Expert Advice

The goal of any online marketing our advertising is conversion. Small businesses spend hundreds and thousands of dollars on online advertisements to promote their products and services. Many of those adverts direct potential clients to the main website or a generic web page. The result is, poor lead conversion. Valuable leads are lost because of poor quality landing pages. Here...

It's an easy mistake to make to think the main part of hiring new talent is the initial candidate attraction phase, followed by the job acceptance process. To many people, that's it. Job done, wait for the new recruit to show up and expect that they will magically be up to speed, fit in and be productive on Day 1....

The Australian Government has commissioned a review into competition policy as it stands in Australia as of 2014. After considering 318 non-confidential submissions, the Competition Policy Review Panel released a draft report on 22 September 2014, which provided multiple draft recommendations that are likely to affect Australian business. Submissions regarding the draft report and recommendations are open until 17 November...

When an offer on voluntary redundancy (VR) is made to an employee, it can raise several questions and considerations. It is recommended that an offer is not accepted without careful consideration of the financial and emotional impacts of a VR. Some considerations are outlined below. Firstly, look at the offer in segments. The actual redundancy is a calculation made on...

For many people, the end of a relationship is a time of change and upheaval. One of the many things to think about after separating from your partner is how to divide property and finances. You may feel reluctant to begin that process. This is understandable, but delay in doing something about dividing your property may cause unexpected, and sometimes...

The recent article regarding the Prime Minister, Mr Tony Abbott, holding annual performance reviews with his ministers prompted me to think about how commonplace formalised evaluations have become across our society. While once it was the preserve of CEOs to undergo performance reviews, it's now commonplace for junior staff right through to the CEO and increasingly the board to complete...

Our firm hosts an annual not-for-profit networking event called "Sweatworking™". The term "Sweatworking" was created by our Director, Susan Proctor in 2012. Given our firm's considerable investment in the event, we sought to protect that investment by applying for a trade mark of the word "Sweatworking". Adverse report Once a trade mark application is lodged, it is reviewed by a...

The Personal Property Securities Act 2009 (PPSA) continues to bite sectors of the business community that have historically had little need for engagement in formal business arrangements. Recently, this firm has been involved in a number of matters relating to rental, hire or bailment of goods to companies that have become insolvent. The unfortunate outcome for the providers of the...

Outsourced bookkeeping and back-office accounting have become our primary means of engagement with small-and-medium businesses. While there are advantages and disadvantages to outsourced bookkeeping, this article solely considers the financial benefits for firms which have shifted from hiring part-time bookkeepers to outsourcing their bookkeeping and accounting functions. After all, a firm's bottom line is all about cost savings. Based on...

As home owners look for ways to maximise their investment, granny flats have seen a rise in popularity1. Classified as a 'secondary dwelling,' they sit separately to the main structure on a block and are self-contained, enabling the flat to be rented out independently for additional income. There are several considerations on whether a granny flat is suitable for either...

While redundancy was once considered an unwelcome sign of the times, the new corporate reality means it is becoming more likely that at some stage during your career you will be made redundant. Getting the right tax advice can help you make the most from a redundancy payment as you move into a new job. If you are thinking of...

We often meet with clients who are surprised to learn that their registered trade mark provides no protection in other countries. Trade marks (like other forms of IP such as patents and designs) are registered on a per country basis. If wishing to extend protection of your Australian trade mark rights to other countries, do you need to engage lawyers...

Salary sacrifice is where a portion of your income is paid to your superannuation fund rather than to yourself directly. Contributions made to superannuation through salary sacrificing are paid from your "before-tax dollars" and is a strategy that can be used to reduce your taxable income. Making regular contributions can be an effective way to reduce your income tax and...

One of the most important steps in the process of dividing your assets is to identify and value the "asset pool". Both you and your former spouse have a duty to disclose assets that exist at the time of your settlement or assets to which you may have an entitlement in the foreseeable future (such as a deceased estate or...

Regular readers of this column would be aware that the Australian Institute of Company Directors' role is to improve the quality of governance for the betterment of the economy and society. While much of our focus is seen as being at the 'top end of town', we are just as involved in assisting small family businesses or not-for-profit organisations and...

Since the global financial crisis the business and lending climate has been tighter than in previous years. Countries have experienced double dip recessions and businesses locally have been holding on to their cash for longer due to the changes. The flow-through effect of big business holding cash has put a squeeze on smaller entities' working capital. As a result there...