New Analysis Introduced

PcMars Tips

I thought I would introduce myself to you, my name is Lorelei.  Those of you who have called for support or information recently may have been wondering about the new voice at the IFBA State Office.  Since Claudia retired, I have been working hard to learn the “ropes”.  It has been a whirlwind of  being introduced to  new software and procedures.  I have been learning our PcMars programs and working with Kent to design the new analysis program.  I have enjoyed talking to our software customers over the phone and via email while attempting to answer your software questions—as well as talking to  many of you about your personal farming experiences.  I come from a farming background and am very happy to be working in the Agriculture field again.   I think that working with the members and software users is my favorite part of the job.  I have also enjoyed getting to know the consultants and the state board members at workshops, board meetings and chatting on the phone.  I have found that we have a very diverse and committed group of people in our organization, each of them  working hard to make the IFBA a helpful resource to our members. I look forward to a long and happy working relationship with the Iowa Farm Business Association and its members and software users.  I invite you to call me to update your PcMars software and to ask me for help with any of our current versions of PcMars software.  If you are not currently a member and would like information on becoming a member, I can send you a brochure and put you in contact with a consultant in  your area. 

New Voice in the Office

●Fix Utility

We are into thunderstorm season and you may experience power outages or flickers while working in your PcMars program. Sometimes when this happens you can get an error message saying “index out of date”, “table does not exist”, “file or directory does not exist, and others.  Our newest version of PcMars (2.1.3) has an improved “Fix Utility” that you can “run” after receiving any of these messages. The utility will “rebuild” the “bad” data files.  When the power flickers, the data can be “lost” in the temporary memory cache before the data can be saved to the hard drive.  The Fix Utility retrieves that data and saves it to the hard drive. We have posted step by step instructions (along with screen shots) demonstrating how to  run this utility at  www.pcmars.com, under Newsletters and Tips.  You can print these off and have them handy next to your computer.

●Make sure you have the Current Version

Free patches available to update your PcMars the to the current version for the 2.1 version.  To check what version you are using:  open your PcMars Program, click on “help”  (in the title bar), then select “About PcMars” in the drop down menu.

The Iowa Farm Business Association has developed a “Certified Iowa Consultant” Certificate which they receive after achieving the required continuing education criteria.  The basic requirements necessary to receive a certificate are 15 hours of consultant workshops; 12 hours of tax schools; and attendance at 4 consultant workshops & ISU tax schools.  Those receiving certificates this year at the Spring Workshop are:
Back (left to right) Alvin LaMar, Virginia Berger, Bob McHugh, Clint Van Roekel, Andy Thompson, Paul Gogerty, Bob McEntee, Front (left to right) Larry McAlexander, William Hunt, Tom Thaden, George Moriarty, Dean Phelps, and Bill Shafer. Not pictured: Ken McKenney, David Stensland, Kent Ruppert, Dennis Donovan, Gary Johnson, Jim Vermazen, Daryl Kruse, Russ Thompson, Doug Streeper, Lyle Stewart, and Lowell Lewis.

Consultant Certification

This year the IFBA introduced a new Individual Windows Analysis.  To help the consultants make this transition, both the DOS & Windows Individual Analysis program could be utilized for the 2008 data.  The new Windows Individual program was used by about 50% of the consultants.  As a result of consultant and member suggestions, the new redesigned  program focuses on several “big” changes:

• “Friendlier” Reports: these include an analysis key factor report summary, accrued income statement, detailed cash flow, and more graphs incorporated into reports.

• Flexibility: the new program allows your consultants  to create “custom” enterprises to handle specialty enterprises, such organic crops, trucking, or ethanol investments.

•Imports directly from PcMars, this allows your analysis to easily be “tracked” back to your PcMars data.

•Enhanced Database Design: we are still in the  “idea” stage of what members would find beneficial.  Ideas currently being discussed are financial ratio analysis, sensitivity table, “what if” ability, and cash rent opportunities.  The new design will allow for these new tools to be developed in the future.

To view  some of the new sample reports, go to www.iowafarmbusiness.org  and click on “news” on the right hand side of the page.

Click  “Page2”, “Page3”, etc. ; at the top to see the next pages.    Also if you want to view a printable pdf version, click here