What to do if you get audited by the ATO

No business owner looks forward to receiving a letter from the ATO requesting a closer look at the books.  An audit often makes people curl up in the foetal position, it invokes fear, stress, anxiety.  And the audit hasn’t even started yet. If you happen to be one of the lucky ones (*subjective view) that receive an ATO audit letter – don’t panic. It is time to prepare, get organised and…  Read more

Why being too focused on your “ideal client” is crippling your business

Sounds like it doesn’t make sense right? I mean you have spent ages thinking about your ideal client, who you want to work with, what kind of person they are, what they look like, how they think, where they hang out. So how can focusing on that ideal client cripple your business? Surely it should grow your business? Well here’s the thing. Your ideal clients should have the same attitudes…  Read more

Ways an Accountant Can Save You Money

Many small business owners think they can save money by handling their financials themselves. While it’s a real asset to learn bookkeeping basics, cash flow management and your tax obligations, hiring an accountant to oversee your business finances has many benefits. “But why would I pay for an accountant or bookkeeper when I can just do it myself?  I am saving money.  Surely that is a good thing?” We hear this…  Read more

Bookkeeping Basics for Small Business Owners

On average, small business owners spend 10 hours each week recording, organising, and processing financial transactions – everything from accounts receivable and payable, to employee payments, expense receipts and supplier invoices.  That doesn’t sound like Bookkeeping Basics to me! 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…  Read more

Best Accounting Software for Small Business (the answer may surprise you)

Should I use Xero or MYOB or Quickbooks Online or Wave or Saasu or Freshbooks (the list goes on). This is a question we hear from small business owners every single week. So what is the best accounting software for a small business? “Now call me annoying – but I can’t answer that. And anyone who does, is not giving you an accurate answer.” #TRUTHBOMB So, um, if I can’t…  Read more

Why that “tax deduction” could be useless to you

The closer we get to 30 June and End of Financial Year – the more times I see the phrase “Buy now, so you can get a tax deduction this financial year”. I truly wonder how many unsuspecting business owners get sucked into this sales tactic – when they don’t even know or understand their tax position in the first place. “You see, a tax deduction is not the same…  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

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

Stop getting confused – GST and Income tax are two separate things

I hate being taxed twice – I am going to write to the Government and give them a piece of my mind about GST and income tax. Yes – this was a comment from a recent (*new) client of mine who was still coming to grips with being a new business owner, being registered for GST and then paying tax via his “full time” job at the same time.  …  Read more

To GST or not GST ….that is the question?

“GST – sure you can google it, but is the answer accurate and are you even asking the right question?” You see, in all my 17 year of working in accounting and finance I think I have seen every mistake or error under the sun, so nothing surprises me too much anymore. However it is since the introduction of GST in 2000 that I have seen some real doozies. Sometimes…  Read more

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