If you’re like many small business owners you’re probably astounded by how the world has changed in a very short time. While we can all hope that the pandemic is a once-in-a-lifetime scenario, we need to find some positive in the whole situation. And there are hidden business lessons that we can learn to help plan for the future. Yes, your business might have changed drastically in recent months. There… Read more
Coming up to the second round of JobKeeper reporting and we are still so bloody shocked by the amount of crap information being thrown around in relation to who is eligible for this funding. And more importantly, why are people not qualified to give this advice so happy to throw around these “JobKeeper Myths” like confetti?? Let me bust some of the crap information and myths around JobKeeper that people… Read more
Email marketing is one of the best ways to develop a relationship with your customers. Yep – even us nerdy accountants can use email marketing. But let’s not confuse email marketing with spam. Nobody wants spam. The key to maintaining high open rates with your email campaigns is to craft catchy subject lines for every email you send out to your customers. You need to get their attention, and amongst… Read more
It is time for our weekly updates on all things Covid-19, JobKeeper and beyond. JobKeeper Key Dates The ATO’s website has a list of key dates relevant to JobKeeper which you might find handy. Not-for-profits and charities can find some JobKeeper information here also. If you are still wondering if you are eligible, or what schemes apply to you and your business, get in touch with us and we can… Read more
Since the first internal corporate note was sent—probably reminding employees about casual Friday—companies and organisations have relied on written communications to keep employees up-to-date on company policies, procedures and changes happening within. These days, though, more companies are switching to videos to relay information to their staff. In a lot of ways, video is more effective than written communications. It grabs peoples’ attention, conveys important information quickly and is usually… Read more
Welcome back to our Weekly Digest of all things Covid-19, Coronavirus and change to the economy. We hope you and your family are doing well and if you are a working parent, your children may be returning to the classroom soon. Read on for this week’s update. Easing restrictions Last week we mentioned the government’s state-by-state roadmaps to relaxing restrictions. Most states have started their roadmap and as a result… Read more
As many business owners look to life after COVID-19, an important question comes up: how do we plan to reopen our business? For most businesses, the easing of restrictions doesn’t mean an overnight return to “business as usual”. There are rules and regulations in place about how businesses can operate, including how many people can be on their premises at one time and how employees must be protected. Customers may… Read more
Hello for another week! We hope you are staying healthy and well. The big news late last week was the government’s three-step plan to relax coronavirus restrictions. It’s great news for our country and our economy – well done to everyone for playing a part in “flattening the curve!” Plans to reduce restrictions Each state will work independently to implement their own three-step plan, at their own pace. State government… Read more
Standing desks are not new, but they are still a bit of a luxury. Or are they now a necessity given our change in working conditions and more of us working from home? Many articles focus on the negatives of sitting: sitting at a desk is as bad as smoking, people who sit at their desks have shorter life spans, or sitting all day promotes terrible posture. Is the solution… Read more
Running a business in a smaller city may mean you have a more limited talent pool to draw employees from, but it doesn’t mean you won’t have access to top notch workers. You may need to alter your recruiting strategy to show those skilled employees why they should consider working for your smaller business instead of going to a large corporation in a big city. Here are some ways you… Read more
In this week’s update, as well as some updates on government support for businesses, we’ve included a number of resources to help with navigating your business out of the dire situation we’ve all been in. No doubt there are still tough times ahead but there are many reasons to be hopeful and we’re here to help you through it all. JobKeeper The first JobKeeper payments are expected to flow… Read more
During difficult economic times, having large cash reserves is such a lifeline. But often, when we most need it, the cash is just not there. So how do we build our cash reserves? Your “war chest” is the financial reserve your business has built up so you can take advantage of an opportunity or cover unexpected costs or emergencies. Building a cash reserve when finances are tight, however, can be… Read more
The Covid-19 Pandemic is far from over. Like any other event that impacts the world, we don’t know what the future will be like, but we do know that the other side of this will require resilience and creativity from all of us. In the spirit of resilience, we have put together some useful resources to help you. JobKeeper is all we have been thinking about and dealing with lately,… Read more
JobKeeper, decline in turnover tests, eligible employees, non eligible employees, cash boost, state government grants, unfair legislation, cash flow problems. Somehow, it seems I am responsible for all the shit that has happened in the past 5 weeks. But I am here to tell you I am not. I actually have no involvement in the process of government decisions becoming legislation. I have no involvement in how the ATO interprets… Read more
Working out your eligibility for the JobKeeper wage subsidy is a bit of a mine field. April 202 v April 2019, March 2020 v March 2019, cash v accruals – but what if your business has irregular income? What if you were not in business this time last year? The ATO has just released Alternative Tests for the JobKeeper payment which expands eligibility from the initial basic test. This is… Read more
Most small business owners face a time in their career when they have to communicate in ways or about topics they aren’t comfortable with. COVID-19 has put business owners in the position of having many conversations that are uncomfortable and stressful. Whether you’re communicating with employees about business issues during the pandemic, hoping to negotiate a rent reduction or changes to credit terms, or asking customers for help in keeping… Read more
We’re back for another week! Hopefully you had a nice Easter break. Or if like most small business owners, you were reading, learning and listening to all the updates around Jobkeeper, JobSeeker and the Cash Flow Boost. There is a lot to get your head around, so here are the latest updates from us. Many of us are adjusting to a new normal of staying home as much as we… Read more
Some good news for commercial tenants amid the Coronavirus downturn. Commercial leases are such a huge cost, and whilst we get that landlords also need to make an income, unless a compromise is made between landlord and tenant, there could be plenty of empty shops soon. Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced some new measures for landlords and tenants yesterday (Tuesday 7th April). The new mandatory code will apply to tenancies… Read more
At times when the economy is struggling, clients are struggling, we are all emotionally fragile, it pains me to send out a post saying that we will be saying no to some clients, and to certain activities requested of us. JobKeeper and the economic cash boosts is not a free for all. And it is certainly not the time to be creating dodgy business practices. We simply will have no… Read more
I have no words to describe the past three weeks of being a business owner running their own accounting and bookkeeping business during the Coronavirus pandemic, but I will try. There has been so much negativity, so much uncertainty, increased levels of stress and anxiety, frustration through the roof, so many tears – and that is from both clients and from me. “We are not immune to any of it,… Read more