Sage 50

Off-topic
1

Sorry, very unrelated to biking, but does anyone here have a good working knowledge of Sage 50?

I need to learn the basics within the next month, so if anyone here is prepared to give me a few lessons, either at mine or yours, then I’d be very grateful. Willing to pay a reasonable amount for tuition. I’m based near Finsbury Park.

I’ve purchased Sage 50 for dummies and, having read a few pages, all I want to do is set fire to it…!

2

Sage Line 50 is very simple to use, you might be better off putting the book away and just playing around with it. Are you familiar with accounting terms and any other accounting software? If so, the menus should be easy to navigate.

I can’t offer physical help as I live on the other side of the pond.

If nobody else can help, put up a screen shot and tell me what you want to do and I’ll try and guide you. It’s been a few years since I used it but that shouldn’t be a problem.

3

Hi, cheers for the replySadly I’m not from an accounting background. I can normally get to grips with software relatively quickly but the capabilities of Sage are huge and I only need to be able to perform some pretty basic functions.

Essentially I need to know how to:

A) Set up multiple companies / departments, which are the owners of multiple buy-to-let properties

B) Set up tenants (presumably customers) which will be allocated to a specified company / department

C) Load recurring rent charges to each of those tenants / customers

D) Be able to allocate rents received on various bank statements to each of the tenants / customers

Ideally I’d then like to be able to process expenses e.g. for repairs, letting agents fees etc, but that can all happen later.

I’m starting a new job in March and one of my tasks is to implement new software & procedures into the company. They use Sage…but not properly and not to adminster the collection of rent etc.

There is a piece of property management software which I intend to purchase and it links in with Sage ‘seamlessly’ (apparently), so it would definitely be a great advantage if I can get to grips with using it…albeit once it’s up and running I can leave the accounts department to using Sage.

I’m intermittently buggering around with it but, as I say, there are so many features which I’ll never need to personally use that are just clouding what I need to do. It’s just frustrating!

The book just bangs on about double entry accounting, nominal ledgers, fixed assets, blah blah blah!

I’ll keep arsing around with it this evening, but if you have any suggestions / can offer some advice I’d be grateful!

Cheers

PhilP.S. I think my avatar succinctly explains my current understanding of Sage.

4

Without knowing the nitty gritty of the business and how it functions, makes it’s profit etc then it’s almost impossible to advise you as to how to set up the software.

With any kind of business, the 1st thing to set up is a chart of accounts, sometimes referred to as a general or nominal ledger. This will perform the 2nd part of the double entry and is what your reporting will be based on. For this you absolutely need input from the finance people and nothing can be done without it! Here is an example of a simple chart of accounts: http://www.smallbusinessnotes.com/business-finances/sample-chart-of-accounts.html

If I’m honest, I think trying to do this withough accounting knowledge will be an utter nightmare as that’s the whole reason for it. Each time I try to start with some advice for you it comes back to accounting rules and regulations. For example your chart of accounts will need to have control accounts for your debtors and creditors, VAT payable and receivable accounts within your balance sheet. Not to mention your fixed asset and depreciation accounts, accruals and deferrals and that’s before we get to the profit and loss section which is for your revenue and expenditure.

The best adivse I can give you is to get the new company to show you how they currently do things and ask them to provide you with access to a copy of the database (not the live company!). This will then include existing data and most importantly the chart of accounts they currently use. You would be better off using that to get familiar with the day to day workings than setting up a company from scratch as unfortunately all the complicated things have to be done during set up to enable the simple things to happen once set up.

5

Hey

Thanks again for your input. I might be able to get them to send me a copy of the datebase before I start so I can start buggering around with it beforehand. In the meantime I’ll keep cracking on with the Sage book.

Cheers

Phil

6

If you both have access to computers, Sherrie could give virtual assistance either using Remote Assistance on Windows or if one of you are on a different platform, you can download a free program called Team Viewer.

Sherrie can then log into the Drunk Knight’s computer and give help by actually moving your mouse.

If you’ve got a Skype session going at the same time, you chat too (not sure if Team Viewer supports chat as well but maybe).

Drunk Knight, you can pay Sherrie via PayPal in Dollars.

Sherrie you can then transfer some of that money to me for coming up with the idea :smiley: (jokes).