I can enter timecards and print checks for my employees in 20 seconds.
How? By using a scriptable database management system we designed ourselves using Filemaker. I’m running my business on a 13 year old computer running an 11 year old copy of Filemaker. It’s so fast customers are impressed at how quickly we pull up their records.
Filemaker is an extremely easy-to-use database program. You write scripts by replicating the operations you would do manually. For example, you can script “File: Print” instead of using the mouse and pulldown menus.
With a Filemaker-based system, you can eliminate a payroll service, save thousands of dollars on specialized software programs, and save countless hours of tedious data entry.
Filemaker is so easy to use, non-programmers can use it to run a complete business. You just have to think of everything in terms of a database.
I’ve set up separate “tables” for General Journal, Sales Orders, Purchase Orders, Employees, Payroll, Inventory, etc. The General Journal and Payroll tables are annuals. All other tables are perennials.
Databases are set up as tables, records and fields. One table could contain employee information. Each record is for an employee. The fields contain data such as last name, first name, etc. All tables can be linked because Filemaker is a relational database system.
Fields can be defined with formulas, so our payroll table has a field that calculates Federal withholding based on the IRS exact calculation method.
All I do for payroll is enter the number of hours, vacation hours, and bonus, if any. I then click a button I defined which runs a script that does all 20 or so general journal entries and prints the paystub. After all employees are entered, I go into the General Journal table and click on the button making the script run for printing the days checks. I put the checks in the printer and that’s it. I still have to go to EFTPS to send Uncle Sam his money, but all the hard work is done in seconds.
My bookkeeper wrote most of the scripts. She never programmed a computer before or since. It took literally minutes for her to learn the system.
Filemaker is available for Windows and the Mac. It’s the best software investment I have ever made.
