Now is the perfect time to evaluate your financial position and come up with innovative ways to add revenue streams and generate cash. Here are five ways you might consider to improve your cash inflow: 1. Evaluate your current company assets. Take a look at your assets, both fixed and human. Could you make slight pivots to create a new form of income? For instance, if you run a coffee… Read more
The Australian Government has extended and expanded the Supporting Apprentices and Trainees wage subsidy, to include medium-sized businesses who had an eligible apprentice in place on 1 July 2020. This may be of particular interest to employers who are not eligible for the JobKeeper extension. What is the Supporting Apprentices and Trainees wage subsidy? The Supporting Apprentices and Trainees wage subsidy is part of the Australian Government’s COVID-19 Economic Response.… Read more
With social media, you can connect with business associates quickly and creatively. But this communication mode is not without risk. A thoughtless post can offend customers and other business partners and damage relationships rather than build them. By following a few ground rules you can be confident your comments and posts will be appropriate ones. Check Your Messages for Grammar and Spelling Your co-workers and business partners evaluate your… Read more
When customers make a buying decision, they’re not just considering the quality and price of your products or services, they’re also evaluating the ease and convenience of the whole buying process. As a business owner, you should offer different payment options to provide the best customer experience and to ensure you receive timely payments Here are four ways your small business can accept payments in 2020: 1. Credit and debit… Read more
So you’ve set up your business and sold some products and services. Now, you have to send an invoice to collect your payment. But what should you include on your invoices in order to get paid faster? Even if you’ve been running your business for a while, you might be missing other information that you should include. So here is a step-by-step guide on what to include on your invoices.… Read more
The Federal Budget was released on Tuesday 6th October. This article has a good summary of the “Winners and Losers” of the Budget. You’ll also find a recap of the key points below. Key Points: This budget is based on economic assumptions including that there will be a COVID-19 vaccine rolled out by the end of 2021. Tax cuts for workers – more money in pockets for more Australians. JobMaker… Read more
The success of any business, large or small, depends largely on nurturing an efficient, productive workplace. While improving employee productivity should be always be a priority when the ultimate goal is a sustainable and profitable business, the process is easier said than done. Below are some of the most effective methods of managing a productive, happy workplace while increasing output. Establish Accountability Productivity depends on every employee understanding that the… Read more
It’s very rare these days that people just happen to find your business and become a client or customer with no work on your part. Your business has to grab people’s attention, turn curious visitors into leads and then convert those leads into sales. This means that the more solid leads you have, the greater your chances of making a sale. Solid leads are those contacts who are engaged in… Read more
We started 2020 with optimism and hope that this year was going to be better than the last– but then, COVID-19 happened and brought sudden massive changes worldwide. It has disrupted the way we interact, shop, work, and transact. Businesses of all sizes have been plunged into darkness, with some even having to shut completely. Meanwhile, others managed to find dynamic solutions to shelter their businesses from the harsh impacts… Read more
On average, small business owners spend 10 hours each week recording, organizing, and processing financial transactions – everything from accounts receivable and payable, to employee payments, expense receipts and supplier invoices. While the process may be time-consuming (and tedious!), effective bookkeeping is the foundation of sound financial management – which in turn, is the lifeblood of your business. Feeling overwhelmed by mountains of paperwork and complex calculations? Here are three… Read more
More and more people are leaving their office jobs and setting up an online business these days, especially because of COVID-19/ Running an online business offers a way for you to work from home and be your own boss. It may sound like an overwhelming process, but many entrepreneurs find it fulfilling. Here are some tips to increase the chances your small online business will be a success, and you’ll… Read more
Recession The pains caused by a recession can be excruciating, which is why most of us dread the thought of it. A recession can mean massive layoffs, jobs becoming harder to find, and wages frozen, which means consumers hunker down and spend less– often worsening the economic slowdown unknowingly. For most businesses, especially small businesses, recessions can be brutal. Just take for example, the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) that struck… Read more
In my spare time I like to dream up projects that I will work on. One of those projects has now been on my list for 18 months….and that was to create a podcast. So introducing the “Becoming Financially Fit” podcast. OK, so the podcast is not live yet. It doesn’t even have a website (but it is a work in progress) and I haven’t recorded any episodes (that is… Read more
Since the government announced the $70-billion JobKeeper program to support businesses and their employees during the COVID-19 pandemic, many small- and medium-sized businesses and non-profit organisations heavily relied on this scheme to stay afloat. According to a recent survey by the Australian Institute of Company Directors on the impact of COVID-19, over 40% of the respondents reported reliance on JobKeeper payments. 47% of SMEs indicated that the JobKeeper Scheme had… Read more
Small businesses can grow in boom times as well as periods of difficulty by working smarter and taking advantage of opportunities. Put these following effective tips into practise to help grow your business. 1. Utilise new technology Modern technology can save you time, improve productivity and reduce your operational costs. Make use of Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and other social media tools to market your business. Dropbox is a cloud-based… Read more
Working in finance during a Pandemic and economic downturn is certainly no bed of roses. And if one more person assumes “I must be raking it in” during this Coronavirus crisis, I seriously think I will lose my mind. You see, we are busy, yes. And we are super grateful for that. But we are busy in July and August every year. But this year sees us being a different… Read more
As a small business owner it’s hard to juggle your work and outside responsibilities. It’s important to run your business effectively and still have a life outside the office. You need a good balance between work and play for your health and well-being. Small business owners often fall into the trap of working too hard, ending up exhausted from the constant work demands associated with self-employment. Why you need… Read more
As small business owners look to operations after COVID-19, there are some important business questions to ask. These questions will help you determine what adaptations you want to keep, whether your business model is working, and if there are additional changes you want to make to keep your company operational through future economic downturns. It’s not always fun to do this sort of examination, but the answers to these questions… Read more
The government has announced changes to the JobKeeper scheme. The Treasury’s review found that the subsidy was still “needed” but required a “test to ensure that JobKeeper is well targeted”. Be prepared This means there will be changes to your current situation and your entitlements will be affected. The details of the changes are being announced now and we will ensure our clients are fully informed as to how this… Read more
Showcasing a business online is an increasingly effective tool for attracting new customers. Blogging is a great way to start to communicate with your target audience. Blogs are highly effective tools for sharing your expertise with others, increasing web traffic and brand awareness, and for attracting and interacting with new customers. WordPress and Blogger are free web hosting platforms that make blogging available to businesses of all sizes. What… Read more