How To Create An Odbc Dsn To Access Pastel Accounting Partner Data

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How to Create an ODBC DSN to Access Pastel Accounting Company Data (Pervasive Workgroup)

It’s really easy to create and Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) Data Source (DSN) to access your Pastel Accounting company data and this document will show you how.
BUT:
Be careful to use read-only mode because you can change data, (useful for data repair)
This procedure in this document is only for use with Pervasive Workgroup installations, (the same procedure on Pervasive Server has more steps)

1.Open Pervasive Control Centre

a.Accessing Pervasive Control Centre from the menu

i.From the Start menu, Select Programs -> Pervasive (If it isn’t there got to b.)

ii.From the Pervasive Menu, Select Pervasive.SQL -> Pervasive.SQL Control Centre.

b.Alternative: Access Pervasive Control Centre from the Run command

i.From the Start menu, Select Run.

ii.Type PCC.exe into the text box and click OK.

iii.The Pervasive Control Centre Opens

2.From the Engines node: Expand the computer node to see the Databases node.

3.Expand the Databases Node

4.Right Click the Databases folder to access Context Menu, Select New -> Database

5.The New Database Screen opens

6.Enter PASTELDEMO into the Database name Box and press Tab

7.When in the location field, click the ellipsis button to open the Browse for Folder Window
From the Browse for Folder screen, find and select the _Demo subfolder of your Pastel installation. (For your live data use the pastel company data directory, but follow along until you are clear on the procedure)

8.On the rest of the New Database Screen complete the fields as below.
a.Deselect Create dictionary files
b.Deselect Relational integrity enforced
c.Select Read Only from the Open mode dropdown

9.Click Finish to save the new database. The new database will appear as an expandable node below the Databases folder in PCC (Pervasive Control Centre).

10.Expand PASTELDEMO -> Expand Tables
you can see tables that Pastel uses to store its data (see list of tables and fields in other posts)

11.Double Click CustomerMaster table to view the data stored in the table.

When you Double Click the table it creates the SQL query -Select * from CustomerMaster-, which means -Select all columns from CustomerMaster-. You can see columns of data in the grid section.
To better understand what you are seeing, compare the grid data to the data in the Customers Explorer grid in the Pastel _Demo Company. Notice the -Ackerman Mr R’ in both programs.

Your Source Data in your Pastel Accounting Xpress/ Partner is now accessible.

Knowledgable microsoft Office users should be off to a flying start now in terms of creating refreshable spreadsheets and maile merge word documents. A few ideas for spreadheets would could be costing schedules for project type companies, commision spreadsheets for salepeople, picking slips and delivery schedules,

Mail merge documents are fantastic for sales orietated type tasks, especially when selection factors such as sales volume, territory, sales code etc. may be specified for sniper accuracy in offer targeting

I hope this article has stimulated your interest in leveraging your current Pastel accounting investment
In our next entry we will show you how to use this ODBC DSN that we have just created to access transaction information directly from Microsoft Excel.

Maximize Your Accounting Services’ Visibility Through Full Color Vinyl Banner Printing

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Most local accounting services business owners think that just because the service they offer is specific to their locality, creating a big bang in advertising their services is inappropriate. Advertising and promotions is not specific to businesses. Promoting your services by just plainly being visible is promotion enough to create awareness for other local business owners as well as by passers that your accounting services exist. A business owner from the next town passing by your town and sees your vinyl banner can be a prospective client. A simple yet compelling full color vinyl banner can create that awareness. Below are tips in creating a captivating full color vinyl banner.

Tips on Creating a Highly Visible Full Color Vinyl Banner

1. Design. Your best bet for a successful marketing campaign to create the visibility you would want for your accounting services is your full color vinyl banner design. Your design is your representation as a company. It also would attract would be clients whether locally or from other places that this accounting service mean service. As banners are mostly used for announcements of events, design your vinyl banner in such a way that the design is simple yet unique for easy reading.

2. Compelling Headlines. Do you remember catchy slogan like Nike’s -Just do it-? Create slogans or headlines that does not only create the association of the slogan or headline to your local accounting services but is easily remembered. Remember that your target audiences are passersby who do not have time to stop and read the nitty gritty of your services. Conceptualize a headline that with just one look, you will be remembered.

3. Color and Fonts. Choice of color and fonts is important for full color vinyl banner printing. Mixing and matching of colors should be made for ease of reading. Fonts follow the same rule. Avoid complicated fonts and rainbow colors. Simplicity is the key.

4. Quality. Despite the first three characteristics, if quality were below par, impact would be lesser. Choose a reliable online printing company that could offer you the quality and value for your money. Some online printing companies offer proofs with no upfront payment. They also offer free paper samples so you would know what your banners are made of.

5. Location. Banners are displayed at locations where practically everyone sees it. Location of banner displays form part of your visibility campaign. Banners maybe displayed at the local school, church patio, clubhouse and if can be on highways or main roads. With these locations, visibility is at its best.

With the above tips, your visibility campaign will surely be a big success.

Specialize in Accounting and advance in your career prospects and CGA designation

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A Jack of all trades is important to the quick demands on many businesses but Jack is a master of none. Although it may seem better to have a broad knowledge of many things, having a specialization can have its benefits, including helping in your decision-making. Career-wise, specialization does not mean that you do not have plenty of knowledge but it does require you to be an expert in at least one area. This gives you more job prospects and greater chances of getting noticed by recruiters. Strategic management programs are gaining popularity as employees become empowered to make strategic decisions, as they can one day become leaders of the company.

Realizing the potential for this area, Centennial College created a graduate certificate program in one of the popular areas in business: Accounting. The Strategic Management – Accounting (2844) program is based in accounting principles but with managerial leadership in mind. The School of Business deploys one of the best professors to teach the courses, contributing examples from their personal experiences to add much interest and value for students. The benefits of enrolling in this one-year program are described below:

Accounting graduates from universities and colleges can specialize in this program and increase their chances in getting hired as well as expanding their job prospects.

Students undergo an intensive training with theory, case studies, simulations and technical skills sought out by employers in the industry.

Upon graduation, learners can find employment in various industries in addition to financial institutions, including public administration, government offices, manufacturing industries, and public accounting firms.

As financial managers, graduates can become entrepreneurs and establish their own accounting firm.

Students canstart working on theirCGA Designation by moving up to level four of the requirements by the Certified General Accountants Association of Canada.

Students advance in their education, while progressing with their industry designation — a win-win situation where students spend their time resources wisely. Strategic management in accounting involves more than balancing books. The program teaches the following managerial perspectives:

A broader and more in-depth look into budgets, with lessons on capital budgeting, profitability analysis, and strategic accounting decision-making process

To define objectives and plan strategies for a multiplatform businesses by studying the five phases of strategy-making and strategy-executing process

Calculation and preparation of consolidated financial statements for non for profit and government organizations

Control the audit plan and audit program in accordance with the Generally Accepted Auditing Standards

Learn how to make decisions and apply actions in an ethical manner and in compliance with industry standards

Centennial College students will graduate with a positive outlook on their career in accounting. They are more prepared than ever to enter the workplace with strong knowledge of day-to-day operations and strategic view of the accounting function of a business. The Strategic Management – Accounting program also offers an articulated program for some graduates who want to pursue a degree with Centennial’s university partner.

Self Employed Accounting Software Review And Importance

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The best choice is often dependent upon the size of the business and the employment of full time accountants, accounting staff, bookkeepers or management of the accounting records by the proprietor. Every business needs to choose the most appropriate accounts package according to both the requirements of the business and the capabilities of the person or people who will operate the accounting solution.

Many small businesses do not benefit from sophisticated accounting software if the technical requirements of that software exceed the abilities of the users to produce efficient financial records and use the full capabilities of the accounting software to maintain a high level of financial control.

Alternatively a simple bookkeeping package may not offer the degree of financial control over such financial matters as debtors and credit control, creditors and cash flow liquidity that may be required. Financial control and cash flow is of supreme significance and importance when credit is tight.

Every business needs to maintain a set of books and accounts to satisfy the legal obligations to calculate the net taxable profit which has to be both declared to the taxation authority and provide sufficient financial records to support that calculation.

Up until the mid twentieth century it was common practise to produce accounts handwritten on paper, Typing being reserved for the final set of accounts for publication as required. Handwritten accounting records are largely obsolete for medium and larger businesses although still used by many small business organisations.

With the advent of computers accounting software has become the norm and there are many simple bookkeeping packages that can be easy to understand and offer sufficient levels of financial control for even the smallest business.

In essence each small business has a choice between preparing a handwritten set of accounts, using a simple bookkeeping package which could be based upon spreadsheets or a more sophisticated accounting software package that almost invariably use a data entry system into a database which can then be queried to produce the required financial control.

Choosing handwritten accounts would only be applicable to the smallest business where the proprietor had no employees, limited numbers of transactions and had full financial control without the need for written information. Such handwritten accounts would not be suitable for any business that required control over debtors and creditors or that needed to produce a balance sheet.

For those businesses that could suffice with handwritten accounts there are better options available such as using computer spreadsheets. Minimal knowledge would be required and the benefits substantial compared with being handwritten.

An accounting package based upon computer spreadsheets is suitable for most small business as it can be no more difficult than maintaining handwritten accounts but in an organised format. The sophistication of the format would be according to the ability of the designer of the accounting solution or the bookkeeping knowledge of the person preparing the accounts.

Accounting software written on computer spreadsheets have advantages in that they can save time in data entry, improve accuracy, can be changed to correct errors, highly visible and provide all the basic bookkeeping needs of a small business. Accounting solutions written on spreadsheets are normally limited in relation to financial control and medium sized businesses that require additional control over debtors and creditors may be more suited to a database accounting software system.

Generally if a business is large enough to employ a full time bookkeeper or accountant then that business potentially has the accounting knowledge and skills within the accounting function to use a database accounting system and achieve the additional financial control elements which become available.

Accounting software that uses a database has the facility to produce regular financial and tax reports, debtors reports and statements, creditors reports and statements, cash flow statements and a set of monthly and final accounting reports such as profit and loss accounts and balance sheets.

The disadvantage of such accounting solutions is that to get the most and best out of the system you also need to understand how the package works and how technically to obtain from it the benefits of increased financial control that are available.

The main priority in choosing any accounting package is to first determine the final requirements you need from that administrative system. If detailed financial control, particularly over individual supplier or client accounts is essential and the business is large enough to employ office based staff including an accountant or full time bookkeeper then a database system may be the appropriate choice.

If the business is smaller and requires detailed accounting records to support the year end financial statements while financial control is already sufficient to be in the hands of the business owner then accounting software based upon spreadsheets would probably be adequate. The degree of adequacy being dependent upon the level of expertise contained and automated within the accounts program.

Handwritten books would be the lowest choice. Adequate for some small businesses but only suitable if a computer based option was impossible.

Accounting Courses In Australia Preparing For The Winds Of Change

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There are plenty of study accounting programs available in educational institutes across Australia. These programs provide the students with the opportunities, which are necessary to forge a successful career in accounting. The beauty of these programs is that the education provided through these programs is applicable in a wide variety of professional situations. Of late a number of educational organizations have come up in Australia,which are dealing with accounting and providing a number of programs to train students in this career.

The courses and programs, being provided by these organizations, are being developed so that needs of the international and domestic market could be satiated. These needs are changing each and every day and this is placing a lot of strain on the accounting professionals. As a result of these ever increasing and ever changing demands the accounting people are being forced to update themselves. Now with the advent of a plethora of accounting programs and courses in various Australian universities and educational organizations, grounds are being made to make sure that the students are well prepared to take up the challenges, that present themselves throughout the career of an accountant, and solve them with elan.

As far as the accounting programs in Australia are concerned, the students are provided with the opportunity to choose their favorite fields. After choosing the students are then provided with the training that is ideal with respect to their chosen areas of accounting. Some of the areas touched in these programs are bookkeeping and spreadsheets. Issues like membership of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia (ICCA) and registration for the post of Certified Practicing Accountant (CPA) are also taken notice of.

The courses and programs offered cover a wide variety of subjects like certificates, masters degrees, associate diplomas, master of business administration programs, advanced diplomas, doctorate studies and bachelors degrees. Both theoretical and practical programs are provided but these provisions depend on the particularities of the program like level of study and other requirements. The modern approaches to accounting are also taken into cognizance in the accounting programs, provided by the universities and other educational institutes of Australia.