Organising your planner

[Jim - Scotland's Party DJ]

So I'm catching up with paperwork and cross checking contracts against bookings and so on and I can't help but think there's a better way to keep myself organised in the grander scheme of things.

For my overall planning calender I have a spreadsheet which is just turning into a garble of Chinese.

In chronological order I have listings for:

Days money is due to be paid
Wedding anniversary dates
Dates and details of meetings - time place, any extra info I need to be aware of
Gigs - Here I list just about everything: Names, e-mail, phone, address, venue, date of gig, timings, extras booking, deposit, balance due, when the balance is due and probably another thing or 2 as well.


Because of the amount of info I put in for the gigs - It's just become a huge rammy to look at. Don't get me wrong, I know how it works (organised chaos) but I want to slim it down or reorganise it so it's not such a huge blast of info all on the one sheet.

Ideas? I'm not particularly maths or organisationally minded but there's definitely a better way.

Lose info from the gig section?
Split it into different planning calenders for each type of entry?
Wrap the whole thing in and become a male escort?

[Jim - Scotland's Party DJ]

Just had an idea actualy.

I use an excel workbook to keep track of my workouts. I didn't create this by a long shot but it's got "link" to each session that you click in and it takes you to a seperate spreadsheet:

E.G. there's a main page with listings for each work out.

If I click on Chest and Back it takes me to a new "page" which details all of the info for the Chest and Back work out, I can put new results in, it's even got graphs and :Censored::Censored::Censored::Censored: automated into it but I don't think I quite need that yet.

Anyone got any idea how I could do this?

Say I have it listing gigs:

21st July 2014, Jane and Joe - I click on that and it takes me to this new spreadsheet with all of the info I need for Jane and Hoe's wedding instead of having it on the main spreadsheet.

Seems like there's some coding or programming involved :/

[DazzyD]

I've built my booking system using Lotus Approach as it's a very-easy-to-get-to-grips-with database package. You could do a very similar system with MS Access. Approach is an old package (the version I use is 97) and has some issues with Win 7 but I've managed to get it installed using "run as administrator" and XP-compatability options. It also links into my Sage 50 Accounts package so the financial side of things is integrated, too.

I know that MS Excel can be used for record keeping purposes but I much prefer database software over spreadsheet software for building booking systems. Then again, I did train as a database programmer in the early 90s so I've got a bit more knowledge of this over accounts-led spreadsheets!

If you're going to use MS Excel, setting up the basics is dead easy. But you need to get your head around PivotTables and data filtering. I'm pretty good on Excel for day-to-day stuff but I'm by no means an expert and PivotTables are something I never really needed to get to grips with so I just didn't bother!

[Jim - Scotland's Party DJ]

Magic, someone has shown me how to do it though they've suggested a calender app or software.

I've messed about with a few but feel more comfortable with Excel. Any suggestions for easy to use calender software that does what I'm looking for?

[funkymook]

Just use DJEP - it's created for DJ's so has everything in it you need, and no reason you can't add non-DJ things in there either.

I'm pretty sure you can still get a free trial to try it out.

[Jim - Scotland's Party DJ]

Funnilly enough I was looking at DJEP tonight and I've considered it on and off for ages but I quite like the system I have now (stupidly over complicated spreadsheet aside) so I don't fancy shaking things up too much.

I like liaising with clients directly via e-mail, phone or text. I get the feeling having a client portal would take that personal element out of the booking too. I may be wrong.

[funkymook]

Funnilly enough I was looking at DJEP tonight and I've considered it on and off for ages but I quite like the system I have now (stupidly over complicated spreadsheet aside) so I don't fancy shaking things up too much.

I like liaising with clients directly via e-mail, phone or text. I get the feeling having a client portal would take that personal element out of the booking too. I may be wrong.

I don't use the portal - you can use as many or as few of the features as you like.

[Fullforceeventsltd]

I would also recommend DJEP. I use to have spread sheets etc and just keep track was hard enough. DJEP has made things so much easier.

[Andy Collins]

I can only echo the above, DJEP has totally revolutionised the way I run my admin side of my business. It's a bit of a pig to set up but once its done - that's it. Emails get sent automatically, digital contracts sent at a touch of a button, and I can see at a glance what's booked - pending - outstanding etc.

Once you use it, you'll never be without it.

The support forum is an excellent resource for help and info.

[ukpartydj]

I ended up creating my own database as what was on the market at the time didn't suit all my needs.
Half the problem is really knowing what information you want and where is best to put it so that you can navigate it easily.
Obviously Excel isn't the perfect tool and MS Access is something else to learn but this setup works very well for me and I can work out interesting facts and previous records very easily.

162261622716228

[Jim - Scotland's Party DJ]

See I don't even know wtf that is I'm looking at above.

I hate the idea of licencing software (which you're essentially doing with DJEP) and I particularly don't like the idea of licencing when I don't really need or want half of the features on it (e.g. giving the clients access to my library to go daft with their requests is my idea of hell)

My system works fine just now. I just needed to trim up my big calender spreadsheet and I should be able to do it now :thu:

[ukpartydj]

See I don't even know wtf that is I'm looking at above.

I hate the idea of licencing software (which you're essentially doing with DJEP) and I particularly don't like the idea of licencing when I don't really need or want half of the features on it (e.g. giving the clients access to my library to go daft with their requests is my idea of hell)

My system works fine just now. I just needed to trim up my big calender spreadsheet and I should be able to do it now :thu:

Haha nevermind!
Could have just got a bigger screen :)

[Cowlinn]

Maybe there's a gap in the market here...