Computers?

[JCsPlumbing]

1

[Herk]

Quickbooks Pro for bookkeeping, forum posting (obviously), invoices and forms printing using NCR paper, material lists, photos of jobs, flat rate book printing and upkeep, tax information.

[TOPDAWG]

Reading the Ridgid Forum

[DuckButter]

Almost all paperwork is stored on my zip drive & backed up, as well as hard copies of receipts & checks in a file cabinet.
I use my pc to schedule work & reminders to call pending customers, I copy maps, and Emails with quotes.
I'm so computer dependant it scares me sometimes to imagine how I'd have done business without it.
The ability to organize work orders by date created or alphabetically makes windows irreplaceable.
Whats funny is alot of businesses buy expensive software without realizing a regular pc & some simple software add-ons does almost all the same things as long as you are familiar with how to use it.
MS Office is a necessity, I custom design work orders & estimates with Excel at the drop of a hat.

[Josh]

Duck, did you build templates for excel or do you just start from scratch with something simple every time.

Josh

[All Clear Sewer]

I use it to look at porn when I have nothing to do :wave3:

[NHMaster3015]

My wife uses it for the mundane stuff. I play games and look at porn.

Actually whe does do the mundane stuff, but I spend a lot of time doing product and trade rescerch.

[DuckButter]

Duck, did you build templates for excel or do you just start from scratch with something simple every time.

Josh
Templates, I found a sheet that multiplies amount by quantity to a column on the right, then adds the right column as you go.
What I REALLY need to do is learn how to incorporate math functions into forms like this so I can make forms that add mat'l markups, taxes, monthly overhead...etc.
If you have some info...I'm ALL ears. (eyes in this case)

[mrs. westcoast]

Almost all paperwork is stored on my zip drive & backed up, as well as hard copies of receipts & checks in a file cabinet.
I use my pc to schedule work & reminders to call pending customers, I copy maps, and Emails with quotes.
I'm so computer dependant it scares me sometimes to imagine how I'd have done business without it.
The ability to organize work orders by date created or alphabetically makes windows irreplaceable.
Whats funny is alot of businesses buy expensive software without realizing a regular pc & some simple software add-ons does almost all the same things as long as you are familiar with how to use it.
MS Office is a necessity, I custom design work orders & estimates with Excel at the drop of a hat.



SOOOOO like you..I'm computer dependant 24/7...If i leave office I have my cell ppc 6700 which is like a small computer...have excel,word etc. in it...

Like duck said MS OFFICE is a must...i build my hubby's site with the publisher...

OFFICE WORD is great when i'm designing a flyer for my open house.

excel is great for doing estimates on closing cots etc..

outlook is great for receiving all emails at one place..

I pay my bills online, check my banking statements, chekc new movies,read gossip,talk to my parents with a cam back in europe, price things a want to buy, get coupons, buy cakes for my clients form a bakery etc...

I need to have com puter with me at all times...

I know...pathetic!!!:eek:

[ToUtahNow]

It seems my entire life revolves around computers or PDAs anymore. Between Brenda and I we have 4-laptops and a tablet on the truck right now and will likely be buying another tablet soon. We have an IT guy who has built a program which allows us to store our photos and inspection notes in a data base which will allow us to sort and count our information. Currently for every hour in the field we spend at least a half hour in the office. Hopefully this new program will cut out the extra half hour work in the office.

At my desk I am surrounded my three PC all with 24" monitors (very hot in the summer time). Almost everything we do is on computers. My office suite of choice is Microsoft Office and while I am not very good at Excel it sure makes me look good. I also find I am using the hard drives on the computers less and using external drives more.

Mark

[DUNBAR PLUMBING]

You'd be surprised how many plumbers do not have the ability to use a computer, let alone teeth and a full head of hair. :sorry:


When I first started on the internet in 2002, people thought it was odd and strange that their plumber could communicate by email and send pictures, provide links to products and find parts that no longer rely on the local supply house to look through a hard book and say "No, we can't get you that but we can sell you a new/different one!"


I have no clue how many hours I'm spending online now between two businesses but it is massive considering an email is a lot cheaper than a letter in the mail.

Of course, I still have to do the snail mail method so people can observe the product firsthand whether literature of novelty items that keeps the product name in full view whether a pen/note pad or small item.

It's awesome though, it employs an edge over my competition, especially being able to type so fast as I do.

No hunt and peck team here.

[BHD]

It is my window to the rest of the world,

It is my supply house, my tool locater, (computer and UPS/Fed Ex)

continuing education, and research tool, and becoming my tec library,

also use it for book keeping

[HVAC HAWK]

A general question. How do you use computers in your everyday business?

at work we use laptops to program AC units and to see how all the controls are doing .
some company's use it to do billing but we dont .

and at home to talk on all my forums ,get tool parts ,lookup info and to piss of my wife .

[westcoastplumber]

Quickbooks pro contractor edition, keeps all my accounting and also customer lists, I can print labels right from program. Very important, I have my whole company on the computer.

I use my computer to print mailing labels.

Emails, research, everything, could not function without it.

[Cuda]

Email for jobs and updates with customers,Quickbooks, Google everything addresses,tools,parts breakdowns,this forum, games when possible (Americas Army) Ebay All billings, and looking at the side sewer cards for Seattle online before I go to the job. And a laptop right with me in the van, now if the laptop could just get out of the van and do the work I would be set.

[Pete M]

Templates, I found a sheet that multiplies amount by quantity to a column on the right, then adds the right column as you go.
What I REALLY need to do is learn how to incorporate math functions into forms like this so I can make forms that add mat'l markups, taxes, monthly overhead...etc.
If you have some info...I'm ALL ears. (eyes in this case)

I'm a pretty heavy excel user. If you need a hand, send me a private email.

[markts30]

I use computers for browsing the net, doing email, and designing plumbing.
Instead of traditional plumbing (been doing the physical installation of piping up till a few weeks ago) I now do plumbing design in 3d using AutoCAD and CAD-Mech...
I am working for a large mechanical / plumbing contractor and we have 6 people inhouse that just draw all day - 2 do mechanical piping, 2 do plumbing and 2 for ductwork...
We are currently designing the mechanical systems for a local hospital...

[SlimTim]

Besides using it for most everything already mentioned I also:
Pay my estimated taxes
Check property values and owners at our county Assessor of Property site
Look up phone #'s that I can't identify from caller i.d.

This is always a big hit: I take a digital photo of my customer's house from the street, download it to Picture It, fade it out a little bit, and print it on front of the envelope that their invoice is in (it takes up the whole front of the envelope). The customers tend to save the envelopes to show to their friends!

[Drain Medic]

I use it for invoicing, customer database, use quickbooks contractor for the accounting part of it. Without a computer in this business, it would be tough. I need it for scheduling, contracts, and to talk on here :D

[AFM]

Without I computer I would be out of business, I do all my accounting with Quickbooks and quotations and client index with a program called filemaker, I use my computer to print out photos from my digital camera to show clients who are scared of heights what has to be done on a job as a photo is worth a thousand words.

Hey Dunbar you don`t have to be personal I know I am loosing my hair and I have dentures.

Regards
Tony

[Pete M]

In addition to all the items listed, I’ve found working with graphics especially useful. I use graphics for everything in marketing, (flyers, ads, promotional letters and websites) to producing specialized pages for Pricebooks. Here’s an example of a truck design I put together for a friend of mine from a sketch he sent me. He wanted to see what his idea would look like before ordering the decals. Once we dialed it in, he emailed the file to the printer (with dimensions).

[Drain Medic]

In addition to all the items listed, I’ve found working with graphics especially useful. I use graphics for everything in marketing, (flyers, ads, promotional letters and websites) to producing specialized pages for Pricebooks. Here’s an example of a truck design I put together for a friend of mine from a sketch he sent me. He wanted to see what his idea would look like before ordering the decals. Once we dialed it in, he emailed the file to the printer (with dimensions).



Pete, nice looking add you put on that truck :)

[westcoastplumber]

Yes, the technician is quite pretty:)

mrs.westcoast

[ToUtahNow]

Yes, the technician is quite pretty:)

Robert

Yes there is nothing more important than a "pretty" plumber. :rolling-eyes:

Mark

[Drain Medic]

Yes, the technician is quite pretty:)

mrs.westcoast


Wasnt talking about the technician, but the setup itself :rolleyes:

[HVAC HAWK]

Yes, the technician is quite pretty:)

mrs.westcoast

Wasnt talking about the technician, but the setup itself :rolleyes:

:grin-loving::lovies::love2::kiss:and you 2 are driving how many hours to the round up together :grin-loving::lovies::love2::kiss:

[ToUtahNow]

:grin-loving::lovies::love2::kiss:and you 2 are driving how many hours to the round up together :grin-loving::lovies::love2::kiss:

Here on the Ridgid Forum we prefer a "don't ask don't tell" policy.

Mark

[Drain Medic]

:grin-loving::lovies::love2::kiss:and you 2 are driving how many hours to the round up together :grin-loving::lovies::love2::kiss:


What do you mean us 2...Your coming with us i thought :p and sitting in the back with Rob

[ToUtahNow]

What do you mean us 2...Your coming with us i thought :p and sitting in the back with Rob

:have-fun:

[smelly]

I basicly use the puter for most of the above mentioned uses.
including the porn and pssing off the little women, as for games its "EVE
http://www.eve-online.com/

I also like to shop and compare online prices ,since I live in the countryside and driving somewhere takes forever.
the forums are especially nice .... learn alot :bow-down:
thanks to you guys

[westcoastplumber]

Man, the wife wrote all that, and once again she has posted it under me, but atleast she signed it:p

[ToUtahNow]

Man, the wife wrote all that, and once again she has posted it under me, but atleast she signed it:p

Oh yeah check post #25.

Mark :nyaa-nyaa4: