Replies

1. 
   GregGibson | Jan 07, 2003 09:29pm | #1

   I've played around with Microsoft Word and set up some blanks for my own use.  You can do a letterhead and regular invoice format and save it for occasional use.  Just open the saved file and fill in the blanks.

   I've got fax cover sheets stored as well as some form letters that I can customize to suit the purpose - y'know, stuff I send out repeatedly.

   It's a one-time set up, then a real time saver.

   Greg.

1. 
   JeffBuck | Jan 08, 2003 01:51am | #6

   Greg....

   that's the exact "system"....if ya can call it that...that I now use.

   All started when I was playing around with a new letter head. Then..the insurance company/chamber of commerce....needed a latter head for their files....so I redid it and saved it.

   I now have the blank saved as a shortcut on my desktop. I wrote up a fax cover sheet also. Also have the "boilerplate" attachment for my proposal/contracts up there too.

   I used to use those 3 page office supply proposals....and was even going to order some customized thru Nebs.....but this way is so easy...and looks better...I'll stick with it.

   I have the letter head in 2 colors.....and we have 2 printers. The scanner prints real nice and clear....and fax copies and prints just ok.

   The scanner cartridges cost a ton more than the fax......so I make 2 copies for everyone to sign.

   They get the nice looking color copy.....and the one you can read the little print of the boilerplate clearly......printed off the scanner....

   Then I switch to save ink and print them both off the fax. I keep the blury copy...I know what it says anyway..and I don't need to impress myself with a 2 color letter head.

   Works well.....I've even had customers comment on it. And..they know immediately which copy is which. The puls side......saving and refering back to contracts in the computer.

   I've had a few contracts I subed on where the scope was to be changed.....nothing harder that deleting a few lines and making the changes.

   I still keep the 2 part blanks in the van for a quickie.

   JeffBuck Construction   Pittsburgh,PA

    Fine Carpentery.....While U Waite                  

1. 
   xMikeSmith | Jan 08, 2003 05:00am | #7

   scott, we use a system like jeff's...

   1st we buy letterhead with our logo in the  return address area... the letter head is on a nice very light grey bond... then we process the template thru WordPerfect..

   both the return address and the customer's address appear in the double windows of a #10 size envelope... the template also imported into MS Word.. so i can print  or compsoe in either format

   our proposal is a boilerplate template that we modified from GC Works... it's generated from an estimate template.. and printed on plain bond...

   correspondence, invoices , and statements all go on the logo letterhead Mike Smith   Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore

2. 
   rjw | Jan 07, 2003 09:40pm | #2

   What word processor do you use?

   _______________________

   "I may have said the same thing before... But my explanation, I am sure, will always be different."  Oscar Wilde

1. 
   sdr25 | Jan 07, 2003 10:00pm | #3

   MS Word.

   Scott R.

1. 
   PhillGiles | Jan 07, 2003 11:01pm | #4

   DO you have Office installed, or just Word ? If you have Office, then use the template that comes with it for Excel called "invoice.xlt". You really want to use Excel or 123 in order to make the calculations easier - you can then either print out from the spreadsheet, or fold it into a Word document.

   If you're limited to Word, then use http://office.microsoft.com/downloads/9798/invoice.aspx.

   Phill Giles

   The Unionville Woodwright

   Unionville, Ontario

1. 
   sdr25 | Jan 08, 2003 12:20am | #5

   Thanks

   Scott R.