# how to organize files? book keeping



## summit583guy (Jun 3, 2011)

Hi im a new buisness owner, I have been runnng my tree service for about 45 days now, In my area I do alot of small prunning and hedge jobs, sometimes up to 6 jobs per day. How do you file your clients information. Currently I have file folders with every clients last name on the top of the file with there qoute and billing information in it. Do i need to keep the clients info even from small cash jobs (100-200$)? i generally done invoice those jobs unless they ask.


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## BC WetCoast (Jun 3, 2011)

You better keep track of those jobs. Canada Revenue is going to want their cut and you have to do your quarterly HST remittal. You do charge HST don't you? 

Your customer list is golden. You can now send out reminders for work next year. You don't have to chase new customers, you already have them. I read where you should contact your customer list 4 times a year, either by mailing, email, phone call etc.

Do you use quickbooks or one of the other small software packages for your accounting? They will have a customer database.

ONe time I built an Access database that tracked clients and cross indexed with quotes and billing info. 

There are also tree software packages ie Arborworx, but I haven't used any to say how good they are.


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## bamboobike (Sep 27, 2011)

*Payroll Companies helpful for bookkeeping*



BC WetCoast said:


> You better keep track of those jobs. Canada Revenue is going to want their cut and you have to do your quarterly HST remittal. You do charge HST don't you?
> 
> Your customer list is golden. You can now send out reminders for work next year. You don't have to chase new customers, you already have them. I read where you should contact your customer list 4 times a year, either by mailing, email, phone call etc.
> 
> ...


 
My buddy's bamboo harvesting business has nine employees and he gets a lot of help on his bookkeeping by using a company called Paycor for his payroll. Its scalable for his size of business. They offer him online data entry as well as the ability to call in and fax in his payroll info, which is helpful when its deadlines for payday and he's hauling something in the truck. 

He's in Orlando and uses Paycor Orlando but another old roommate is in Kansas City and uses Paycor Kansas City for his craft Brewery. Right now I'm just being a consultant but the business plan has me hiring employees in the next 7 months and I'll probably use this one to start. In a previous business, I had all sorts of problems with payroll companies and switched three times. I'm wary of them, but these guys both swear by Paycor.

Apparently its also great for exporting data into his quickbooks and other business mgmt softwares.


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## TheLumberJack (Oct 4, 2011)

I would suggest QuickBooks. For $250 it will do anything you could need times 1000.

Or, if you already have Microsoft Excel you could use it. That's what I used for my first two years and it was fine. It's also a very powerful tool in manipulating data.


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