When we first started franchising Proforma in the late 1980s, most people in our industry scoffed at our business model. So, we reached out to people outside our industry to start building our franchise concept. In the late 1980s, there was no internet! So we relied on advertising in business publications and attending “own your…
Read More
Question: Are there any reports in QuickBooks that are designed specifically for the ad specialty industry? Answer: Unfortunately, there are no ad-specialty-specific reports, but all of the reports on QuickBooks can be customized. And some have been put to good use by distributors. If you have loaded QuickBooks Premier specifying the Manufacturing and Wholesale Edition,…
Read More
Stand out, be different, be fearless, innovate! The four things above are just one of my 10 secrets of successful people. That’s right. They stand out because they are not afraid to be different and are willing to innovate. Particularly in a business where we sell the same stuff from the same suppliers to the…
Read More
This weekend, I was going outdoors, and knew it was going to be hot. I decided to take a large amount of water with me, so I went into my cabinet to grab the biggest drink container I could find. What I found impressed me. I found my 32 oz. sports bottle from Doylestown Rock…
Read More
I started Proforma in 1978, just one year after graduating from college, in my Cleveland apartment with a $200 investment in a phone answering machine, stationery and a used file cabinet. We grew nicely in those early years. By 1984, we had grown to about $4 million in the Cleveland area. I decided it was…
Read More
Question: We have some recurring errors in our QuickBooks. No one will take ownership of the errors, but I need to find out who made them. Is there a way to do that? Answer: QuickBooks Premier and Enterprise have a report that should give you that information. It’s called an “Audit Trail.” This will list…
Read More
In my last blog article, I recalled a story from the early days of Proforma, and how a client’s request for 12 spiral rings led to earning a million-dollar customer with 50 percent gross profit. Here’s a story of another million dollar win. Back in those early years building Proforma, my practice was to get…
Read More
Question: Is there a way to add data to stock reports in QuickBooks? Answer: QuickBooks Premier and Enterprise allow a great deal of customization of its reports, but sometimes you will want to add, rearrange or manipulate data beyond the scope allowed in QuickBooks. In that case, you can export that QuickBooks report to an…
Read More
It’s important to have the facts of a given situation or opportunity. But if you cannot communicate or persuade, you will struggle to find cooperation, collaboration or build consensus. All of those are important for you to master to achieve your goals and great results. In every instance, make an effort to empathize with others.…
Read More
I was at my friend’s house recently to work on a project with him. I had only been there a short time when he proudly showed me his new promotional product mug. My first reaction was “did you buy it from Geiger?” He quickly reminded me that he asked if he should, but when he…
Read More