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This page explains how to start using Goldenseal.
HOW TO START A COMPANY FILE-- Starting a new Goldenseal file
From a New File | From a Starter File | From a Company
File clone
Picking a Start Date | Starting Balances
GENERAL SETUP-- How to set up each part of Goldenseal
Bank Accounts | Billing | Cost Categories | Equipment
Rentals | Estimates | Inventory
Job Costs | Payroll | Projects | Purchases | Property
Rentals | Sales | Unit Costs
SPECIAL SETUP ITEMS-- Special startup situations
Calibrating Unit Costs | Mid-Year Payroll | Prior
Job Costs
SWITCHING FROM OTHER PROGRAMS
MacNail Estimating | MacNail Accounting | MacNail
Scheduling
MacNail Customizing | MacNail SpecWriter
BidMagic | Quickbooks
RELATED TOPICS
Accounts | Business Types | File Management | Goldenseal
Basics | Lists | Transactions
Starting with a New File
To start out with a completely empty Goldenseal file, follow these steps:
- Double-click on the Goldenseal icon that was installed on your hard drive.
- You'll see a start-up window. To create a new company file, click the New File button.
- Type in a name for the company file, then click OK.
- You can now start entering information about the new company.
HINT-- Dimensions and some reports won't work with an empty file, so it's usually better
to start with a starter file, or import starter
data into your company file.
Starting with a Starter File
Starter Files include the accounts and lists that you will probably want
to have in your business. They also include the calculators which make the Balance Sheet and Income Statement reports work,
and dimensions that you can use to calculate quantities in your estimates.
You can probably save time by using a Starter File instead of a new, empty file.
Macintosh Files
To use a starter file on a Macintosh, follow these steps:
- Open the Goldenseal folder on your hard drive.
- Open the Starter Files folder.
- Find the starter file that seems closest to your needs.
- Click once on the icon.
- Choose Duplicate from the File menu.
- Type in a name for the file. You might also want to move it elsewhere on your hard drive.
- Double-click on the icon to open the file and start entering data.
Windows Files
To use a starter file in Windows, follow these steps:
- Click the Start button, and choose Programs.
- Open the Goldenseal folder.
- Open the Starter Files folder.
- Find the starter file that seems closest to your needs.
- Click once on the icon.
- Choose Rename from the File menu.
- Type in a new name for the file. You might also want to move it elsewhere on your hard drive.
- Double-click on the icon to open the file and start entering data.
Starting with a Clone
If you are already using Goldenseal, you can make a 'clone' of your current setup, and use that basic data to start a second company (or start over with
the same company at the beginning of the year).
To create a 'clone' of your current records, follow these steps:
- Go through your account records, and turn on the Include in Starter File checkbox for each account that you want to include in the new file. Turn
the checkbox off for accounts that you do not want to include.
- Choose Export from the File menu, choose Other Items from the submenu, and choose Starter Data from the second submenu.
- In the range dialog, choose to export all items.
- Enter a name and location for the export file, then click Save.
To start a new company file from the 'clone' information, follow these
steps:
- If you are running Goldenseal, choose Quit (Macintosh) or Exit (Windows) from the File menu.
- Open Goldenseal, and create a new company file.
- Choose Import from the File menu, and choose Company File from the submenu.
- Locate the file you exported in step 2. Click Open.
- Goldenseal will import the basic data from your original file.
A 'clone' includes all the lists from the original company file. It also includes any accounts that have the Include in Starter File checkbox turned
on.
Picking a Start Date
Pick a day when you will officially start using Goldenseal.
You may want to start at the beginning of a year, quarter or month,
but there is no requirement that you do so.
Starting Balances
Enter your best estimate of the starting balance for each bank account--
the amount that is in the account on the day when you start using Goldenseal.
When you get your next bank statement, you can reconcile the account,
and adjust the starting balance if needed.
Job accounts start with a zero starting balance. If a customer owes you money when you start using Goldenseal, enter past Sales transactions
until their current Receivables balance is correct.
Cost accounts start with a zero starting balance. If you owe money to a vendor, enter past Material Purchases, Other
Costs or Subcontractor Costs until their current Payables balance is correct.
For more about starting payroll in mid-year, click here.
Bank Account Setup
To get started with your bank accounts, follow these steps:
1. Create the following list:
Company Divisions-- Enter any divisions in your company-- whether legal entities or just your own philosophy.
2. Create the following accounts:
Cash Accounts-- Create an account for each place where you keep cash-- petty cash drawers, cash registers, etc.
Checking Accounts-- Create an account for each checking account for that has its own balance.
Credit Card Accounts-- Create an account for each of your credit cards (but not debit cards).
Escrow Accounts-- Create an escrow account for any money that you manage but don't own.
Investment Accounts-- Create investment accounts for any assets that don't fit into one of the other types.
Loan Accounts-- Create an account for each of your loans.
Savings Accounts-- Create savings accounts for any bank accounts that don't have checks with sequential numbers.
3. Enter a starting balance for each account (the amount that is there when you start using Goldenseal). If you don't know the exact balance,
enter a "trial balance" guess, and then change it after you've used the Reconcile command with your bank statement.
HINT-- You can lock or unlock the starting balance fields-- choose Preferences from the Options menu, choose Data Entry
from the submenu, and click the Lock Starting Balance Fields checkbox.
4. Start entering bank transactions for each account.
Billing Setup
To get started with customer or project billing, follow these steps:
1. Create the following lists:
Customer Payment Terms-- Set up your billing periods and terms of payment.
Draw Schedules-- Set up draw schedules for your typical projects that you bill with a fixed draw.
Equipment Billing Rates-- Enter the rates you charge for time and materials billing of equipment hours.
Labor Billing Rates-- Enter the rates you charge for time and materials billing of labor hours.
Payment Methods-- Set up at least one payment method that has Billed as the type.
Project Payment Terms-- Set up your billing periods and terms of payment.
Subcontractor Billing Rates-- Enter the rates you charge for time and materials billing of subcontractor costs.
2. Create the following accounts:
Customer Accounts-- Create an account for everyone who pays you money.
Project Accounts-- Create an account for each project you'd like to track.
3. Enter the following transactions:
Allowances-- Set up allowances for unspecified items that you'll track separately.
Change Orders-- Enter change orders for any changes in projects.
Estimates-- Set up project budgets for Progress Payment projects.
Sales-- Enter customer sales.
4. To do Time and Materials billing, do Job Costs setup and enter expenses.
5. Use the Billing command to create Billing Records to send to your customers.
Cost Categories
To get started with cost categories follow these steps:
1. Take a look at the Starter Files. You may find one that is similar to your business, so you can start with categories
that already are close to your needs.
2. Decide how you'd like to classify your job costs. You can use a simple list of cost categories, or you can use one or more Category
Systems that includes categories and subcategories.
HINT-- If you are a retail business, you probably only need cost categories for your overhead costs. If you work
on projects, you probably will want at least two separate category systems-- one for project work, and one for your general overhead costs.
3. Choose Preferences from the Options menu, and choose Data Entry from the submenu. Turn the Use Category Systems checkbox on or off, depending
on your decision in step 2.
4. Create the following lists:
Cost Categories-- Enter each category that you'd like to use for identifying costs.
Category Classes-- Enter any larger groupings you'd like to use for cost categories.
Category Systems-- If you decided to use category systems, create one or more systems to classify cost categories.
Equipment Rentals Setup
If you are in the business of renting out equipment to others, follow these
steps:
1. Create the following lists:
Equipment Rental Rates-- Enter the rates you charge for short-term equipment rentals.
Payment Methods-- Enter the forms of payment that your tenants use.
Rental Payment Terms-- Enter the payment terms that you use for long-term equipment rentals.
2. Create the following accounts:
Checking Accounts-- Create an account for each of your checking accounts.
Customer Accounts-- Set up a Customer account for each tenant or lessor who will be renting from you.
Equipment Accounts-- Set up an Equipment account for any pieces of equipment that you lease out.
3. Enter Leases for any long-term equipment rentals. Enter Sales transactions for short-term rentals.
4. When long-term rent payments are due, enter Rental Transactions for the rent amount. You may need to create Billing
Records if you send out bills.
5. When you receive payments, enter them as deposits in Checking Transactions. You can use
the Deposit Funds command to deposit payments in bulk.
Estimates Setup
To get started with estimates, follow these steps:
1. Set up a system of Cost Categories.
2. Create the following lists:
Customer Sales Tax-- Enter the tax rates that you collect on sales.
Locations-- Enter each location that you'd like to use for identifying costs.
Location Packages-- Create one or more location packages to make some or all of the cost locations available for specific jobs.
Project Payment Terms-- Enter the terms of payment you use for project work.
3. Create the following accounts:
Customer Accounts-- Create an account for everyone who pays you money.
Material Accounts-- Create an account for each material supplier.
Subcontractor Accounts-- Create an account for each subcontractor who will bid on your projects.
4. Set up Unit Costs for the work you do on projects. You can skip this step if you need a quick estimate.
HINT-- If you start with a Starter File, it will already include unit costs.
5. Create Estimates. To include unit costs, use an Item breakdown. You
can also create simpler estimates with None or Category in the breakdown popup.
6. If you are using unit costs, choose Estimate Dimensions from the Options menu, and choose the each set of dimensions. Enter
measurements for this project. Then enter specific costs into the Item breakdown. Goldenseal will
calculate quantities for you automatically.
7. You can create the following optional transactions and include them in the estimate:
Allowances-- Create allowances for items that have an uncertain price.
Bids-- Create bids for any supplier or subcontractor price quotes, especially if they are bidding competitively.
8. When you start work on an estimate, create a Project account and assign the estimate to it.
Inventory Setup
To track inventory quantities for items that you buy, sell or use in projects,
follow these steps:
1. Create an Inventory account for each location where you keep inventory.
2. Create Cost Items for each of the items that you buy, sell or use in projects. Turn on the Inventory checkbox in
each record.
3. If you sell from more than one Sales Branch, create Sales Branch list items and assign an Inventory account to each branch.
4. If you have startup inventory, enter Inventory Transfers for each item.
Job Cost Setup
To get started with job costs, follow these steps:
1. Set up a system of Cost Categories.
2. Create the following lists:
Equipment Billing Rates-- Create billing rates to calculate job costs for equipment hours.
Labor Billing Rates-- Create billing rates to calculate job costs for labor hours.
Locations-- Enter each location that you'd like to use for identifying costs.
Location Packages-- Create one or more location packages to make some or all of the cost locations available for specific jobs.
3. Create the following job accounts:
Customer Accounts-- Create an account for everyone who pays you money.
Overhead Accounts-- Create an account for each type of overhead that you want to allocate separately.
Project Accounts-- Create an account for each project you'd like to track.
4. Create the following cost accounts:
Equipment Accounts-- Create an account for each piece of equipment that you'll be expensing.
Employee Accounts-- Create an account for each employee.
Material Accounts-- Create an account for each material supplier.
Subcontractor Accounts-- Create an account for each subcontractor.
Other Cost Accounts-- Create an account for each provider of miscellaneous services.
5. If you want to compare estimated costs to actual, create an Estimate for each project.
6. Create the following transactions, and assign each transaction to a job and a cost category.
Equipment Hours-- Enter the time you use equipment on each job.
Labor Hours-- Enter employee hours for each job.
Material Purchases-- Enter materials and supplies that you purchase.
Other Costs-- Enter miscellaneous costs.
Subcontractor Costs-- Enter subcontractor bills.
7. Choose Job Costs from the Costs menu to see job costs for each project.
Payroll Setup
To get started with payroll, follow these steps:
1. Import Payroll Info for your state or province.
2. Create the following lists:
Benefit Items-- Create a Benefit Item for each benefit that you provide.
Benefit Packages-- Create one or more Benefit Packages to specify which benefits apply to each of your employees.
Tax Items-- Create a Tax Item for any payroll taxes that aren't in the basic package for your state.
Tax Packages-- Create additional Tax Packages if you need more options.
Vacation Items-- Create a Vacation Item for each type of vacation or holiday that you provide.
Vacation Packages-- Create one or more Vacation Packages to specify which vacations apply to each employee.
Wage Schedules-- Create one or more Wage Schedules to specify payday, pay period and other details.
3. Create the following accounts:
Checking Accounts-- Create an account for each of your checking accounts.
Employee Accounts-- Create an Employee account for each employee and fill in payroll info.
Other Cost Accounts-- Create an Other Cost account for each agency that collects payroll taxes.
4. Start entering time in Labor Hours records.
HINT-- If you want good job cost records, it's a good idea to enter hours for everyone in the company, including owners, partners and family members.
5. Use the Write Payroll command to create Payroll Records and write paychecks.
6. When payroll taxes are due, use the Pay Bills command to pay them.
Project Setup
To get started with project billing and project management, follow these
steps:
1. Create the following lists:
Cost Categories--
Draw Schedules--
2. Create the following job accounts:
Customer Accounts-- Create an account for everyone who pays you money.
Project Accounts-- Create an account for each project you'd like to track.
3. If you want to track job costs, also do Job Cost Setup.
4. If you want to track expenses, also do Payroll Setup and/or Purchase Setup.
5. To track projects, enter Change Orders, Problem Logs and Project Logs.
6. For project billing, use the Billing command to create Billing Records.
Purchase Setup
To get started with material purchases and other expenses, follow these
steps:
1. Create the following lists:
Subcontractor Charges-- Create list items for any subcontractors who charge by the hour.
Vendor Payment Terms-- Create list items for the payment terms used by your suppliers or subcontractors.
Vendor Sales Taxes-- Create list items for the tax rates that you pay to suppliers or subcontractors.
2. Create the following bank accounts:
Cash Accounts-- Create an account for each source of cash that you use for purchases.
Checking Accounts-- Create an account for each of your checking accounts.
Credit Card Accounts-- Create a Credit Card account for each credit card that you use for purchases.
3. Create the following expense accounts:
Material Accounts-- Create an account for each material supplier.
Subcontractor Accounts-- Create an account for each subcontractor.
Other Cost Accounts-- Create an account for each provider of miscellaneous services.
4. If you want to track job costs, also do Job Cost Setup.
5. Start entering Material Purchases, Other Costs and Subcontractor Costs.
6. If you don't pay for items immediately, use the Pay Bills command when you're ready to write checks.
Property Rentals Setup
To get started with real estate rental management, follow these steps:
1. Create the following lists:
Payment Methods-- Enter the forms of payment that your tenants use.
Rental Payment Terms-- Enter the payment terms that you use for rentals.
2. Create the following accounts:
Checking Accounts-- Create an account for each of your checking accounts.
Customer Accounts-- Set up a Customer account for each tenant or lessor who will be renting from you.
Real Estate Accounts-- Set up a Real Estate account for each rental property that you own or manage.
3. Enter Leases for each tenant or lessor.
4. When rent payments are due, enter Rental Transactions for the rent amount.
5. When you receive rent payments, enter them as deposits in Checking Transactions. You
can use the Deposit Funds command to deposit rent payments in bulk.
Sales Setup
To get started with customer sales, follow these steps:
1. Create the following lists:
Customer Payment Terms-- Enter the terms of payment you use for billed sales.
Customer Sales Tax-- Enter the tax rates that you collect on sales.
Delivery Methods-- Enter the methods you use for shipping or delivery.
Payment Methods-- Enter the forms of payment that your customers use.
2. Create the following accounts:
Customer Accounts-- Create an account for everyone who pays you money.
3. If you plan to use Item breakdowns, do Unit Cost setup.
4. If you plan to send out bills, do Billing setup.
5. If you give discounts to some customers, enter Customer Discounts and Item Discounts.
6. Enter Sales transactions for the items you sell or the services you provide.
7. Deposit cash sales with the Deposit Funds command. Use Sales Billing for billed
sales.
Unit Cost Setup
To get started with unit costs, follow these steps:
1. Set up a system of Cost Categories.
2. Create the following lists:
Locations-- Enter each location that you'd like to use for identifying costs.
Location Packages-- Create one or more location packages to make some or all of the cost locations available for specific jobs.
Markup Systems-- Create markup systems to calculate prices for project components.
Project Reminders-- Create any reminders that you'd like to include for project steps.
Tools-- Create a list of any tools you'd like to include in assemblies.
Unit Sizes-- Create a list of sizes for the items that you purchase, sell and build into projects.
3. Create Cost Items for each item that you buy, sell, or build into projects. If you start with a Starter File you
may be able to start with some items already created for your type of business.
4. Create Assemblies for items that you sell or build into projects that combine labor and/or materials.
Calibrating Unit Costs
Goldenseal includes unit costs for some business types.
To get Goldenseal to hit on the nose for your own projects, you will need to adjust its prices so they'll match your own conditions. You'll
need to adjust unit costs for a number of reasons, including:
- Regional differences-- some areas are more expensive than others.
- Economic differences-- costs are usually higher during booms, and lower during busts.
- Business differences-- every industry has different niches with different costs and types of work
- Quality differences-- the same item will usually cost more when doing high end work, because of the extra care taken.
The best way to calibrate Goldenseal is to get it to hit exactly for one or more projects you have already completed (or at least estimated by some other
method).
To do so, follow these steps:
- Gather job cost information for one or more projects that you've already completed.
- Open Goldenseal, and choose Estimates from the Income menu.
- Click the New button. Enter information about the project.
- Click on the breakdown popup, and choose Items.
- Click in the breakdown table, and enter all of the items of work that you included in this project.
- When you have entered everything, check the total against your actual costs.
- Adjust the Assemblies and Cost Items in the estimate to more closely match your costs.
- Go back to the estimate and click the Update Prices button.
- Repeat the previous two steps until Goldenseal's price is the same as yours.
HINT-- You will probably want to be very cautious about your first few project estimates, until you are confident that you've
adjusted the stock unit costs to match your own costs accurately.
Mid-Year Payroll
When you start in the middle of the year, there are three ways to handle
payroll:
- Go back and enter all pay periods, starting at the first of the year
- Enter year-to-date totals directly into a single record
- Start at mid-year and ignore year-to-date amounts for the first year.
HINT-- Before you enter previous payroll periods, choose Preferences from the Options menu, choose Expenses from the submenu,
and turn on the checkbox for Allow Payroll Deduction Changes. That way you can enter the amount actually withheld (which may be different than Goldenseal's
calculations, if you used withholding tables).
Entering All Pay Periods
The most accurate way to start payroll in mid-year is to enter information for each pay period, right from the first of the year. That will also give you
more accurate job cost information.
To do so, follow these steps:
- Set up payroll deductions, wage rates and other payroll information for each Employee. If an employee's wage rate or
status changed during the year, start out with their setup from the first of the year.
- Choose Labor Hours from the Costs menu.
- Click the New button. Enter hours from the first pay period for each employee. You may need to create several records, if the employee worked
on more than one job during the pay period.
- Choose Write Payroll from the Costs menu. Goldenseal will show you the computed wages and deductions. They may not be
correct, but for now you can ignore any differences.
- Click the Write Payroll button. Don't enter a bank account, so Goldenseal will skip the actual paychecks.
- Goldenseal will create a payroll record for each employee.
- In the payroll record, choose Wages from the Breakdown popup menu. You can adjust overtime hours
if needed.
- Choose Deductions from the Breakdown popup menu. If you used the Ĝlookup tables" in the tax table,
you'll probably need to change the withholding amounts. Click in the Amount column and type in the amounts you actually withheld for that period.
- Choose Employer Taxes from the Breakdown popup menu, and fill in the correct figures for the first
pay period for all employer taxes.
- If you calculate some taxes based on the work being done, choose Category Taxes from the Breakdown
popup menu and fill in the correct amounts for the first pay period.
- Choose Benefits from the Breakdown popup menu and fill in the correct amounts for the first pay period.
- Enter hours for each employee for the first pay period, and repeat the previous steps to adjust their wages, withholding and taxes so they match
the amount you actually used.
- Repeat all the previous steps for each pay period. If any taxes or wage rates changed during the year, make the change when you get to the
appropriate pay period.
HINT-- This approach is easiest if you start
using Goldenseal near the beginning of the year.
Entering Combined Year-To-Date Amounts
A quicker way to enter mid-year payroll is to put all year-to-date totals
into a single payroll record.
To do so, follow these steps:
- Set up payroll deductions, wage rates and other payroll information for each Employee.
- Choose Labor Hours from the Costs menu.
- Click the New button. Enter the total number of hours the employee worked all year-- starting in the first pay period with a payday in the current
year, and ending in the last pay period before you start using Goldenseal.
- If the employee worked at more than one wage rate during the year, repeat the previous step, and enter the hours they worked at each rate.
- Choose Payroll Records from the Costs menu.
- Click the New button.
- Enter an employee into the Employee field.
- Choose YTD Only from the Status popup menu.
- Choose Wages from the Breakdown popup menu. Goldenseal will show you the year-to-date gross wages for
the employee.
- Adjust the overtime amount so the total wages are correct.
- Choose Deductions from the Breakdown popup menu. You'll see a list of employee withholding items.
- The calculated deductions will probably not be correct because the wage brackets are not correct, so enter the correct year-to-date figures for
each deduction into the Amount column.
- Choose Employer Taxes from the Breakdown popup menu, and fill in the correct year-to-date figures
for employer taxes.
- If you calculate some taxes based on the work being done, choose Category Taxes from the Breakdown
popup menu and fill in the correct year-to-date amounts.
- Choose Benefits from the Breakdown popup menu and fill in the correct year-to-date amounts.
- Repeat the same steps for each employee.
Ignoring Payroll Year-To-Date
The easiest way to start payroll in mid-year is to just start, and ignore year-to-date totals. You may want to consider doing that if you are starting
very late in the year.
To do so, follow these steps:
- Set up payroll deductions, wage rates and other payroll information for each Employee.
- Choose Labor Hours from the Costs menu.
- Click the New button, and enter hours for the current pay period for each employee.
- Choose Write Payroll from the Costs menu. Check the figures, and then click the Write Payroll button to create payroll
records.
- Continue using payroll for each pay period. Everything will work correctly, except that the year-to-date totals will not be correct until
you start a new year.
Prior Job Costs
If you have projects underway when you start using Goldenseal, you can enter prior job cost information for them. That allows you to get a more accurate
picture of the total project cost.
To include prior expenses, enter them into expense transactions (Equipment Log, Labor Log, Purchases, Subcontractor Bills, Other Costs). Use Job
Cost Only as a status. Goldenseal will use the cost information for job costing, but it will not affect Accounts Payable.
HINT-- You can enter estimated costs, if you don't know the exact amounts.
You can also use a Cost Transfer to enter costs that you have already spent on a project. To do so, follow these steps:
- Choose Special Transfers from the Accounts menu, then choose Cost Transfers from the submenu.
- Click the New button.
- Enter Prior Costs into the Transfer Type popup menu.
- Enter the project into the Move To fields.
- To enter multiple costs at one time, enter Category into the Breakdown popup menu (or enter Items if you want to enter specific cost items).
- Enter specific costs into the breakdown table.
To include prior project income, enter payments amounts into Bank Deposit
transactions, and use Job Cost Only as a status. Goldenseal will
credit the income to the job, but it won't affect the account balance.
Switching from BidMagic
If you have been using BidMagic, here are the differences you can expect:
File Management-- Goldenseal saves each estimate as a record in your company file, rather than as a separate file. To
view estimates, open the company file and choose Estimates from the Income menu.
Basic Costs-- Goldenseal does not use fudge factors, locality adjustments or quality adjustments. To enter labor costs, choose Cost
Items from the Costs menu.
Overhead-- To add overhead and profit, enter line items in an estimate.
Soft Costs-- To add soft costs, enter line items in an estimate.
Dimensions-- Goldenseal arranges construction measurements onto seven 'cards' that are very similar to the dimensions in BidMagic. To enter dimensions for
an estimate, choose Estimates from the Income menu, find the estimate, and then choose Estimate Dimensions from the Options menu. Click
here for specific information about Goldenseal dimensions for construction.
Specifications-- To enter specifications for an estimate after you've entered dimensions, click on the Form Type button
at lower left and choose Long Form. Make sure you have a Category or Item breakdown, and then enter hard costs into
the breakdown table.
Bottom Line-- Goldenseal displays the total estimate price in the main Estimate window. To see a detailed breakdown, choose Estimates from
the Reports menu, and choose Itemized Estimate from the submenu (or use one of the other reports). You can also use the Print
Forms command to print out a detailed "business form" estimate that you can give to customers.
Unit Prices-- To change or add unit prices, choose Assemblies from the Costs menu.
Material Manager-- To change unit costs, choose Cost Items from the Costs menu.
Updating Prices-- Goldenseal automatically updates material prices when you enter Material Purchases. To update prices
in an existing estimate, click the Update Prices button.
Templates-- To turn an estimate into a template, choose Template this Item from the Options menu.
Customizing-- BidMagic uses fixed layouts that can't be changed. In Goldenseal, you can customize the dimension layouts (choose Custom Layouts
from the Options menu, and choose Estimate DImensions from the submenu). You can also change the way dimensions calculate
(choose Calculations from the Options menu, and choose Calculated Dimensions from the submenu).
Room Dimensions-- In BidMagic, you enter overall project dimensions or room dimensions, but not both. Goldenseal lets you enter both.
HINT-- If you type in regular dimensions AND room dimensions, Goldenseal will add them together. That approach can
be very useful for the combination of a new addition and work in existing rooms.
Starting Specs-- Goldenseal does not start out with a standard construction project. To set it to your style of construction, follow these
steps:
- When you first start your company file, base it on the Construction Starter File.
- Create an Estimate with your normal type of project in it.
- Choose Template this Item from the Options menu, and make a template.
To start a bid from the template, follow these steps:
- Choose Estimates from the Income menu.
- Click the New button, or choose New Record from the Edit menu.
- Click on the template button (to the right of the New button) and choose a template.
- Enter dimensions for the project.
- Click on the Form Type button at the lower left corner, and choose Long Form.
- Click the Update Quantities button.
- Look through the breakdown items and change any items that are not correct. You can also remove items (set the quantity to zero) add new items
(click in the bottom row, and hit the Return key), or change the order of existing items (hold down the Command or Control key and drag a row up or
down).
Switching from MacNail Estimating
If you have been using MacNail Estimating, here are the differences you
can expect:
File Management-- Goldenseal saves each estimate as a record in your company file, rather than as a separate file. To
view estimates, open the company file and choose Estimates from the Income menu. Goldenseal estimates take up much less hard disk space!
Fixed Costs-- Goldenseal does not use fudge factors, locality adjustments or quality adjustments. To enter labor costs, choose Cost
Items from the Costs menu. To add overhead, profit and other soft costs, enter line items in an estimate.
Dimensions-- Goldenseal uses construction measurements that are similar to MacNail, but it arranges them onto seven 'cards' that are very similar
to the dimensions in BidMagic. To enter dimensions for an estimate, choose Estimate Dimensions from the Options
menu. Click here for specific information about Goldenseal dimensions for construction.
Specifications-- To enter specifications for an estimate after you've entered dimensions, click on the Form Type button
at lower left and choose Long Form. Make sure you have a Category or Item breakdown, and then enter hard costs into
the breakdown table. Goldenseal starts out without any construction items, so you will need to add them when you create an estimate.
HINT-- It is easy to set up a template which contains a specific
style of construction that you use frequently. That way you won't have to enter all the construction details every time.
'Other' items-- To type in all your specifications items 'on the fly', use a Category breakdown. To
type in a few items when you use an Item breakdown, enter a line item and give it one of the Unlisted choices
in the Cost Area column.
Clearinghouse and Summation-- Goldenseal displays the total estimate price in the main Estimate window. To see a breakdown by category,
choose Projects from the Reports menu, and choose Itemized Estimate from the submenu. You can also use the Print
Forms command to print out a detailed estimate in several different formats.
Estimators-- Goldenseal uses templates as a "starter" for new estimates. To turn an estimate into a template,
choose Template this Item from the Options menu. To make a new estimate that is based on a template, click on the template
button (next to the New button).
Switching from MacNail Accounting
If you have been using MacNail Accounting, here are the differences you
can expect:
Basic Records-- In MacNail, you enter data as lines in a spreadsheet. In Goldenseal, you enter data as records in a database. The
data forms look much more like a business form.
HINT-- To view expenses in rows and columns, choose Expenses from the Reports menu, and choose
one of the submenus.
Files-- MacNail uses many files to store your accounting info. Goldenseal stores everything in one integrated company
file. You'll use different menu commands to access the different types of data in Goldenseal.
Master Index-- Goldenseal uses accounts to store the information in the MacNail Master Index, Employee Index and Master
Addresses files. Enter the same data in Projects, Employees, Material
Suppliers, Subcontractors and Other Cost accounts. You can also import data
from MacNail.
Checkbook Ledger-- To enter bank payments and deposits, set up Checking Accounts and then enter Checking
Transactions.
Labor Log-- To enter employee hours, set up Employee Accounts and then enter Labor Hours.
HINT-- Goldenseal also includes Equipment accounts and Equipment
Hours, so you can track equipment costs.
Material Log-- To enter material costs, set up Material Suppliers accounts and then enter Material
Purchases.
Subcontractor Log-- To enter subcontractor costs, set up Subcontractor accounts and then enter Subcontractor
Costs
Miscellaneous Log-- To enter other costs, set up Other Cost accounts and then enter Other Costs
Job Costing-- Goldenseal automatically posts job costs when you enter expenses. To view job costs, choose Job Costs from
the Costs menu.
Payroll-- Goldenseal handles payroll much more easily than MacNail. After you've entered Labor Hours, choose Write
Payroll from the Costs menu to automatically figure payroll. Goldenseal tracks payroll details in Payroll Records.
Switching from MacNail Scheduling
If you have been using MacNail Scheduling, here are the differences
you can expect:
Schedules-- In Goldenseal, a project schedule is just part of the estimate. Check the Start Date column in any estimate with a Category or Item breakdown.
Material Takeoffs-- To see a material takeoff, choose Projects from the Reports menu,
and choose Bill of Materials (Material Takeoff) or Bill of Materials by Task (Material Takeoff By Item). The command
names are changed in Goldenseal 2.6.
Switching from MacNail Customizing
If you have been using MacNail Customizing, here are the differences
you can expect:
Basics-- MacNail stores cost information in several different files, and uses a very clunky set of menu commands to calculate and move prices. Goldenseal
includes all cost information in one file, and automatically updates prices.
Price Sheets-- To change material unit costs, choose Cost Items from the Costs menu.
Assemblies-- To change or add assemblies, choose Assemblies from the Costs menu. Goldenseal uses an assembly table
which is much easier to use than the MacNail Assemblies files.
Updating Prices-- Goldenseal automatically updates material prices whenever you enter Material Purchases. You
don't need to do any of the complex 'Move Prices' steps as in MacNail Customizing.
Customizing Categories-- To change Categories or Category Systems, choose Category Setup
from the Costs menu, and choose one of the submenus.
Customizing Dimensions-- To change the layout of any Dimensions screen, choose Custom Layouts from the Options menu, and choose Estimate
DImensions from the submenu. To change the way dimensions are calculated, choose Calculators from the Options menu, and choose Calculated
Dimensions.
Switching from MacNail SpecWriter
If you have been using MacNail SpecWriter, here are the differences
you can expect:
Contract Setup-- Goldenseal uses setup that is similar to MacNail Spec Writer's. To see a 'library' of basic clauses, choose Contract Setup from
the Options menu, and choose Contract Clauses from the submenu. Goldenseal uses simple text substitution to fill some
information into clauses-- to set that up, choose Preferences from the Options menu, and choose Contracts from
the submenu.
Writing Contracts-- Goldenseal writes contracts that are very similar to the SpecWriter. To make a contract, choose Projects from the Income
menu, and choose Contracts from the submenu. To write a complete contract, click the Write
Contract button.
Switching from Quickbooks/Quicken/MYOB
If you have been using Quickbooks, Quicken, MYOB or some other general
accounting program, here are the differences you can expect:
Accounts-- In Quickbooks, you create many 'artificial' accounts to track expenses and handle unusual transaction details. Goldenseal handles
those items automatically, so you only need to create 'real world' accounts for the people and entities with whom you do business.
Basic Accounting-- In Quickbooks, most transactions are classic double entry records, with a debit and credit. Goldenseal uses a single-entry
system that automatically posts each transaction to every account and transaction that is affected by the transaction.
Cost Categories-- Quickbooks uses accounts and subaccounts to identify costs. Goldenseal uses Jobs and Cost
Categories for the same purpose. You can group categories into Category Systems. You can also set up a system
of Cost Locations to identify costs.
Memorized Transactions-- They're called Recurring Transactions in Goldenseal. You can also
use Templates for items that you use at irregular intervals.
Opening Records-- Quickbooks starts a new record when you open a transaction window. Goldenseal shows you the record that was used most
recently. If you really like the Quickbooks style, choose Preferences from the Options menu, choose Interface from
the submenu, and turn on the Open to Empty Record checkbox.
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