diff --git a/salt-formula-manager.py b/salt-formula-manager.py
index fc7ef05..b0caec1 100644
--- a/salt-formula-manager.py
+++ b/salt-formula-manager.py
@@ -32,22 +32,7 @@ def check_formula_dir(formulas_dir):
 def get_formulas(formulas, formulas_dir, formulas_url):
     # loop through the defined formulas
     for formula in formulas:
-        git_url = ''
-        local_path = ''
-
-        # check if the formula entry is a string or a dictionary
-        if isinstance(formula, dict):
-            # entry is a dictionary
-            git_url = str(formula['url'])
-            local_path = str(formulas_dir) + '/' + str(formula['name'])
-        elif isinstance(formula, str):
-            # entry is a string
-            git_url = str(formulas_url) + str(formula) + '-formula'
-            local_path = str(formulas_dir) + '/' + str(formula) + '-formula'
-        else:
-            # entry type is not supported
-            print('One of your entries is not a dict or a string (' + str(formula) + ') - please fix this.')
-            sys.exit(1)
+        git_url, local_path = parse_formula_entry(formula, formulas_dir, formulas_url)
 
         # check if the destination directory exists
         if os.path.exists(local_path):
@@ -57,6 +42,29 @@ def get_formulas(formulas, formulas_dir, formulas_url):
             # clone git repo
             Repo.clone_from(git_url, local_path)
 
+# parses a formula entry, and then returns the target git URL and the destination for the clone
+def parse_formula_entry(formula, formulas_dir, formulas_url):
+    # define our variables to be returned
+    git_url = ''
+    local_path = ''
+
+    # check if the formula entry is a string or a dictionary
+    if isinstance(formula, dict):
+        # entry is a dictionary
+        git_url = str(formula['url'])
+        local_path = str(formulas_dir) + '/' + str(formula['name'])
+    elif isinstance(formula, str):
+        # entry is a string
+        git_url = str(formulas_url) + str(formula) + '-formula'
+        local_path = str(formulas_dir) + '/' + str(formula) + '-formula'
+    else:
+        # entry type is not supported
+        print('One of your entries is not a dict or a string (' + str(formula) + ') - please fix this.')
+        sys.exit(1)
+
+    # return the values here
+    return git_url, local_path
+
 # purge un-managed formulas
 def clean_formulas(conf):
     if conf['purge_formulas']: