[{"TitleName":"Entrepreneur","Publisher":"Triptych Publishing Ltd","Author":"Nikhil Sen, Stuart Armstrong","YearOfRelease":"1984","ZxDbId":"0011685","Reviews":[{"Issue":{"Name":"Crash Issue 28, May 1986","Price":"£1","ReleaseDate":"1986-04-24","Editor":"Graeme Kidd","TotalPages":124,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Publishing Executive: Roger Kean\r\nEditor: Graeme Kidd\r\nTechnical Editor: Franco Frey\r\nTech Tipster: Simon Goodwin\r\nAdventure Editor: Derek Brewster\r\nStrategy Editor: Sean Masterson\r\nStaff Writers: Hannah Smith, Lloyd Mangram\r\nContributing Writers: Robin Candy, John Minson, Rosetta McLeod\r\nArt Editor: Oliver Frey\r\nArt Director: Dick Shiner\r\nProduction Controller: David Western\r\nProduction: Gordon Druce, Tony Lorton\r\nProcess Camera: Matthew Uffindell\r\nPhotographer: Cameron Pound\r\nAdvertisement Manager: Roger Bennett\r\nSubscriptions: Denise Roberts\r\nMail Order: Carol Kinsey\r\n\r\nEditorial and Production: [redacted]\r\n\r\nMail Order and Subscriptions: [redacted]\r\n\r\nADVERTISING\r\nInformation and Bookings [redacted]\r\n\r\nPrinted in England by Carlisle Web Offset (Member of the BPCC Group), [redacted]. Colour origination by Scan Studios, [redacted];\r\n\r\nDistributed by COMAG, [redacted]\r\n\r\nNo material may be reproduced whole or in part without written consent of the copyright holders. We cannot undertake to return any written material sent to CRASH Magazine unless accompanied by a suitably stamped addressed envelope. Unsolicited written or photo material which may be used in the magazine is paid for at our current rates.\r\n\r\n©1986 Newsfield Limited\r\n\r\nJULY-DEC 1985\r\nTotal: 93,356\r\nUK: 89,441"},"MainText":"NUMBERS AT WORK/ENTREPENEUR\r\n\r\nProducer: Collins Soft\r\nRetail Price: £14.95 each\r\nAge Range: Adult\r\n\r\nEach 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'!\r\n\r\nThe 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.\r\n\r\nThe 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.\r\n\r\nEntrepreneur 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.\r\n\r\nWorking 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.\r\n\r\nCOMMENTS\r\n\r\nControl Keys: these are clearly explained both in the textbook and on the screen\r\nKeyboard response: fast\r\nUse of colour: simple but appropriate\r\nGraphics: clear and businesslike","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"General Rating: Both are very comprehensive packages which provide excellent value for money. A great deal of thought and effort has obviously gone into their preparation, and the end result is two sophisticated, user-friendly programs which I would highly recommend to anyone entering the business world.","Page":"78","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Rosetta McLeod","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":""}],"ScreenshotText":[{"Text":"Cameron, of Cameron Cars fame works out much he should try to fleece the punter, using Collins Soft's NUMBERS AT WORK."}],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":null,"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Sinclair User Issue 42, Sep 1985","Price":"£0.95","ReleaseDate":"1985-08-18","Editor":"Bill Scolding","TotalPages":116,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"EDITORIAL\r\nEditor: Bill Scolding\r\nDeputy Editor: John Gilbert\r\nStaff Writer: Chris Bourne, Clare Edgeley\r\nDesigner: Craig Kennedy\r\nEditorial Secretary: Norisah Fenn\r\nPublisher: Neil Wood\r\n\r\nADVERTISING\r\nAdvertising Manager: Louise Fanthorpe\r\nDeputy Advertisement Manager: Shahid Nizam\r\nAdvertisement Sales Executive: Kathy McLennan\r\nProduction Assistant: Jim McClure\r\nAdvertisement Secretary: Linda Everest\r\n\r\nMAGAZINE SERVICES\r\nSubscriptions Manager: Carl Dunne\r\n\r\nTELEPHONE\r\nAll departments [redacted]\r\n\r\nSinclair User is published monthly by EMAP Business & Computer Publications\r\n\r\nCover Illustration: Stuart Hughes, used by permission of Softek International.\r\n\r\nIf you would like to contribute to Sinclair User please send programs or articles to:\r\nSinclair User\r\nEMAP Business & Computer Publications\r\n[redacted]\r\n\r\nOriginal programs should be on cassette and articles should be typed. We cannot undertake to return them unless a stamped-addressed envelope is included.\r\n\r\nWe pay £20 for each program printed and £50 for star programs.\r\n\r\nTypeset by Saffron Graphics Ltd, [redacted]\r\nPrinted by Peterboro' Web, [redacted]\r\nDistributed by EMAP Publications Ltd.\r\n\r\n©Copyright 1985 Sinclair User ISSN No 0262-5458\r\n\r\n102,023 Jan-Jun 1985"},"MainText":"Publisher: Collins Soft\r\nPrice: £14.95\r\nMemory: 48K\r\n\r\nA 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.\r\n\r\nEntrepreneur 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.\r\n\r\nThe 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.\r\n\r\nLoading 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.\r\n\r\nThe 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.\r\n\r\nThe manual contains addresses of organisations which will give advice and help. Several of the addresses are out of date.\r\n\r\nThe 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.\r\n\r\nAnalyses 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.\r\n\r\nFinally, 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.\r\n\r\nData can be edited when entered and at the end, so that modifications can be made to the business plan.\r\n\r\nThe 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.\r\n\r\nRegardless of those deficiencies, this is a package which should prove useful to those looking to start a business and to those wishing to expand.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"72","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Mike Wright","Score":"3","ScoreSuffix":"/5"}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Overall","Score":"3/5","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]}]}]