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<h2>Creating a New Client</h2>
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<p>Creating a new client involves (1) the application creating the necessary database and other files, and providing default data
specific to the client; and (2) the user completing the necessary client information and customization of journal categories.</p>
<p>To ensure all files and data are properly created and prepared for use, it is important to follow these steps:</p>
<div class="indent1">
<h3>1. Create database, files and default data.</h3>
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<p>• From the top menu, go to <span class="menu">File</span> and select <span class="menu">New Client</span></p>
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<div class="indent3">
<p>On the <span class="scr">Create New Client</span> Screen, please provide the following information to help <b><i>iJournal</i></b>
create the appropriate default data:</p>
<ul class="fields">
<li><span class="fld">Sort Name</span> This should be the common name used to refer to the business internally. For example, the
sort name for "Robert Allan Jenkins & Sons Home Construction Enterprises LLC" could be "Jenkins Construction" or
"Jenkins & Sons". This is the name that will be used for sorting lists and reports.</li>
<li><span class="fld">Organization</span> Please select the form of organization used by the business. This will be used to
determine whether to include "Wages - Officer" in the journal categories as well as other default data.</li>
<li><span class="fld">Industry</span> Please select an appropriate industry to represent the client business as closely as
possible. This will be used to determine the default income & expense categories.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="indent2">
<p>• When finished, click the <span class="btn">Create Client</span> button.</p>
</div>
<div class="indent3">
<p>The application will now create the client database and any necessary files, update the system database to reflect the new
client and insert the default data into the client database.
This process should take only a few seconds. Once complete, a message will be displayed informing the user of the status
of the client creation process.</p>
<p>Assuming the application reports the successful creation of the client, you may continue ...</p>
</div>
<h3>2. Open the client data file.</h3>
<div class="indent2">
<p>• From the top menu, go to <span class="menu">File</span> and select <span class="menu">List Clients</span></p>
</div>
<div class="indent3">
<p>On the <span class="scr">Client Listing</span> Screen, click the row showing the sort name of the newly created client to
highlight it. Click the <span class="btn">Open Client</span> button to open the client.</p>
<p>Once opened, the client's sort name will appear in the left-hand panel of the status bar.</p>
<p>At this point, most of the top menu options are still unavailable. They will be available once you have specified the
Current Accounting Period. (We will complete this step later.)</p>
</div>
<h3>3. Complete the Client Information.</h3>
<p>The application uses complete client name and address information, as well as other data, in the preparation of Financial
Statements. Please provide this information now, to ensure proper functioning of the application.</p>
<div class="indent2">
<p>• From the top menu, go to <span class="menu">Client</span> and select <span class="menu">Client Information</span></p>
</div>
<div class="indent3">
<p>On the <span class="scr">Client Information</span> Screen, please review the default information and complete all applicable
fields. Please note ...</p>
<ul class="fields">
<li><span class="fld">Business Name</span> vs <span class="fld">Company Name</span> The 'Business' name is the name under which the business operates
(eg: a DBA). The 'Company' name is the name of the entity if different than the business name. For example: <i>John Smith</i> owns a
candy store known as <i>Jack's Snacks</i> - the business name is <i>Jack's Snacks</i> and the company name is <i>John Smith</i>.</li>
<li><span class="fld">Street Address</span> Two lines are provided for the street address, if needed. If only one line
is used, please be sure it is the top line.</li>
<li><span class="fld">Salutation</span> The salutation is set by the organization type and cannot be changed. It is used in
preparing the cover letter for the Financial Statements.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="indent2">
<p>• When all information is complete & correct, click the <span class="btn">Save Changes</span> button.</p>
</div>
<h3>4. Enter Contact information for the client.</h3>
<div class="indent2">
<p>• From the top menu, go to <span class="menu">Client</span> and select <span class="menu">Contact Information</span></p>
</div>
<div class="indent3">
<p>The <span class="scr">Client Contact Information</span> Screen lists all saved contacts for this client. Initially, it will be
empty as no default data is available.</p>
<p>• To add new contact information, click the <span class="btn">Add New Contact</span> button.</p>
<ul class="fields">
<li><span class="fld">Type</span> Please select the type of contact (phone, fax, etc) from the drop-down list. The form will
change to allow the proper input for the type of contact selected.</li>
<li><span class="fld">Phone Number</span> For phone number that do not have an extension, simply leave this field blank.</li>
<li><span class="fld">Comments</span> Comments are optional.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="indent2">
<p>• When finished adding contacts, you may close the <span class="scr">Client Contact Information</span> screen using the
<span class="btn">X</span> in the upper right corner of the screen.</p>
</div>
<h3>5. Review & customize the Journal Categories for the client.</h3>
<div class="indent2">
<p>As part of the client-creation process, the application automatically created a series of default income & expense categories.
You may edit these categories and/or add new ones as needed to properly reflect the client's business.</p>
<p>• To review & customize the Income Categories, from the top menu, go to <span class="menu">Client</span>, then <span class="menu">Journal Categories</span>
and select <span class="menu">Income Categories</span></p>
<p>• To review & customize the Expense Categories, from the top menu, go to <span class="menu">Client</span>, then <span class="menu">Journal Categories</span>
and select <span class="menu">Expense Categories</span></p>
</div>
<div class="indent3">
<p>The respective data screens show the default categories created by the application. Please note ...</p>
<ul class="fields">
<li>Each category has a minimum number of items. These are recognizable as they do not have a checkbox to the left of the item
description. You may edit these as desired, but you MAY NOT LEAVE THEM BLANK! The only item which cannot be edited is
the expense item 'Entertainment' as this is treated specially. The application will not allow you to change this item.</li>
<li>If, to properly track a client's business, you need more than the minimum number of items for any category, you may add
additional items. To add an item, click the checkbox to the left of an empty item to activate the field. Unchecking a
checkbox will delete that category from use.</li>
<li>It's usually better to rename an unused category before adding a new one. Otherwise, the statements will end up with an
excessive number of items with 0.00 balances.</li>
</ul>
</div>
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<p><b>VERY IMPORTANT!!!</b></p>
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<p><b>UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES</b> should the name of any bookkeeping item be changed once transactions have been recorded for the year,
even if no entries have been made for that item! Doing so may result in unreliable data!</p>
<p>Although it should be avoided, bookkeeping items may be safely renamed after the year-end conversion process has been completed for
a given year, and before any transactions have been entered for the new year. This should only be done if no additional blank items
are available for a given category, and then only if it is important to separately track the new item.</p>
<p>New items may be safely added at any time during the year.</p>
</div>
<div class="indent2">
<p>• When finished customizing the categories, click the <span class="btn">Save changes</span> button.</p>
</div>
<h3>6. Create a new Accounting Year.</h3>
<p>An accounting year MUST be set before recording any transactions for the year. <b><i>iJournal</i></b> creates a new accounting year when
the 'Year-End Conversion' process is complete. For the newly created client, 'Year-End Conversion' will simply create the new accounting
year without regard to any prior data.</p>
<div class="indent2">
<p>• From the top menu, go to <span class="menu">Client</span> and select <span class="menu">Year‑End Conversion</span></p>
</div>
<div class="indent3">
<p>On the <span class="scr">Year-End Conversion</span> screen, all fields are required.</p>
<ul class="fields">
<li><span class="fld">New Accounting Year</span> The new accounting year is the same as the Tax Year for the business.</li>
<li><span class="fld">Months in Year</span> This value should be 12 unless the business started mid-year or you know the
business will not remain operating for a full year.</li>
<li><span class="fld">Depreciation - Prior Assets</span> Ideally, this should be the estimate of the current
year's depreciation as calculated by the tax program, if available. Otherwise, you can estimate this amount at 75% of the
prior year's depreciation less any Section 179 deduction. Otherwise, enter 0.00</li>
<li><span class="fld">Federal Tax Rate</span>
<ul>
<li>Sole-Proprietorships: enter last year's tax bracket if known, otherwise enter 15%</li>
<li>C-Corporations: enter last year's tax bracket if known, otherwise enter 15%</li>
<li>All Others: enter 15%</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><span class="fld">State Tax Rate</span>
<ul>
<li>C-Corporations: enter 9.99%</li>
<li>All Others: enter 3.07%</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><span class="fld">Local Tax Rate</span>
<ul>
<li>Sole-Proprietorships: enter greater of tax rate for residence and business locations</li>
<li>C-Corporations: enter 0%</li>
<li>All Others: enter actual rate for business location</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="indent2">
<p>• When finished, click the <span class="btn">Convert to new Year</span> button.</p>
<p><b>IMPORTANT!!</b> Once the Year-End Conversion process is complete, you MUST first close the client and then reopen before
continuing.</p>
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<h3>7. Specify the current Accounting Period.</h3>
<p>In <b><i>iJournal</i></b>, all transactions are automatically saved to the currently-open accounting period. Therefore, until you have
specified a current period, most of the top menu options will be unavailable. Once a current period has been set, these options will be
enabled. <strong>You MUST have created a new accounting year by running the 'Year-End Conversion' process above, BEFORE this
step!</strong></p>
<div class="indent2">
<p>• From the top menu, go to <span class="menu">Client</span> and select <span class="menu">Set Current Period</span></p>
<div class="indent3">
<p>The <span class="scr">Set Current Period</span> screen displays all the previously created accounting periods in the
current accounting year, including an indicator showing those periods for which statements have been generated. The periods will
be shown with the most recent period first.</p>
<ul class="fields">
<li>Enter the current accounting period and year. For monthly clients, the screen will display month & year
fields; for all others, the screen will display month & year fields for the beginning and ending months of the period.</li>
<li>Enter the number of months in the current accounting period, if more than 1.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p>• When finished, click the <span class="btn">Set Current Period</span> button.</p>
<p>Once set, the current period will be displayed in the middle panel of the status bar.</p>
<p>From now on, each time this client is opened, the current period will be set to this period, until a new current period is set.</p>
</div>
<h3>Client Creation & Setup are complete!</h3>
<p>The newly created client is ready for use!</p>
<p>You may now record transactions, fixed assets, tracker items and notes, as well as generate statements and other reports.</p>
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