Import Excel into SQL Server

Currently a Covid Lockdown in Sydney and so I'm bored. Therefore, I decided I'd share some knowledge from all the years of ETL work I've done. 

In this video I show a simple way to get around an annoying "Microsoftism" when doing what should be a straightforward import of data from Microsoft Excel in SQL Server. 

The 'Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0' provider is not registered on the local machine. (System.Data)

If you've ever tried using the SQL Server Import and Export Wizard, and received that error, you'll know how frustrating it is ... 

Here's the solution: 

Can you tell your customers if you moved premises?

In the building next to us is a mechanic. He used to be in a different factory unit, but due to that owner selling, he was forced to move into a less desirable factory out the back. 

When I asked him why he chose this factory to rent, and not one with more exposure down the road, he said it was because all his clients knew that he was in this block of units. 

It still amazes me, and will until the day I drop dead, that people don’t keep a database of their customers.

I know my mechanic has never emailed me. If he moved, I wouldn’t know where to find him! He would lose my family as customers and have to find new ones.

If your business has all its clients’ information stored, even just the basics, then you can email or ring them when you have important changes - like changing address! 

You probably worked really, really hard to build your clientele. Don’t leave them behind when you move. 

Build a database … or better yet, contact me and ask me to build it for you!

Excel <> Database!

Please STOP using Excel for managing your customer data. 

Excel has its place, but that place is not being a surrogate database! 

Last week we took on a new client in Cronulla (a small community based sporting club) who had been managing their attendances with spreadsheets. The poor girl whose job it is to work out who's coming and who isn't was struggling big time. 

We were able to take that data and import it into our Arnold Gym Management System, and now her workload has been trimmed by over 90%! 

Help us rid the world of Excel Spreadsheets being used as databases!

Arnold Martial Arts Gym Management Release Notes 24-01-2020

*** Arnold Update ***

Another busy week at Stingrae as we release a new update for Arnold Martial Arts Gym Management Software. Here is a summary of the changes, which mostly came about after doing some consulting with one of our main clients (a lot of them sure make things easier to understand, especially for new users):

* Homepage now displays when your subscription is due to expire/renew.

* IntegrayPay Direct Debiting : when a payment fails, the reason why is now also shown in the IntegraPay Batch Report, and on the Payment Details Popup (which has also been re-written)

* Class Maintenance - More logical flow to the maintenance sections and consistency among the titles (Names = Types etc). Bug also fixed where previously you could accidentally save a grade without a style.

* Sales Item - Tax now calculated as you type, without the annoying postback. More popups in this section too to explain the settings further. And the grids refresh on changes, when previously there was a bug where it only refreshed after refreshing the page.

* Incidents - made the screen wider and easier to navigate.

PLUS you'll see even more little temporary popups with handy hints and some question marks with help too.

As always, any suggestions for features, please let us know!

Release Notes 2019-12-07

*** Arnold Gym Management Release Notes ***

Another busy week at Stingrae, with the following minor changes to our popular martial arts school management system:

* Redesign of Member Home Screen so that you can see almost everything at once

* Improved Popup screen for Contacts (previously had display issues on Edge)

* Sections for Notes, Gradings & Classes now stay open when you click on them

* New section to view Competitions for Members

* Fixed Layout issues on Account Sale

* Fixed bug with business logo on Member Portal

https://www.gymdatabase.com.au

Competitions & Incidents

Been a busy time at Stingrae over the past week or so ...

We've just put out a new version of Arnold Martial Arts and Gym Management. Along with a few minor bug fixes, there are now two new menu options:

1. Competitions - Record how your students go in martial arts or dance comps.

2. Incidents - Ensure that any accidents or problems are properly recorded.

One final note on the Competitions - your gym members can enter them them-self via the member portal area!

To Learn More - http://www.gymdatabase.com.au

*** New Report ***

Happy to announce a new report - a simple Outstanding Debtors report. Quickly see who owes you money in one click.

Check it out now at http://www.gymdatabase.com.au