME you run the program. * Inventory Form 1040 Schedule C requires you to take an inventory on December 31 of each year, as an end-of year inventory. This inventory becomes your beginning inventory for the next year. Using CrafTracker, you make this switch with the Archive function from the Main Menu. (See discussion below). The dollar worth of these inventories is recorded respectively on lines 39 and 33 on the Schedule C form. The Inventory form is accessible from the Main Menu. [ Inventory ] +---------------------------------------------------------+ |Model ID or Part XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX | | | |Number on hand UUUUU | | | |Unit Cost UUUUU.UU | | | |Extension UUUUUUU.UU | | | | ADD NEXT PREV SAVE DELETE | | | |F1 Help| F10 Exit| F8 Next field| F7 Prev field| <Enter> | +---------------------------------------------------------+ NOTE: To clarify what items may or may not be enumerated in the end-of-year inventory for tax purposes, you will need to seek professional tax assistance. At the bottom of the form are the customary pushbuttons. The inventory form records one item at a time. You can Save the information to disk with "SAVE", delete a previously saved record with "DELETE", move back and forth among records with "NEXT" AND "PREV", and blank the form to add a new record with "ADD". Refer to Section II for a more detailed explanation. In the first field supply the full name of the inventoried item. Count the number on hand and record this in the second field. Fill in the unit cost next. CrafTracker will calculate the extension and put the result into the fourth field. To save your entry and add another item to the inventory, put the cursor on the "SAVE" pushbutton (recall that you can move among fields on the form with the Next-field or Previous-Field keys, F8 and F7 respectively) and press <Enter>. The data currently in the form will be saved to disk. Then put the cursor on the 'ADD' pushbutton and press <Enter>. The form is cleared for you to add an additional entry. Continue adding entries in this way until the inventory is complete. NOTE: IF YOU ENTER DATA IN THIS FORM THAT YOU WISH TO SAVE, YOU MUST USE THE "SAVE" PUSHBUTTON. That is, put the cursor on the field marked "SAVE", and press <Enter". If you skip this step and overwrite the data in the form, that overwritten data was NOT SAVED. NOTE: If you are setting CrafTracker up and using it for the first time and you've taken a beginning-of-year inventory by other means, if you want to avail yourself of CrafTracker's full functionality, you will have to copy this inventory into CrafTracker's database by the above means. This will be explained in more detail below, when we discuss the "Archive" function on the Main Menu. * View Accounts Receivable The Accounts Receivable form, which is displayed automatically when you enter 'Y' or 'y' in the last column of a row of the Sales Journal, is also accessible directly from the Main Menu. For an explanation, please refer to the discussion of the Sales Journal above. The only difference between bringing up the form directly from the Main Menu and having it pop up in the Sales Journal is that when you access it directly, you can page through all your accounts receivable by using the "NEXT" and "PREVIOUS" pushbuttons at the bottom of the form. * View Accounts Payable This form is similar in function to the View Accounts Receivable form. It is accessible from the last field in the Expenses And Purchases Journal when you type 'Y' or 'y', indicating that the transaction on that row is an account payable. When you bring up the form from the Main Menu you have access to any additional Accounts Payable records by using the "NEXT" or "PREVIOUS" pushbuttons. Also, you can delete a record usiing the "DELETE" pushbutton. See the discussion of this form in the section on the Expenses And Purchases Journal above. * View Customer Record The Customer Record form is accessible from the Main Menu. Recall from our earlier discussion of the Sales Journal that this screen will also pop up automatically after you enter data into the "Customer ID" field. When chosen from the Main Menu its functionality is increased slightly, in that the "ADD", "NEXT", and "PREV" pushbuttons are turned on. This allows you to add new records from scratch, and also to view consecutive records in your customer database. For a discussion of the various fields in the form, please refer to the earlier discussion of the Sales Journal. NOTE: IF YOU ENTER DATA IN THIS FORM THAT YOU WISH TO SAVE, YOU MUST USE THE "SAVE" PUSHBUTTON. That is, put the cursor on the field marked "SAVE", and press <Enter". If you skip this step and overwrite the data in the form, that overwritten data was NOT SAVED. * Archive The primary function of CrafTracker is to provid you with a useable Schedule C report that you can bring to your tax professional, if you choose to retain one, to help you to fill out your tax return. However, you can use this report at any time during the year as an interim profit-and-loss statement. As explained above, it is most accurate if you have taken a beginning-of-year inventory as explained above. We are wending our way towards explaining how to generate this report. As mentioned previously, lines 33 and 39 of the current (1992) 1040 Schedule C form are concerned with end-of-year and beginning-of-year inventories. When you take an inventory at the beginning of the year (or copy your inventory to CrafTracker if you're using the program for the first time in the middle of the year), since CrafTracker can only store one inventory at a time, you may wonder how to take an end-of-year inventory without losing the beginning-of-year inventory on record. It is to address this very issue, and one or two others, that the Archive function has been provided on the Main Menu. [ Archive Data ] +-------------------------------------------------------+ |Do you wish to delete | | | |1) the current Sales Journal? (Y/N) ! | | | |2) the current Expenses and Purchases Journal? (Y/N) ! | | | |Do you wish to archive the current inventory? (Y/N) ! | | | | | | F1 Help Press F10 to exit the form | +-------------------------------------------------------+ When you select "Archive" from the Main Menu you are first presented with a yellow (on color monitors) warning screen that admonishes you to consider that you will be presented with the opportunity to delete some data from disk, namely the Sales Journal and Expenses and Purchases Journal. You may choose to do this to preserve disk space in the event that records have piled up for a longer period of time than you deem necessary for permanent retention. After heeding and assessing this warning, you may choose to go on, in which case CrafTracker will display the above screen. Entering 'Y' or 'y' in either field number 1) or field number 2) will delete the respective journal as mentioned. Once again, know that once deleted, it can only be recovered under the greatest of fortuitous circumstances, if at all. The third matter on this form, however, is a different consideration. Choosing 'Y' or 'y' here will cause CrafTracker to rename the old inventory in such a way that it will recognize that data as a beginning-of-year inventory. You can choose to implement such a change at any time during the year, but if you want to use CrafTracker to keeps records of ongoing inventory, then you will need to archive your old inventory to beginning-of-year status on or about January 1. Then you can edit, delete and add records throughout the year. Furthermore, you can use the Schedule C Report facility to generate a profit and loss statment at any time. On December 31, or thereabouts, you use this report for your actual IRS Schedule C. NOTE: Once you have chosen to archive your beginning-of-year inventory, any subsequent inventory you take will serve eventually as your end-of-year inventory on Decmeber 31. That is to say, if you archive an inventory in the middle of the year, the previous one you archived will be lost for keeps. * Backup You can backup your data files to a floppy disk. This option is available from the Main Menu. The following form appears: +-----------------------------------------+ |Use Up/Down Arrow keys to select a drive | | to back up your data files to. | | | | ( ) Drive A | | ( ) Drive B | | | +-----------------------------------------+ Insert a backup disk in either drive A or B and use the arrow keys to select either drive. For the drive selected, the parentheses in the form will have a bullet in the middle: (*) Press <Enter>, and a message window will come up reminding you to put a disk in the drive. Press <ESC> to change your mind and return to the program, or any other key to continue. * Generate Report The "Generate Report" option on the Main Menu causes CrafTracker to calculate the totals that go in all but two of the fields on your Schedule C. @ [ Schedule C Report ] ################################################################################ #1 Gross receipts or sales UUUUUUU.UU 21 Repairs & maintenance UUUUUUU.UU # #2 Returns & allowances UUUUUUU.UU 22 Supplies (office) UUUUUUU.UU # #3 Net receipts UUUUUUU.UU 23 Taxes & licenses UUUUUUU.UU # #4 Cost of goods sold UUUUUUU.UU 24a Travel UUUUUUU.UU # #5 Gross profit UUUUUUU.UU 24b Travel meals UUUUUUU.UU # #6 Other Income UUUUUUU.UU 24c 20% of line 24b UUUUUUU.UU # #7 Gross Income UUUUUUU.UU 24d 24b minus 24c UUUUUUU.UU # #8 Advertising UUUUUUU.UU 25 Utilities UUUUUUU.UU # #9 Bad debts UUUUUUU.UU 26 Wages UUUUUUU.UU # #10 Car and truck expense UUUUUUU.UU 27 Other operating exp. UUUUUUU.UU # #11 Commissions and fees UUUUUUU.UU 33 Beginning Inventory UUUUUUU.UU # #12 Depletion UUUUUUU.UU 34 Purchases UUUUUUU.UU # #13 Depreciation UUUUUUU.UU 35 Cost of Labor UUUUUUU.UU # #14 Employee Benefit UUUUUUU.UU 36 Materials & supplies UUUUUUU.UU # #15 Insurance UUUUUUU.UU 37 Other costs UUUUUUU.UU # #16a Interest - Mortgage UUUUUUU.UU 38 Total manufacturing UUUUUUU.UU # # b Interest - Other UUUUUUU.UU 39 Final Inventory UUUUUUU.UU # #17 Legal & professsional UUUUUUU.UU 40 Cost of goods sold UUUUUUU.UU # #18 Office expense UUUUUUU.UU 28 Total Operating UUUUUUU.UU # #19 Pension & profit-sharing UUUUUUU.UU 29 Tentative profit UUUUUUU.UU # #20a Rent vehicles, etc. UUUUUUU.UU 30 Home use expenses UUUUUUU.UU # #20b Rent other UUUUUUU.UU 31 Net profit or loss UUUUUUU.UU # ################################################################################ @ Notice that the line numbers follow the line numbers on the current IRS Schedule C form 1040, but they are not in either numerical sequence nor in the same sequence as is found on the government form. Instead they are in a logically sequential form that relates to the order in which calculations are done. Lines 1 through 7 are grouped together on the Schedule C form 1040 as "Part I, Income". Lines 8 through 27 are "Part II, Expenses". These correspond to most of the "expense types" that you track on the Expense Type form which is accessed through the Expenses and Purchases Journal, such as "Advertising", "Office expenses", etc. These are expenses other than those incurred through direct manufacturing costs. NOTE: For clarification on the above points, as well as any and all accounting or tax questions, it is highly recommended that you consult an accounting or tax professional. CrafTracker will fill in the amounts for all of these lines except for line 13, "Depreciation", which you must calculate yourself. The calculation of this field can be quite complex, and can vary from case to case. Again, it is recommended that you seek professional tax assistance here. Lines 33 through 40 are in "Part III, Cost of Goods Sold" on the Schedule C. These are direct manufacturing costs, such as "Cost of labor" (which does not, by the way, mean wages or other compensation you, the owner, pay to yourself). Note that CrafTracker will use ther results of your two inventories (after archiving) to fill in lines 33 and 39. Note also that "Returns and Allowances" is one of the expense types found in the Expense Type form choice list, as well as in line 2 of the Schedule C. To understand the significance of these two items you will need to consult professional tax guidance. As for the last few lines, note that CrafTracker allows you to fill in one other line on the Schedule C Report form, namely, line 30, "Home use expenses". This is for you to calaculate. Once again, you are urged to take professional counsel on this matter, since there are strict IRS rules concerning this item. Finally, line 31, which appears at the very end of CrafTracker's Schedule C Report form, is the sine qua non of the Schedule C form 1040, the "Net profit or loss item", which the program calculates. * Print Inventory, and Print Customer List Lastly, there are two print functions available from the Main Menu: "Print Inventory", and "Print Customer List" . These functions are provided for your convenience and are self-explanatory. Make sure when you use them that your printer is on line and has plenty of paper. Before any actual printing takes place you will see a warning screen that will prompt you with one last admonition to prepare the printer. You can back out of the printing by pressing <Esc>. If you choose to print, press any other key, and the current database - either Inventory or Customer - will be printed from disk. Appendix: Getting Technical Help Technical support is available through two avenues: 1) Write to the author at the following address: Westwanda Ware 505 South Beverly Drive Suite 987 Beverly Hills, CA 90212 2) Send an E-Mail message via Compuserve Information Service. The User Id is 70243,421 Please feel free to send any additional comments, suggestions, gripes, etc. * MS-DOS is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation. PC-DOS is a registered trademark of IBM Corporation. ** CrafTracker 1.0 contains portions of Vermont Views (TM) copyright 1991 Vermont Creative Software. All rights reserved. Vermont Views is a trademark of Vermont Creative Software.