Expert Advice

Much has been made of the recent spike in activity emerging from the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) in pursuing winding up action against small business debtors. That increased activity must serve as a warning to recalcitrant businesses. However, whilst the payment of taxes on time and for the full amount is always good business practice, if you find your company...

Many clients tell us they don't have an accounting background so it's difficult for them to check work done by their accountant/bookkeeper. This article provides business owners with a list of 10 things to tick off with their trusted advisor. 1. Payment summaries: Check that your bookkeeper/accountant has conducted a reconciliation between total salary & PAYG with holding in your...

We have been forced to come to terms with a world in which privacy concerns are less about keeping your personal information from others (a near impossible feat in the Digital Age) - but more about limiting its use and dissemination without our consent.1 The Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) were developed to deal with that precise concern through compelling all...

In 2014, the AICD published its Not For Profit (NFP) Governance Study and also held a series of roundtables which investigated the financial sustainability challenges of the NFP Sector. In this diverse NFP sector, factors affecting sustainability vary according to the function and funding base of each organisation. Those focused on service delivery, for example, are increasingly likely to have...

"Motivation", "Loyalty", "Drive", "Determination", "Goals" are words that often describe today's business success, and for over 40 years I have built one of Australia's most comprehensive stables of motivational speakers and entertainers, for your next business function. From staff sales training sessions, to conventions and corporate presentations, the right guest speaker, or entertainer, can make your next event stand out...

If managed correctly, direct mail can continue to be an important and cost-effective component of any marketing or information dissemination campaign, used either in tandem with the electronic media or as a standalone tool. A good direct mail campaign will focus on promoting a specific product, service or offer, and encourages your prospective customer to act - to receive further...

One of my old running mates recently posted a photo on Facebook of a sign which listed prohibited conduct in a recreation reserve: " jogging is prohibited". I posted a suggestion that if he was charged, the logical defence would be "but, your honour, I was not jogging. I was running. There is a difference. Not guilty as charged". My...

Redundancies, both voluntary and involuntary, are a very common occurrence in Canberra in recent times. Many people view them as a fresh start, a means of paying down debt such as mortgages, and a way forward into their future. This is particularly the case if a redundancy occurs shortly after a separation. Incorrectly, many people who receive redundancies after separation...

A study by PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PWC), commissioned by the Cricket World Cup Organising Committee, Cricket Australia and Cricket New Zealand, reports that the recent Cricket World Cup generated more than $1.1 billion in direct spending ($25 million in the ACT), created the equivalent of 8,320 full time jobs (250 in the ACT), and a total of 2 million bed nights across...

Most of us spend more time with our colleagues during the working week than we do our own families, so it's important that we have established relationships with our workmates which allow us to be happy and productive. 70 per cent of employees say having friends at work is the most crucial element to a happy working life. These employees...

Direction is so much more important than speed - many people are going nowhere fast. Many business owners fail to really look at the strategic direction of their business on a regular basis. With time and pressure of running a small business, goals often become blurry. Thinking strategically, takes time and patience - which is often the last thing a...

The relationship between business and sport is entrenched from the highest levels (eg the Toyota AFL Premiership; the Emirates Melbourne Cup; the VB Ashes Series) through to small businesses sponsoring local junior teams. Business sponsorship is crucial to modern sport. At the same time, an association with sport is an ideal means for businesses to increase brand recognition. Businesses use...

Employers will transition away from higher levels of temporary and contract roles back to more permanent positions in the year ahead, but Canberrans should not expect big salary increases during this period. According to our 2015 Hays Salary Guide, released early June, 22 per cent of employees can expect a salary increase of three per cent or more in their...

Small Businesses (less than 20 employees) may soon have protection against the imposition of unfair terms within new standard form contracts if proposed legislation is adopted. Protection against an unfair contract term within a standard form contract has been in existence for certain consumer contracts since the Australian Consumer Laws (ACL) were introduced in 2010. Small Businesses does already have...

It is not uncommon in small business arrangements for spouses or de facto partners to be directors and/or shareholders of companies through which the business is operated. Other entities may be established, including discretionary family trusts and Unit Trusts. Commonly one of the spouses or de facto partners does not have an active involvement in the business. This is despite...

Have you ever wondered how a parcel makes it to your door, where it came from, who packed it and why it was delivered so quickly (or not!)? Imagine the seller processing and sending hundreds if not thousands of similar orders each day, across vast distances, in the shortest time frame, at the best possible price, using multiple freight carriers....