Why BeadEnCounter?
(or how I learned to stop worrying and love the software....
(or how I learned to stop worrying and love the software....
How does a database make beading or any craft art better? Doesn't it just make more sense to sit down and make art?
BeadEnCounter started as a way to jog my memory. I couldn't remember what I paid for beads, findings or supplies, even just a few weeks after purchase. Even worse, I couldn't remember what some beads were made of! Yellow glass? or citrine? Onyx? or black glass?
I tried the "little bits of paper in the storage container" system of keeping track, but man oh man those bits seemed to migrate, get lost, or turn out to be way too cryptic months later.
So I began a basic list-type spreadsheet thing to keep track. That's where it all started. Then it grew, as I found I needed a way to price and document my finished pieces.
What does the software DO for an artist? Or a business-person who is also an artist?
For me, it keeps me organized and professional. I know that each item I purchase is documented in the Inventory section. I know how much I spent, and when, which my accountant will appreciate at tax time.
I'm confident in my pricing of finished pieces, as the per-item pricing of all materials is automatic. Invoices look professional.
My material storage is organized, with each item clearly labeled. Check out the drawer picture.
I'm thinking about using BeadEnCounter, but I'm not quite sure. What's the most important benefit of using software like this ?
BeadEnCounter is a commitment to your art, your business and yourself. Organization and professional appearance promote the self-confidence that yes, your art deserves to be documented, organized and approached as a worthwhile enterprise.
Doesn't working with the software take too much time away from the art?
Actually, by being disciplined about entering both materials and finished work, I spend far less time trying to figure out what things cost than I did when everything was just tossed together.
I can, if I want, organize my like materials together, and determine with confidence that I'm either using semi-precious (and thus more costly) or more economical materials in a piece.
Sometimes, the actual process of entering new materials (or browsing through my list of already entered material) will spark ideas on what to combine for my next piece.
And then, of course, the pricing of a finished work is a matter of a few clicks now. Generating invoices is a snap, not a struggle.
BeadEnCounter started as a way to jog my memory. I couldn't remember what I paid for beads, findings or supplies, even just a few weeks after purchase. Even worse, I couldn't remember what some beads were made of! Yellow glass? or citrine? Onyx? or black glass?
I tried the "little bits of paper in the storage container" system of keeping track, but man oh man those bits seemed to migrate, get lost, or turn out to be way too cryptic months later.
So I began a basic list-type spreadsheet thing to keep track. That's where it all started. Then it grew, as I found I needed a way to price and document my finished pieces.
What does the software DO for an artist? Or a business-person who is also an artist?
For me, it keeps me organized and professional. I know that each item I purchase is documented in the Inventory section. I know how much I spent, and when, which my accountant will appreciate at tax time.
I'm confident in my pricing of finished pieces, as the per-item pricing of all materials is automatic. Invoices look professional.
My material storage is organized, with each item clearly labeled. Check out the drawer picture.
I'm thinking about using BeadEnCounter, but I'm not quite sure. What's the most important benefit of using software like this ?
BeadEnCounter is a commitment to your art, your business and yourself. Organization and professional appearance promote the self-confidence that yes, your art deserves to be documented, organized and approached as a worthwhile enterprise.
Doesn't working with the software take too much time away from the art?
Actually, by being disciplined about entering both materials and finished work, I spend far less time trying to figure out what things cost than I did when everything was just tossed together.
I can, if I want, organize my like materials together, and determine with confidence that I'm either using semi-precious (and thus more costly) or more economical materials in a piece.
Sometimes, the actual process of entering new materials (or browsing through my list of already entered material) will spark ideas on what to combine for my next piece.
And then, of course, the pricing of a finished work is a matter of a few clicks now. Generating invoices is a snap, not a struggle.
