When the new year begins, many business owners firmly have their focus on the future and get stuck into planning for the next 12 months. While it’s wise to be ready to hit the ground running in 2022, ...
Let’s face it, you might be feeling like you didn’t get the chance to do a lot of business this year. What with all the disruptions from changing alert levels, lockdowns and traffic lights. It ...
On your marks, get, set, and GO! Hospitality businesses have been stuck in limbo for what feels like an age. But things are finally changing, and it’s time to get ready for action! People are dying ...
The IRD have informed us of the following changes to the financial support for businesses as we go into the new Covid Protection Framework (The Traffic Light system), on December 3.
As some of you know Xero launched their Shopify app last week in The Xero app store. This app will help you batch up all the transactions for each payout in one invoice that reconciles against the ...
Running a hospitality business is challenging even when the economy is booming and life is “normal.” With narrow profit margins, the high cost of labour, and a highly competitive industry, many ...
The holiday season is approaching fast. Whispers of Christmas are already around, and before you know it, people will be hitting the stores to start their holiday shopping. The move to online ...
Every business experiences peaks and troughs. Whether they be from expected seasonal fluctuations or unexpected events like a global pandemic. While you can’t possibly predict everything that will ...
So you have a great business idea and are convinced you can make it work, but you don’t have much capital to get your business off the ground. Juggling existing financial commitments such as a ...
Some things in life are certain… The toast will fall buttered side down when you drop it on the floor. It will automatically rain on the day you forget your umbrella. And, that call you have been ...
This seems like a straightforward question. But, a surprising number of business owners can’t provide an accurate answer. Many are too time-poor to dig down into their numbers to really understand ...
If you're a business owner or if you are planning on starting a small business – are you confident about what expenses are fully deductible from your business to arrive at a net profit (or loss)? ...
It doesn’t matter what your profession or what your life goals, but at some point in your life you will probably have to sign or use a contract. There are all sort of contracts. For example, if you ...
A new entrepreneur will encounter a million issues: legal setbacks, human resources, intellectual property, product development, marketing—the list is endless. Starting a business is a daunting ...
Why do some bars, restaurants and cafés achieve outrageous success while so many make poor returns or even run out of cash and are forced to close their doors? For 15 years I was involved in a ...
For many business owners, determining the success of a business comes down to how much profit the company makes. Of course, finances are an important measure of an company’s overall success. If you ...
The Budget yesterday offered some further assistance for businesses facing severe issues due to Covid-19. The main purpose of the budget is to protect current jobs and create new ones to reduce ...
These days, you can use technology to take care of almost any issue facing your business. If you have a task you don’t like to do, there’s an app or software program to take care of it for you. It ...
Risk tolerance, time horizon, and asset allocation - you've dealt with these factors for a good part of your life, but now, in the face of retirement, they take on a more urgent and significant role. ...
When you're reviewing your investments, it's important to remember that income and returns come from two main sources, Capital Gains and Interim Income.
On the eve of our ‘lockdown’ period, many of you are wondering about the way the wage subsidy will work when you must endeavor to keep your employees with a minimum of 80% of normal pay.
Today Government announced finance packages to help mortgage holders and SME's The package will include a six month principal and interest payment holiday for mortgage holders and SME customers ...
Please refer below to the summary of the announcements today for business owners. • Cabinet has agreed to expand the wage subsidy and has removed the $150,000 cap. • All businesses are eligible, ...
Change in business is almost always a good thing, but often poor management means that the workforce becomes disengaged and the change process painful. In the worst cases, this results in irreparable ...
Even the best entrepreneurs make mistakes. In fact most would advocate that you need to make a few mistakes to learn and grow. So it’s important not to let those missteps stop you from following your ...
Running a business in a smaller city may mean you have a more limited talent pool to draw employees from, but it doesn’t mean you won’t have access to top notch workers. You may need to alter your ...
The future of your family business may seem like a problem for tomorrow or sometime next decade, but forward-thinking business owners know they need to plan for the future today. The steps you take ...
It’s natural for small business owners to think that they won’t be victims of cyber attacks. Most of the news surrounding hacking and data breaches involves large corporations, but that is because ...
The first day of a new job can be overwhelming for new employees. There are company policies and procedures to absorb, colleagues to meet, and job duties to learn. That stress can make the first few ...
Running a small business is hard work. Entrepreneurs know they have to put in long days and give up personal time in pursuit of success. There’s a line, however, between putting in some extra time ...
When you own a small business, it’s vital you understand how money flows into and out of it. At a basic level, you need to know where your income comes from and what your expenses are.
Being a small business owner can be fantastic. You get to be involved in every aspect of your business, from marketing to event planning, from sales to employee development. Being involved in so many ...
Hopefully you have long – and short-term plans for your company and you may even have a strategy for your own development, but have you considered having a personal development plan (or individual ...
When you run a small business, every cent counts. It can be difficult to spend money on anything you don’t consider vital. Hiring a lawyer during key times in your small business might seem like an ...
Christmas is a demanding time for many people, but for the small business owner it can be downright stressful. Often you’re dealing with end-of-year fiscal matters, tying up loose ends if you’re ...
When you run your own trade business, your life involves a lot of long days being on job sites while managing projects, staff and clients. There probably are not enough hours in the week for you to ...
If you’re a small business owner whose company hasn’t gone through hard times, that’s great but it’s likely to happen at some point. As much as we dream about being brilliant enough at business that ...
Should you share your business’ financial performance with employees? There are two schools of thought when it comes to “open book management” – the decision to increase transparency by sharing your ...
We all know the usual process for finding new employees. Advertise a job. Read resumes. Conduct a telephone interview. Conduct a face-to-face interview. Choose someone. The steps to recruiting new ...
As a small business owner, you’re likely concerned about every penny you spend. That’s a good thing, because you need to keep track of your income and expenses. It also means, however, that you might ...
Small business owners already have a difficult and time-consuming job running their business. If their business is open five days a week, they usually need the weekend to catch up on paperwork, pay ...
As a small business owner, you’re likely always looking for ways to achieve more. Maybe you made a New Year’s resolution about it. You might have resolved to make more money, find more clients, or ...
A word to the wise if you’re shopping for a new home: the list price is only a baseline. You’ll want to have a substantial buffer in your budget for a host of additional unseen fees.
Small business owners know that to find a loyal customer base, they have to stand out from their competitors. One of the best, and easiest, ways to do that is to have outstanding customer service. ...
If you’re like most people you’ve probably gone for periods of time without really thinking about how you spent your money. Maybe you even avoided looking at your bank statement so you wouldn’t see ...
For many small business owners, hiring workers on a flexible basis is ideal – especially if paying regular salaries isn’t in the budget and/or the workload is variable.
Every manager has habits that make them incredibly effective as well as issues that their employees wish they would change. The problem is that many employees won’t tell their manager what those ...
If your small business operates on a tight budget you might be tempted to eliminate costs that you think aren’t necessary. Often small business owners choose to go without business insurance as a way ...
Remember when email was new and novel, and everyone thought it would vastly improve communication while freeing up time? It did improve communication on some levels and freed up employee time at ...
When you run a small business, you’re involved in your company’s sales, accounting, marketing, and human resources, among other things. Being responsible for human resources isn’t just about hiring ...
When you own a business, any time you speak in public you’re representing your company. That’s a lot of pressure, especially when you consider that most people are already nervous about speaking in ...
While many small business owners prefer brainstorming new ideas to pouring over financial reports, getting a handle on financial analysis can be remarkably empowering.
Often small business owners worry unnecessarily when it’s time to hire employees. They fear because they can’t offer the same high salaries and impressive benefits of a large company, they won’t be ...
One of the most often cited reasons for not embracing innovation is that it is too risky. Prototyping or testing often comes with a high cost. Combined with the cost of the time spent, this can all ...
Time management skills are increasingly important in a world where people seem to rush headlong from one crisis to another. Add in the effect of social media and addictive computer games that can be ...
A business plan is essential for business development. But even with a solid plan there is some aspect of unpredictability. There are a multitude of variables that have to be taken into account, any ...
Most small business owners who use accounting software quickly master the basics. They automate processes like invoicing and payroll, track expenses and view real time financial reports to manage ...
The ability to network is a fundamental part of running a business. Running a business in isolation is difficult, so it helps to have expert partners and acquaintances available to share ideas with. ...
Customer loyalty programs are surprisingly simple to implement, especially online, and can bring many benefits to your business. Beyond the simple fact of adding satisfaction for your regular ...
Businesses of all sizes are under constant threat from cybercriminals and malicious software, with even some of the world's largest and apparently impenetrable organizations making headlines in ...
So many business employees are now telecommuting, that companies around the world are restructuring their management practices to meet the challenges of remote collaboration.
When your email list is small or you'd just like to add more people and get higher open rates, it's smart to grow your list through personal contacts. Begin with the obvious: ask friends, family and ...
Without knowing your break-even point, you can’t make informed business decisions. To cover the costs of your business you need to sell enough goods or services to reach your break-even point. ...
Have you had a potential investor turn away from your business for seemingly no reason? Investors don’t usually turn away from good opportunities so was there something that made your company or ...
Keeping track of sales, earnings, expenses, and purchases is fundamental to the overall health and sustainability of your business. Effective bookkeeping produces the data you need to evaluate your ...
Many small business owners think they’re saving money by handling their financials themselves. While it’s a real asset to learn bookkeeping basics, cash flow management and your tax obligations, ...
What is recurring revenue? It's the revenue you can depend on generating, year after year, with a high degree of certainty. It's the repeat business or long-term contracts you've established with ...
Taxation (Annual Rates for 2019-20, GST Offshore Supplier Registration, and Remedial Matters) Bill. You will probably be aware by now that the above Bill is before Parliament to introduce ...
Entrepreneurs want to have their hands on every aspect of their start-up. This is understandable, as many entrepreneurs come into their respective industries from a place of passion. Their passion ...
Most small business owners can’t afford to think small. They always need to keep their mind on growth strategies to help them achieve long-term profitability.
Managing people is one thing, but anyone with experience of managing managers will know that's a completely different ball game. A management team that works in complete harmony is a rare and ...
Easily the most important first step in establishing any type of business is to define your customers so that you have the information you need to attract the right audience and generate valuable ...
The turn of the year usually prompts most people to think about some business planning for the year ahead. Here are some tips to make the planning more productive.
The worst thing about a rude message is the author presuming you'll respond to a complaint or request when his communication lacks any hint of civility. When confronted with an obvious violation of ...
Half way through a 6-week holiday in Europe with my family, I thought I would write this article to share how I still manage to run my business while I am away enjoying time with my family.
Research has repeatedly shown that businesses that have been prepared for the owner’s exit are significantly more likely to endure than unprepared businesses. These guidelines around an exit strategy ...
If you've frequently been asking yourself if it's the right time to buy a home, there are several things to first consider. Three things to think about are the current market conditions, the interest ...
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 ...
An entertainment expense where the benefits are enjoyed or received by employees may be subject to fringe benefit tax (FBT). There are 4 major types of business entertainment expenses: 100% ...
Every website should have an About page. It exists to capture the very essence of your business by reeling in your target audience and inspiring them with your story. The About page is more than just ...
While major companies create powerful green initiatives, many small businesses use the excuse of "no resources" to do nothing. However, everyone plays an important role in protecting the environment, ...
It's essential for any business to have a robust set of performance targets for its workforce. These will drive employees to achieve in the areas that are critical for success. Therefore, it's ...
Digital signing, versus the traditional "wet" signature, has become increasingly popular in recent years. More and more countries across the globe have endorsed the legal validity of digital ...
If you’re ready to expand internationally – perhaps you plan to open a store overseas, start working with international clients or make a leap into exporting – these tips will help you prepare for ...
According to Google, which offers employees a course on mindfulness meditation, and Lululemon, a company that keeps a Director of Mindfulness on staff, the answer is a resounding yes.
Your balance sheet (now more correctly called a Statement of Financial Position) reveals a great deal about your business, including the total value of your assets – the things you own; how much you ...
Perhaps you’d always planned to build a thriving business to eventually sell for a tidy sum – or maybe for unexpected personal reasons it’s best to let your company go sooner rather than later.
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.
Being a leader is not just about the habits you practice in front of others. It is often about the habits you practice behind closed doors that make you an easy person to follow. Accountability is a ...
Eighty percent of staff turnover is caused by bad hiring decisions, according to the Harvard Business Review. But few organizations question whether problems within their own recruiting processes ...
Many elements are vital to a growing company's success. A financially-astute leader is one. A confident and motivated sales team well-versed in a company's product and service line is another. But ...
The rise of the global workforce has opened up exciting possibilities for small business owners whose growing companies could use an extra set of hands.
Many entrepreneurs believe that hard work and dogged determination are all it takes to build and sustain a successful business. But when you consider the pressures of running a company, it seems wise ...
If you’re like most small business owners, there are never enough hours in the day to complete every task on your list. Often you’re faced with prioritizing what you need to do right now – deal with ...
One of the most important decisions you’ll ever make in business is your choice of business name. A good name can create the perception of integrity, professionalism, or value-for-money. It could be ...
With the end of the current year here already, the best advice we could give now is to plan for your tax for 2020/2021. Easier said than done you will probably be thinking because how will you know ...
If you’re like many small business owners, your business may not be adequately insured in the case of a fire, flood, natural disaster, theft, or personal injury.
Preparing for tax season is really a year-round endeavor. Tip number one for SMB owners is to update financials on a monthly basis, using a streamlined software or cloud-based system.
Being an entrepreneur is often about getting the most value out of your resources. That means spending only on the necessities, and nothing more. Unfortunately, things you consider to be a waste of ...
Research suggests that as much as 93% of communication is non-verbal, so it’s not surprising that the tone and meaning of emails are misinterpreted as much as half the time.
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, ...
If you think accounting software is just for tracking expenses and generating financial reports, you’re losing out on an opportunity to improve your bottom line. By taking advantage of insights ...
Wondering if you're doing everything you can to boost revenue and cut costs? Or if your business is actually more profitable this year than it was last?
Most small business people would agree that their Profit and Loss account (now more correctly called a Statement of Financial Performance) is among the easier – if not the easiest – financial ...
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, ...
New Year resolutions – we’ve all made them, and broken them − often before the end of January. There’s something about New Year celebrations that makes us yearn for a fresh start, but is there a way ...
A usual First Aid Kit consists of bandages, ointments and medicine. However, these items can be helpful just to a certain point. If a serious injury occurs in the workplace, you will definitely ...
Increasing efficiency and minimizing costs are essential to running a profitable business. Yet many small business owners waste countless hours on meetings that lack focus, run on too long, and pull ...
Reasons for Entering Local Business Awards Brad Golchin is an Auckland based Accountant and self-confessed IT geek. His business Wise Advice is the only accounting firm in Auckland that has made it ...
Think of your business plan as a roadmap designed to point the way to your current destination, knowing that where you land may not be your ultimate end point.
With the number of new technologies growing daily and customers becoming more demanding, small businesses face fierce competition. How can your small business ensure its lasting viability in such a ...
As another year winds down, it’s a good time to reflect on your recent business successes and update your business plan– also consider what you’d like to achieve in the coming twelve to fifteen ...
‘A change is as good as a rest’…so the saying goes and we can vouch for the saying as although we had no problems with our ‘old office’ other than the end of a lease…. we took the decision to look ...
How to obtain financing is a common concern for new businesses and those preparing to scale. Getting approved for a business loan or line of credit is more difficult than qualifying for a personal ...
How your company orders and manages its work may seem seamless—but creating it is anything but. It’s multi-layered, involving complex coordination among different departments, sometimes with ...
If your business hasn’t made it a habit to support a good cause, here’s why you should: giving back does more than make a difference in your community. Participating in charitable activities can have ...
“How much should I spend on marketing?” Most small business people ask me this question at some stage. Many small business people find working out how much to spend on marketing a tricky exercise to ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
The standard Lorem Ipsum passage, used since the 1500s "Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim ...
All non-residents and New Zealanders buying and selling any property other than their main home must provide a NZ IRD Number. All non-resident buyers and sellers must provide their tax identification ...
There are all kinds of groups dedicated to networking. Some are highly structured with performance requirements, exclusive membership, and the payment of dues. Others are free form, come as you ...
Lots of things have happened this month and now is a good chance to have a look at some of the changes and how they may relate to you and your business.
With the end of the financial year only just over a month away, Xero’s Head of Accounting, Grant Anderson, has prepared some top tax tips to make things a bit easier come April 2015.
Small businesses win work by using sales quotes. Yet they often don’t realise that how they prepare quotes can cost them business. Many lose revenue by not following up on quotes or turning quotes ...
Your employees are the blood of your entrepreneurial life. No start-up will survive without a good set of people making sure that things run perfectly. The problem for you and any other entrepreneur ...
Everyone would like to become a better investor. People get into a twist trying this method and that only to abandon them for the next new thing. There's an easier way, and it involves following a ...
In business, finding a niche that can supply enough revenue is important. More entrepreneurs than ever are realising the importance of finding a narrow set of customers and catering their product or ...
Accounting Job Vacancy - Intermediate to Advanced Wise Advice is a single partner CPA firm established in Auckland in 2005 and one of the early Xero adopters. I currently have an accounting job ...
Christmas is coming and it’s the season for entertainment and gift-giving! As an employer, you may be thinking of presents and treats you can give your staff and clients and whether those presents ...
Once you've made the decision to sell your home, chances are you'd like to do it as soon as possible. While some houses sell almost as quickly as they hit the market, others sit for a considerable ...
For an online business owner, scarcity is a valuable tool that can turn a failing product into a winner. It is best implemented in a subtle way that does not draw attention to itself, but the urge to ...
Whether you are thinking of launching a small, local business or a global enterprise, finding a city that is friendly toward entrepreneurs is important. You want a city that is culturally supportive ...
Provisional tax is a way of spreading out your tax payments throughout the year. This handy follow this guide, it teaches you everything you need to know on how to manage your provisional tax ...
At Wise Advice we know the value of well-placed branding for any business and we are pleased to introduce you to a means of achieving a professional branding exposure for your company by customising ...
7 Ways to Improve Workplace Productivity The success of any business, large or small, depends largely on nurturing an efficient, productive workplace. While improving employee productivity should be ...
Online marketing tools make it inexpensive and easy to promote your events online. If you want to expand your business and offer webinars or offline events, these eight tools will create online buzz ...
As accountants, we come across many business owners who haven’t given a lot of thought to what their longer term plans are. Often they are continually bogged down in the daily routine and don’t take ...
Debt can be a crippling problem for small businesses wanting to grow or just break-even during difficult times. By reducing debt you’ll improve the value of your business, its financial situation, ...
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 ...
The key performance indicators (KPIs) for one company will invariably be different from the KPIs of another firm. What both hypothetical companies share however, is the challenge of selecting which ...
Many small business people wonder whether it’s better for them to buy or lease capital equipment for their businesses. Your options regarding leasing or buying depend upon the nature of your ...
