Ways to speed up invoicing

Everyone likes making money, especially small business owners. Invoicing, funnily enough, is typically one of the less favourable tasks for small business owners. Chores like creating and sending invoices get set aside for other duties that are seen as more enjoyable or even more urgent. I know you have felt like this…You tell yourself you will get around to it tomorrow, but tomorrow becomes next week, next week becomes next…  Read more

How Accountants & Bookkeepers can use Facebook

Can accountants and bookkeepers use Facebook to grow their business? You bet they can.  You see – do you know where your clients, and more importantly your future clients, hang out? Social media. Facebook has on average 1.33 billion active users a day. 1.33 billion.  Now sure that is a world wide number, so the stats in Australia will be less, but that is still a whole lot of people…  Read more

What is a CRM and does your business need one?

Many complex moving parts are involved in operating a profitable business, but at its core, business success hinges on just one thing: customer relationships. So do you use a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) tool? A CRM solution helps your business nurture and improve customer relationships by maintaining centralised data on all your leads and existing clients. With access to a history of customer transactions and communications, your team can make…  Read more

4 questions you should ask your accountant

Ideally, you and your accountant are more than just “adviser” and “client”. With your combined skills, expertise, and shared mission to support a thriving business, you should be more like business partners. The key to achieving success in any partnership is, of course, knowledge and expertise, but more important than that is strong communication.  If you can’t ask your accountant the questions you need answers to, are they really going…  Read more

Four easy ways to make your business environmentally friendly

These days, there’s an increasing focus on reducing our environmental impact. Many businesses offer recycling programs and even have composting, while some companies encourage car pooling, offer parking spaces for hybrid vehicles, or move their operations into environmentally friendly buildings. There are many things you can do as a business owner to make your business more environmentally friendly, but it’s important to take steps that represent permanent change rather than…  Read more

Help, I think my accountant / bookkeeper is charging me too much?

Do you know how many times we hear/see this question? Oh at least 3 times a week. We get it, you need to be getting value from your accountant/bookkeeper. And what your accountant or bookkeeper charges you needs to be reasonable. However, what are you factoring in when you get your answers to that question? Skill? Service level? How many people touch your data file? The scope of work included…  Read more

What to pack for a two day conference

So Xerocon 2019 is just around the corner. Two days in Brisbane for the conference and a cheeky extra day at the end (to work of course). Well it is going to be 27 degrees all week so why wouldn’t I take time to enjoy the sun?. But what are my “must have” items to pack for a two day conference? I travel to about 3-4 conferences every single year,…  Read more

Bookkeeping is Crucial to Your Business Success

Keeping track of sales, margins, expenses, and purchases is fundamental to the overall financial health and sustainability of your business. Effective bookkeeping produces the data you need to evaluate your current practices, anticipate challenges, and set attainable future goals. But despite their proven importance, many business owners dread and avoid accounting tasks. In fact, 40% of surveyed entrepreneurs claim that bookkeeping is one the worst parts of running a business!…  Read more

Don’t let the fear of public speaking break you

When you own a business, any time you speak in public you are representing your business, your brand and your values. That’s a lot of pressure, especially when you consider that most people are already nervous about speaking in front of people. There’s no magic cure for fear of public speaking (and secretly we love it – we could talk numbers all day long), but do I still get nervous…  Read more

Is there a polite way to sack a client?

Ask anyone who has been self-employed if they have ever had a “less than ideal client”. The answer will be a big fat yes, I guarantee it.  So how can you sack a client politely? Is it possible to do it with grace and dignity? Now don’t get me wrong, by and large, the vast majority of clients you get are great. They value your work, they understand your skill…  Read more

The True Value of Networking

There are all kinds of groups dedicated to networking. Some are highly structured with performance requirements with exclusive membership. Others are free form, come as you please and no charge. Networking can be a total mixed bag. Not every group is right for every kind of business, and trust me, I have tried so bloody many. You will find that some groups may simply not have connections in the market…  Read more

Are you ready for Single Touch Payroll? Single touch WHAT??

Do you have under 19 employees? Then you need to be ready for Single Touch Payroll when it comes into play from 1 July 2019. Single touch what I hear you ask!! By now you may have heard the buzz around Single Touch Payroll. It’s a pretty big deal for any business that has employees. So…what do you need to know and how does it affect you? Keep reading to…  Read more

Finding money within your business

Most small businesses experience cash flow problems from time to time and urgently need working capital. Many business owners immediately think of the bank or loans when they’re short of money. But there are other resources you can tap before you ask for that expensive overdraft or overdraft extension. The money you need might already be there—locked up in inventory, assets or your debtors’ book. You can often free up…  Read more

Outsourcing – SOS. I am drowning in an admin nightmare.

Happy New Year. Well, it probably is a Happy New Year to those who are not drowning in admin. Combine that with ATO deadlines and basically my life is hell right now. Absolute hell. Now I know what you are thinking – seriously Stacey, pull yourself together. I mean how much admin can you have? You are a small business, you don’t have an office to look after and it is holidays. Surely you are…  Read more

What insights can you get from your Profit and Loss report?

Most small business people would agree that their Profit and Loss report is among the easier – if not the easiest – financial document to understand.  I mean we all want to make a profit, but if we don’t the report can still be useful. It’s typically presented in three parts. The top half of the statement reveals the various income streams of the business for the period covered, such…  Read more

Outsourcing – Let the self doubt begin (someone tell me I am making the right decision?)

Self confidence concept. Hands cutting the letter t of written word I can’t by sciccors. Office desk. Pink background top view. Once any big decision in business (or life) is actually made, it is almost like we want the little “business fairy” to tap us on the shoulder and say “everything is going to be ok”. Instead what we get is a million little devils reminding us of all the shit…  Read more

Can a Virtual Assistant Help Your Business?

As a small business owner, you likely want to spend as much time as possible on the tasks that generate sales. Unfortunately, there are many other takss that require your time but aren’t necessarily worth your energy.  Maybe a virtual assistant can help. Faced with those tasks, many small business owners either spend their valuable time and energy on actions they hate or put them off until the last minute…  Read more

Does “mindfulness” have a place in business?

We know we should be implementing mindfulness in our business, but what are you doing about it? Google offers employees a course on mindfulness meditation, and Lululemon, a company that keeps a Director of Mindfulness on staff. Mindfulness, as American scientist Jon Kabat-Zinn defines it, is simply “paying attention in a sustained and particular way – on purpose, in the present moment and non-judgmentally.” Research has shown that practicing mindful…  Read more

8 reasons to switch your business to the cloud

20 years ago IT servers were a case of the bigger the better.  These days it is all about getting your business in the cloud. Check out the top 8 advantages for small businesses switching to cloud computing. Cloud computing is fast becoming the norm because storing information and using software hosted on the Internet has many advantages. 1. Save money (hell yeah!) Traditionally, a small business spends money licensing…  Read more

5 Common Bookkeeping Pitfalls – and How to Avoid Them

Although most entrepreneurs recognise the importance of careful financial management, few want to spend their time dealing with numbers. Unfortunately, not keeping a close eye on your income and expenses can be very costly and stressful for a business owner.     Here are five of the most common bookkeeping pitfalls, and some simple tips for getting back on track.   Mixing business and personal All too often, entrepreneurs adopt…  Read more

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