I am a huge fan of doing things that will simplify my life and I embrace technology for that reason.
Over the past few years I have made several databases and spreadsheets for different reptile-related reasons and I have decided to offer some of the work I have done for free.
The databases and spreadsheets offered below are completely free. You are free to use them and modify them in any way that better meets your needs. Under no circumstances may you sell them to somebody else (without my written consent).
Freebie #1: A Microsoft Access database used to create reptile price lists.
I created this price list database to help me easily distribute my list of available ball pythons to potential customers. It has been through many iterations and the modified version I am offering here is designed to be simple and intuitive to use. You will need to modify the details in the “Terms” section (which you will find the the “Database Maintenance” section) in order to make it your own. If you have any skill using Microsoft Access you can easily modify this price list to include your logo, etc. This database was created using Access 2010.
Click here to download the reptile price list database file.
Freebie #2: A Microsoft Excel spreadsheet used to quickly calculate discounts for multiple-animal sales.
Pretty much every day people ask me, “What kind of deal will you give me if I buy _______________?” I created this spreadsheet to be a simple tool that allows a seller to quickly and easily manipulate the numbers on multi-snake deals. All you need to do is enter the list price and the discount (%) and the spreadsheet calculates the rest. This spreadsheet was created using Excel 2010. It also works with the OpenOffice preadsheet program. I have also tested it with Google Docs and it seems to work fine (but the formatting does get a bit skewed). Enjoy.
Click here to download the animal pricing worksheet.
Freebie #3: A Microsoft Excel spreadsheet used to calculate actual shipping costs.
This simple spreadsheet can be used to help you determine the actual cost of shipping a reptile, not just how much FedEx (or whoever) is charging you. Click here to read a blog post I wrote about this topic. Enjoy.
Click here to download the reptile shipping cost worksheet.
Freebie #4: A Microsoft Access database that can be used by reptile sellers/wholesalers to track relevant information for clients (pet stores).
I created this database for a friend who needed to track pet stores and pet store sales. The intent was to allow for better pet store sales management by providing a concise and easy-to-reference list of relevant information about pet stores with whom you do business. If you are a seller who works with several pet stores you may find this database to be useful. If you have some skill with Microsoft Access you will probably find that you will want to make a number of tweaks. Once I realized that it wasn’t going to be fully utilized I stopped trying to make it better. This database was created using Access 2010.
Click here to download the pet store tracking database.
Freebie #5: (Coming Soon) A Microsoft Access database designed to be a reptiles sales “tickler” file.
Once released this database can help you keep track of inquiries you have for any reptile sale and generate reports that give you customized views that help track who is looking for what. I get quite a few inquiries for animals that I don’t currently have in stock. In an effort to better turn inquiries into sales I started keeping track of all inquiries and then referring back to them on a regular basis to see if my new production could fill old demands.
Freebie #6: (Coming Soon) A Microsoft Access database designed to track breeder animals, egg-laying history and baby production.
This database, once completed will merge two existing databases; one that allows you to track relevant information about your breeders and another that allows you to track their breeding history. For no good reason I originally created these as separate databases but have been working on making them into a single database that tracks everything from acquisition, feeding, breeding, production, health and many, many other things. Using the database you will be able to answer a massive number of questions about your collection. With a click or a screen tap two you will be able to answer tons of questions like:
- Which females haven’t taken a meal in the past 30 days?
- Which females have laid eight or more eggs two years in a row?
- Which animals weigh less now than they did three months ago?
- And on and on and on… the benefits of using databases to track your animals means you can actually get meaningful information that can directly impact the quality of your husbandry.
Other cool stuff…
I have many other spreadsheets & databases that other reptile breeders may find useful. Over time I will make many of them available on this page. Please check back from time-to-time to see what has been added.
For anybody who is annoyed over these being Access databases (anybody who uses Linux and/or Mac, for instance): I am also in the process of converting all of this stuff the MySQL for access and maintenance using PHP and a web browser. It’s a hobby, not a business, so it will be done when it’s done. I am fully aware that my decision to use Microsoft Access is rather limiting. By switching to MySQL/PHP the data will become easier to access and manipulate using any device that has a web browser.
Full Disclosure: I am not a database expert. Use these tools at your own risk. I do not offer free technical support for these tools. Your decision to use these tools also means you choose to accept any and all liability associated with their use. This includes, but is not limited to, loss of data and lost sales/revenue. Do not use these tools if you do not accept all risks.
-Colin Weaver
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