Jodie Stickney, April 16, 2007 - About the Lifeblood of Your Business

Your letter

April 16,  2007:  Jodie who is into alpaca farming writes:

Dear Sir or Madam:

On your show airing April 15, 2007, regarding financials of small business, you showed, several times, businesses using a software program but you never stated what that program was.

I ...wonder if it is Quicken.  If so, what version do you recommend.  If it is not Quicken, can you recommend one or let us know what your small businesses were using?

Thanks very much,

Jodie Stickney
P.O. Box 307
Lindsborg, Kansas 67456

We talked with Jodie...

April 26, 2007, Lindsborg, Kansas:   Good things come from the heart of America.  We looked up Jodie on the web and called her to be sure she would be OK with posting her letter to us and her  web links below. 

Jodie is classic, a real American pioneer, a person with soul, with hope and joy and optimism. She sounds like she is 25 years old, but her sons and nephew are working with her in two family businesses.

Come to find out, the alpaca business reflects the affections of their hearts.  The other business reflects their years of work in law enforcement. Their other business is a very high-level GPS services for law enforcement, corporate America, and families.  It reflects their desire for integrity, justice, and fairness.

Our hats are off to the Stickney family!

To learn more, visit Jodie's two websites:

1. Smokey Valley Alpacas (new window)

2. Trac-Pro Services (new window)

Our Response

Hi Jodie –

Thank you for writing and watching the show. 

Every good accounting software program today has the capability of giving you back your key critical ratios.  Most of us just do not use those features.

We work with (alphabetical listing):   IBM, Intuit, Microsoft, Sage, and others who have General Accounting Software.  98% of us are using either Intuit's QuickBooks or one Sage's products -  BusinessVision, DacEasy, MAS 90, Peachtree or Simply Accounting, or a Microsoft product  - Great Plains, Solomon IV or SBA 2006. There are many others ACCPAC, AccountMate (Softline), Adagio (Softrak), CYMA, MYOB...

It sounds like you may be using Intuit’s Quickbooks. They have a very robust section on ratios in their current release.

In 1994 a key reason to start the show was to address the issue,  “Why aren’t more people using their financials more aggressively?”  We had discovered that most people who go out of business simply did not read their numbers and  take appropriate action.

Our goal is to get us all using the capabilities that we already have!  Before you spend any additional money on software, go to the index of your user’s manual and look under reports.  There should be a section on financial ratios.  If your software is the most recent release, it could be its own section. Look for trends and performance ratios and measurements.  The next time you see your CPA, ask about ratio analysis.  Your CPA should be your trusted adviser and they should help you understand how to use your financials. 

You might find Jim’s little book to be of help; our page with Jim's contact information and a number of references is just a click away!   (Look on the righthand box under the tab, "Profile."    Plus, there is plenty on the web.  Just put the key words in quotes!

Good luck with it all!

Best wishes for your prosperous future,

Bruce (and Hattie)