Paper work....filing...AAAARRRRGGG!!!!

[JacksonburgFarmer]

Ok...been on my own for about a year and a half now...still learning and have a lot to learn. How does everyone file invoices and associated paper work?? More specifically, how do you keep track of invoices from supply houses, correspond them to a job, and file them so they can be located later in a easy matter. I have been trying to use a PO system, to keep track of stuff, and it works somewhat...BUT there has got to be a better way....IDEAS???

 

[mdshunk]

Everyone uses Quickbooks. Okay, maybe not everyone, but a heck of a lot of people do.

I also throw all the invoices into the copier and scan them onto the hard drive for if I ever need to look them up easier.

 

[peter d]

Ok...been on my own for about a year and a half now...still learning and have a lot to learn. How does everyone file invoices and associated paper work?? More specifically, how do you keep track of invoices from supply houses, correspond them to a job, and file them so they can be located later in a easy matter. I have been trying to use a PO system, to keep track of stuff, and it works somewhat...BUT there has got to be a better way....IDEAS???

Hire a secretary?

 

[JacksonburgFarmer]

Ok, we do have quickbooks...my wife does most of the paperwork and office stuff, but I have to have the stuff somewhat in order so she can do her job. Will have to look into scanning stuff into quickbooks...If I worked on this crap every day when I get home it would be better....but with the farm work to do, trying to get some sleep and all the other crap....oh well, no one said it would be easy.....

 

[mdshunk]

Actually, you can't scan into QB. I just scan them in as PDF to save rooting through file drawers. My copier scans too, so I just stack them up every once in a while, shuffle them all to one corner of the stack, and stick the pile in the document feeder.

In your case, it sounds like you might benefit from the contractor version of QB. It's got more job costing features. Either that, or send the old girl to a QB class to learn it better.

 

[ptonsparky]

Good office help is worth the money and very hard to find, at least in this area. Quickbooks still takes time but you can assign the invoice items to each job as you type them in. The more you put in the more you can get out.

I have my invoices emailed to me, print a copy and save one to hard drive. When I get a second monitor I may quit printing them.

 

[ptonsparky]

How are the crops looking? Harvest started yet?

No one has called here for last minute grain bin work as yet. Not a normal year.

 

[JacksonburgFarmer]

ptonsparky, harvest has started, we almost have our own corn in, but it wasnt but 30 acres, were in the process of switching to all hay and cattle...long story. Have had a couple last minuate calls to wire or add to grain systems. Harvest was pretty early this year, very dry august and september. Hurricane ike came through and downed alot of corn, if it starts raining, i expect lots of service calls keeping the dryers running. worked 95 hrs over 6 days a week ago when harvest started....usuall barage of "i tried to start my dryer/bin fan heater/blower/leg/ect. and it wont run, when can you be here???" Got those calls taken care of, and its been kinda calm.....just waiting for the problems to start again....

 

[jrannis]

Ok...been on my own for about a year and a half now...still learning and have a lot to learn. How does everyone file invoices and associated paper work?? More specifically, how do you keep track of invoices from supply houses, correspond them to a job, and file them so they can be located later in a easy matter. I have been trying to use a PO system, to keep track of stuff, and it works somewhat...BUT there has got to be a better way....IDEAS???

When you get a packing slip from a delivery or pick up something from a supply house, keep it, take it back to your office and put it in a file labeled for that vendor.
Within a week you will recieve a priced invoice.
Review the prices and quanities then
match it up with the packing slip from your file.
End of the month you will get a statement.

Always have a job name or PO associated with each purchase
On your T&M or work tickets write the name of the vendor(s) you used for the job

Use Quickbooks Contractor Edition for everything else.

If you get into scaning your stuff make sure to save them as PDFs and not images. It will save you lots of space.

 

[macmikeman]

I job cost using Excel. I'ts pretty easy to set up a jobcosting spreadsheet and then just save as for each new project embarked on. As far as filing goes, well this is my method, which works good for me. First thing is a job folder for each sizeable project. (for me this means more than one or two day service call type stuff, for others sizeable might mean a yearlong project). A two hole punch for all documents and those two hole clips, cause as my former secretary used to love to say "loose paper is lost paper". I just enter in the material totals from each invoice from wherever I bought materials and then use a highlighter to cross a line across the invoice, which tells me I have jobcosted that one. Then I file it. I enter the hours dedicated to any particular job about once a week. I do new houses a lot. Some of those files end up pretty thick before I escape. Same for small tenant commercial jobs. One thing I will say is that jobcosting as you go thru a job is highly important, unless you like ending up on the breadline.