Last month the BillQuick Quizzer searched for keepers of deep knowledge about BillQuick's Service Fee Schedule feature. Wizards of BillQuick rose to the challenge, and a few mortals just missed the brass ring.

Here's the important facts about Service Fee Schedule (SFS).

Fact: A single bill rate can be defined for all work charged to a project.

To do this, create an employee group that includes all employees (e.g. All Employees) and an activity code group that includes all activities (e.g. All Activities). Next, on the Service Fee Schedule screen, click and enter a unique name for the fee schedule. In the grid select All Employees from the Employee Group drop-down list, All Activities from the Activity Group drop-down list, and enter the desired "project" bill rate. It is a Project Bill Rate because the rate will be charged for anyone doing anything on the project. Finally, go to the Project-Billing screen for the desired project and select the new SFS from the Serv FS drop-down list.

Fact: A single Client Bill Rate can be defined.

If you have a few projects for a client, go to the first project record for a client. On the Project-Billing screen, select the desired fee schedule from the drop-down list. Repeat for each project for the client.

If you have 3 or more projects for a client OR want to apply the same SFS to multiple projects (regardless of which client "owns" the project), go to the Project screen and click . From the Project drop-down, hold down the Control key while clicking on each project to which you want to add the fee schedule. Next, select the desired SFS from the drop-down list. Click .

Fact: A single special Bill Rate for an employee (a rate other than the employee default bill rate) can be defined and used to charge whatever work is done.

In the Service Fee Schedule screen, click and add a unique fee schedule name (e.g. Jane Bill Rate). In the grid, select the employee from the Employee drop-down list, select All Activities from the Activities Group drop-down list, and enter the desired bill rate. Finally, go to the  Project-Billing screen for the desired project and the new SFS from the drop-down list. If you want to apply the special rate to multiple projects, click and follow the steps in the previous item.

Note: Similar to this feature is the ability to define a service fee schedule containing all employee's default bill rates for last year. If you decide to offer a special deal to a prospect or client who steps up to the plate in the new year, you can assign the Prior Year Rates SFS to one or more projects.

Fact: Work done by a class of employees (Draftsman, Bookkeepers, Paralegals) can be charged to a job (project, engagement, matter) at a single bill rate.

Like above, the key is creating an Employee Group for each class of employee and an All Activities Group, then you create a new SFS, select the Employee Class Group and the All Activities Group, then link it to the desired projects.

Fact: Service Fee Schedule supports a standard memo for time entries that use a particular bill rate.

To define a standard memo, go to the SFS screen, select the desired fee schedule, then click the More tab. Check the Show Memo box. Click the Service Fee Schedule tab, then go to the row on which you want to associate a standard memo with a bill rate. Enter the desired text into the memo field. BillQuick automatically inserts this text into the memo for a time entry when the special bill rate is used. You can edit and add to the text as needed.

Bonus Fact

Delayed SFS works like Service Fee Schedule, except it becomes active only after the total Bill Amount (Billing Hours * Bill Rate) for a project exceeds the project retainer balance. When this occurs, the bill rates defined in the fee schedule in the Delayed SFS field would be used to calculate the Bill Amount for time entries until the retainer balance is replenished.

BillQuick Integrates with Peachtree Accounting
Save $50

Adding to the ranks of BillQuick integration with accounting software . . . Introducing BillQuick<-->Peachtree Accounting Integration! Available by December 31st for your bountiful new year, this accounting integration option supports BillQuick 2005 or later and Peachtree Accounting, Peachtree Complete Accounting and Peachtree Premium Accounting 2005 and later.

And to go with the introduction, BQE Software will take $50 off BillQuick to all Peachtree Accounting users who purchase by January 31, 2005.

Like integration with QuickBooks and Microsoft Small Business Accounting, you can select any Peachtree Accounting company file to integrate with BillQuick. Duplicate entry is a thing of the past, saving you many hours each year.

BillQuick<-->Peachtree Accounting integration supports sending and receiving activities, expense codes, employees, vendors, clients, projects, expense entries, time entries, invoices and payments. You decide what data synchronizes between the two applications. For example, because BillQuick contains excellent time entry capabilities and robust billing options, there is no need to transfer time entries to Peachtree (unless you want them to do payroll). When you're ready to synchronize, simply select the type of information from the menu or click the Send To button on selected BillQuick screens. No fuss, no muss! 

Control over synchronization extends to G/L accounts to receive invoiced time and expenses, invoices with amounts due, and payments received. Depending on your needs, other accounts can be specified too.

Bottom Line: BillQuick + Peachtree Accounting = Integration your way. And no more wasted hours with duplicate entry.

Save 20% on BillQuick Role-Based Training

Be up to speed by the New Year.

Squirrel away training now at a discount
and take it after things settle after year end.  

Your choice. Take advantage of BQE Software's Holiday Gift to you -- 20% Off BillQuick Training through December 30, 2005 -- now or later.

BQE Software's National Certified BillQuick Trainers can guide you through BillQuick and have you up to speed by the new year. Focused learning, guided by experienced trainers, means you can maximize time savings, take greater advantage of project management capabilities, and the many benefits delivered by BillQuick -- quickly and with no hassles.

Or you can purchase role-based training now at a 20% savings, then schedule your training session a month, two months or more in the future.

Check out the BillQuick Role-Based Training Courses on our web site. You can securely purchase BillQuick training online or call your sales rep at (888) 245-5669.

Remember, the 20% discount on BillQuick Training ends December 30, 2005.

BillQuick 2005 User Guide
50% Off While They Last

Paper you can touch and carry with you. A binder with pages you can splay open in your lap as you lean back your chair and prop your feet up. 500 pages. Wow!

A printed user guide is not for everyone, but it is an exquisite sensation.

Perhaps you want to supplement BillQuick's online Help. Gain insights from chapters like Working with Time and Expenses or Working with BillQuick Billing. Perhaps you simply want to review everything about one of BillQuick's capabilities -- Time Entry, Projects, Billing, Systems Settings -- in one section.

Whatever your reason, now is your chance to purchase BillQuick 2005 User Guide for 50% Off List Price -- only $25 plus shipping and handling. This special price is available only while supplies last.

Call NOW and order 1 user guide, 5 user guides . . . however many you need, but don't lose out on this special opportunity. Call BillQuick Sales at (888) 245-5669 or contact us at Sales@bqe.com.

Monthly BillQuick Quizzer
Win $50!

Here's a thinker to challenge you.

Which statement about BillQuick Retainer feature is true?

1. Monies received for a client retainer are recorded on the Payment screen by selecting the appropriate Client and Project on the Payment screen.

2. Monies requested from a client for application against a project are called a Project Retainer.

3. Monies received for a project retainer are recorded as a Project Retainer by selecting the appropriate Client and Project on the Payment screen. 

4. The Retainer Invoice can be customized using the Crystal Reports Report Writer.

5. A Retainer Invoice is aged based on the invoice date.

6. A, B and C

7. B, C and D

8. B, C and E

9. A, B, C and D

10. All are true.

11. All are not true.

Hurry and send your answer to BQ-Quiz@bqe.com. You could be a winner!

Four BillQuickers won $50 when they answered the November Quizzer correctly, though that was down from 10 winners of $50 in October. Tough question. If you're wondering about the answer, see the first article in this month's BillQuick eLetter.

Current BillQuick Release Information

BillQuick 2005 and QuickBooks 2005

BillQuick 2005 has been tested with QuickBooks 2005 and QuickBooks 2006. Everything is A-OK.

Macintosh Compatibility

Quick reminder: BQE Software is compatible with the Macintosh in two ways: The Web i add-on module or by using Virtual PC.

Latest BillQuick 2005 Version

BillQuick 2005 v. 6.0.114. For details, see the BillQuick 2005 Update Log File.

Various fixes and general improvements throughout BillQuick, including Billing Review, Payment, Manual Invoice and Memo features..

Latest BillQuick 2004 Version

BillQuick 2004 v. 5.0.102. Click to view the changes.

If you have Internet access but do not allow BillQuick to automatically download updates (you turned off AutoUpdate in the Other 2 tab on the Preferences screen), go to the File menu and select Get Updates. When you exit BillQuick, the update automatically installs.

If desired, you can download the latest BillQuick 2004 update from the BillQuick web site. Click Save when prompted. Next, run the setup program from the folder in which it was saved.

Happy BillQuicking!

Thanks from the 
BQE Software Marketing Team