Experts On Your Side Use templates to pour your work into molds sculpted by professionals.

For anyone running a small business and trying to do it all,using the predesigned templates that are bundled with popularcomputer programs--particularly office suites, such as MicrosoftOffice, Lotus SmartSuite, and Corel WordPerfect Suite--can saveboth time and effort. You can use templates, which are designed bygraphics and business experts, to help create documents of alltypes: letters, memos, newsletters, spreadsheets, databases,presentations, and even World Wide Web pages.

You can use templates without worrying about page layout,design, or color combinations. And you don't have to thinkabout setting margins, selecting fonts, or choosing point sizes forheadings and body text.

Templates are not just for layout and design--sometimes, theyprovide part of the content. For example, many letter and faxtemplates automatically enter names and addresses that you havepreviously typed as part of program installation or when filling ina wizard. A wizard is a type of template that guides you, one stepat a time, through the early steps of document creation. Forexample, a letter or fax wizard prompts you, through a series ofdialog boxes, to choose a style or type, or to verify names,addresses and telephone numbers. A newsletter wizard enables you tochoose the style and number of columns, the newsletter name, andthe number of pages. After completing the wizard's dialogboxes, your document is onscreen but still incomplete; you willhave to type in the body of the letter, or articles in anewsletter. You may also have to insert graphics into some types ofdocuments, such as newsletters. In presentation templates, whichare sets of slides or computer-screen displays, the backgrounddesign and color are usually in place; all you have to do is typebulleted items and page titles.

Some programs provide templates that help you with the contentof each page. Imagine having sales experts such as Zig Ziglar andKen Wax by your side as you write a sales presentation. With LotusFreelance Graphics, a presentation program, you can rely on tipsfrom these and other experts to help you construct an effectivepresentation.

How to Use Templates

You can create a template-based document in almost the same waythat you would produce a document from scratch. To use a template,select New from the File menu (in Windows-based programs). Next,double-click on the icon representing the template or on the nameof the template that you want to use. With the template onscreen,fill in the missing pieces. Finally, make the document your own bychanging formats, colors, and so on. However, unless you are agraphic artist, be very careful that you don't move too faraway from the built-in look of the document. Be sure to save thedocument, giving it a unique name.

Customizing Templates

A major advantage to using templates is that you have thestarting point of a design and layout. Then, you can customizeuntil the document is exactly right. Pat Coleman, a Houston-basedfreelance editor and writer who was the deputy editor of TheWorld Almanac, says, "We converted all our files from aproprietary mainframe platform to Microsoft Word version 6. We useda single custom template to create each of the almost one thousandpages, which included hundreds of tables. It really worked like acharm. The most useful word-processing templates are forpublications. Brochure templates are usually both useful andattractive; brochures are always difficult to create if youaren't a graphics designer."

A Template for All Uses

The typical small-business owner uses templates for day-to-dayword processing. For example, Gretchen Beck, a tax service enrolledagent in San Francisco, says, "Using Microsoft Works templatesand wizards for fax sheets, newsletters, and letterheads has savedme a lot of time."

Others use a wider variety of templates. For example, GwendolynD. Moran, who owns the Moran Marketing Associates agency inFarmingdale, New Jersey, uses templates from Microsoft PowerPoint,Microsoft Word, and Lotus Ami Pro (the predecessor of Lotus WordPro). "Because I am not a graphic designer, my attempts atdesign can look amateurish," says Moran. "However, I useda word-processing template to create a quick `down and dirty'newsletter for a client who needed one as soon as possible. Thenewsletter was tremendously well-received by the client'scustomer base; we created the newsletter with the template for sixissues before we handed it over to our designer for revamping.

"I have also created presentations--including a sales kitfor our firm--using PowerPoint. Again, we could easily customizethe presentations. However, we are not spending hours of valuabletime on creating presentation graphics; the templates are soattractive and professional that we can create a great image inminutes. Of course, some clients need customized presentations, andwe never sacrifice quality for convenience. We evaluate eachsituation on a case-by-case basis and use the resources that arewarranted. If we can save our clients money by using templates thatlook like a million bucks, and it makes sense for theclient, then we consider using templates."

Whats Available?

Here's a rundown of some of the templates available intoday's programs:

• Word-Processing Templates. The most popular and probablymost commonly used word-processing templates help in creatingletters, fax sheets and memos. For example, Microsoft Word providesthree designs each for letters, fax sheets, and memos. Thesedesigns enable you to standardize one look for your documents.Microsoft Word also provides templates for reports, brochures,press releases, directories, manuals, newsletters, resumes,calendars, meeting agendas, awards, invoices, purchase orders, andweekly time sheets. Along with the standard letter, fax sheet, andmemo templates, Lotus Word Pro provides templates for businesscards, business plans, newsletters, mailing labels, calendars,invoices, indexes, and tables of contents. WordPerfect'stemplates include invoices, resumes and much more. In addition,with the growing popularity of the Internet, you'll findWeb-page templates in all three word processors.

• Spreadsheet Templates. You'll find invoice templatesin all types of programs, including spreadsheets. Other commonspreadsheet templates are for purchase orders, time sheets andexpense reports. In fact, the popular programs provide templatesfor both business and home. For example, Lotus 1-2-3 furnishestemplates for amortizing loans, calculating loan payments, andcreating territory sales plans. Microsoft Excel's templatesinclude a business planner, car-lease manager, loan manager,personal budgeter, and a sales pricing and tracking system.

• Database Templates. Database programs are equipped withtemplates for almost every imaginable use. For example, LotusApproach's many templates range from a survey builder to ameeting-room scheduler. Using Approach templates, you can trackexpenses, invoices, orders, shipping, fixed assets, and inventory;maintain your daily schedule; and keep lists of employees andevents.

• Presentation Templates. To create and give anoutstanding presentation from scratch, you have to be an expert ingraphics, layout and content. With a presentation template, youdon't have to worry about the look of the presentation;all you have to do is provide the content. Some presentationtemplates also allow you to select a graphical background, thelength of the presentation, and the type of output: overheads,computer screens, slides or handouts. The most common presentationtemplates cover meetings, marketing, business plans, sales andtraining. Microsoft PowerPoint includes templates for recommendinga strategy; creating a business plan; selling a product, service,or idea; training new employees and others; tracking a project; andreporting on business finances. Freelance Graphics providestemplates for a business review, corporate overview, industryanalysis, information technology strategy, new market entry andpositioning, product launch, status report, and qualityimprovement.

Each new version of these programs seems to provide moretemplates as well as more innovation. You can find a template foralmost any imaginable purpose to help you manage your smallbusiness more smoothly and efficiently.

Software Support Pages

Most computer companies offer online support and other usefulresources on the World Wide Web. Some even have pages of freedemonstration software. The following lists each company's homepage and main support page.

Apple Computer

Home page: (http://www.apple.com/)

Support: (http://www.info.apple.com/)

IBM

Home page: (http://www.ibm.com/)

Services and support: (http://www.ibm.com/services)

Microsoft

Home page: (http://www.microsoft.com/)

Support: (http://www.microsoft.com/support/)

Claris

Home page: (http://www.claris.com/)

Support and Training: (http://www.claris.com/support/support.html)

Corel

Home page: (http://www.corel.com/)

Support: (http://206.116.221.5/support/)

Lotus

Home page: (http://www.lotus.com/)

Support: (http://www.support.lotus.com/)

Symantec

Home page: (http://www.symantec.com/)

Support: (http://www.symantec.com/servsupp.html)

Sandra E. Eddy is the author of Mastering LotusSmartSuite 97 for Windows 95 (SYBEX), for which she experimentedwith templates of every description. She lives in upstate NewYork.

Contact Sources

Gretchen Beck, E.A., (415) 695-1819.

Moran Marketing Associates, 5005 Hwy. 33 & 34,Farmingdale, NJ 07727, (908) 919-7040.

Pat Coleman, 22235 Cimarron Pkwy., Katy, TX 77450, (713)395-8738.