Good day mates,

I'm trying to build a database to keep track of information that will
be stored when my client kicks off his brand new Taxi Cab business.
Initially it will be a one person operation.

The fellow is starting on a shoe string. He has no clients at the
moment.

He will be carrying people within a 50 mile radius at most. 99% of the
time he will be moving passengers within a ten mile radius.

These are the fields I have decided to use for the database so far:

ID

First name of caller

Middle Initial of Caller

Last Name of Caller

ID
Time of Call
Date of Call
Telephone number of Caller
First Name of Caller
Last Name of Caller
Address
City
State
Destination
Charged
mileage to pickup point
mileage to destination
Mapquest URL to their home location
Comments
Mapquest URL to Destination
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I have three different programs I can use for the database.

Which one do you think will do the best job for a one person
operation? The person who will be doing the data entry, driving,
bookkkeeping, mopping, cleaning is very proficient with most aspects
of computers.

I could use:

Microsoft Access 2007

ACT! by Sage 2006

Goldmine 6.0


Which program do you reccommend and why?


Thanks for taking the time to help me out with this?


www.telebay.com/7777

"Knowledge" <knowledg_e (AT) charter (DOT) net> wrote

I think you're ready to roll - don't change a thing. You might want to add
though, a passenger satisfaction/comments/recommendation form that can be
entered on one of those touch screens that you can bolt onto the back of the
front seat. (with a big shortcut on the screen to Windows Solitaire)

BAM

On Thu, 28 Jun 2007 07:28:07 -0400, "BAM"
<mcca5761 (AT) blahblahbellsouth (DOT) net> wrote:

Bam?

I also have Filemaker Pro 8.5 if I need it.

Will this require a relational database? Or will a flat file database
suffice very nice?

Knowledge wrote:
....
I don't know Goldmine at all, so interpret the following in the light
of that gap.
I'd say much depends on what use he wants to make of the data. If he's
using it for contact management (who are his regular customers, do
they have regular orders, how much do they use him, what are their
addresses for special offers, holidays, seasonal publicity), then ACT
would make sense. If he wants to analyse the market, looking at
origins and destinations, business by category (passenger, courier,
business, personal), then I'd think in terms of a relational db.

....
You know, after I replied, I realised that you could be reinventing
the wheel. Look at all the taxi management software that's out there -
it might be cheaper to buy something off the shelf.

"Knowledge" <knowledg_e (AT) charter (DOT) net> wrote

I'd be more concerned about whether you were going to equip your driver with
a Bowie knife or a Billy club.

BAM

On Thu, 28 Jun 2007 22:23:04 -0400, "BAM"
<mcca5761 (AT) blahblahbellsouth (DOT) net> wrote:

high powered tasers. He's going to be working in one of the most
dangerous areas of the United State in Montana.

On Thu, 28 Jun 2007 16:21:17 -0400, Paul Danaher
<paul.danaher (AT) watwinc (DOT) com> wrote:


He can use both ACT! 2006, and Filemaker Pro 8.5 for the first hundred
or so calls. By that time he will know which one fits his needs best
and we will go with that one.

"Knowledge" <knowledg_e (AT) charter (DOT) net> wrote

Now yer talkin'

And maybe some night vision goggles for Elk crossings.

BAM