Should you outsource work to offshore workers?

The rise of the global workforce and the choice to offshore: the debate will not go away, so it is time to be educated and assess if you should hire/outsource parts of your business offshore. If you’re wondering whether it’s worthwhile to hire overseas workers and offshore part of your business for virtual admin support or other business services, cost considerations alone can make the prospect quite attractive. Before you…  Read more

3 websites in 4 years – crazy or necessary?

My business is 4 years old (nearly – but I am an accountant so I round up!). I am about to release into the world my third website in 4 years. Am I crazy, or have the updates been necessary? Is a website still relevant in this digital age? Well let me give you my perspective on whether an accounting or bookkeeping business NEEDS a website. Last year, I attended…  Read more

Entrepreneurs need manners too #bringmannersback

Running a business, no matter how busy you are, does not give you the right to “mis-place” your manners. Common courtesy and respect seem to be not so common these days with the busy entrepreneur expecting, or perhaps it could even be classed as demanding, answers at the drop of a hat (and usually for free). So lets rewind a little bit and get old school for a minute. Do…  Read more

Constructive Criticism or Raving Fan

Customer Service is not something you set up when you start your business and then you forget about it. It is not programs and processes that you implement and you kick back and relax, simply because you assume your process is working. Recently we had a potential client contact us before Christmas and sadly the contact form on our website was not working. Cue customer service fail.  So their first…  Read more

What accounting system is right for you?

There is so much choice when it comes to accounting software. So how do you choose the right one? How do you choose the accounting system for your business – the one you really need. So not the one everyone tells you that you need – but the accounting system which is the right fit for YOUR business? We face this question with every new client we see. Not to…  Read more

You have a 20cm blood clot – (lessons from a horrible boss)

Coming up to 8 years ago I was faced with a health scare – 6 weeks pregnant (first time mum – I should have been so excited), I had developed a 20 cm blood clot in my lower leg, I was in agony, I had a job I loved – and I was told I was unable to reduce my hours to part time, as my condition didn’t warrant it.…  Read more

How to get value from your Accountant

We see posts all the time asking “How do I choose an accountant?” or even worse “My accountant is ripping me off, who can you recommend?”. I can’t stress enough that any service provider, whether it is an accountant or anyone else, needs to be offering you value. What you need to firstly understand is that there are various types of accountants. If you are looking to get a tax…  Read more

Qualified help is not free – Google is free and we all know where that leads

I know when you start a business finances are tight and every cent is watched like a hawk but if I had a dollar for every time I heard a startup say “I couldn’t afford an accountant so I just googled the answer…but I think I have stuffed it up…can you fix it” – well let’s just say I wouldn’t be sitting here at 9:05pm writing this blog post from…  Read more

What your tax invoice says about your business

I know you are not an accountant, I know numbers are not your thing, I know tax invoices are not the most exciting topic, but sending out invalid invoices says a lot about your business – and it is not all good news. “I know I shouldn’t judge, but I hustle just as hard as the next entrepreneur, I work 60+ hours per week, have two kids, pay my taxes,…  Read more

How to Avoid the Christmas Credit Card Crunch

Well the festive season is in full swing – this means parties, gifts, eggnog, mistletoe, Santa and normally family feuds. But the thing causing the most stress at Christmas, is the level of credit card debt people put themselves in, which hangs over their heads for many months to come. Australians spent over $47 billion in the Christmas spending period between November 15th and December 24 (2015 statistics) according to Inside…  Read more

You want a business loan … who you gonna’ call??

As most of us in the startup phase of our entrepreneurship journey would know, getting cash to fund our dream is not an easy (or quick) task. There are many “No’s” before you hear the magical “Yes”. Or will you even hear the “Yes” at all? Your dream idea is only loved by a third party finance option, if it can see that the idea has the ability to generate…  Read more

Stop criticising accountants – you clearly haven’t met the right one

Every single week I see people bitch and moan about the prices accountants charge, that they are too expensive, that the individual (or business owner) is not getting value, that people don’t understand what the accountant actually does, or even worse – that accountants just push buttons that you can do yourself so really are not worth their time. Now let me reverse this just for a minute. How would…  Read more

Business is booming – so where the F$%K is all your money?

Calling all business owners, entrepreneurs, solopreneurs, mumpreneurs, dadpreneurs – or any other fancy titles that are out there at the moment – the sooner you realise that profit is not the same as cash – the sooner you will start to plan for a fabulous financial future. You see here is the thing – I speak to business owners all the time who simply get frustrated (*insert swear words here…  Read more

6 tips to stay in Control of your Cash Flow with Confidence

Cash Flow is the major cause 56% of small businesses don’t survive past their 5th birthday. It is time to turn the tables on that horrific statistic and be in charge of your cash flow (with confidence) and remove the stigma and fear around asking for your invoices to be paid. The first thing to consider is that cash flow is not just chasing debtors. Cash flow is understanding – when…  Read more

Business travel tips from a (*non) expert

I am not a travel operator. I am not a travel guide. I don’t even travel that often. But seriously, how hard it is to show some common sense and respect when travelling? Clearly much harder than I thought. So the past month has seen me “get around a bit” as I sleep my way around Queensland attending accounting/bookkeeping software conferences. Next up is MYOB Partner Connect conference starting tomorrow…  Read more

Sun, Sea and Learning – The Importance of Investing in training and development

Why do I invest so much in training, education & development? This month alone I have two conferences which are interstate that I will be attending. And when I say I am going to the Gold Coast to attend the MYOB Partner Conference, people say to me, “Oh, you are just going for a holiday!” And I know they are only saying that in jest (well I think they are),…  Read more

Don’t judge an accountant by her football team

Not all accountants are the same. We don’t all want to do the same things, we are not all extroverts (surprise surprise), and we don’t all love big accounting conferences and sitting down with people that we don’t know (even if they are in the same industry). Some of us even have a life outside the accounting space, and love, (dare I say it), AFL. So, yes, while I am going…  Read more

Dear Random (who doesn’t want to pay for my services)

Dear Random Stranger (who doesn’t want to pay for my services) Thanks for you phone call tonight at 5:55pm (on a Friday) and asking me if I have 5 minutes for…. “just a really simple GST question”. Whilst I appreciate that you think your question may only take five minutes of my time, the reason it takes five minutes of my time is because I have a lot of skills…  Read more

To fraud or not to fraud….that is the question

As an accountant, fraud, and in particular financial fraud, really pisses me off. You see when you run a company you have obligations – morally and ethically, as well as financially and legally. “You can’t put your head in the sand and say “Sorry – I had no idea”.  That just doesn’t cut it as a company director.” So when I read this article from Smart Company today about the…  Read more

EOFY Payroll is not for the faint hearted

EOFY Payroll is easy right – I mean your accounting software does it for you so what have you got to worry about? A few clicks of a button and payment summaries are issued to staff.  Done, feet up and champagne cracked open.  But wait…. “If you don’t understand payroll and accounting terminology chances are your payroll is incorrect – FACT.” I know what you are thinking….my accounting data file…  Read more

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