Issue 127 June 2017

Lucy Stramandinoli and Anna Neilan have joined forces, bringing their 30 years combined experience, to Canberra's newest, boutique, family law firm, Neilan Stramandinoli Family Law. Both passionate about family law, Lucy and Anna have launched their new practice with a shared view that every client needs a resolution that is very tailored to their own personal circumstances. Wherever possible Lucy...

Look around you. One in eight Canberrans is an unpaid carer looking after a family member or friend who is elderly or living with a disability or with long-term physical or mental health conditions. Chances are some of your work colleagues are carers. Unfortunately, the caring role is often unappreciated and unidentified. Recognising yourself as a 'carer' is the first...

In the past couple of months we have noted a spate of disturbing burglaries within apartment buildings across Canberra. After enquiries with the police as well as with senior members of other strata businesses it appears that the issue may be wide spread. It makes one wonder if there is some degree of underlying organisation. While Vantage Strata and our...

Wow, where did the first half of 2017 go? It's really been a bit of a whirlwind. But, no rest for the wicked. Bring on the snow I say. I love winter in Canberra. The frosty mornings. Ice on the windscreen. Fog in the streets. Warm coats. Woolly hats. Gloves and heavy coats. Those temperatures that get down to close...

It is the time of year that all people in the finance sector get excited about - 30 June. Previously we have listed items you need to take care of before the end of the year. This time we are going to provide a checklist of things you need to get done during July /August to wrap up the financial...

If you are a small business owner there are a myriad of business risk areas you need to be aware of. Trish Cassidy, Senior Manager of RSM Australia, has been involved in the restructuring and advisory industry for the majority of the past thirty years. She has seen many businesses successfully turned around as a result of early action on...

Winter is coming and so are changes to the superannuation system, starting on 1 July 2017. One of the major changes to the superannuation legislation is to limit the amount of superannuation that a person can have in a tax free pension environment. Members cannot transfer more than $1.6 million of their superannuation account into pension phase. As a result,...

We procure goods and services every day. For simple day to day transactions, there is generally no formal contract in place. The provisions of the Australian Consumer Laws would generally apply to the transaction. For larger contracts, it is always prudent to have a formal contract in place which addresses issues such as, who owns any intellectual property (IP) created,...

The race to the end of the year can often mean business owners don't feel they can take the time to plan for the new financial year. Yet effective financial planning is critical to ensure your business' ongoing success. Take a few moments now to complete these key time and money saving tasks: Review your products and services. Do your...

Executive Committees serve a crucial function in an Owners Corporation, typically as the first point of contact for the Strata Manager in dealing with an enormous variety of issues ranging from noise complaints all the way through to preparing for the AGM. Executive Committee members are volunteers from all walks of life, elected at the Owners Corporation AGM with many...

Tailored Accounts hosted the first seminar of AccountantChange #2020 in March 2017, with great feedback from all participants. The seminar brought attention to emerging issues and opportunities in four key aspects of the accounting industry: human resources, technology, economic landscape and innovation. The theme of the program emphasised the need for change, accountants being adaptive and ready for the new...

If you are developing a new website, use these points to ensure you have a great website: Take the time to understand the business. Every business really is different. I feel it's really important for me to decode the culture and the persona of a business before working out how we are going to represent it online. What are the...

I'll change me! That's how I will change the organisation for the better. Very rarely heard are these words "I'll change me" to improve the organisation. Tip: Families are no different, mum and dad if YOU change YOU the fruit you harvest will be sweeter. Tell me, why do you invest so little into YOU when you are the only...