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ASK JUDY

THINGS TO DO
THIS QUARTER

EVEN IF YOU ARE A SUPER Clients & Profits power user, there’s likely something you’re not doing. And for everyone else, there’s always ways to make Clients & Profits work better. So consider this online “refresher” course:

• Take the tutorial The tutorial videos cover the essential functions of Clients & Profits (e.g., traffic, tracking time, etc.). They offer a big-picture view of the sytem’s best features and benefits and are the fastest way to learn the software.

• Watch the class videos These QuickTime videos were specially produced for the web based on our regular new-user training classes. The videos are organized by topic (e.g., estimates, adding checks, etc.) and walk you through each process step-by-step. They’re short, to the point, and free to current support subscribers. Creative types can watch how the other half spends their day adding payables, writing checks, and billing clients while the business types can learn how to open jobs, print estimates, and set up schedules.

• Explore the Report-o-Matic It’s an interactive database of the most commonly printed Clients & Profits reports. Sample reports can be selected by category (e.g., production, accounting) and who they’re typically used by. It’s a great way to find C&P versions of reports you’re currently creating with spreadsheets.

Dear Judy:

“I was running a verify/recover on my G/L account balances and the server crashed. I learned my auto backup had not taken place for a few days. What are my options now?”— Scot, Boston

In 25 years keeping books, I’ve had my share of panic moments when I thought some work was lost. Here are a few tips I’ve learned along the way:

DON’T PANIC Chances are the server crash didn’t damage the database during the first part of the verify/recover. That’s because the first step, zeroing account balances, is not very complex. If you start the verify/recover again, it’ll restore the balances (which is the point of the utility, after all). But, you need to check your database for damage. That’s because nothing verify/recover can do can fix a corrupted database.

RUN THE QUICK CHECK First, make sure no one is using Clients & Profits, then drag the database onto your hard disk. This is the one you’ll want to check. If there’s a problem, you can repair it faster on your computer than over the network, and also avoids any network-related problems. (Be sure to lock the database on the server so no one uses it in the meantime.) Once fixed, move the databse back to the server.

RUN VERIFY/RECOVER AFTER HOURS Since this process is very methodical, it can be time-consuming. Running it during the day can disrupt other users, so it’s best to run it after work but before the nightly backup. When you arrive the next day, your balances will be freshly verified.
One more thing (actually, two):

TEST YOUR NIGHTLY BACKUPS The time to discover your nightly backups haven’t been working isn’t when you need them. So, restore some files from a random backup tape once or twice a month. It’s the only way to know that there isn’t a problem.

BURN YOUR OWN BACKUP CD It’s not a bad idea to copy your C&P database (and other critical finance files) to a CD for extra piece of mind. Do it at the end of the month, then keep them locked in a fire-proof media safe (search amazon.com for “media safe”) somewhere off-site, such as the boss’ home.

Judy Salkind-McConnaughay is an 11-year veteran of the Clients & Profits Helpdesk and is a practicing bookkeeper. Ask your business management questions at Ask Judy