Welcome back to our Weekly Digest. Read on for the latest updates and some ideas to help us all move forward. We’re thinking of everyone affected by lockdowns around the country and encourage you to reach out if you have any questions about your business during this time. Read on for assistance that may be available to you. Tougher COVID-19 Restrictions in Melbourne New stricter COVID-19 restrictions came into effect… Read more
Although most entrepreneurs recognize 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 for a business. 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 a “buy now, sort later” approach… Read more
Welcome back to our Weekly Digest. Read on for the latest updates and some ideas to help us all move forward. We’re thinking of everyone affected by lockdowns around the country and encourage you to reach out if you have any questions about your business during this time. Read on for assistance that may be available to you. NSW Expands COVID-19 Lockdown New South Wales has expanded the COVID-19 lockdown… Read more
If you’re like most small business owners, you spend the majority of your time managing daily operations, keeping customers happy, and looking for new ways to grow. Spreadsheets, cash flow analysis, and financial projections are probably not your first passion. However, measuring profitability, creating realistic budgets, and planning ahead for the future are crucial to your professional success. Follow these four tips to get a handle on the numbers, and… Read more
Welcome back to our Weekly Digest. Read on for the latest updates and some ideas to help us all move forward. Australia’s Path to Reopening International Borders Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced a four-stage plan which will determine when COVID-19 restrictions can be eased. In a nutshell, 80% of Australian adults will have to be vaccinated before international borders can open. So far, about 15.7% of adults have been fully… 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
Did you know that 50% of small business expenses are generated on the go? It’s no wonder the majority of expense receipts end up shoved in coat pockets or an old shoebox. In spite of all of the high-tech options out there, 47% of small businesses are still using spreadsheets for expense management, leaving room for errors that could really hurt their bottom line come tax time. Why not take… Read more
“Outsource your weaknesses.” So says start-up guru, Sujan Patel, when advising small business owners to get outside help for tasks like payroll and bookkeeping. And when you consider that 70% of businesses fail due to poor in-house financial management, Patel’s advice seems spot on. Unfortunately, many small business owners seek to keep costs low by doing everything themselves— unwittingly sabotaging the financial stability of their own company. If numbers aren’t… Read more
Too many businesses fall over because the owner has not established efficient business systems. This typically happens because the business owner is so caught up in the day-to day running of the business that the fundamentals of good business management get forgotten. Often too it must be said that the owner simply doesn’t like bookkeeping or other administrative tasks, so these get put on the back burner. The symptoms… Read more
If you ask 100 business owners what they like least about running a business, chances are good that bookkeeping will rank high on the list. It’s an annoying and frustrating chore that takes up a lot of time and is easy to put off until tomorrow. Avoiding your bookkeeping is dangerous, however. Not knowing your company’s financial situation can result in a series of missteps that could ultimately cost you… Read more
Preparing your End of Financial Year (EOFY) information often feels stressful—there are receipts to sort out and reports to review, and you need to make sure you have all the necessary information about your income and expenses. It can be overwhelming, and it can make the EOFY feel daunting. The end of the financial year isn’t just a time to collect receipts and find invoices, however. It’s also a time… Read more
The end of the tax year is right around the corner and though you may be dreading 30 June, there are things you can do to feel better prepared and make the most of your tax deductions. Because this year has been different for many people in terms of their employment situation, there are changes to tax reporting that may affect you. Here are some things to know about your… Read more
Change for Employers: Superannuation Guarantee increasing to 10% on 1 July A Quick Overview The Superannuation Guarantee (SG) is scheduled to increase to 10% from 1 July 2021. If you have employees, you need to be ready for this legislated increase. What is Superannuation Guarantee? The Superannuation Guarantee is the minimum super an employer must pay to their employees super fund. The current SG percentage rate is 9.5% of employees… Read more
5 Xero Mistakes Business Owners Make and How To Avoid Them If you’ve just started working with Xero, it is normal to make a few mistakes while you’re learning. We see mistakes that are quite common – and unfortunately costly – so you should be aware of them if you want to get the most out of Xero’s powerful cloud accounting system. 1. Not connecting all the bank and credit… Read more
If my business is making a profit, where is the cash? Some small business owners find themselves in the difficult position of running a business that appears to be profitable, but still having no money in the bank. It’s an important situation to address. After all, a lack of adequate cash flow is one of the main causes of small business failure. Here are three reasons profitable businesses have little… Read more
Living a debt-free life is one of the dreams of many people. However, paying down your debt is easier said than done. Some people struggle to keep up with their monthly bills and become overwhelmed with the amount of debt they have to pay. In these circumstances, it’s easy to “stick your head in the sand” instead of tackling the issue head-on. This approach only means you’ll be off track… Read more
Are You Undercharging for Your Work? What are the signs you are? When it comes to the overall success of your business, one of the most important decisions you’ll face is how to price for the work you do. Charge too much and you could scare away potential customers. Charge too little and you could run yourself out of business. Figuring out how much to charge is stressful, but it’s… Read more
A Guide to Cash Flow Forecasting Nobody wants their business to fail. Although it’s impossible to predict the future with 100% accuracy, a cash flow forecast is a tool that will help you prepare for different possible scenarios in the future. In a nutshell, cash flow forecasting involves estimating how much cash will be coming in and out of your business within a certain period and gives you a clearer… Read more
Owning a small business in the construction industry can be incredibly stressful. In addition to the long days and difficult working conditions, you have to worry about cash flow issues. It can take a long time to collect on payment from your clients or contractors who hired your business, and in the meantime you have to pay employees, cover fixed expenses, buy supplies and pay your own subcontractors. Here are… Read more
Five Ways to Bring in More Cash for Your Business 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… Read more