Ever notice that some of life’s best lessons aren’t learned in the classroom? Think about where you learned how to ride a bike and how to hit a baseball! Ok, so the lessons I am talking about probably don’t have as fond a memory, but they can still have a remarkable impact on your life. I am talking about computer command shortcuts. These shortcuts are not really taught in any class. There is a HUGE list of shortcuts available for use with Microsoft Windows. However, I am going to focus for this blog post on the ones I find the most useful.

Once you learn and use these shortcuts, you will shave time off each and every action you complete on the computer. If you get into the habit of using them, your computer use will go much more smoothly and take far less time! Here are some of the most popular shortcuts.

CTRL+C:

Highlight with your computer mouse whichever text or image you wish to copy. Hit the Control key marked ‘CTRL’ on the bottom left or right of your keyboard, and then hold down the letter ‘C’ key at the same time. This is a shortcut for ‘copy’. You can copy text from one place in your program and paste it to another place. Copy also works from application to application. So, you can copy some text or a photo from the internet and paste it into an email or Microsoft Word document. (Note: only copy and use information you are allowed to use!) Once you highlight and copy text, you won’t be able to tell whether it’s been copied because it remains copied behind the scenes in your computer on something called the ‘clipboard’. But you will know when you go to paste it somewhere, which is the next shortcut.

CTRL+V:

Click with your mouse on the place where you wish to paste something . Hit the Control key marked ‘CTRL’ on the bottom left or right of your keyboard, and then hold down the letter ‘V’ key at the same. This is a shortcut for ‘paste’. (Of course, you will have needed to first copy something.) You can paste text or photos within your program or from application to application.

CTRL+Z:

When you have completed an action on your computer you wish to reverse, use the CTRL-Z function to quickly ‘undo’ what you’ve done! Simply hold down the ‘CTRL’ key along with the letter ‘Z’ key and you will see what you’ve recently done become instantly undone. Perhaps you’ve just deleted two paragraphs of text in a Word document or inadvertently replaced the contents of a cell within Microsoft Excel by accident. CTRL+Z can save you in so many cases by undoing mistakes in an instant! (Note: the opposite of ‘undo’ is ‘redo’, which can be done by clicking on CTRL+Y.)

Windows Symbol+D:

This shortcut is a bit obscure and a well kept secret that is extremely useful once known. When using Windows, most people use many different programs at one time: e-mail, Word, Excel, the internet, and the list goes on! If you have a multitude of programs open and want to minimize them all at the same time, click on the ‘Windows’ key (next to the CTRL) plus the ‘D’ key at the same time. This minimizes all of your programs without closing them and brings you right to your computer desktop.

As with so many functions within the Windows operating system, there are several ways to perform the cut, past, undo and minimize all functions, whether it’s right clicking or using the icons at the top of your screen. Personally, I find the command shortcuts much easier and faster to use!

This worksheet can be used as a guide to help your organization find the best farm software application for you. Consider each field of information and fill in the appropriate answer for your needs. Send this check list to accounting software vendors you are interested in, or simply use it as a guideline when talking to vendors.

https://www.redwingsoftware.com/home/file-2124

All accounting and payroll software changes originate from somewhere! First, there are the changes mandated by the government, such as tax rate changes and the recent FUTA changes, for which we create payroll updates and make them available to our customers. Secondly, there are bug fixes, or changes to the program that solve issues and problems. Then, there are other changes, and those come from customer comments and suggestions.

In fact, outside of mandated changes and bug fixes, 100% of Red Wing Software enhancements come from customer comments and suggestions. You might wonder how such changes are managed, since we have customers all over the U.S. and in other countries. The truth is, we get suggestions every day! Here is how they are handled for maximum customer satisfaction.

1. When a comment or suggestion is given, it is entered into a knowledgebase, otherwise known as a database that holds enhancement suggestions.
2. The knowledgebase is mined frequently, and suggestions are prioritized by which items will benefit the most people.
3. A management team chooses as many suggestion items as time allows for and turns those into action items for the development team.
4. Enhancements are made, tested and released, and customers are notified. The process starts again.

With these processes in place, we make sure our customers have a voice in the enhancements of the software they use to run their organization.

Using accounting software to help manage your farm and its finances is a wise decision. Software can help you become more organized and profitable, and can also provide tools to manage taxes, write checks, enter payables and receivables, manage your general ledger, and so much more. But how does a farmer know when to switch from a basic accounting program to an agricultural-based program? Use this article to help you decide if it’s time to replace your general accounting software with agricultural-based accounting software. Here are signs it’s time to make the switch.

1. You are unsure of your farm’s financial future.

   Entering data into a software system is beneficial because all of your financial information is organized in one place, and is easily accessible. A true agricultural accounting system can do more for you than just organize data. It can help you project future sales and create ‘what if’ scenarios for your farm, which can help you accurately plan for future business strategies. Some systems even include ratio analysis, which helps you calculate standard agricultural-specific ratios, and also understand trends. Knowing where your farming operation stands with ratios can help you address issues and become more profitable.

2. You don’t know your true crop and livestock costs.

   Knowing the overall profitability of your farm is extremely helpful, but which of your enterprises are generating the most profits? The key to increasing profits is knowing where to focus, and an agricultural-based accounting system can help with this. Production analysis is a tool that provides detailed crop and livestock information on a cost per unit basis. With that information, you can see where changes need to be made, and make intelligent decisions on how to increase your profits. Another helpful tool is the ability to distribute complex transactions across multiple accounts and production units, rather than simply attributing the transactions to a single account. Multiple account distribution, which most basic software programs do not offer, can provide a more accurate financial picture for your farming operation.

3. People are requesting crucial information you cannot provide.

   As your operation grows, it may become necessary to provide more detailed financial information about your farm to third parties such as bankers, landlords, managers, consultants, and others. Having the ability to track detailed information about each aspect of your farm, allows you to pull that information when you need it, making it easy to provide third parties the detailed information they require. A good agricultural-based system provides in-depth financial analysis with the ability to structure and segment entire operations, profit centers, accounts, and inventories to track data, combine entities, and receive relevant farm reporting

If any of the above signs ring true for you, it may be time to find agricultural-specific accounting software for your farm.

This is part of Accounting Software Helps You Go Paperless, continued from the prior blog post.

Create, send and track purchase orders electronically.

Do you run out of your most popular products, while the slow movers just keep sitting on the shelves? Are you unsure of how many of an item to order? Perhaps you have a giant folder labeled with your vendor’s name that is overflowing with paper copies of purchase orders and other vendor information. These are just a couple of the major functions that can be solved by electronic purchase order management. A purchase order system within your accounting software can suggest, produce, process and receive purchase orders for items and/or services. Your whole purchasing process is made more efficient, and will save money by having the right products on your shelves at the right time, when customers need it.

Create and send reports within the system and via e-mail.

Most companies run their financial reports every month, print them and distribute them to the appropriate parties. The reports are typically viewed and then stored or disposed of. By distributing reports via e-mail instead of in print, you will save on paper and also reduce the chances of sensitive financial information going around the office. Also, create the reports in Adobe PDF files, and everyone (even those without your accounting software) will be able to easily view the reports. Your data is safe and accurate in a PDF format as it allows the user to make notes on the report but won’t allow them to change the original.

Cut down on printed invoices and statements.

Yes, it’s an old habit that’s hard to break. But think about it, do you really need all those printed copies of invoices and statements? A good accounting software program should allow you to reproduce/reprint any invoice or statement from history, so there’s really no reason to keep a copy. If you want to keep copies so people without authorization to the accounting software can view them, you should print to PDF files (which does not physically print them but instead saves them into a PDF format) and keep them in a safe/organized place on the server. To do this, just name the file and folders the same way you would if it was a file cabinet. If you would normally have a file cabinet full of folders for each customer, then you would create a folder on the server called “Invoices”. And within that folder, you would have a separate folder for each customer. When you print the invoices to PDF files, you would name them with the customer code and invoice number, and save them within the appropriate customer file.

On the other hand, some businesses now keep a three-ring binder that has a copy of every invoice/statement in it, sorted by invoice number. If you are currently doing this and would like to continue doing it with electronic copies, then you would create a folder on the server called “Invoices”, and all invoices would be saved in that folder. When you print the invoices to PDF, use the invoice number as the file name, or the invoice number and customer code.

Don’t forget that there’s always the possibility of having an interim period where you still print a copy and then keep a PDF copy. However, this often leads to employees reverting back to old ways, so it’s typically best to make the change ‘cold turkey’.

Old habits die hard, but going paperless or at least reducing the amount of paper you use can greatly benefit your business and our environment. Let accounting software help you and your business on your path to going paperless!