A discussion on the nuts & bolts of scheduling...

Usually in late Summer, I'll go into MS Word or MS Works and print off blank monthly calender pages for the upcoming year. I'll staple them in the upper right corner and carry them with me. As I make my rounds I'll alert my clients that I'm ready for scheduling when they are. As the dates come in, I write them in long hand on these pages. Once I get home, I update my website schedule with them. I update the website at least once daily, very often moreso.

I'll continue this process until late December and then as neatly as I can, with as fine point a pen as I can, record all my gigs into a new planner, that I'll carry with me always. (My handwriting is horrible!)

I've used the Monthly "At a glance" product for years...I've got a big stack of them on my bookshelf that are handy for reference.

It's be great if I could find a way to transfer/print out my schedule into my planner, but nothing quite works.

I suppose I'll wind up with a blackberry or something similar that will replace my planner. Knowing that I can't accidentally delete all my dates, or whatever is comforting, I must say, lol...

How do others do this?

What planners are you fond of?

(Hopefully, this is the benign thread of the month!)

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Bill in Dayton

Bill,

I use the google calander on my PC and I also enter every date on my Cell Phone. That seems to work for me. I always check each calander on a weekly basis to make sure they are in sync. So far - it has worked for me.

hammer

Bill...
I keep an updated print out next to my desktop and, like Hammer, enter all dates into my cell phone.
Eddie

I carry my 15 year old leather Franklin Covey with monthly inserts. I fill it in as I get booked. I carry (4) updated xcel forms:

(1) 2008 bookings
(2) 2009 bookings
(3) master 2009 account list (my work of art)
(4) unpaid invoices

Works perfectly. Very easy to plug in new jobs in the proximity of exisiting ones.

Bill,
Funny you mentioned the monthly "At A Glance" planner. I usually start looking for a planner for the upcoming year in late summer. I ran across this one at Staples this year, and absolutely love it. The best one I have ever used. Plenty of room to write things. I back things up on my computer but keep the "At A Glance" planner close by.
Off topic, we play a few of the same clubs now and then. The Lima Eagles (last night), Springbrook Gardens, Wapak Eagles, Osgood Legion. ( Gary, Mike, & The Classics). Distance is a little far for me, and stretching the limits on how far I like to drive. I am a little S.E. of Fort Wayne. Gary

[This message has been edited by gcbin (edited 12-20-2008).]

I use this online calendar. http://my.calendars.net/donmasondates/d0...B&positioning=A
DonM

Gary-

How have the crowds at the Lima Eagles been? They've started/stopped music on Friday eves so often its not funny.

Isn't Norbert a hoot in Osgood? That's the best smelling parking lot around, eh?





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Bill in Dayton

DNJ turned my on to a three-year appointment calendar, which I began purchasing about 6 years ago, I carry one with me at all times, then use it to update my wall calendar. (Gotta' have a backup!)

Most of the upcoming year was booked by late August, which is the same time year I begin providing current and perspective clients with wall appointment calendars for the upcoming year. I purchase them from Nation Pen Company, which is the same place I buy imprinted pens for an excellent price. Both the calendars and pens are great forms of advertising, and next year I'll probably purchase pocket planners from the as well. You can get a great-looking, custom imprinted planner for about 60 cents. The calendars cost about $1. National Pen has a number of special sales that take place throughout the year and they'll email the information to you.

Good Luck,

Gary

http://tinyurl.com/9wh29r

BBBB

I like you am beginning to use iCal in my iMac. It's great.
I was thinking of getting an iPhone, but I checked with A.T.&
T and you have to buy a two year contract and the basic monthly fee is $70.00.
I don't mind buying the iphone, but I don't like the $70.00 monthly fee.
So, I'm thinking of buying an iTouch which will do the same thing only without the phone.

I want to transfer my appointments in iCal to iTouch.