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How will Forge Ahead benefit me?
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Using Forge Ahead will save you time, keep your information organized,
and improve the bottom line of your business. (For details and specific
examples, click here.) One customer told us
he was able to expand his business by about 25% because of the streamlined
administration and organization that Forge Ahead provides.
Many shoers have also reported that Forge Ahead enhances their
professional image with clients. Whether it comes from a high-quality
invoice or report, dependable scheduling, or simply having all the
necessary information at your fingertips -- a professional image will
contribute to a solid reputation in the industry along with more (and
better) clients who are willing to pay you well for your services.
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I'm new to computers. Is Forge Ahead hard to use?
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Many of our customers were in your shoes -- and they have been thrilled
to find Forge Ahead easy to learn and to use. We don't believe you
should have to go back to school in order to use technology in your
business. We created Forge Ahead to make running your business easier
(not harder), and to save you time (not require more of your time).
And we have been very gratified by the many examples our customers share
on how our software does just that.
And if the idea of typing concerns you, have someone help setup the
program for you by entering the initial client and horse information.
From that point forward, it's virtually all "point-and-click". Click
the mouse to select a client or horse from a list, a date from a pop-up
calendar, etc.
Don't let inexperience with computers hold you back.
Try our free demo program today and see
for yourself how easy it is.
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What if I need help?
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We don't just want to sell you a piece of software, we want you to use
it successfully and receive the benefits it provides. So whether you
have a technical question ("How do I...") or a more general
process issue ("I charge different rates for different clients.
What's the best way to handle that in the program?") -- we are
more than happy to talk through it with you.
Backroads Data provides free, unlimited support for our software.
We never charge to help you or answer questions. For more information
on our service and support, click here.
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Why should I choose Forge Ahead over a standard accounting program?
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There are a number of good accounting programs available, and Forge
Ahead doesn't improve on their accounting functions (except when it
comes to Sales Tax). But there are two pitfalls for farriers
when it comes to accounting software.
First, most accounting programs include many more features than the
vast majority of shoeing practices require. Forge Ahead provides all
the accounting you need (invoicing, receiving payments, tracking
expenses and mileage, and many reports for business analysis or tax
purposes) without complicating it with lots of stuff you'll never use.
Second, accounting programs don't know anything about shoeing horses!
When you create an invoice, no accounting-only program will do what
Forge Ahead does:
- include horse names and subtotal charges by horse
- automatically update each horse's history and when it's due to be worked next
- allow you to enter a note on a horse for your records, then continue the invoice where you left off
Forge Ahead integrates your financial data with all your other
record-keeping needs, such as horse history and scheduling. If you are
currently using an accounting program, give us a call to discuss
switching to Forge Ahead or using Forge Ahead in conjunction with your
current software.
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Why should I choose Forge Ahead over other farrier-specific programs?
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Forge Ahead is time-tested, proven, and has earned its place as the
industry standard for farrier business software. And while other
programs come and go, Forge Ahead has been leading the pack since 1999
-- and Backroads Data is committed to maintaining its reputation over
the years to come.
While some programs may be priced lower, Forge Ahead is still a
terrific value. The program will pay for itself within the first year,
but you'll be able to use it as long as you keep shoeing (software won't
wear out like some of your other tools!).
A recent discussion of farrier software on an internet bulletin board
contained numerous endorsements for Forge Ahead. One shoer said he was
using a cheaper program but that it was "buggy" and wasn't being
supported by the developer. He summed up his comments by concluding,
"I guess you get what you pay for."
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Why are some features only available in add-on modules?
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Three factors go into deciding whether to incorporate a new feature into
Forge Ahead or to make it an optional add-on product:
- What percentage of users will benefit from it?
- Will adding this feature complicate Forge Ahead for those people who don't need it?
- How difficult will it be to develop this feature?
Forge Ahead is a comprehensive system designed to meet the record-
keeping needs of the vast majority of farriers. Add-on modules provide
specialized functionality for those practices that require it. Add-on
modules install directly into your Forge Ahead program and can be added
at any time.
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How long has Forge Ahead been available?
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Forge Ahead was initially released in 1999. Many farriers,
from a wide spectrum of shoeing practices, contributed to the development
of the program -- resulting in a complete software package that any
horseshoer can use.
Backroads Data exhibits regularly at national farrier conferences, as
well as at some regional clinics. We have been invited speakers at
the International Hoof Care Summit and at shoeing schools, where we
help educate farriers on using technology in their business. We advertise
regularly in American Farriers Journal and in Professional
Farrier, and we are members of the Farrier Industry Association.
In short, Backroads Data is committed to your industry and to continuing
to provide the best farrier software available.
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What kind of farriers use Forge Ahead?
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The hundreds of Forge Ahead users range from just-graduating-from-shoeing-
school to 30-year veterans and members of the International Horseshoeing
Hall of Fame. The horses they work on range from backyard pets to equine
athletes at the top of their game - in all disciplines.
Forge Ahead is both simple-to-use and comprehensive, which is
why it is so successful at meeting the needs of such a wide variety of
shoeing practices.
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How can I protect the information I put into Forge Ahead?
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Let's face it -- computers can crash, get infected by a virus, or just
wear out. Forge Ahead provides an easy-to-use module calle "System
Utilities" that helps protect your data.
System Utilities allows you to quickly create a backup copy of your
Forge Ahead data. The backup file should be stored on "removable
media" -- in other words, something outside your computer, such as a
disk, memory stick, or CD.
Creating regular backups is easy with System Utilities, and ensures
that if something does happen to your PC (or you decide to get a new
computer later on), you have everything you need
to pick up where you left off.
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I want the program, but can't decide if I need a laptop or not...
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A recent survey of Forge Ahead users indicates that about one third use
a laptop and the rest do not. Clearly, a laptop is not required in
order to effectively use this program.
Forge Ahead includes a variet of printable reports to take with you
while you work, covering the most crucial information you need to have
available. Examples are the Client List, which provides names, addresses
and phone numbers, and the Daily Appointments report, which not only
lists your appointments but also phone numbers, directions, if any of
the customers owe you money, and can even include what you did for each
horse during the previous visit.
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Can I use Forge Ahead on more than one computer?
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Yes, it is possible to use Forge Ahead on more than one computer,
and a number of our customers do so. However, there are some restrictions,
because running the program on two computers requires strict data
management practices on your part in order to protect your data and
ensure its accuracy over time.
Basically, this involves using Forge Ahead on only one computer at a
time. Whichever computer you are currently using should be considered
the "Active" program, and you must move your "active" data file to the
alternate machine before using Forge Ahead on that machine. Once the
data has been moved, that computer becomes the active program until you
move the data back to the other machine. "Moving the data" is simple
and fast -- use System Utilities to make a backup file from the active
PC and also to load that backup file onto the alternate machine.
Note: To illustrate, here is an example of what would
not work. If the program is installed on a laptop and a desktop
computer, and the farrier is in the field creating invoices and new
appointments, and someone else is using the desktop to enter payments
received, the data files on both machines are inaccurate. This is
because when you transfer the data, all data on one machine is replaced
by all data from the other. In this example, if the data from the
laptop was loaded onto the desktop, the desktop would contain the new
invoices and appointments entered on the laptop, but the payments
entered on the desktop would be gone.
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Do I need internet access to use Forge Ahead?
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No, you do not need the internet in order to use Forge Ahead. When you
purchase the program, the Forge Ahead CD is mailed to you, and all
necessary files are installed from the CD onto your computer.
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Can I use Forge Ahead on a Macintosh computer?
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Our official answer to this question is "no", because we don't use Macs
and have never tested it. However, we do know of a few customers who
are using Forge Ahead on Macintosh machines.
They are able to do this by having an additional program called a
"PC Emulator". This type of program basically fool the Mac into thinking
it is a Windows-based PC whenever it is running Windows-based programs
such as Forge Ahead. Your Mac may already have a PC Emulation program;
if not, you can search the internet to locate one.
You can test if Forge Ahead will run on your Mac by trying our free demo program. If the demo will run on your
Mac, then Forge Ahead will as well.
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Is there a limit to how much information Forge Ahead will hold?
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Technically, yes there is a limit. But unless you have well over a
million clients and are working over 5 million horses, this won't be
an issue for you.
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What are the minimum requirements to run Forge Ahead?
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By today's standards, Forge Ahead has very low hardware requirements.
Basically, any healthy PC built since 1995 will handle the program,
although newer machines will perform somewhat faster.
Below are the technical requirements. If you want to verify that Forge
Ahead will work on your machine and see how it performs, try the free demo.
Minimum System Requirements -- Forge Ahead Software
- Windows95, Windows98, Windows2000, WindowsME, WindowsXP
- Processor: 486 minimum
- RAM: 16MB min.; 32MB recommended
- Hard Drive Space: 30MB recommended
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