Blue Flute Software- 'In a NutShell' Newsletter

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                    In a Nutshell
   Information and Tips for your Image Consulting Business

1/04/03                                           Issue #9
Linda Gerloff, Editor, linda@blueflute.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
     By subscription only! Welcome to your next issue of
                   "In a NutShell".
You are receiving this newsletter because you have
subscribed to either the monthly Automated Inventory
Updates or this newsletter.
Unsubscribe instructions are at the end of this newsletter.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
   IN THIS ISSUE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    =>  Inventory Updates for January
    => Blue Flute News
    => ‘In a NutShell’ archives
    => Fun Trivia

=> In my business, how do I ...
A revisit to inventory counts

    => Guest Column
   =>  Getting along with your Computer -
         A Cool New Tool – and it doesn’t cost a dime!
    =>  NutShell Tip –
         What about new item numbers on old products?
    =>  Recognition Corner
    => Subscribe/Unsubscribe information

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Inventory Updates for January
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Your inventory updates for January are ready. If you have
subscribed to this service, you can get your updates here:
http://www.blueflute.com/btyupdt1.htm

Hint: The inventory updates are usually posted online
about 24 hours before the newsletter is published. Bookmark
the above link and then, if you are anxious for your
updates, you can check and see if the updates are ready.
The title of the page will tell which updates are
available.

If you lose this link, you can always download your updates
from the main Blue Flute web page. Just click on the
'Pre-Paid Updates' button.

If your subscription to the updates has expired, you can
purchase another year online here:
http://www.blueflute.com/orderpage.htm

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Blue Flute News

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
January Special – There are two specials going on this
month. The Success 2003 Super Special is the best deal. The
price of NutShell is discounted $40, from 129.99 to $89.99.
This price is available for a very short time – 01/04/03
through 01/11/03. Please tell your consultants about this
opportunity to get computerized at a great price.

However, after the Super Special is over, consultants can
still save up to $30 off the price of NutShell. Tell them
to check out my website for details:
http://www.blueflute.com/btynut.htm

Don’t forget that when you refer NutShell to a friend,
you win, too. Not only will your consultant will have more
time for selling and recruiting, but you will receive free
inventory updates, as well!

Something special about January inventory updates – Be sure
to read the ‘NutShell Tip’ section of this newsletter.
There is an extra step for you to do in order to make
the updates work properly on the ‘Raspberry Ice’ lip color.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
‘In a NutShell’ archives
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Did you miss a prior ‘In a NutShell’ newsletter, or would
you like to review one of the articles? You can view it
here: http://www.blueflute.com/Newsletters.htm

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In my business, how do I –
  A revisit to inventory counts
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The end of the old year has arrived and we have rolled over
into the new year. For many, a new year signals a time to
sit down, look things over and reorganize. And a time to
take inventory – not only emotional and spiritual inventory,
but an actual counting of your product as well!

If you count your inventory several times per year, you will
be less likely to have discrepancies between your counts
and your books. But, realistically, nobody is going to
count their inventory unless they have to. So, count your
inventory and let’s talk about how to adjust your books.

When you discover that your inventory counts are off (your
shelf doesn’t match your books), it is tempting to just
change your count in your books. This will get you the
results you want (correct inventory), but it doesn’t leave
a paper trail and that can cause confusion later. It is
important to provide some kind of documentation when
adjusting your counts.

In NutShell, you can do it like this:
1. Create a client called Invoice Adjustments.
2. Enter an invoice for this client and add all the items
     for which you need to adjust your count.
3. If you need to decrease the count, the Ord Qty on the
     invoice should be positive. To lower your count by
     three, make the Ord Qty ‘3’.
4. To increase the count, make the Ord Qty negative. To
     raise your count by three, make the Ord Qty ‘-3’.
5. The invoice should total zero since there is not cash
     changing hands. The easiest way to do this is to put a
     discount of 100% and zero out the tax.
6. After you have entered the invoice, double-check your
     counts. If they are correct, close the invoice.
7. Print your inventory listing by clicking the Print
     button on the Inventory screen. Be sure to select ‘All’
     sections, so that you will get your discontinued items
     listed, as well as Retail A and Retail B.

Later, you will be able to refer back to the adjustment
invoice and know exactly what changes you made to change
your counts.

~~~~~~
You can get more information about using the NutShell
software here: http://www.blueflute.com/btynut.htm

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Fun Trivia
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If Barbie were life-size, her measurements would be
39-23-33. She would stand seven feet, two inches tall.

(I don’t know if this is true, but it sure makes me feel
better!)

         *-----------Quote of the Month-------------*

         The greatest compliment that was ever paid
         me was when one asked me what I thought,
         and attended to my answer.'

-- Henry David Thoreau

*------------------------------------------*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Guest column
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thank you to Wendy Solomon, Unit Manager in Portland, OR
for sharing:

‘Just wanted to share about a clinic I just had. Only four
people showed (and two were late), but I had the hostess
do her skin care on only half of her face while everyone
else did their hands. When we did the makeup, there was
an EXTREMELY clear example of why our skin care is so
important. Even if you were blind, you could see which
side she had done the skin care.

Net result? With four people, it was $677 and 2 bookings!
Not bad for Portland! (And they ALL bought skin care).

Wendy’

~~~~~~~~~~~~

To share your ideas and comments, contact me here:
mailto:Guest@BlueFlute.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Getting along with your Computer –
    A Cool New Tool – and it doesn’t cost a dime!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Last week, I discovered a new internet tool to help with
online shopping. How cool is it? This is something that I
have wished for in the past and that makes it pretty cool!

If you do much surfing on the net, you know about ‘Google’.
(http://www.google.com) Google is a good search engine
where you can find a lot of information about a wide
variety of subjects. Google is just one of very many search
engines. Search engines are good for finding web sites
about a particular topic, but they aren’t helpful in
finding products.

I do a lot of shopping online. For example, I recently
bought a DVD player, which I researched online at various
sites, such as Sony, Best Buy and Circuit City. Once I
completed my research, I knew the brand and model number of
the player that I wanted. But, how to find all the places
online where I could buy the specific player? Search
engines don’t give this kind of information. At least not
till now. Google has introduced a new search tool called
‘Froogle’ (http://www.froogle.google.com). Interesting name,
huh? (Get it? Like – Frugal!) If I had known about Froogle
when I was searching for a place to buy my DVD player, I
could have typed the model number in on Froogle and I would
have gotten a list of many sites that sell that specific
player. The list includes the price, so it is easy to very
quickly find the lowest prices. (I did find, though, that
some of the prices were out of date.)

Froogle is in beta right now, which means that the Google
company is still testing it, getting the kinks out. But it
is very functional and extremely helpful. So next time you
want to buy something online and you want a quick list of
places you can purchase it, with accompanying price
comparisons, try Froogle!

Note: Try searching for a BeautiControl product and see if
you find any ‘illegal’ sites!


       *---------------A Good Laugh--------------*
        I know I'm not going to understand women.
        I'll never understand how you can take
        boiling hot wax, pour it onto your upper
        thigh, rip the hair out by the root, but...

still be afraid of a spider!

           -- Jerry Seinfeld
      *-----------------------------------------*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NutShell Tip – What about new item numbers on old products?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Occassionally, BeautiControl assigns new item numbers to
old products. We see this happening this month with the
new lip colors. Many of the prior shades have been
discontinued, but a few remain. Those that remain have been
assigned new item numbers.

Whether you change the item numbers yourself, or let it be
done automatically by the inventory updates, NutShell will
keep track of both the old and new item numbers and will
know that both numbers represent the same product. This
will eliminate the need for tracking both numbers
individually. For example, Classic Red used to be item
number 6195, but now it is item number 10288. NutShell will
know that either item number is ‘Classic Red Lip Color’.
When you look in your History for Classic Red, you will see
your sales for both items listed together. They won’t be
separated by item number. This will make it easier for you
as the months roll by, because you won’t have to do double
work tracking down info about each one. As far as your
History goes, the change in item number will be transparent.
You can even forget that there was ever an old item number!

But, there is one exception to this. It is with the
Raspberry Ice lip color. Because BeautiControl introduced
the new number for Raspberry Ice (10278) before they removed
the old number (6231), NutShell will get confused in trying
to handle this situation. It is easy to fix, though. It just
needs a little help from you. Here is what to do:
1. Apply your updates
2. Go to the Inventory screen and navigate to item 10278
     (the new Raspberry Ice)
3. Delete this item by clicking the ‘-’ in the upper left
     corner of the screen. NutShell may advise against
     deleting the item, but do it anyway.
4. Go to the old Raspberry Ice (6231) and change the item
     number to 10278

Now NutShell will know that both item numbers represent the
same product.

If you forget to do this, or are delayed in getting it done,
don’t worry. You can do it anytime. However, the sooner,
the better. It is important that when you delete the new
number, you don’t have any numbers in the ‘Q’ columns. If
you do, just let me know and I’ll help you with it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
   Recognition Corner
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Congratulations to the following NutShell users who have
worked hard and achieved success in advancing their careers!

~ $15,000 Director ~
Susie Pratt

~ $10,000 Director ~
Judy Guerra

~ $5,000 Director ~
Judy Byrum
Nancy Forrest
Joanne Harder
Stacy Wallert
Lisa Wilkinson

~ Senior Director ~
Judy Byrum
Nancy Forrest
Stacy Wallert

~ Mustang Director ~
Liz Palaca

~ Director ~
Karen Fritschi
Linda Guthrie
Karen Haynes
Marcy Roitman-Booth
Pam Vanden Bulck

~ New DIQ ~
Norma Holland
Donna Kistler
Kay Korbe
Angie Toben

~ DIQ ~
Thelma Blount
Gena Flanary
Brenda Fogerty
Mary Hamala
Tawana Hornaday
Nancy Johnson
Donna Kirkbride
  Amy Messinger
Karen Mosteller
Donna Oehlert
Bridget Psaromatis
Barbara Sloan
Debbie Tyndall
Diane Vivlamore
Donna Winegard
Karen Witt
Wendy Zukowski

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
   Copyright Information
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Please pass this e-zine along to your friends. Just click
the Forward button on your email screen to send this
newsletter to other consultants who would enjoy reading
it! However, please keep it intact and forward it in its
entirety.

Copyright 2003 Blue Flute Software Creations, Inc.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
   List Maintenance
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subscriptions to this e-zine are FREE.
Newsletter 'In a NutShell' is published monthly.

To subscribe:
Simply send an email to subscribe@blueflute.com
Be sure to include your name.

To unsubscribe:
Send an email to unsubscribe@blueflute.com
Please note that this newsletter serves as your
notification that Inventory Updates are ready. If you
unsubscribe this newsletter, you will not receive
notification when the updates are ready.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Linda Gerloff
Blue Flute Software Creations
linda@blueflute.com
P.O. Box 77882
Fort Worth, TX 76177
817-439-1081

Blue FluteSoftware Creations, Inc.