Quick Start

LedgerPlus - Quick Start

Begin by downloading and installing the LedgerPlus program from our home page at www.responsive.co.nz/ledgerplus.  Then double-click on the icon on your desktop to start the program.

Contents

Add a Stock Item

Click on Items under Stock in the dark grey navigation area on the left.  This will take you to the Stock Items screen.

To add a new item click on the New button at the bottom.  This will switch the screen to New Item mode.  This is displayed in the bottom left corner of the screen.

Enter the name of the item in the Name field.  Then enter the retail price of the item in the Retail Price field and the cost in the Wholesale Cost field.  (The wholesale cost is used to calculate the gross profit as it appears in the Sales Report and also the stock value for the Stock Report and the Inventory and Cost of Sales accounts in the general ledger.)

In the field labelled Enter Lookup Codes / Barcodes Here you can enter any lookup codes or scan any barcodes you want to use when selecting the item on a sale.  You can enter as many of these as you like.  As you enter each one it will appear in the Lookup Codes / Barcodes list to the right.  To remove a code from this list first select it in the list and then hold down the <Ctrl> key and press <Delete>.

If you want sales of this item to be recorded in a specific general ledger account you can select this from the Alternative Sales Ledger A/c drop-down list.  Otherwise just leave this field empty and sales of this item will be recorded in the default Sales account.

When you are finished entering the item's details click on the Save button to save the item to the database. 

To edit an item click on the Edit button to switch the screen to Edit Mode.  When you are finished click on the Save button to save the changes to the database.  Click Cancel to discard any changes.

NOTE: When you edit an item that has a non-zero quantity and change the Wholesale Cost no entries are automatically created in the general ledger to reflect the change in stock value.  To make the necessary adjustment you need to create an entry either manually through the Entries screen or by running the Update Inventory Account function.  See the section Update the Inventory Account.

Add a Stock Location

Go to the Maintain menu and select Stock Locations.  To add a new stock location use the <Insert> key on your keyboard.

In the Name field enter the name of the new stock location.

To edit the name of a stock location click on the Name field and then click it a second time (as distinct from a double-click.)

Receive Items into Stock

Click on Adjustments under Stock in the dark grey navigation area on the left.  This will take you to the Stock Adjustments screen.

Select the location where you are receiving the new stock from the drop-down list.  Then click on the Edit button to switch the screen to New Entry mode (or Edit Mode if there are some adjustments pending.)

In the Item field enter the lookup code for the item or scan the barcode.  Enter the quantity being received in the Quantity field.  Then select the Received radio button.

If the stock is being transferred from another location select the Transferred radio button and specify the location where it came From in the drop-down list.

Press the <Enter> key to go to the next line (or click on the blank line at the bottom of the grid) and repeat the process.  When you are finished click on the Save button to save the adjustments to the database.  Click Cancel to discard any changes.

Now you can print all the adjustments by clicking on the Print button.  Once you have checked that the adjustments are correct click on the Accept button to update the stock quantities.

NOTE: When you update stock quantities through the Stock Adjustments screen no entries are automatically created in the general ledger to reflect the change in stock value.  To make the necessary adjustment you need to create an entry either manually through the Entries screen or by running the Update Inventory Account function.  See the section Update the Inventory Account.

Find a Stock Item

Click on Items under Stock in the dark grey navigation area on the left.  This will take you to the Stock Items screen.

To find an item click on the Find Item button at the top.  Enter the item name (or part of the name) or a lookup code or barcode and click on OK.  If there are multiple items that match your search you will be asked to select the item from a list.

Add a Customer

Click on Details under Customer in the dark grey navigation area on the left.  This will take you to the Customer Details screen.

To add a new customer click on the New button at the bottom.  This will switch the screen to New Customer mode.  This is displayed in the bottom left corner of the screen.

In the Discount (%) field you can enter a default discount for the customer.  This is optional and even if you enter something here you can still change or remove it when entering a sale.

The Status field appears as one of the selection criteria on the Customers Report.  Apart from this its meaning is left up to you to decide.  It will accept any string of characters (up to a maximum of 20.) 

When you are finished entering the customer's details click on the Save button to save the customer to the database. 

To edit a customer click on the Edit button to switch the screen to Edit Mode.  When you are finished click on the Save button to save the changes to the database.  Click Cancel to discard any changes.

Find a Customer

Click on Details under Customer in the dark grey navigation area on the left.  This will take you to the Customer Details screen.

To find a customer click on the Find Customer button at the top.  Enter text in the specified fields and click on OK to select the customer from a list.

Add a Customer Account

Click on Accounts under Customer in the dark grey navigation area on the left.  This will take you to the Customer Accounts screen.

To create a new account enter a new number in the Account Number field.  After confirming that you wish to create a new account the screen will switch to New Account mode.

Click on the Find Customer button next to the Customer field to search for and select the customer.

Where applicable enter the interest rate to be charged on debit balances in the Dr Rate (%) field and the interest rate to be paid on credit balances in the Cr Rate (%) field.

When you are finished entering the customer account details click on the Save button to save the customer account to the database.

To edit a customer account click on the Edit button to switch the screen to Edit Mode.  When you are finished click on the Save button to save the changes to the database.  Click Cancel to discard any changes.

Find a Customer Account

Click on Accounts under Customer in the dark grey navigation area on the left.  This will take you to the Customer Accounts screen.

Simply enter the account number into the Account Number field.

Or to find a customer account click on the Find Account button next to the Account Number field to select it from a list (in account number order.)

Configure Sales Tax

Automatic tax calculations for both GST 12.5% and VAT 17.5% have been linked to the general ledger Sales account through the default chart of accounts.  You will need to remove at least one of these and possibly adjust them to suit your particular tax regime.   (To change the names of these taxes or their default values see the section Specify Default Tax Rates.)

Go to the Maintain menu and select Accounts.  To remove the GST calculation click on 11.11% GSE/GSP in the GST 12.5% field of the Sales account.  Then click it a second time (as distinct from a double-click) and press the <Delete> key.  Remove the VAT calculation in the same manner.

To add or adjust an automatic tax calculation double-click in the appropriate tax field and enter the details in the Rate, Expense Account and Liability Account fields before clicking on the OK button.

NOTE: Taxes that are normally expressed as a percentage added onto the net price (e.g. GST 12.5%, VAT 17.5%) should be entered as a component percentage of the gross price (e.g. GST 11.11111111%, VAT 14.89361702%.)

Enter a Sale

Click on Sales under Customer in the dark grey navigation area on the left.  This will take you to the Sales screen.

To enter a new sale click on the New button at the bottom.  This will switch the screen to New Sale mode.  This is displayed in the bottom left corner of the screen.

The Date field defaults to the current date but you can alter this if necessary.

To select a customer click on the Find Customer button next to the Customer field or leave it empty if for example it's a cash sale.

Enter the invoice number in the Invoice No field or leave it empty and an invoice number will be assigned automatically when you click the Save button.

Optionally enter a reference number in the Reference No field and select a Salesperson or a Stock Location from the drop-down lists.

In the Item field enter the lookup code for the item or scan the barcode.  Enter the quantity being sold in the Quantity field.  Adjust the calculated Price and Discount fields if necessary.  If you want the customer to see the discount on the printed invoice put a tick in the Show Discount On Invoice check box.

Press the <Enter> key to go to the next line (or click on the blank line at the bottom of the grid) and repeat the process.

Select the Payment Type from the drop-down list.  The Amount of the payment will default to the total price but you can change this if necessary.  Enter any additional information (e.g. cheque or credit card numbers) in the Details field.

Press the <Enter> key to go to the next line (or click on the blank line at the bottom of the grid) and repeat the process.

Enter any additional information to appear on the invoice in the Notes field.

When you are finished entering the sale click on the Save button to save it to the database. 

To edit a sale click on the Edit button to switch the screen to Edit Mode.  When you are finished click on the Save button to save the changes to the database.  Click Cancel to discard any changes.

Configure the Invoice Subheading

Go to the File menu and select Configure.  Then click on the Global tab.  Enter the text you wish to appear on the invoice immediately below the heading in the Invoice Subheading field.  Then click on the OK button.

Print an Invoice

On the Sales screen after you have entered a sale and saved it click on the Print button.

Make an Entry in a Customer Account

Click on Accounts under Customer in the dark grey navigation area on the left.  This will take you to the Customer Accounts screen where you can enter the account number.

To add a new entry click on the New button at the bottom.  The screen will switch to New Entry mode.  This is displayed in the bottom left corner of the screen.

When you are finished entering the details click on the Save button to save the entry to the database.

To edit an entry select it in the grid and then click on the Edit button to switch the screen to Edit Mode.  When you are finished click on the Save button to save the changes to the database.  Click Cancel to discard any changes.  Click Delete to delete the entry from the database.

Update a Customer Account

Click on Accounts under Customer in the dark grey navigation area on the left.  This will take you to the Customer Accounts screen where you can enter the account number.

To update the account click on the Update button.  This will automatically calculate and create any entries required to bring the account up-to-date.  For example if Dr Rate (%) or Cr Rate (%) have been specified interest is charged or paid at the end of each month on the average daily balance throughout the month.

Update All Customer Accounts

To update all customer accounts in a single operation go to the Maintain menu and select Apply Interest To Customer Accounts.

Print a Customer Account Statement

Click on Accounts under Customer in the dark grey navigation area on the left.  This will take you to the Customer Accounts screen where you can enter the account number.

To print a statement click on the Print button.

View or Print a Customers Report

Click on Customers under Reports in the dark grey navigation area on the left.  This will take you to the Customers Report screen.

Specify the order you would like the report to be sorted by selecting the appropriate radio button under Sort By.  Enter the selection criteria under Select By and select the items you want to appear on the report under Show.

Click on the Print button to display a preview.  To print it click on the printer icon at the top.

View or Print a Sales Report

Click on Sales under Reports in the dark grey navigation area on the left.  This will take you to the Sales Report screen.

Specify the order you would like the report to be sorted by selecting the appropriate radio button under Sort By.  Enter the selection criteria under Select By and select the items you want to appear on the report under Show.

Click on the Print button to display a preview.  To print it click on the printer icon at the top.

View or Print a Payments Report

Click on Payments under Reports in the dark grey navigation area on the left.  This will take you to the Payments Report screen.

Specify the order you would like the report to be sorted by selecting the appropriate radio button under Sort By.  Enter the selection criteria under Select By and select the items you want to appear on the report under Show.

Click on the Print button to display a preview.  To print it click on the printer icon at the top.

Add a Salesperson

Go to the Maintain menu and select Salespersons.  To add a new salesperson use the <Insert> key on your keyboard.

In the Name field enter the name of the salesperson.

In the Password field enter the password to be used by the salesperson when entering a sale through the point-of-sale (POS).

To prevent the salesperson using the point-of-sale (POS) enter N in the Active field.

To edit the details of a salesperson click on the field you wish to edit and then click it a second time (as distinct from a double-click.)

Add a Payment Type

Go to the Maintain menu and select Payment Types.  To add a new payment type use the <Insert> key on your keyboard.

In the Name field enter the name of the payment type.

In the Ledger A/c field enter the abbreviation of the general ledger account you wish to associate with this payment type or double-click to select it from a list.

Enter the Keyboard Shortcut (letter or digit) you will use to select this payment type at point-of-sale (POS).

To prompt for additional details (e.g. cheque or credit card numbers) at point-of-sale enter Y in the Prompt Details field.

To prevent the payment type being used at the point-of-sale (POS) enter N in the Active field.

To edit the details of a payment type click on the field you wish to edit and then click it a second time (as distinct from a double-click.)

Enter a Sale at Point-Of-Sale (POS)

To access the point-of-sale (POS) screen configure LedgerPlus to run in a client/server configuration and then run a point-of-sale (POS) client by using the command-line parameter /p (instead of the normal /c.)

Enter the item code or scan the barcode for the item you wish to sell.  The quantity will default to 1 but this can be changed by pressing <F1>.

To adjust the quantity on a previous item use the up and down arrow keys to highlight the item you wish to change.  Then press <F1>.

To cancel a line press <F2>.  To cancel the entire sale press <F3>.

You can optionally record a salesperson with each sale by pressing <F4> and entering the salesperson's name and password.

You can optionally record a customer with each sale by pressing <F9> and selecting the customer in the usual way.

When you have finished press <F5> and select the payment type or the customer's account to be charged.  Enter the payment amount or press <Enter> to confirm the default amount.

When the payment is enough to cover the value of the sale you will be asked to confirm if you wish to complete the sale.

On completion a receipt will be printed on the default Windows printer and the sale will be saved to the database.  However if the program is OFFLINE (with no connection to the server) the sale will be placed in a queue and saved to the database once the connection has been re-established.

Perform a Stocktake

Click on Stocktake under Stock in the dark grey navigation area on the left.  This will take you to the Stocktake screen.

Select the location where you are performing the stocktake from the drop-down list.  Then click on the Edit button to switch the screen to New Entry mode (or Edit Mode if there are some stocktake entries pending.)

In the Item field enter the lookup code for the item or scan the barcode.  Enter the stock quantity in the Quantity field.

Press the <Enter> key to go to the next line (or click on the blank line at the bottom of the grid) and repeat the process.  When you are finished click on the Save button to save the stocktake entries to the database.  Click Cancel to discard any changes.

Now you can print all the stocktake entries by clicking on the Print button.  Once you have checked that the entries are correct click on the Accept button to update the stock quantities.

NOTE: When you update stock quantities through the Stocktake screen no entries are automatically created in the general ledger to reflect the change in stock value.  To make the necessary adjustment you need to create an entry either manually through the Entries screen or by running the Update Inventory Account function.  See the section Update the Inventory Account.

View or Print a Stock Report

Click on Stock under Reports in the dark grey navigation area on the left.  This will take you to the Stock Report screen.

Specify the order you would like the report to be sorted by selecting the appropriate radio button under Sort By.  Enter the selection criteria under Select By and select the items you want to appear on the report under Show.

Click on the Print button to display a preview.  To print it click on the printer icon at the top.

Specify Default Tax Rates

Go to the File menu and select Configure.  Then click on the Global tab.  Enter the name of each tax in the Tax Name field and the default rate in the corresponding Default Rate field.  (You can enter up to three different taxes e.g. GST, VAT, Sales Tax, Income Tax, Tithe.)  Then click on the OK button.

NOTE: Taxes that are normally expressed as a percentage added onto the net price (e.g. GST 12.5%, VAT 17.5%) should be entered as a component percentage of the gross price (e.g. GST 11.11111111%, VAT 14.89361702%.)

Maintain the Chart of Accounts

Go to the Maintain menu and select Accounts.  You will notice that a rudimentary chart of accounts has already been created for you.  To add a new account use the <Insert> key on your keyboard.

In the Type field enter A, L, P, I or E or double-click to select it from a list.  This indicates which of the five basic account types this account belongs to.

In the Abbrev field enter the abbreviation you wish to use to identify this account.  This abbreviation is used to select the account from a drop-down list in other parts of the program and can be any alphabetic or numeric code (including the numeric codes that are often used to identify and classify accounts in many other accounting systems.)

Enter the full name of the account in the Name field.  This is the name that is used to identify the account when it appears on the printed reports including the balance sheet and the income statement.

Optionally enter a description of the account in the Description field.  This is to remind you of the purpose for the account.

To specify an automatic tax calculation double-click in the appropriate tax field and enter the details in the Rate, Expense Account and Liability Account fields before clicking on the OK button.

To edit the details of an account click on the field you wish to edit and then click it a second time (as distinct from a double-click.)

Maintain the Asset Register

Go to the Maintain menu and select Assets.  To add a new asset use the <Insert> key on your keyboard.

Enter the Name of the asset together with its Cost and Acquisition Date.

In the Useful Life field enter the number of years over which the asset is to be depreciated.  To use the double-declining-balance method enter Y in the DB field.  (The default depreciation method is straight-line.)

To specify the general ledger accounts used for depreciating the asset double-click in the Ledger A/c's field and select the Asset Account and Expense Account before clicking on the OK button.

To edit the details of an asset click on the field you wish to edit and then click it a second time (as distinct from a double-click.)

NOTE: When you add or edit an asset in the asset register no entries are automatically created in the general ledger.  To record the assets in the general ledger you need to manually create the required entries through the Entries screen.

However depreciation entries will be created automatically in the general ledger when you run the Depreciate Asset Accounts function.  See the section Apply Depreciation to the Asset Accounts.

Post an Entry

Click on Entries in the dark grey navigation area on the left.  This will take you to the Entries screen.

To begin a new entry click on the New button at the bottom.  The screen will switch to New Entry mode.  This is displayed in the bottom left corner of the screen.

Enter the date for the entry in the Date field at the top.  Then select the first account from the drop-down list labelled Account.

You will notice that a new line appears at the top of the grid.  The grid is used for viewing only.  All data must be entered using the fields at the top of the screen above the grid.

Next enter the details in the Description field, the amount in the Amount field and indicate if it is a Debit or Credit.

Press the <Enter> key to go to the next line (or click on the blank line at the bottom of the grid) and repeat the process.  When you are finished click on the Save button to save the entry to the database.  You will not be able to save an entry unless the total debits equal the total credits.

To edit an entry click on the Edit button to switch the screen to Edit Mode.   Then click on the line in the grid that you wish to alter.  When you are finished click on the Save button to save the changes to the database.  Click Cancel to discard any changes.  Click Delete to delete the entire entry from the database.

View an Account

Click on Accounts under Ledger in the dark grey navigation area on the left.  This will take you to the Accounts screen.

Select the account you wish to view from the drop-down list.  The entries for the selected account appear in the grid.

To view the entire entry double-click on it in the grid.  This will take you directly to the Entries screen and display the entire entry.  You can then double-click on a line in the entry grid to get back to the Accounts screen and view the account for that line.

Find an Entry in an Account

Click on Accounts under Ledger in the dark grey navigation area on the left.  This will take you to the Accounts screen.

Select the account you wish to view from the drop-down list.  The entries for the selected account appear in the grid.

To find an entry click on the Find button and enter the text in the Description field.  To continue searching click on the Next button.

Create a Taxed Entry

On the Entries screen before posting an entry simply click on the Tax button.  (Note that this button is only enabled when an automatic tax calculation has been specified for one of the entry's accounts.)

Create a Duplicate Entry

On the Entries screen simply click on the Duplicate button while an entry is visible.  This will automatically create a duplicate entry and switch the screen to New Entry mode.

Update the Inventory Account

To update the inventory account go to the Maintain menu and select Update Inventory Account.  This function will calculate the total value of all stock items based on their current quantities and wholesale costs.  It will then post an entry to the Inventory and Inventory Adjustment accounts in the general ledger.  You can then edit this entry and adjust it as necessary.

This function ensures that the balance of the Inventory account is kept consistent with the actual stock value as it is calculated by the Stock Report.  There are three specific reasons why these may not agree.

1.      Stock receipts entered in the Stock Adjustments screen.

2.      Adjustments to quantities made through the Stocktake screen (i.e. shrinkage.)

3.      Changes to the Wholesale Cost of an item in the Stock Items screen.

It is a good idea to perform this function after any of these events and edit the resulting general ledger entry as appropriate.

Apply Depreciation to the Asset Accounts

To apply depreciation to the assets specified in the asset register go to the Maintain menu and select Depreciate Asset Accounts.  This function will automatically create entries in the general ledger to depreciate the asset accounts at the end of each month following the acquisition date through until the current date.

Create a Cashbook

Go to the Maintain menu and select Cashbooks.  To add a new cashbook use the <Insert> key on your keyboard.

In the Account field enter the abbreviation of the account you wish to associate with this cashbook or double-click to select it from a list.

In the Abbrev field enter the abbreviation you wish to use to identify this cashbook.  Often this will be the same as the abbreviation of the account with which the cashbook is associated but it can be different.

Enter the name of the cashbook in the Name field.  Again this will likely be the same as the name of the associated account but this is not necessarily so.

Optionally enter a description of the cashbook in the Description field.  This is to remind you of the purpose for the cashbook.

To edit the details of a cashbook click on the field you wish to edit and then click it a second time (as distinct from a double-click.)

Make an Entry in a Cashbook

Click on Cashbooks in the dark grey navigation area on the left.  This will take you to the Cashbooks screen.

Select the cashbook you wish to make an entry into from the drop-down list.  The entries for the selected cashbook appear in the grid.

To begin a new entry click on the New button at the bottom.  The screen will switch to New Entry mode.

Enter the date for the entry in the Date field at the bottom.  Then enter the details in the Description field, the amount in the Amount field and indicate if it is a Debit or Credit.  Select an account from the Other A/c drop-down list only if you wish to automatically create a corresponding entry in the ledger.  Indicate if this entry has appeared on the bank statement by putting a tick in the check box next to On Statement.  Finally save this entry to the database by clicking on the Save button or pressing the <Enter> key on your keyboard.

To edit an entry click on the Edit button to switch the screen to Edit Mode.   When you are finished click on the Save button to save the changes to the database.  Click Cancel to discard any changes.  Click Delete to delete the entire entry from the database.

IMPORTANT NOTES

When you select an account from the Other A/c drop-down list a corresponding double-entry is automatically posted to the ledger and linked to this entry in the cashbook.  (This ledger entry may also contain lines for automatic tax calculations if these have been specified for the selected account.)  If you make any changes to this entry in the cashbook the double-entry in the ledger is automatically updated to reflect the changes.  If you delete the entry from the cashbook the ledger double-entry is also deleted automatically.

Note that the converse does not apply.  In other words if you edit or delete the double-entry in the ledger no changes are automatically made to the cashbook entry.  This is important because it allows for flexibility in editing the general ledger without affecting the cashbook and its reconciliation to a bank statement.

Note also that it is not required to specify an Other A/c when making a cashbook entry.  In this case no ledger double-entry is posted.  This is useful for example when setting up a new cashbook and you wish to enter the opening balance to match the balance shown on the bank statement.

Reconcile a Cashbook with a Bank Statement

Click on Cashbooks in the dark grey navigation area on the left.  This will take you to the Cashbooks screen.

Select the cashbook you wish to reconcile with from the drop-down list.  The entries for the selected cashbook appear in the grid.

For those entries in the cashbook which have matching transactions on the bank statement put a tick in the check box next to On Statement.  (You can toggle this on and off for an entry by double-clicking on it in the grid.)

For those transactions on the bank statement which do not have a matching entry in the cashbook create a new entry in the cashbook and put a tick in the check box next to On Statement.

The amount next to Stmt Balance at the top of the screen after the arrow (-->) is the closing statement balance.  This should match the closing balance shown on the bank statement.

The amounts next to Balance are the opening and closing balances of the cashbook including unreconciled entries (Entries which do not have a tick next to On Statement.)  The amounts next to A/c Balance are the opening and closing balances of the associated ledger account.

Find an Entry in a Cashbook

Click on Cashbooks in the dark grey navigation area on the left.  This will take you to the Cashbooks screen.

Select the cashbook you wish to view from the drop-down list.  The entries for the selected cashbook appear in the grid.

To find an entry click on the Find button and enter the text in the Description field.  To continue searching click on the Next button.

View or Print a Balance Sheet

Click on Balance in the dark grey navigation area on the left.  This will take you to the Balance Sheet screen.

Enter the date of the balance sheet in the As At field at the bottom.

Click on the Print button to display a preview.  To print click on the printer icon at the top.

Change the Layout of the Balance Sheet

Click on Balance in the dark grey navigation area on the left.  This will take you to the Balance Sheet screen.

The balance sheet (A, L and P) accounts are shown in the tree view along with the other elements used on the balance sheet including headings, groups, subtotals, totals and a special Retained Earnings element.  You can change the order of the elements by dragging and dropping them.  To include an account or the Retained Earnings element in a group drag and drop it onto the group.

To create a new heading, group or subtotal click on the Heading, Group or Subtotal buttons to the right of the tree view.  To rename an element click on the Edit button.  To delete an element click on the Delete button.

Create a Comparative Balance Sheet

Go to the File menu and select Configure.  Then click on the Workstation tab.  Put ticks in the Comparative Reports, Begin Period and End Period check boxes.  In the Begin Period field select the day after  the first date you wish to show on the balance sheet.  In the End Period field select the second date.  Then click on the OK button.

Then view or print the balance sheet to see the comparative amounts.

View or Print an Income Statement

Click on Income in the dark grey navigation area on the left.  This will take you to the Income Statement screen.

Enter the begin and end dates of the income statement in the Begin Period and End Period fields at the bottom.  These can be turned on or off by putting or removing a tick in the check box above each field.  If you do not specify a begin date then the income statement will include all entries in the ledger from the earliest entered date.  If you do not specify an end date then all entries in the ledger up to the latest entered date will be included.

Click on the Print button to display a preview.  To print it click on the printer icon at the top.

Change the Layout of the Income Statement

Click on Income in the dark grey navigation area on the left.  This will take you to the Income Statement screen.

The income statement (I and E) accounts are shown in the tree view along with the other elements used on the income statement including headings, groups, subtotals, totals and a special Net Income element.  You can change the order of the elements by dragging and dropping them.  To include an account in a group drag and drop it onto the group.  (The Net Income element cannot be moved from the last position.  It must always remain at the bottom.)

To create a new heading, group or subtotal click on the Heading, Group or Subtotal buttons to the right of the tree view.  To rename an element click on the Edit button.  To delete an element click on the Delete button.

Create a Comparative Income Statement

Go to the File menu and select Configure.  Then click on the Workstation tab.  Put ticks in the Comparative Reports, Begin Period and End Period check boxes and select the Previous Period radio button.  In the Begin Period field select the first date of the second period  you wish to show on the income statement.  In the End Period field select the last date of the second period.  Then click on the OK button.

Then view or print the income statement to see the comparative amounts.  (Note that the first period is always the one immediately preceding  the second period with the same number of days.  This may cause some unexpected start dates when periods include leap years or months that vary in length.)

Create a Budget Comparative Income Statement

Go to the Maintain menu and select Accounts.  For each of the income and expense accounts (types I and E) enter the Annual Budget amount.  (You may need to scroll to the right to make this field visible.)

Go to the File menu and select Configure.  Then click on the Workstation tab.  Put ticks in the Comparative Reports, Begin Period and End Period check boxes and select the Budget radio button.  Then click on the OK button.

Then view or print the income statement to see the comparative amounts.  (The annual budget amounts are automatically adjusted to the length of the period chosen for the report.)

View or Print a Graph

Click on Graph in the dark grey navigation area on the left.  This will take you to the Graph screen.

Enter the begin and end dates of the period to include in the graph in the Begin Period and End Period fields at the bottom.  These can be turned on or off by putting or removing a tick in the check box above each field.  If you do not specify a begin date then the graph will include all entries in the ledger from the earliest entered date.  If you do not specify an end date then all entries in the ledger up to the latest entered date will be included.

Click on the Display button to display the graph.  The graph will update dynamically as entries are posted to the ledger on either this or other workstations enabling you to see at a glance the key indicators of your business as they change in real time.

Click on the Print button to display a preview.  To print it click on the printer icon at the top.

Store a Document in the Database

Click on Documents in the dark grey navigation area on the left.  This will take you to the Documents screen.

To add a new document click on the New button at the bottom.  The screen will switch to New Document mode. 

Click on the Attach button and select the document you wish to store in the database.  The Description field will default to the document file name but you can change this if you wish.  You can also enter any additional notes related to the document in the Notes field.

When you are finished click on the Save button to save the document to the database. 

To update a document click on the Edit button to switch the screen to Edit Mode.  When you are finished click on the Save button to save the changes to the database.  Click Cancel to discard any changes.

Make a Copy of a Document in the Database

Click on Documents in the dark grey navigation area on the left.  This will take you to the Documents screen.

To find the document click on the Find button and enter text in the Document Search String field.

Then select the document from the list.

To make a copy of the document click on the Detach button and specify the location where you wish to save the copy.

Purge the Ledger

IMPORTANT: BEFORE DOING THIS MAKE SURE YOUR DATABASE IS BACKED UP!

Go to the Maintain menu and select Purge Ledger.  Then enter the cutoff Date and carefully follow the prompts.