Before Using

For new users of Excel Invoice Manager, here are some important features you should check before you begin.

Note: By default, the Invoice worksheet is protected to avoid overwriting formulas accidentally. To unprotect it, click Excel menu Tools -> Protection -> Unprotect Sheet if you are running Excel 2000 - 2003, or click Review tab -> Changes group -> Unprotect Sheet if you are running Excel 2007.

Note: It is strongly recommended that you protect the worksheet after your customization. To protect a sheet, just click the same menu/button again.

Company Information

On the Invoice worksheet, enter your company information, such as your company name, address, and contact information.

There is a logo image on the Invoice worksheet where you can place your company logo. To replace the default image with your own image, follow the steps below:

1. In Excel 2000 - 2003, click the Design Mode button on the Control Toolbox toolbar. (If the Control Toolbox toolbar is not displayed, click Excel menu View -> Toolbars -> Control Toolbox).

   

   In Excel 2007, click Developer tab -> Controls group -> Design Mode. If the Developer tab is not available, do the following to display it: a) Click the Microsoft Office Button, and then click Excel Options; b) In the Popular category, under Top options for working with Excel, select the Show Developer tab in the Ribbon check box, and then click OK.

2. Right click the Logo image, and select Properties.

   
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3. Click the Picture property, and then click the ... button.


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4. Browse to the folder containing your icon file. Select and open the icon file.
5. Close the Properties window.
6. Click the Design Mode button again to exit design mode.

If you don't want to include the logo image in your invoices, just delete the image. For more information about customizing, see the chapter titled Customizing Invoice Workbook.

Tax System

The default tax system may not satisfy you. You can set your tax system easily with following steps.

1. Click Settings button on the Invoice worksheet to open the Settings window.
2. Click Taxes.


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3. Choose your tax system: No Tax, One Tax, or Two Taxes. If you have 2 taxes, click the option Tax2 is applied to tax1 so tax2 is calculated on the sum of the price+tax1. Fill in your tax names and percentages in the appropriate text boxes.
4. Click Apply.
5. Close the Settings window and return to Excel.
6. Click the Save button on the Excel toolbar to save the modified workbook.

Additionally, each product has a Taxable attribute that controls whether the tax rate will be applied to the product. For each invoice, you can also set its own tax rate and Taxable attributes.

Create a New Database (Optional)

By default, the invoice workbook is connected to the sample.mdb database. This database is installed for demonstration purposes. You can use this database to try out how Excel Invoice Manager works. After reviewing and testing the software, you will want to create a new database for your own data. To create a new database, follow the steps below:

1. On the Invoice worksheet, click the Settings button to open the Settings window.
2. Click the Database tab.


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3. Click Create New Database.
4. Select a folder to store your new database file and enter the database file name. Click Save to create a new database file.
5. If you want to open the newly created database for current workbook, click the Open Database button. Then select the database file you just created.
6. If the database is successfully opened, the database name will be displayed below the Current Database label on the Invoice worksheet.
7. The full path and file name of the database is stored in a hidden cell in the workbook. To make the workbook connect to/open the new database automatically next time you open it, click the Save button on the Excel toolbar to save the workbook.