Chart of Accounts Wizard: Our New "Save & Exit" Feature:
We have added a new feature to our Chart of Accounts Wizard that will allow users to input information in increments. If you do not have time to finish with the Wizard and generate your spreadsheet workbook, you can select "Save & Exit." When you return to the Wizard, your previous input will be there and you can continue without starting over again.

New Option to Begin Projection Year with the Month of Your Choice:
In prior versions, all projected spreadsheets ran from January through December. In Version 2007, the user can choose the beginning month and year for financial projections. All of the spreadsheets in the workbook will then reflect those choices.

Start-up businesses will have the option to select any month they choose for the start-up month (January thru December). Existing businesses can choose either January-December or July-June according to their business year.

Balance Sheets: Choice of Legal Structure Feature:
The Chart of Accounts Wizard asks the user to choose from Sole Proprietor, Partnership, or Corporation for the legal structure for the businesss. All Balance Sheet worksheets will then reflect this choice and be formulated to calculate the net worth of the owners.

We Have a New Loan Calculator (Amortizing) Tool:
We have always had an amortising program, but it was an old DOS application. We have now added an up-to-date loan calculator that will enable you to input anticipated loan information and even extra payments that you wish to make. We will then calculate the required monthly payments, and provide you with a printable amortizing schedule for the entire term of the loan, complete with a detailed list of monthly and annual principal and interest payments.

We Have a New MDI Interface:
Version 2006 has been updated with a new MDI Interface. For the first time, our users will always have access to the Main Screen Menus and Icon Toolbar without closing or minimizing the current word processing and/or spreadsheet workbook task window(s). Combined with our new "Window" menu (see 2., below), this also brings the ability for you to concurrently open and work with multiple files or to display instruction windows beside or below the plan tasks (executive summary, organizational plan, marketing plan, financial plan, etc.) that you are working on.

New "Window" Menu on the Main Screen Menu Bar:
We have added a Window Menu on the Main Screen Toolbar. When more than one file is open, the menus will give you the following choices: Tile Horizontally, Tile Vertically, Cascade, Arrange Icons, or Choose the file to bring to the screen front.

A notable example of the benefit to the user can be found in the spreadsheet workbook. When you are working in a spreadsheet, you can choose "Help for the Current Worksheet" from the spreadsheet Help menus. The screen is automatically split with the scrollable spreadsheet occupying the top half of the window and scrollable instructions occupying the bottom half - neatly guiding you through financial input throughout the spreadsheet.

New Worksheets with Timeline (Milestone) Tables for Managing Various Projects:
We have added a Timeline-Milestones Worksheet for managing milestones in various types of projects. There are four tables that you can choose from to plan and track milestones for different purposes - marketing campaigns, web site development, launch of new products or services, and opening of a retail or service operation. The various tables can also be altered to work for other projects, such as completion of contracts, planning expansion, launching of industry publications, etc. As always, there is a menu that leads to examples that will give the writer ideas as to how these tables might have been filled-in and utilized by other companies.

Edit/Add/Delete Chart of Accounts:
Our Chart of Accounts Wizard enables you to input revenue, expense, and balance sheet categories, as well as other information. The software generates an integrated (linked) spreadsheet workbook that is completely customized to your business (see 4. below). Starting in Version 12.0, we added the capability for you to return to our Wizard to make changes.

Revise Your Accounts Without Starting Over Again!
If you discover, after your spreadsheet workbook has been generated and you have spent hours inputting numbers, that you want to make changes to the workbook accounts (delete categories, add new categories, or edit the names of categories), we now have a financial spreadsheet menu (Edit/Add/Delete Chart of Accounts) that will take you back to our Chart of Accounts Wizard to make your changes. The neat thing is that none of your previous work will be lost or disrupted. After you have made your changes, a revised spreadsheet workbook will be generated for you and you can continue with your input.

Cash and Invoice Sales Calculations:
Depending on your business, you may have to deal with invoiced sales. This means that for each type of product sold or each type of service rendered, a portion (percentage) of the cash is received at the time of the sales and the remainder at times determined by established invoice terms (30, 60, or 90 days). Accounting for the terms related to each product/service category can be a daunting task. We have automated that process by enabling you to enter the portion (percentage) of cash sale, percentage of invoiced sales, and the invoice terms for each product or service in our Chart of Accounts Wizard. The software then utilizes the information to calculate and apportion the inflow of cash into the appropriate months. This will ensure a realistic cash flow projection for your company.

Importing and Exporting of Your Plan Project:
We realize that our users may wish to work on their business plans on more than one computer. In our new version, we have added Import and Export menus to the main File menu in Automate Your Business Plan 12.0. You "Export" your plan project and save it to a CD or other transportable media device. When you are working in Automate Your Business Plan on one of your other computers, you can then "Import" the plan project to that computer and continue your work. When you want to transport it back to the original computer, you can reverse the process.

Revert to an Archived Version of a Plan File:
On occasion, a user will make changes to plan files and then decide that a previously-saved version of that file is more desirable. In Automate Your Business Plan 12.0, we have added a "Revert" menu to the File menus of the word processor and spreadsheet tools. If you wish to revert to an earlier version of your plan file, selecting this menu will allow you to choose from previously-saved files and replace your current plan file.

Integrated (Linked) Spreadsheet Workbook in Versions 12 and 2006:
Users can create a linked set of financial spreadsheets that is completely customized to their own charts of accounts. In the past, the spreadsheets have been separate files that had to be customized by the user. Now our Chart of Accounts Wizard will take you through the setup process and your workbook of linked spreadsheets will instantly be completely customized to your business. Numbers input in one spreadsheet will automatically be input in all related spreadsheets. When you update information, it will be updated throughout the workbook.

• Charts & Graphs Included:
  We have also added a charting and graphing component to the Integrated Spreadsheet Workbook. It will automatically generate six graphs and charts reflecting your financial information. They can then be pasted into the text part of your plan or used in your presentations for added effect.
  
  
• Financial Statement Analysis is Auto-Generated:
  Financial statement analysis will now be much easier to perform. The spreadsheet workbook contains four separate quarterly budget analysis spreadsheets (one for each quarter). All of the information will be auto-generated from cash flow and profit & loss statements, making it easy to perform a quarterly review of your company's profitability. Critical ratios will also be auto-generated in our ratio table making it easy to measure your business against industry standards.

New Business or Existing Business Option:
Upon entering the software, you can select the type of plan to be written....one for a new business or one for an existing business. After choosing, you will automatically be in the right environment for your type of business and have the appropriate spreadsheets for your financial plan.

Save Plan to Zip File:
Because some of our users have queried us as to the best way to email their business plan files to non-users of Automate Your Business Plan or to upload them to a website, we have a "Save Plan to Zip File" feature. You will be able to select the pieces of your plan that you would like to send electronically, move the selected pieces to the right window and click on "Save Plan to Zip File". Your business plan pieces will then be saved in .doc and .xls formats and zipped into a single transportable file. (Read more about this in the Readme File and in the Help File.)

Content Revision (2005 and 2006):
The business planning content has been revised to reflect the most current trends in business planning and to match the 6th edition of our book, Anatomy of a Business Plan.

• What Do Lenders and Investors Look For?
  You will find the most current information on requirements of lenders and investors in today's business world. We have also updated our Research Section to help you access sources of financial and marketing information.
  
  
• Organizational Plan Content:
  We have updated the organizational plan to include information on understanding and conducting a SWOT Analysis that will help the user to better analyze strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of the business.
  
  
• Marketing Plan Content:
  You have the option of creating either a basic or advanced marketing plan. The basic marketing plan option may be the best choice for a smaller business or for students completing a class project. The advanced marketing plan should be especially beneficial to larger and more aggressive businesses. It guides the user through the development of both an on-line and off-line approach to market planning.
  

Newest Tool Features:
In versions 11 and 12, we added new features to both the word processor and spreadsheet tools. Most significant are:

• Word Processing:
  The newest addition to our word processor tool is the capability to save text files to PDF for Adobe® Acrobat® Reader. Other newer features are the ability to insert tables and to create bulleted and numbered lists.
  
  
• Spreadsheet Tool:
  We now have a charting and graphing tool called First Impressions. It is an excellent tool and you will find that it is very easy to use. The spreadsheet tool also now has a Print Preview menu.