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If you’re like most small business owners, you spend the majority of your time managing daily operations, keeping customers happy, and looking for new ways to grow. Spreadsheets, cash flow analysis, and financial projections are probably not your first passion. However, measuring profitability, creating realistic budgets, and planning ahead for the future are crucial to your professional success. Follow these four tips to get a handle on the numbers, and…  Read more

Cloud computing is quickly moving from an obscure concept to an everyday reality for small businesses all over the world. A 2015 survey of small business owners found that 52% had already adopted some form of cloud-based data storage; however, a general lack of awareness regarding the logistics and advantages of cloud computing has made others a bit more resistant. The truth is, there are several very practical benefits to…  Read more

Two weeks ago I cracked. My son cracked. We were broken. Something had to give. I simply didn’t want any more tears (from him or me). The day I told him that school would open up (in regional) but he would return on separate days to his older brother and they would not overlap, it was all too much for him. He took himself to bed at 7pm and cried…  Read more

So many business employees are now telecommuting, that companies around the world are restructuring their management practices to meet the challenges of remote collaboration. Because they tend to be more agile and open to change, small businesses are particularly well positioned to adapt to telecommuting. Increased productivity and happier employees who appreciate the added flexibility are just a few benefits winning over small business owners. But telecommuting also presents some…  Read more

Think of your business plan as a roadmap designed to point the way to your current destination, knowing that where you land may not be your ultimate end point. After all, things are constantly changing in a healthy, thriving business. Market fluctuations, new competitors, changes in staffing or your sales figures may nudge you in a direction you wouldn’t have previously dreamed of, requiring new goals and strategies to achieve…  Read more

We’re thinking of everyone affected by lockdowns around the country and encourage you to reach out if you have any questions about your business during this time. 80% vaccination targets approaching The Delta outbreak may have reached a turning point, with more than half the country in extended lockdowns and vaccination rates starting to approach national targets. According to Health Minister Greg Hunt, 80% of Australians will have had their…  Read more

Hiring an accountant is widely considered best practice for small business owners.  But delegating financial analysis and reporting doesn’t mean completely checking out of the process each month or quarter. On the contrary, it’s recommended that business owners work closely with their accountants throughout the year to better understand their financial position, and make smart plans for future growth. Want to increase your accounting knowledge so you can have more…  Read more

There’s no denying the importance of face time—or the competitive advantage businesses enjoy when they can video chat with colleagues, remote workers, and clients from anywhere in the world. Video conferencing apps increase productivity and save time in innumerable ways. They reduce travel time for business meetings, optimize meeting attendance, and allow those in different time zones to chat in real time, helping to streamline sales and the decision-making process.…  Read more

We’re thinking of everyone affected by lockdowns around the country and encourage you to reach out if you have any questions about your business during this time. Read on for assistance that may be available to you. Australia Post Pauses Melbourne Parcels Australia Post announced that parcel pickups, collections, and business lodgements would be paused in Melbourne for five days from Friday because of COVID-19 backlogs. Australia Post had already…  Read more

As a business owner, you may appreciate the importance of monitoring key performance indicators but feel overwhelmed by the process—especially if you need to sign into to various applications to access a wealth of unconsolidated data.   A business dashboard provides an at-a-glance view of your business intelligence, so it’s quick and easy to make sense of your data in real time, whenever you like. Fully customizable, you can pick…  Read more

We’re thinking of everyone affected by lockdowns around the country and encourage you to reach out if you have any questions about your business during this time. Read on for assistance that may be available to you. End of Lockdown in Sight for Melbourne Melbourne will exit its coronavirus lockdown in late October if vaccine targets are met. The city has been under lockdown since August 5, but restrictions could…  Read more

Most small business owners who use accounting software quickly master the basics. They automate processes like invoicing and payroll, track expenses and view real time financial reports to manage cash flow and make better business decisions. But what many business owners don’t take advantage of are key insights that can improve customer care and increase sales. Here are some smart ways you can use your accounting software to help boost…  Read more

We’re thinking of everyone affected by lockdowns around the country and encourage you to reach out if you have any questions about your business during this time. Read on for assistance that may be available to you. Vaccine Passports for International Travel The government has taken a major step towards establishing a vaccine passport for international travel. Last week, it was announced that the system that will enable recognition of…  Read more

We’re thinking of everyone affected by lockdowns around the country and encourage you to reach out if you have any questions about your business during this time. Read on for assistance that may be available to you. COVID-19 Government Support By State and Industry Small businesses that are currently suffering from lockdowns can get financial assistance to help them get through the pandemic. You can find the latest government support…  Read more

At face value, it seems like a great idea. If you’re a small business owner with just a few employees, you probably think that hiring a payroll specialist is an expense that you can avoid. You feel that you can handle it yourself. You have the best intentions to keep your staff paid right and on time. What could go wrong, right? Well, lots actually. Below are the reasons why…  Read more

Electronic signature software offers small business a number of time and cost-saving benefits. If you’ve considered going paperless but haven’t yet made the plunge, here are 6 excellent reasons to start using digital signatures today. 1.Get paid faster Digital signatures make it easy to close a sale on the spot, turn around contracts faster, and finalize documents that require signatures from multiple parties. Electronic signature software can also streamline the…  Read more

We’re thinking of everyone affected by lockdowns around the country and encourage you to reach out if you have any questions about your business during this time. Read on for assistance that may be available to you. Melbourne and Canberra’s lockdowns extended The lockdown in Melbourne was due to end this Thursday, but authorities announced that they will extend it as the number of COVID-19 infections in Victoria continues to…  Read more

“Outsource your weaknesses.” So says start-up guru, Sujan Patel, when advising small business owners to get outside help for tasks like payroll and bookkeeping. And when you consider that 70% of businesses fail due to poor in-house financial management, Patel’s advice seems spot on. Unfortunately, many small business owners seek to keep costs low by doing everything themselves— unwittingly sabotaging the financial stability of their own company. If numbers aren’t…  Read more

We’re thinking of everyone affected by lockdowns around the country and encourage you to reach out if you have any questions about your business during this time. Read on for assistance that may be available to you. Australia Closes One-Way Travel Bubble from NZ Australia has paused “green zone” flights from New Zealand that allow Kiwis to travel to the country without going into quarantine. All passengers on flights originating…  Read more

Your balance sheet (now more correctly called a Statement of Financial Position) reveals a great deal about your business, including the total value of your assets – the things you own; how much you owe to others – your liabilities; and the level of your solvency. These three aspects will be studied carefully by lenders and investors − and by buyers if you intend to sell your business. But they…  Read more