• Lets you see where your money is going. You have the ability to set up your own categories (as many as you wish), and place each check or expenditure into one of the categories you define.
• Remembers any payment you've made and remembers the category it was placed into; the next time you enter a check to the same payee, you won't have to choose the category.
• Makes it simple to compile a report of expenditures between any two dates. The report can then be printed or saved for later perusal.
• Will compare any two reports for you, giving you the difference between expenditures in the two time periods, and the average expense in each category.
• Will prepare a yearly report for you, showing you in one report the expenditures for each category for each month of the desired year.
• Will reconcile your checking account for you, easily and without taking time. A normal household account can be reconciled in about five minutes!
INSTRUCTIONS
◊◊ ENTERING CHECKS
• On the main card, enter the check's date, check number, description, and amount.
NOTE: Enter the date using the short date format (Ex.: 12/31/90, 7/4/90).
•  When you've entered all the information, click ENTER.
• You will see a list of all categories that you have set up. If this is your first use of BUSINESS PLAN, you will only see one category called "Miscellaneous"; if this category is not suitable, select "Other..." and then enter the desired category which you will use over and over. This will create a new Category which will contain all checks which you write and assign to this Category.
There is no limit to the number of categories you can set up. Typical categories might include:
Mortgage
Utilities
Food
Entertainment
Business Expense
Repairs
Medical
The next time you enter a payee description that matches one already used, you won't have to select a category -- the check will be automatically entered into the category you've previously assigned.
You must enter a different check number or deposit number to each entry you make in this stack. If you try to enter a check or deposit with a number you have already used, you will see an alert and will be prevented from making the entry using that number.
◊◊ ENTERING DEPOSITS
Each deposit (or credit) is entered in the deposit register; you can view the entire register by clicking DEPOSITS.
When you enter the description for a new item, Business Plan looks to see if the description is "Deposit" or "Interest"; if it is, then the check box "Deposit" is automatically checked, meaning this item will go into the DEPOSIT REGISTER instead of the CHECK REGISTER. Therefore, the easiest way to enter deposits is to use the description "Deposit" or "Interest" (capitalization not necessary).
If you're entering an item that is a CREDIT to your account, and is not a DEPOSIT or INTEREST (perhaps it is a transfer), you must click the check box marked "ADD" to have this item listed as a CREDIT ITEM.
The Deposits Register entry contains five items:
DATE, CHECK NUMBER, DESCRIPTION, AMOUNT, CLEARED STATUS
The fifth item, the Cleared Status, tells Business Plan whether or not that particular deposit or credit has been cleared by the bank.
As with checks, your deposits or credits must have a number assigned to them; you can prefix the number with a letter, such as "D1500". However, each entry must have its own individual number; if you try to use the same number twice, you will be prevented from doing so and alerted.
◊◊ CATEGORY VIEWING
You can look at any category by clicking the CATEGORY button; select the desired category to view using the list that will appear. Notice that the list is made up of all the categories that you set up.
◊◊ SORTING CHECKS IN THE CATEGORY LISTS
You can sort checks on the Category card by date, check number, description, or amount.
Click SORT and then choose the type of sorting you desire.
NOTE: Whenever you add a check to a category, that category is always re-sorted by date.
◊◊ EDITING ENTRIES
Once you've entered a check or deposit, you may need to change all or part of it, or even delete it from the account altogether. To do this, you use the EDIT ENTRY button on the Main card, or you can edit from any CATEGORY card or on the DEPOSITS card.
• On the MAIN card:
Click EDIT ENTRY. Enter the check or deposit number of the entry you wish to edit.
You will see the entry appear in the entry fields, and your balance will be adjusted as if this entry didn't exist (in the case of a check, for example, the amount of the check will be added back to your balance).
Make any desired changes to the entry.
When you click ENTER, the entry will be re-posted.
• On the DEPOSITS or any CATEGORY card:
Click the line of the entry you wish to change (be sure to click on one of the words of the line, not the blank spaces).
You'll be asked if you want to edit the line. If so, you'll be taken to the Main card and the entry will appear in the entry fields.
Make any desired changes to the entry.
When you click ENTER, the entry will be re-posted.
IMPORTANT: Once you select an item to edit, you MUST click ENTER to re-insert it into the stack. If you don't click ENTER once you select an entry to edit, and then erase the check entry fields, you will be deleting this check or deposit permanently from the stack.
◊◊ DELETING ENTRIES
As mentioned previously, there are two ways to delete an entry (a check or deposit). On the Main card, click EDIT ENTRY, then supply the check/deposit number of the entry to delete. When it appears in the entry fields, click the ERASER button and the entry will be deleted permanently.
On the DEPOSITS card or any CATEGORY card, click the line of the entry to delete, then follow the same steps outlined above.
◊◊ ADDING CATEGORIES
You can add categories either when you are entering checks or by clicking
ADD CATEGORY. In either case, enter the desired name of the new category.
NOTE: To add a new category when entering a check, click the OTHER... selection in the list (it will always be the last choice in the list).
◊◊ DELETING CATEGORIES
You can delete a category by clicking DELETE CATEGORY; select the desired category to delete from the list which appears.
NOTE: Any time you delete a category, you also delete the checks in that category, although they still will appear in the check register and still affect the checkbook balance.
◊◊ CHECK REGISTER
Each check (or debit) is entered in the check register; you can view the entire register by clicking CHECK REGISTER.
The Check Register entry contains five items:
DATE, CHECK NUMBER, DESCRIPTION, AMOUNT, CLEARED STATUS
The fifth item, the CLEARED STATUS, tells Business Plan whether or not that particular check has been cleared by the bank.
You can click on any line in the check register to change the CLEARED STATUS from un-cleared to cleared, or vice versa. This is an easy way to show your checks as having cleared the bank.
◊◊ SEARCHING FOR ITEMS
You can search for any check or deposit by choosing to search either dates, check numbers, descriptions, or amounts. Click SEARCH and then select the search criteria (date, item number, description,
or amount); then enter the string you wish to search for. Business Plan will find any check or deposit which matches the string; enter "First" and you will find "First National Bank" or "First Federal" or perhaps "Software First".
Once you have found a number of checks or deposits, you can also cross-search within this list; click CROSS-SEARCH to search within this list.
Once you perform a cross-search, you can revert to the earlier list by clicking REVERT.
On the DEPOSITS or CHECK REGISTER card, the search will be restricted to that card only.
◊◊ REPORTS
Business Plan allows you to prepare reports of your expenditures for any desired time period. You can prepare:
PERIOD reports (for any desired time period -- a week, month, year, whatever),
YEARLY reports
COMPARISON reports (compare any two reports that are saved to disk),
You can also load, save, and print reports.
◊◊ CREATING REPORTS
You can view the REPORTS field anytime by clicking the "dog-ear" on the REPORTS button. This will also give you access to the REPORT OPTIONS button.
Click REPORT. You'll be asked if you want to create a PERIOD report or a YEARLY report.
A PERIOD report is compiled between any two dates that you supply. This type of report can cover a day, a week, a year, ten years, or whatever you desire.
A YEARLY report is compiled for the desired year -- you can create a yearly report either for the current year or the previous year.
NOTE: If you want to compile a report for a year earlier than last year, then use PERIOD report and enter the beginning dates of the year (Ex.: 1/1/84 and 12/31/84).
◊◊ PERIOD REPORT
You will be asked to supply the starting and ending dates for the report. This will determine which checks will be included in the report.
NOTE: Always use the short date format in Business Plan (Ex.: 12/31/90, 7/4/90).
The report will appear on the screen, showing expenditure totals for each of the categories you've set up, as well as the total deposits/credits for the period.
◊◊ YEARLY REPORT
This option will allow you to view a report of all expenditures broken down by category, with a total for each month of a desired year.
Click the REPORT button, then YEARLY, then the desired year.
Your report will appear on the screen, showing a total for each month in each category.
At the bottom of the report is the yearly expenditure total.
◊◊ SAVING REPORTS
Hold down the REPORT OPTIONS button. Select SAVE REPORT... and then save the report to the desired location.
NOTE: You can access the REPORT OPTIONS button by clicking the "dog-eared" button on the REPORTS button.
◊◊ OPENING REPORTS
Hold down the REPORT OPTIONS button and select OPEN REPORT... and then select the desired report.
NOTE: You can access the REPORT OPTIONS button by clicking the "dog-eared" button on the REPORTS button.
◊◊ PRINTING REPORTS
Hold down the REPORT OPTIONS button and select PRINT REPORT.
NOTE: You can access the REPORT OPTIONS button by clicking the "dog-eared" button on the REPORTS button.
◊◊ COMPARING REPORTS
This feature compares two reports that have been saved to disk, so you will first have to create and save two different reports (for two different months, perhaps).
VERY IMPORTANT: The two reports that you compare MUST HAVE THE SAME CATEGORIES THAT ARE CURRENTLY IN THE BUSINESS PLAN STACK in order for the comparison process to work correctly. The best method for doing accurate comparisons is to create two period reports, and then do a comparison -- all at the same time, so that you know that all of the reports have the same categories and are current.
Select COMPARE REPORTS from the REPORT OPTIONS menu. When asked to do so, select the first report to compare, and then the second.
You will then see your report, which will contain the expenditures in each category for each of the two periods, the difference between the two, and the average of the two periods.
At the bottom of the Comparison report are the totals for each of the four columns. The most important of these is the total of the AVERAGE column, which gives you a good idea of what you spend in a typical period.
You will also see the total deposits for each period, as well as the difference between and average of the two periods.
◊◊ RECONCILING YOUR CHECKING ACCOUNT
In addition to its usefulness as a budgeting tool, Business Plan will also reconcile your checking account for you. The steps are simple and straightforward, and can be done in as little as five minutes.
On any card, click the RECONCILE button.
There are only three steps in reconciling your checkbook using Business Plan:
1- Enter the bank's CLOSING BALANCE from the most recent statement. You will see a field to enter this in the upper right corner of the RECONCILE card.
2- List the check numbers of checks that have been CLEARED in the field at the far left; do the same thing with DEPOSITS that have been cleared.
3- Click COMPUTE.
** ANOTHER WAY OF CLEARING CHECKS
There is another way to show checks as having cleared the bank. Simply go to the Check Register and click on any check you want to show as cleared. You can alternately click on any cleared item and it will change its status to un-cleared. If you use this method, you won't have to list them on the Reconcile card because they will already be cleared.
NOTE: You will need to assign numbers to each of your deposits in order to use Business Plan. A simple way to do this is to start numbering at an arbitrary number, and assign each deposit a number (for example, give the first deposit that you've entered into Business Plan the number "9001", and then subsequent deposits will be 9002, 9003, 9004, etc.)
• Click COMPUTE.
Business Plan will add up all outstanding checks, cancel all the checks that have been cleared by the bank, add the new deposits to your balance, subtract outstanding checks, and report the balance to you.
NOTE: You must have all checks and deposits entered into Business Plan in order for this reconciliation to be accurate.
◊◊ IMPORTING FROM AN OLDER VERSION OF BUSINESS PLAN
You can import data from an older version of Business Plan using the IMPORT button on the Main card. All data from your old stack will be automatically copied into the new stack.
NOTE: You must import data to this stack BEFORE you start entering checks into the stack.
To import, click the IMPORT button.
As instructed, locate the OLD Business Plan stack that you're importing FROM.
That's all there is to it! The rest is automatic; the importing will be done and your new stack will be compacted for you.
◊◊ SHAREWARE NOTICE
This is a shareware stack, although I've grown used to the fact that very few honest people seem to remain on this planet. If you use this stack regularly, it wouldn't be that much of a hardship on you to send $15.00 to:
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