Tips to increase engagement during the holidays

The holiday season is typically busy, whether you run a retail business or a service-based one. If you’re not helping shoppers, you’re helping your clients fit in their appointments before year end. There’s a lot to do and the time passes quickly. Take this opportunity to show clients and customers how much you appreciate their business. After all, it’s less expensive to retain existing clients than it is to attract…  Read more

4 end of the year financial planning tips

The end of the year is typically a reflective time. Something about that lull between holiday festivities and New Year’s Eve sets the stage for introspection and review. While you’re busy reflecting on the year that’s ending and the new one about to begin, make sure you take some time to consider your finances. Here are some financial tasks that should be on your must-do list before the calendar rolls…  Read more

Business Update – 30 November 2022

Welcome back to our Weekly Digest. Read on for the latest updates and some ideas to help us all move forward. RBA governor says it’s “regrettable” that some Australians now have mortgages they can’t afford At a Senate estimates hearing on Monday, Reserve Bank governor Philip Lowe apologised to Australians who took out a home loan due to the RBA’s guidance that interest rates would stay the same until 2024.…  Read more

What is a fractional CFO?

A fractional CFO, or Chief Financial Officer, is a finance professional who works on a part-time, retainer, or contract basis. They bring the experience and expertise of a high-level CFO to your business – without the cost of hiring a full-time, in-house employee. Fractional CFOs service several clients at once typically on a part-time, retainer, or contract basis. Their specialty is providing outsourced CFO services to small and medium businesses.…  Read more

Business Update – 6 December 2022

Welcome back to our Weekly Digest. Read on for the latest updates and some ideas to help us all move forward. Austudy, carer payments, and youth allowance to get a boost Social security payments for young people, students, and carers will increase by 6.1% on 1 January – the biggest raise in over six decades. Women are 200 years behind men for income equity A new report revealed that Australian…  Read more

Australia implements new paid family and domestic violence leave

Employees in Australia will soon have access to paid family and domestic violence leave. Business owners and employers should be aware of these changes as the paid family and domestic violence leave means you will have to pay up to 10 days of leave per 12-month period for employees who require the leave. Starting in 2023, employees will have access to 10 days of paid family and domestic violence leave…  Read more

Business Update – 13 December 2022

Welcome back to our Weekly Digest. Read on for the latest updates and some ideas to help us all move forward. NSW builder goes into voluntary administration due to rising costs and pandemic effects Elderton Homes, a major New South Wales builder, has plunged into administration after catastrophic weather events, the pandemic, and rising materials costs made business too costly to continue. ABS data shows that payroll jobs are up,…  Read more

Business tips for the end of the year

The end of the year tends to be a bit chaotic for business owners, but it’s actually a good time to get some extra housekeeping done for your business. Read on for some tips to help you finish the year neatly and feel prepared to face the new year. Review your goals and KPIs A lot has likely happened for your business over the course of the previous 12 months.…  Read more

10 more quick growth tips for small business owners

Help grow your business through collaboration, expansion, improved marketing and some of the following quick tips. 1. Improve your customer service Businesses with good customer service retain consumers and attract new business through word-of-mouth. Even if you think you’re already providing good service, make it a priority to provide refresher training to frontline staff at least once a year. Alternatively, hold regular meetings to discuss any issues as they arise.…  Read more

3 Reasons Why Business Partners Break Up and How to Prevent Them

For many business owners, partnerships are an ideal way to run a business. Operating a business with a partner means you don’t have to make all the decisions on your own. It means you have someone there with you, to help you carry the burden and share ideas with. That can be a great thing, when it lasts. Unfortunately, many business partnerships fail. Although they fail for a variety of…  Read more

3 Consequences of Avoiding Your Bookkeeping

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

3 Tips to Make the Most of the End of Financial Year

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

10 Productivity Tools to Help You Do More at Work

In today’s fast-paced world, everyone wants to be more productive. Fortunately, there is an ever-increasing number of tools, many of them available online and across multiple devices, that promise to help us achieve our goals. The challenge then becomes how to know not just which tools will live up to their promise but which tools are right for our business. Choosing the best productivity tools depends on a number of factors,…  Read more

3 Ways to Motivate Workers

The question of motivating employees is often on a business owner’s mind. It can be difficult to find ways to genuinely motivate employees at work, and often the old standards—performance-based bonuses, increased rewards and commissions—only work in the short-term, if they work at all. In fact, some tests have shown that the usual motivational tactics aren’t always effective. So how can you authentically motivate workers? 1. Share positive feedback Too…  Read more

3 Reasons Recurring Revenue is a Good Idea

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 clients who know and trust your business. For example, you might bundle offers into a monthly subscription, or launch a points system that incentivizes loyalty with free gifts or special discounts. Recurring revenue comes in many forms and is…  Read more

3 Alternatives to Microsoft Office

Many of us think of MS Office Suite as the only option for word processing, spreadsheets and presentations. However, open source software is changing that assumption for a growing number of small business owners. Some are looking for a free alternative to paid software products, and some prefer the idea that code should be shared, adapted and improved freely by everyone. Read on to learn more about 3 free and…  Read more

3 Advantages of Digital Signing for Businesses

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 signing, enabling businesses to digitize entire workflows and further optimize management processes. Whether you’re preparing an employee work agreement, finalizing a new client contract, or submitting an invoice, digital signing can prove beneficial in a number of ways. Here are just three…  Read more

12 Essential Tips for Delivering Effective Training Courses

Effective training of staff is essential to ensure they develop in their roles and are able to be as productive as possible. The business will need training to be cost effective and meet learning objectives, so as a facilitator of training it’s important to get it right first time. These 12 tips cover all the critical areas you must consider to ensure your training delivery is top notch and fully…  Read more

3 Tips for Working Smarter and Gaining Personal Time

You’ve probably heard the maxim that it’s better to work smarter than harder. Working smarter means allocating your time, energy and money so vital tasks get done more efficiently, freeing up your personal time. Too many business owners think they must keep working harder—taking on more responsibilities and working longer hours—to be successful. It makes sense, because you’re responsible for your business, but that route leads to work overload and…  Read more

3 easy and inexpensive ways to look more professional when you’re starting out

For bootstrapping young businesses, making a professional first impression as you build your brand is key. Although hiring a branding expert may be too large an expense in the early days, you can still help your business stand out in the best possible way without breaking the bank. Just follow these simple marketing moves that will help people to know, like, and trust you. 1. Build credibility with your own…  Read more

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