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 staff away from more productive tasks. Follow these seven tips to make your meetings more efficient and cost-effective. What’s your goal? Every meeting should have a clear objective, and a reason the meeting is needed (versus an email or… Read more
We are often asked by people who are setting up in business “Which entity structure is suitable for my business?” A typical answer would talk about the options of using a sole trader structure or a trust, but would focus on the asset protection benefits of using a company. Companies are the default trading structure for most businesses in New Zealand, due to the creditor protection benefits and ease of selling… Read more
While working at home as a freelancer sounds like the ultimate dream for anyone tired of the rat race and daily commute, freelancers still have more than a few financial issues to worry about. Perhaps the most important trait that you should have as a freelancer is the ability to be fully responsible and accountable to yourself, and saving money is something that you should think about on a daily basis! So let’s walk through… Read more
We believe that storing a copy of your receipts and invoices electronically in Xero is the best and most efficient way to do the business filing for most organisations. There are many benefits to this – not just that you can do something else with the space where the filing cabinet went! Read more about document storage using Xero Files here. For those organisations who have a lot of invoices or… Read more
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 will drive them to spend long nights at the office, working hard every hour of every day. Unknown to them, this kind of attitude can actually lead to some destructive outcomes. You must avoid these habits, despite the allure of… Read more
Don’t be left up in the air by traditional IT solutions. Check out the top 9 advantages for small businesses switching to cloud computing. Cloud computing is fast becoming the norm because storing information and using software hosted on the Internet has many advantages. 1. Save money Traditionally, a small business spends money licensing software or buying packages to install or download onto individual computers. Cloud computing, on the other… Read more
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 business. 1. Utilise new technology Modern technology can save you time, improve productivity and reduce your operational costs. Make use of Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and other social media tools to market your business. Dropbox is a cloud-based service… Read more
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
Believe it or not, Christmas is just around the corner already, which will leave many of you thinking about how best to reward staff. It may also have crossed your mind to consider how much of the expenditure that you will make will be tax deductible. Generally, if you provide entertainment for your team, clients or any other business contact, some of your business entertainment expenses are tax deductible. Below… Read more