Entrepreneur

Crash

Rosetta McLeod

CRASH COURSE By Rosetta McLeod SOMETHING FOR THE GROWN-UPS TOO If you are between the ages of 3 and 65. Crash Course this month has something for you! Usually in this column, the software under review is aimed at children and young people, but the two Collins Soft programs Entrepreneur and Numbers At Work are specifically directed at adults embarking on the business world. These are two in the Brainpower series of programs which offer the user the scope to learn and apply new skills. The adult market is an area which has not yet been fully explored by educational software producers, but the two programs reviewed here must surely set the standard for others to emulate. There must be a large number of learning situations applicable to adults, and the structured interactive approach of the Collins Soft packages, each of which contains a detailed textbook as well as the computer program, provides a thorough and comprehensive course. At last a publisher has succeeded in bringing out packages in which the computer and the textbook have complementary roles to play, and which are straight-forward and easy to follow. It will, of course, take the user quite some time to work through a package, but the major advantage is that each user can set the pace, and can choose the areas to concentrate on. The programs are constructed in such a way that it is easy to see explanations again and again if need be, or to 'turn the page' to the next section. The facility for applying the knowledge learned to personal mathematical or business problems is particularly relevant, and the user can build up confidence through increased knowledge. I hope that other publishers will take note of, and learn from, these sophisticated packages! NUMBERS AT WORK/ENTREPENEUR Producer: Collins Soft Retail Price: £14.95 each Age Range: Adult Each of these attractive packages contains a teaching and an applications program together with a detailed, carefully paced textbook. Numbers At Work is intended to remove the'mysticism' of maths, so that numeracy can be seen as having practical value in everyday life. A variety of calculations are covered, from discounts and interest rates to VAT and PAYE. As the introduction to the textbook says: 'By the time you have completed this course, you will be able to manipulate numbers with the same skill and dexterity as salesmen, employers and politicians'! The first step for the user is to work through the teaching program which is divided into 8 elements: fractions; ratios and proportions; decimals and percentages; applying percentages I and II; growth rates and indices; useful techniques and the summary of ideas. When the chosen module has been loaded, the user is referred to the appropriate chapter in the textbook and can interact with the program by following the information and instructions in the book. A self-timer option is available, which causes a timing device to be presented whenever a question is asked, and running tally of the total answering time is stored in the computer. The applications program allows the user to apply the skills gained in solving mathematical problems. An employer, for instance, using the Salary and PAYE module to enter information about an employee's weekly pay and deductions, can obtain monthly and yearly figures too. The tax and National Insurance rates used are those in effect following the 1984 budget but these can easily he updated as appropriate. Entrepreneur uses the same teaching techniques to help the user turn a business idea into a business plan. The first two chapters of the textbook provoke some hard thinking about the potential of ideas, posing questions about the structure and general purpose of the proposed business, the viability of the product, the state of the market and so on. The teaching program uses a hypothetical small business - selling lobsters - as a model to explain fundamental principles of business - how to produce balance sheets, profit and loss, cash flow. VAT and so on. Working through the second section is likely to take some time, but it certainly provide a solid grounding in business skills. The application program asks the user for detailed information about the financial aspects of the proposed enterprise using the information to produce monthly cash flow forecasts, a year end balance sheet, a profit and loss account, and an analysis of the results. The 100 page textbook also outlines further sources of informations such as the Small Firms Service and Local Enterprise Agencies, and a useful glossary of business jargon is given in an appendix. Anyone thinking of setting up in a small business would do well to invest in this excellent package. COMMENTS Control Keys: these are clearly explained both in the textbook and on the screen Keyboard response: fast Use of colour: simple but appropriate Graphics: clear and businesslike

Cameron, of Cameron Cars fame works out much he should try to fleece the punter, using Collins Soft's NUMBERS AT WORK.

Sinclair User

Overall 3/5

Mike Wright 3/5

Publisher: Collins Soft Price: £14.95 Memory: 48K A frightening number of new businesses fail during their first year of operation. In many cases that can be traced to inadequate preparation before the company is set up. Entrepreneur from Collins Soft, in the Brainpower series, is designed to provide a useful business tool together with programmed learning course for the skills necessary to understand and use it. Decision Maker, another in the series, was reviewed last month. The teaching program aims to introduce the prospective businessman or women to double entry book-keeping and through that to make him aware of the different aspects of setting up and running a business, including possible sources of finance, cash flow, and likely costs. It consists of a series of six small programs, Using numbers, The balance sheet, Making a profit, Having enough cash, Value Added Tax and Balance sheet display. Loading a program from cassette each time it is used is a nuisance, especially when you need to refer back. Unfortunately no provision for converting to microdrives has been made, although the packaging is designed to store up to three cartridges. The programs are easy to use with each new stage often requiring only single key input. They are highly informative and presented in a way which makes you consider aspects you might otherwise miss. The manual contains addresses of organisations which will give advice and help. Several of the addresses are out of date. The applications program is designed to be used to formulate a business plan showing a company's expected performance in its first year. The plan is extensive enough to be presented to possible investors. Two versions, one for a single and one for a multi-product company, are provided on the one cassette. Analyses showing the projected end of year inventory, costs, break even point, and monthly cash flows are produced. Information on the proposed initial methods of finance is added after which the cash flows are recalculated. Calculation of the cash flows is slow. The profit and loss account and balance sheet can then be displayed. Finally, Entrepreneur produces a sensitivity analysis that shows the effects of a 10 per cent change on the major factors affecting profits; a ratio analysis which shows the average credit turnover; and a percentage for the profitability of the business. Data can be edited when entered and at the end, so that modifications can be made to the business plan. The teaching module is well set out and instructive but deals with a different subject to the applications program. Entering the data into the applications program is tedious, but having to re-enter all data in a section if one item is incorrect is painful. Regardless of those deficiencies, this is a package which should prove useful to those looking to start a business and to those wishing to expand.