Steve Howard of Howard Associates in Lebanon, Maine, has developed an Excel-based application called Bed Sheet that’s targeted to small bed and breakfast (B&B) establishments. It runs on Mac and PC systems and is being offered for download.
The intent of this software is to provide users with critical information about their establishment without “needing a PhD. in computer science,” Howard said. It offers reservation scheduling, room tracking, invoice preparation, accounting, mail list and more “back office” features. You need Microsoft Excel or a compatible spreadsheet to run this program. However, BedSheet operates in most Excel releases for the Mac (Mac OS X or the traditional Mac operating system) or PC, according to Howard.
BedSheet costs US$49.95, which includes free technical support. For more info you can e-mail Howard.
Howard Associates has been in the consulting business since 1982, dealing with telecom, networking, and other “big picture” stuff, Howard said. Howard himself has also taught computer science courses at schools such as Boston University.
“My introduction to B&B was last fall,” he told MacCentral. “I did some digital, photo-stitch stuff for a friend and local proprietor. Our conversation drifted to the high cost and complexity of available software. I decided to attempt an easier, cheaper solution.”