Tough times - are they an Opportunity?
Whilst there is no denying that we live in interesting times and arguably some of the most challenging for decades, it is interesting to observe how people handle the same situation differently in...
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The Circle of Price
Why you need to charge what you’re worth, when growing a bookkeeping business!I was mentoring a bookkeeper this week who was complaining that her clients didn't value her so I asked her what she was...
View ArticleGetting organised with your Payroll systems
In these “challenging economic times” some businesses see it as an opportunity to focus on ways in which to operate their business with even greater efficiency, taking time to “sharpen the axe”. One...
View ArticleWhere Has Our ‘Disposable Time’ Gone?
As small business owners and operators our ever shrinking ‘disposable time’ is constantly being squeezed by the next ‘must have’ technology tool. Just think about the recent time thieves such as...
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Reduce the risk, not your price
Photo of Martin Grunstein courtesy of Google ImagesIn a business world where so many drop their price at the drop of a hat and then complain that margins are tight and it’s hard to make a profit, I...
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Learn to say no when growing your bookkeeping business
The end of the financial year madness is finally over. I haven’t forgotten how painful it is when you’re growing your bookkeeping business while you are still on the tools. So much of the year is spent...
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The Eighth Deadly Sin
We’re all guilty of it. In fact, you’re probably doing it right now…We drink coffee while we work at the computer. We work at the computer while we talk on the phone. We talk on the phone while we...
View ArticleWrite-offs—Get in quick!
In my experience, many small business owners find it difficult to keep up with all the latest tax changes – be they legislative or new ATO rulings. I can vouch for the fact that, even as a Tax Agent,...
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The first step to improving your writing
You may be wondering why we’re offering writing tips to bookkeepers—your job is numbers, not letters, right? That may be true, but with the rise of electronic communication, writing in a business...
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How to enjoy gift-giving (again)
There are few television sitcoms that can make me laugh. But of those that warrant the volume being turned up, perhaps my favourite is The Big Bang Theory.The star of the show is Sheldon—a highly...
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New Year Cash Flow Tips
With the holiday season only just winding down, some businesses experience cash flow problems at this time of year with key customers having temporarily shut down over the Christmas break, etc.Here’s a...
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Client Gifts
As a business owner, as an expression of gratitude I occasionally provide gifts to key clients/customers, especially around special occasions such as Christmas. No doubt many of you do the...
View ArticleMyth Busters
Having been in the tax industry for many years, there are a number of myths that you hear from time to time. Let’s put them to bed once and for all…Car advertising– I can claim my car expenses if I...
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Is the tax system stunting your business growth?
With business being the lifeblood of the Australian economy, as a business owner it seems to me that there are still some very obvious impediments to growth embedded in the tax system,...
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Allowances—Getting it right
For the many bookkeepers who handle payroll, according to the ATO the treatment of allowances is one of the most misunderstood areas. Whether it be misclassifying an amount as an allowance (when it’s...
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Rising above the cloud: Shaping a bookkeeping business in a software world
IntroductionThe recent ABN Conference yielded some common perspectives on the future of the bookkeeping profession. Chief among them was that the entire profession is going through the biggest shake-up...
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The Importance of Documenting Oral Advice!
A recent court case involving high-profile financial executive “Aussie” John Symond (the founder of Aussie Home Loans) again highlights the importance of Tax Agents and BAS Agents contemporaneously...
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Code Red
The TPB has released a number of Information Sheets about Code of Professional Conduct Items contained within Section 30-10 of the Tax Agents Services Act 2009. In August 2014 they released TPB (1)...
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The 7 Red Flags Of Payroll Fraud
Although it’s impossible to accurately quantify, payroll fraud is more common than you might think. Unfortunately when there are large amounts of money exchanging hands on a regular basis, you will...
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Reflections of an Agent
On a recent visit to a country town, I was informed that there was a very high number of unregistered agents (BAS agents, that is) in the area. I found this disturbing on a number of fronts: Those...
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What It Means To Be An Email Sniper
Email remains the day-to-day communications pulse for most businesses. Your customers or clients are counting on you to be agile and responsive to their emails. Your colleagues expect you to act...
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HR Online and Contracts Of Employment
Hi, my name is Karen Vercoe and I am the Director of The HR People. We look after small to medium size companies with their Human Resources needs. All businesses need HR, but they don’t need full...
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New and improved: The 2015 Benchmark Survey
Many of you will already be familiar with ABN’s annual Bookkeeping Business Benchmark Survey. However, this year, we’ve made a couple of changes to the survey that I think you’re going to like...First,...
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Employ casual staff? When should you change them from casual to permanent...
Karen Vercoe shares her insights into employing casual staff.We simply put someone on as a casual, they do the job and after a while we just keep them as a casual. Problem is that once they are...
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Improving Your Business
Whilst there is no denying that we live in arguably some of the most challenging economic times for decades, it is interesting to observe how people handle the same situation differently in their...
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