Dear all,
Anybody with business skills among us? Sabina sent me the following list of what she would need in order to efficiently manage the knitting business. Also any other suggestions are welcome!

It would be much appreciated if any neighbours could develop some online learning tool, training and linked files/software that Sabina and the women could use...now that we'll soon have a website to promote the products we really need the skills to manage the business too!
Best, Angelika

1. Knitters management
1. Unit of production with wage per unit (different)
2. Wool Record (in and out) /wool with knitter /wool in Stock
3. Amount (labor cost) to be distributed on monthly basis
4. Knitter Turnover
Etc need suggestions for more

2. Order management
1. Order Record by customers
2. Delivered Units
3. Balance units to be produced

3. Invoicing to the customers
4. Credit management
5. Draft inquiry letters
6. Accounting system
1. direct material cost
2. indirect material cost
3. indirect manufacturing cost
4. finished goods cost
5. WIP
6. Selling and distribution cost
7. Trial balance
8. Profit and Loss
9. Balance sheet
10. Reports

7. Printing formats
Invoice
Production order
Reports

Hi Angelika,

I want to get this job off and running. The calendar, website and catalog seem to be coming out well.

I am a bit confused about this one though. Are we looking for some kind of software or program to manage and record things like cash flows etc? Or are we looking for a group of excel files that can be updated regularly with all the details on costs, revenues, orders etc.?

Also, will customers be able to order online from the website - esp those buying in bulk at wholesale rates?

I might have more questions for you and Sabina as we progress.

Thanks
Freddie

Yes we need some kind of software package or program which will calculate above things and keep records also . whole tools for small business.

FYI, this knitting business will be categorized under manufacturer,wholesaler,retailer and exporter. This is my wish.

Yes customer can order online from the website who want to buy bulk at wholesale rates.

Before that let our website be ready and prepare for export as well as prepare to manage effectively.

Sabina

There is a great website - www.mango.org.uk where they have all the material necessary for keeping accounts - as well as a manual for training in keeping accounts - look in the publications. I hope this will be of some use to you.

Regards
Genna

Hi Sabina,
you're facing a number of steps to get this thing of the ground. First, you need to set up a chart of accounts that represents the processes of the knitting business. Secondly, we should try to find readily available free accounting software. (Building this from scratch is far too complicated.) I use free software for my own firm, and it suits me just fine. Thirdly, the software should be installed on a pc and should be customized to your needs (using the chart of accounts in step 1). The next step is to set up master data (customers, suppliers, etc.) and your starting balances. Finally, there should be some training for the people that will use the system.
For starters, I could help you by setting up your chart of accounts (step 1 above). To be able to do this, I would have to understand all processes that take place in the knitting business (i.e. procurement of wool, manufacturing process, customer ordering, delivery, etc.). I could draw up a questionnaire for you to start with. I should be able to draft a chart of accounts from your answers. if we're satisfied with the chart of accounts and the posting schemes (i.e debet, credit posting schedule for all activities in the knitting business), we can try to find software that can be customized to your need.
Let me know your thoughts,
Wilfred.

Great ideas!
Thanks for your inputs. Please send me your questionaire to start working on chart of accounts.

regards
Sabina

Will start working on questionnaire and will send it to you as soon as possible.

Hi Sabine, I've included a questionnaire as an attachment to this post. In the questionnaire I also drafted a proposed solution on how to (financially) follow your manufacuring process. Please let me know what you think so I can make adjustments for your situation.

Questionnaire Yoshinkhel 20090214.doc

Hi Sabina. I just joined Nabuur. I've been looking at this project and have been thinking about how I can contribute.

So I thought I'd try and introduce to you a free accounting software. Take a look at the website and let me know if it seems to complicated.

http://www.gnucash.org/

It is a free software.

Bobby

--
The first step is the hardest. What follows is an adventure and where you end is all up to you. Take that step.

hi sabina first i want to know that do you know hindi because i am an indianso ican talk to you in hindi also
now for your information knitting business is very profitable business
i have done for 3 years i want to discusswith you now when you are going to do this business to train them you should go step by step quality is more important then quantity is is dificult in bigning but after it bring money you should give a name to your product after some time you can understand what is accounting than it is requare to take proper traningof accounting than you can understand eyerything i have some knitting machine in india they are automatic but they are not run by powerthey are japany machine they are operated by hand one woman can make 3 full swaters in a day you can give them moneypayment for number of swetersnot day wise so there is a comptition between them you can chat with me after that i had started an industry then my product have chand
pratibha

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pratibha

Hi Wilfred ,

Here is attached reply to your questionnaire. I have put question mark where i didn't understand.

Hope it helps you to creat chart of accounts and financial software package for our yoshinkhel project.
If any more questions, please let me know . I will try my best to reply as per my knowledge and time.

Thanks a lot.

Sabina

Questionnaire Yoshinkhel 20090214.doc

Hello Bob,

Welcome and thanks for joining us.

I just visited http://www.gnucash.org/ but couldnot locate from where to download accounting package to test. Could you please check and intruct me how to download it.

Tks.
Sabina

Sabina didi,

The file is too big to download. I know the connection there isn't very fast. So sorry to have misled you.

Otherwise, for anybody else interested:

Click on the following link and click on gnucash-2.2.9-setup.exe [It's the second one]. That will start the download.

http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=192&package_id=202...
--
The first step is the hardest. What follows is an adventure and where you end is all up to you. Take that step.

Hi Sabina,
It looks like you have a good business going on. According to the list there are a lot of things at one time that you need to address. My take would be as follows:

1. Before you go out to get a software of what ever system, take a short break and check what activities you have going and which one has the major problem that would be your starting point.
2. From my view you have a) people to manage, b) raw materials; i.e your wool etc that need to be bought in and controlled, c) Finished products and those in process, d) suppliers, e) buyers and f) cash.
3. Imagine you have to keep a register for each of these. In the register you record what has come in and what has gone out and account for the difference. Then you can imagine that a software would be a master register that will keep all the small registers above.
4. I am sure you have some people in your small business who you can trust to share the work of maintaining these registers. Then think of allocating the share of work to each one of them. Of course based on capabilities of each.
5. Which one of the a) to f) areas that I have mensioned above is most problematic? Start with it and see if you can grasp a method or recording and checking the balances on it. Then you will slowly move on to the others that are less problematic.

The most important to think of is how you can share the work load and how you can reduce the costs of making your profits. This will not only help you understand your business more but it will give you good lessons on every step that you take and in future you will value your own system that what others can design for you. There are a lot of free systems on the internet but you should also remember that free as they are you also need powerful electronic system to connect and download, which you may not have.

I hope this gives you some light.

Mapitso
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Mapitso

Dear Pratipha and Mapitso,

Warm Welcome.

Thank you so much for your valuable suggestions.

Because of work load, I refer software which will help me to work easily and access in less time. We have also kept register book for each title. The most problem is people to manage. In this business, the turnover is high and difficult to manage it and also controlling in raw materials.

Now i m using broadband for internet connections so it won't difficult to download the software.

Well Pratipha, here sweaters are in high demand to export but due to unsuffiecient kwoledge and lack of investment we could not buy machine so we cannot fulfill this demand. Machine made sweaters are profitable than handknitted sweaters.I would like to hear more suggestions from you. FYI, I could talk in hindi too. Please add me in your msn or yahoo messenger list too. Chat you soon Pratibha.

Tks again and have a nice weekend.
Sabina