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Archive for February, 2011

QuickBooks for Contractors is a fabulous and inexpensive tool for managing your construction business and gaining control over your job costs, but in order to use it to its fullest potential you need to setup and use QuickBooks a little differently than you would for most other businesses.

First, and most importantly, you need to setup your Items correctly because they are the heart of QuickBooks for Contractors. You should setup an Item for each level of detail you want on your job costing reports. It can be as simple as Labor and Materials or as detailed as having hundreds of sub-categories for the services you provide. A good example of a middle-ground (enough detail to manage your job costs without become overwhelming) can be found in the sample contractor-based business file that comes with QuickBooks:

1 Plans & Permits .
01.1 Plans
01.2 Building Permits
01.3 City & Co. Lic’s & Fees
02 Site Work
02.10 Demo
03 Excavation
04 Concrete
05 Masonry
06 Floor Framing
07 Wall Framing
08 Roof Framing
09 Roof Flashing
10 Exterior Trim & Decks
11 Siding
12 Doors & Trim
13 Windows & Trim
14 Plumbing
15 HVAC
16 Electrical & Lighting
17 Insulation
18 Interior Walls
19 Ceilings & Cover
20 Millwork & Trim
21 Cabinets & Vanities
22 Specialty
23 Floor Coverings
24 Paint
25 Cleanup
26 Landscape & Paving
27 Contingent

Many contractors add sub-items for Labor and Materials to their Items which is useful if you want to track those costs separately. This also makes it easier to report only the Labor portion of a subcontractor’s invoice on their 1099.

After you determine which job costs you want to track, you’re ready to add your Items. Go to Lists – Item List, right-click on Item and select New. Job costs should always be setup as Service Items which, fortunately, it defaults to. If you are a contractor with short-term jobs make sure to set up all your Service Items as two-sided, with both an expense and an income account. This doesn’t occur automatically and unfortunately it isn’t very intuitive. You need to put a check next to “This service is used in assemblies or is performed by a subcontractor or partner” for the expense box to be added to the setup screen. Contractors often use a cost of goods sold account called something like “job related costs” for job-related expenses.

Builders, on the other hand, who have projects that span several months or more generally use a work in progress (WIP) or construction in progress (CIP) asset account because job related costs aren’t usually expensed until the project is completed. For this reason, their Service Items do not need to be double-sided. You should check with your tax advisor or CPA before deciding which one is right for your business.

Once your Items are setup, you need to start using them. Many of the job costing reports, such as Estimates vs. Actuals, require the use of Items on all your transactions including bills, checks, and credit card charges. Again, this is not very intuitive especially since all these transactions types default to an Expense tab, but look carefully and you’ll see an Item tab just to the right of the Expense tab. In order to get the most out of QuickBooks for Contractors, you must always use this tab. Forget that the Expense tab even exists. It’s also important to assign all your transactions to a Customer/Job, of course.

Lastly, if you want to get the most out of QuickBooks for Contractors always, always enter an Estimate with the level of detail you’re trying to track. You don’t need to send this out to your customers, though you might find that this is very useful. Many users think this adds an unnecessary extra step to their day-to-day accounting entries, but this is one of the beautiful things about QuickBooks for Contractors. Once you enter the estimate, you can turn it into an Invoice, a Sales Order and/or a Purchase Order with just the click of a button (all three are hiding under the “Create Invoice” button on the Estimate form). So, rather than adding an extra step you’ll often find that you’ll end up saving an enormous amount of data entry time in the future plus you’ll be getting much better, more detailed reports.

The type of roof you want to have should be in consideration of the type of building it will be placed on. Commercial buildings can benefit from a flat roof for a number of reasons but it should not be assumed that a traditional roof is the only choice for a residential building. Before deciding between a flat roof and a traditional roof, it is important to know some of the differences that exist between the two.

A flat roof offer many advantages which include being a high performance, cost effective roof as compared to other types on the market today. On major positive point for a roof schedule that has a relatively short time line is that a flat roof can be constructed rather quickly. For a commercial structure that needs to be erected quickly and put to use, this can spell a great way to meet deadlines, keep costs down to a minimum and to have a low maintenance cover that can hold a decorative finish, such as coordination with an advertisement sign.

For most homes, however, the contrasting traditional roof is the preference, particularly with multi-storied designs that bump out into bay window covers and enclosed front porches with ornate railings and eaves. Old Victorian homes may support a flat roof for a front tower and the midsection of the home, but even these areas are typically designed with a traditional roof that peaks and accentuates the overall exterior design.

A traditional roof has some benefits over a flat roof. One of the major benefits is that there are no flat spots for water, snow, ice or dirt to accumulate. Shingles provide an added layer of protection that is also a means of cutting down heating and cooling costs. Traditional roofing also provides storage or living space such as an attic bedroom.

If your budget has some constraints and you need a roof replacement, you may want to consider replacing with a flat roof but this will not work for all roofing conditions. For example, a traditional roof cannot be replaced with a flat roof without destroying the look of the home.

Take the existing roof into consideration. Deciding between a flat or traditional roof may involve a slight upgrade that can make repairs look like new or a new roof give a completely new look to the entire exterior front and sides of the building.

Research both types of roof in terms of the contractors you have access to. Compare prices and the quality of work each contractor you are interested in has done. Find a contractor who specializes in one type of roof or the other and check to see if they will match the price of a lower competitor. This is often a way to get the best of both worlds where quality of workmanship and low price are concerned.

Remember that the type of roof you choose will be on top of your building for many years to come so choose wisely and make your investment count.

Are you thinking of investing in real estate? There is a lot of money involved in property investment so not only is there money to be made but if you’re not informed then you can lose a lot. Not only do you need access to money but there is hard work and research involved in making money in the real estate business. If you have the drive then you can find buying, renovating and reselling or renting property for a profit enjoyable and rewarding. Here are some tips to acquiring property for resale or renting.

Look for a property in the best location you can afford. The best rental and resale family homes should be close to public schools and shopping centers. There should also be access to freeways and public transportation, especially in urban areas. Contact the local police department or use tools online to find out the crime rate in the neighborhood.

Once you have done your market research and decided on possible properties, you’ll need to know as much as possible about each prospective property. While visiting the property look carefully for anything that will need to be replaced or repaired. Look for repairs that can be hidden and costly such as cracked hardwood floors, plumbing, mildew and electrical problems. Take notes and write these issues down so you can review them later.

Once you have done your own inspection and decided that a property looks like a possible investment, hire a professional inspector. Make sure to find a reputable and reliable inspector even if you have to spend more money. They will tell you what needs to be repaired, what should be repaired, and what work will need to be done in the future.

Don’t get too attached to a property. Remember, your goal is too make money on the home. Keeping that in mind will help put things in perspective and help you not to make any hasty decisions. No matter how nice you find the property, don’t be afraid to walk away from a sale.

Use professionals to help you before you decide to buy a property. An appraiser will help you determine the value of the real estate and how much it will be worth with renovations. You will also need to figure out how much renovations will cost to determine if a profit is possible.

Have your finances in order before making an offer. Financial aid is available and should be used especially if you don’t have enough capital to invest in something that will turn a profit. Be careful though; a long term loan (such as 30 years) may not pay off if you’ll be selling it in the short term. Use an accountant if you’re unsure of the number crunching.

After you’ve completed the buying and selling of your first property you will be on your way to making real estate investment a hobby and a business.

For more information Visit www.bigdawgsbuyhouses.com AND www.realestatesecretsoftheunknown.com

Many of us flip through garden magazines, all the while thinking that it takes years, a professional, or tons of money to landscape the gardens featured in the glossy pictures. This isn’t necessarily true. You can design a breathtaking garden and be the envy of the neighborhood by following some of the following tips.

Know What You Like and What Works
Drive around your neighborhood and see what’s out there that grows well in your zone. You can jot down what you see on index cards, so they are organized and handy. Start gathering page clippings from magazines and collect some pictures of the designs that interest you. This can help you decide what garden style you like. You’ll have an easy reference for plants and placement too.

Select Location and Color
Next, look at your notes and clippings and choose the color scheme you’d like to have in your garden. Don’t forget to keep in mind if you’re designing and planting in shade, sun, or partial shade or partial sun. Are you looking for something bright and vibrant or something more calming and soothing? Consider starting with a foundation of shrubs and accenting with some perennials, bulbs, ornamental grasses, and annuals for more seasonal color. Perhaps, you want all flowers. Decide on a shape that compliments your house style. Straight styles give a more formal appearance while curves give a more informal feel. If you don’t feel confident selecting colors, you can use a color wheel to help pick contrasting and complimenting colors.

Budget and Create a Plan
Decide how much you are able to and want to spend on your new garden. Do you want to start with a foundation and add to it gradually? If so, start with purchasing your most expensive plants and shrubs first. Use these as a focal point for your garden. Start watching for sales and discount plants at garden centers and nurseries. Tell everyone you know that you’re starting a garden and would love it if they could give you divisions of their perennials or seeds they have saved from their garden. Let family and friends know that you have a wish list of plants that would be the perfect gift idea. If you have access online, do a search for seed swaps. Many gardeners love to help a new gardener. Many are willing to send seeds for the cost of postage or will trade for something else that you may have that they are looking for. A great resource for free items is http://www.freecycle.org Look for a group in your area, join the group, and post letting the group know that you would be interested in garden plants and seeds. You may get lucky and find that a member of the group has already offered some plants up for grabs. Don’t forget to ask your local garden club when they are having their sales too. You can also start some plants from seed yourself. Many seeds are very easy to direct sow and a little can go a long way.

Here’s a partial list of easy to grow seeds:

Candytuft
Asters
4 o’clock
Sunflowers
Pansies
Violas
Impatiens
Dianthus
Larkspur
Salvia
Cupid’s Dart
Morning Glories
Moonflowers
Zinnias
Calendula
Marigold
Cosmos
Sweet Alyssum
Bee Balm
Poppies
Nasturtium

Don’t forget if you decide to sow into containers, there are many inexpensive containers such as yogurt containers, milk jugs, egg cartons, and plastic ice cream buckets. You can also call your city and see if they have free mulch available. Don’t hesitate to strike up conversations with your neighbors while you’re out for a walk. You never know, the topic of gardening may come up and they might be more than happy to offer you some seeds or divisions.

Design Away
Now you’re ready to design. You can sketch out your idea beforehand. Keep the following in mind as you design.

Scale- Judge the size of the area and choose plants that aren’t going to be too large, too wide, or too small for the area. Keep in mind the plant’s size when it’s met its mature growth.

Balance-Don’t place your plants where one area is too compacted with plants and another area is too airy. Try and achieve a good balance of small, medium, and large plants. Balance offers visual stability. It can be created with space between plantings or the visual weight of your design. This can be created with lines so that your garden is pleasing to look at from all angles.

Focal Point- Your focal point will be the area that your eye is drawn to first. This can be your prized flowers, tree, or shrub.

Rhythm- This is visual flow. The eye wanders throughout the entire garden design, but comes back to the focal point. It can be achieved with repetition and contrast.

Harmony-Unity- This is when plants have a way of appearing connected and a part of one another. This can be achieved with color, texture, groupings. Unity is lost when your plants look too separate or your color choice makes one plant look lost amongst the rest.

Color- Color impacts the entire design process. Use a color wheel if you don’t feel confident selecting colors that go well together.

If all of this is too confusing and overwhelming, check out some garden catalogs. Many have suggested designs. It’s also best to place your containers out and arrange and rearrange where you want to plant them before you start digging.

Accessorize (homemade garden art)
To add some interest and whimsy to your garden, consider some homemade items or trash to treasure works of art. Ideas such as making your own stepping stones, garden markers, terra cotta bird baths or toad houses, painted rocks and pavers, and fun wind chimes are simple projects that can add a lot of interest to your garden area. Look around for unique items you could add to your garden such as milk cans, wooden chairs, ladders, tricycles, wagons, trunks, roofing shingles, mailboxes, or even dressers. The sky is the limit on what you can create. Use your imagination.

There you have it and you didn’t have to hire a pro, spend thousands of dollars, or take years to achieve a pretty garden. You won’t be a new gardener for long. Soon, it will be you sharing starts, cuttings, seeds, divisions, and tips.

Nothing is every more daunting yet extremely joyful than preparing for a baby’s arrival. Parents, whether it’s their first time or not, need all the help they can get in preparing for their little bundle of joy. As babies are considered to be blessings, what better way than to celebrate their upcoming arrivals than to throw a party!

Baby shower parties are common among expectant mothers, a party meant to given to celebrate new life and to help mothers by proving gifts philippines, keeping her company and celebrating the fact that her new bundle of joy is arriving. Baby showers are usually planned by a relative or close friend and giving of gifts philippines are closely coordinated with one another to avoid duplicates. The expectant parents are encouraged to complete and Baby Registry so that guests will have an idea on what gifts philippines the baby would need. For example, if the mother plans to exclusively breastfeed her baby, it would be appropriate to give her nursing gear and accessories instead of milk bottles.

Hosting a baby shower for a friend is a thoughtful thing to do. Here are baby gift ideas to give at a baby shower party:

• Boppy Pillow. This unique support pillow serves dual purposes: as a nursing pillow and a play toy and resting place for the baby. When positioned correctly against the mother’s lap and arms, it provides comfort for the mother’s sore arms from carrying the baby.
• Breast Pump. This comes in different types, manual, electric, single and double pumps. Whether or not the new mother would breastfeed her baby, this would help relieve her breasts when her milk comes.
• Baby Bjorn. This is a sling carrier that is a great option for a gift. Baby bjorns are favored by most mothers as it can be styled to carry the baby in different positions. It can be fashionable too and used as breastfeeding cover-up in public.
• Infant to Toddler Bath. The baby bath tub is designed to last from the first baby stages to toddler years.
• Bouncy Seats. These seats will come in handy when the baby learns to sit and play and the mommy can be hands free for a few minutes.

Also consider giving the mother and her family lunch meals after the baby comes home. Life becomes hectic and food will always be the last thing on their minds when the baby comes.
Visit the website http://www.myflowerdepot.com

If you are looking for a way to get your nail art business up to the next level without breaking the bank or mastering a complex new nail art technique, buying a few ceramic nail art canes might be just the thing for you! These brightly coloured canes are also often referred to as “Fimo canes” and are a great favourite among nail art clients.

Normally, these handmade ceramic canes have been put through a careful quality control process. To put it simply, we won’t let one of these canes get on its way out of our company without first making perfectly sure that it is of only the highest quality. True, you can find cheap nail art canes selling around the internet, but if you’ve bought these in the past, you know why they don’t do as well as the original. What makes “Viva La Nails” different is that we only sell genuine hand crafted ceramic canes.

We are so serious about this claim that if you have any complaints about this product within the first 30 days, we will take it back for a full refund. You won’t find that kind of guarantee with cheap generic nail art canes.

Why Choose Canes?

You can also buy sliced cane pieces, but there is a reason why most nail technicians use whole ceramic canes. I know from personal experience that pre-cut canes will only work on some nails as slices are too thick for most occasions. If you want to get best designs every single time, using whole canes is the way to go. With a whole cane, you can cut slices as thinly as you like, making them suitable for application even on natural nails.

The most popular way to use clay nail art canes is to cut them in 0.1 mm – 0.2mm thin pieces and lay between 2 clear gel layers. The root of this technique can be found few years ago when first fimo clay canes, in a form of fruits (raspberries, mango, kiwi etc.) become available to professional technicians. These days, there are hundreds of styles available so you really don’t have to stick with that fruit coctail look anymore!

Still, you have to know how to cut canes properly, otherwise you are almost guaranteed to fail! The best way to cut ceramic nail art canes is to use special cutting tool – sharp blade, made for this purpose. Similar tools are used in scrapbooking and between other hobbyists.

You can buy both individual nail art canes as well as cane sets which offer great value and selection of canes! This way, whether you need an entire collection of ceramic nail canes or just need to stock up on one particular style, we’ve got what you need.

Check out our online shop for the following styles of nail art canes: Butterflies, Smiles, Sweets, Fruits, Flowers and Vegetables. This should be more than enough to keep your clients occupied for some time!

Each cane is about 50mm long with a diameter of 0.5cm. Depending on the thickness of your slices, you should be able to get between 50 – 100 pieces from each cane you cut.

Be sure to come back often because we receive new styles at our website all of the time. This way you can make sure that your clients are always on the cutting edge.

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