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Frequently
Asked Questions
What
makes SuccessWare better than other studio management software?
Rather than simply tracking your clients and orders, SuccessWare makes
it easy to understand, plan and control all aspects of your business—marketing,
income, expenses, pricing, cash flow, bank accounts, loans, credit cards,
appointments, work flow, task assignments, orders, portrait sittings,
weddings, sales taxes, clients, prospects, vendors, and more—in
one easy to use package. We could go on and on. Take a look at our demo
and you'll see the difference for yourself. See
what our clients have to say.
What
makes SuccessWare better than off-the-shelf accounting software?
SuccessWare is designed for photography studios. It uses a proven “managerial”
system of accounting developed by Charles Haynes, past president of
the Professional Photographers of America, and others. This simple and
effective system enables you to see the financial aspects of your business
clearly without needing an accountant's interpretation. This clear understanding
of your studio business empowers you to take corrective action when
problems arise to avoid even bigger problems in the future. Knowing
exactly what's going on in your business financially on a day-to-day
basis helps you become more profitable and gives you peace of mind.
Off-the-shelf software isn't designed specifically for photography studios
and uses a “custodial” system of accounting. This system is
designed to help your accountant pay your taxes. It isn't designed to
give you the answers you need to run your business at peak level on
a day-to-day basis. SuccessWare will help your accountant pay your taxes
too. More importantly, it will help you manage your business more effectively
and profitably. See what our clients
have to say.
After spending hundreds of dollars on studio management software
that doesn't work, why should I take another chance with SuccessWare?
We understand your fear. Many of our clients were just as afraid. But,
you know what they found? They found that SuccessWare not only works
well, but it has enabled them to make significant strides in their businesses.
They're happy they made the investment! Plus, we offer a fully functioning
demo so you can try everything out before you buy. And, SuccessWare
comes with a 90 day full, 100% money-back guarantee. So you see, there
really is nothing to fear. See what
our clients have to say.
What kind of customer support does SuccessWare offer?
We strive to offer the best support services in the entire software
industry (see what our clients have
to say). Purchasers of the full version of SuccessWare, which includes
Success Tracking, Success Planning, and Success Pricing, receive free
upgrades for one year plus full technical support for one year on our
toll-free 800 line. Support and subscription plans are available after
the first year. Leasers receive full technical support on our toll-free
800 line plus all upgrades as long as they continue to lease. Any other
purchase (Success Planning and/or Success Pricing) comes with 90 days
of technical support on our toll-free 800 line. After your first 90
days, additional support can be added in yearly increments. See
our support policies for full details. We also offer “jump-start,”
“how to,” and “what's new” movies, training
classes, comprehensive on-screen user guides, jump-start phone calls,
and more. See our support page for all of
the available support resources.
I have a very small photography business. Is SuccessWare right for
me?
If you would like to grow the income produced by your business (perhaps
to enable you to go from part time to full time) then SuccessWare is
perfect for you. Even if you don't wish to grow past the “small”
stage, SuccessWare can save you time by organizing your business life
and it can help you make the most of the sales dollars you do receive.
What kind of documentation is available for SuccessWare?
SuccessWare comes with comprehensive on-screen
user guides written in a non-technical fashion making them easy
to use and understand. Training videos are also available on the web
(see our support page for more information).
Is training available for SuccessWare?
Yes. See our training classes page for
all of the details.
I've been using other software for many years and I don't want to
lose all of the information that I have stored. Can I transfer my current
information into SuccessWare?
Yes. Please ask us about your specific needs.
I want software that is easy to use. How hard is it to “get
up and running?”
Setup is a snap with SuccessWare's Getting Started Wizard. The Wizard
asks you a few simple questions about your business. Once you answer
the questions, you're ready to start entering information into SuccessWare.
It's that easy! Plus, we provide free jump-start phone calls with our
support staff to guide you through getting started and to answer all
of your questions. In addition, we offer jump-start
movies on the web to help you get going quickly.
Can SuccessWare help me understand which areas of my business are
most profitable?
Yes. Success Tracking shows the profitability of each of your product
lines—weddings, studio portraits, seniors, etc.—by producing
separate Income & Expense Statements for each. Doing so tells you
if you are making money in some product lines and losing money in others.
Can I print letters and mailing labels for my clients and prospects?
Yes. You can use SuccessWare's full-featured word processor to compose
personalized letters. You can print a single letter or use SuccessWare's
“merge” feature to print a letter to many people. SuccessWare
prints mailing labels in all shapes and sizes. It comes with all of
the popular Avery® label formats predefined or you can create formats
for any other brand of labels. You can even use any of the popular DYMO®
LabelWriter brand printers to print your labels.
Can I target my marketing by identifying specific clients and prospects
that I want to send direct mail to?
SuccessWare has an in-depth search capability which makes it easy to
find anything. You can search for birth dates, anniversaries, seniors,
children, customized categories, clients who have spent more than a
certain amount, the list goes on and on. With this capability, you can
find a set of clients and prospects and print personalized letters and
mailing labels or E-mail them with a click of a button.
Can SuccessWare tell me if my advertising is working?
Yes. SuccessWare shows you how well each of your displays, direct mail
pieces, advertisements, etc. are doing in terms of number of inquiries,
booked clients, actual sales generated, etc. You'll have the knowledge
to spend your valuable advertising dollars more effectively.
Can I print checks with SuccessWare?
Yes. SuccessWare has full bill paying and check writing capabilities.
You can use any brand of computer-printable checks you desire.
Can I print invoices for my clients using SuccessWare?
Yes. SuccessWare comes with predefined invoice templates that you can
use “as is” or customize for your specific needs. You can
add your studio name, address, logo, etc. You can create as many invoice
styles as you desire. In addition, you can send monthly statements and
even e-mail invoices to your clients.
Can I keep track of a client's past sittings and purchases in one
place?
Yes. Unlike some other software packages, SuccessWare allows an unlimited
number of sessions and orders for each client. You don't have to create
a “new” client when a past client returns to your studio simply
to enter a new order or to change the client's category from “wedding”
to “portrait.” So, SuccessWare tracks a client's history with
ease.
Can I monitor all of my accounts and reconcile within SuccessWare
without using another software package or reconciling by hand?
Yes. SuccessWare handles all types of accounts including checking, savings,
loans, credit cards and cash. It makes it simple to monitor all transactions
and reconcile with account statements.
Will SuccessWare help me with my sales tax reporting?
Yes. SuccessWare includes a sales tax report that will help pay your
sales taxes. It will break down the information based on your taxable
sales and nontaxable sales on a state-by-state basis.
What is business planning and do I really need it?
The most important managerial task any business owner performs is to
create an annual business plan. A business plan brings structure, discipline,
and accountability to your marketing and management efforts; without
it, your business lacks direction and control. Many of our clients thought
that business planning was a waste of time. But after trying it, they're
convinced it's the best thing they've ever done for their businesses
and themselves. Here's what Dennis and Julie DuBois of Sunrise Photography
in North Webster Indiana have to say: “We used to think that goal
setting was a waste of time. When we got SuccessWare, business planning
was part of the package, so we went ahead and created a business plan.
We set our personal goals along with business goals. We did our sales
projections and expense projections. Now, to our amazement, our goals
have come true!”
Can
SuccessWare provide me with accurate sales averages?
Yes. SuccessWare shows the average sale for each type of session you
perform (weddings, seniors, studio portraits, etc.). Some other studio
management packages report sales averages based on orders instead of
sessions. So, you can't figure out how much you sell on a typical session
without doing tedious hand calculations.
Can I afford SuccessWare?
Our clients report that SuccessWare is well worth the price (see
what they have to say). By using its planning, pricing and tracking
features properly, the additional compensation you'll receive from your
business in the coming years should far outweigh your investment in
SuccessWare. In addition, our leasing option
makes SuccessWare very affordable for virtually any studio.
Does SuccessWare fully support Apple's Mac OS X system?
Yes. SuccessWare runs natively on MacOS X 10.2 and later. The MacOS
X version of SuccessWare is NOT compatible with MacOS versions prior
to MacOS X 10.2 (including MacOS 9 and 8.6). In addition, if you use
SuccessWare on more than one Macintosh and you wish to move to the MacOS
X version, you must upgrade all of these computers to MacOS X 10.2 or
later.
I have more questions. Where can I get answers?
Simply phone us at 800-593-3767 between 10:00 AM and 5:00 PM Eastern
Time Monday through Friday or e-mail us at info@successware.net.
We will be glad to help!
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Business Quick Tip
When
a client receives a thank-you note—whether you're saying thank-you
for making an appointment or for an order—it leaves a lasting
favorable impression. Saying thank-you is one of the little intangibles
that go a long way toward building a positive image for your business. |
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Success Story