At SMART Business Solutions our people are our business so holding onto our employees for the long term is critical to the success of our business. Recruiting and onboarding new employees is a costly and time-consuming process for any business which is why you ideally want to hold onto great staff when you find them.
Being your own boss can be rewarding, but it’s also incredibly challenging. That’s why it’s important to future-proof your hard work by taking steps today that will prepare your business for tomorrow
These are the 10 hats – aka departments – in EVERY business. These are as follows along with a brief description of the accompanying role:
This article follows on from last week’s blog which dealt with Key Performance Indicators – why they are vital and how to implement them, to in a sense, take the pulse of your organisation and so determine where adjustments must be made, and wins leveraged to ensure lasting results.
What gets measured gets managed. What does this quote mean to you? Have you ever worked tirelessly on a campaign without realising the desired result? And when it’s over, you’re still unsure regarding its impact on your profit margin? Or whether it was it worth your investment in terms of the time-frustration-stress input?
In the face of increasing competition, it can be tempting to think that the only way to maintain your organisation’s market share and win new customers is by lowering your prices. However, such a strategy is rarely effective in the long-term. Instead, it can end up undermining your business, so it’s wise to use it cautiously.
Contributing shares to your SMSF
What you need to know
Many investors have a personal share portfolio. When it
comes to your SMSF, did you know that you can contribute more than simply cash?
You are also able to contribute listed shares.
There is plenty of advice out there about why you should save for your future, but little that explains exactly how.
One of the problems when discussing wealth creation and retirement planning is that it usually involves words rather than numbers. People say they want to ‘build a retirement nest egg’ or ‘make sure I have enough to live comfortably’ or ‘pay for my kids to go through private school’, but rarely are accurate numbers attached to those wishes.
There has been a lot in the news lately regarding self-managed super funds (SMSF’s) from the Royal Commission into financial planning, and the banks tightening up on lending to SMSF’s some may wonder if it is all still worth it or a viable option. Yes absolutely! However, some of these changes are there to protect members of super funds because a SMSF may not be the most appropriate for everyone.
They say every great journey begins with a single step - and yours in just beginning. Here's how to get on the path to financial
freedom at the same time.
There may be several reasons why you’ve decided it’s time to change accountants. These could range from your accountant taking months to complete your accounts or not being a responsive communicator to the fact that your accountant is “old school” and doesn’t understand cloud accounting.
Another financial year is about to finish! As a business owner, there are many obligations that you need to consider and action just before
and after 30 June.
Some of these will help to minimise your tax. Others will reduce your exposure to an ATO tax audit. We have outlined these action points to
assist you.
The moral of the story - You can’t leave assets in your Will which are not legally owned by you. Did you know this? It comes as a surprise to many as people just assumed that their all of their assets will be distributed according to their wishes outlined in their will.
If your business is typical of most small to medium enterprises, approximately 60% of your total operating costs are earmarked for your workforce. So, how can you be sure you’re getting the best out of your team of super heroes and ROI for what is arguably your most substantial outlay?
To put it more directly: Are you getting the return you expected from your workforce spend?
We are seeing a lot of property development on the Mornington Peninsula whether it be sub-dividing and developing two new houses, or on a larger scale.
There's recently been a big tax law change that may reduce the tax deductions for many businesses across Australia.
Does the idea of taking your best-selling Aussie product or service global appeal? Introducing your offering to international markets can be rewarding, provided you venture forth fully prepared.
With the federal election done and dusted we've done a wrap up of how the Coalition win will affect you, either as a business or as an
individual.
Check it out.
Well the end of financial year is nearly here so what can you do prior to June 30 to keep more money in your pocket and not the tax man? Many proposals from budget night will also impact your future tax position. So take a read through and see which measures can potentially benefit your business
With only a few days til' the Federal Election on 18 May, there is a lot of wild speculation and 'fake news' in the media.
We're not trying to recommend who you should vote for. That's a deeply personal decision. Rather, we'd like to help explain how the outcome
of the Federal Election will impact you.
It sounds like the beginning of a bar room joke, but in all seriousness and despite their stereotyped images, there are fundamental differences between the three positions.
WARNING TIME
The
Australian Taxation Office (ATO) is closing in fast on everyone who doesn't
properly declare their income and pay the correct amount of tax.
As
your Tax Accountants, we want to help you be aware of what the ATO is doing and
how you can protect yourself.
Do not sell without first gaining professional advice
For the majority of small to medium sized business owners, the value of your business is your biggest asset, and very likely, your
retirement fund.
Upon sale of your business it is critical you receive the maximum available net proceeds. However, many taxpayers miss this once in a
lifetime chance through poor transactions planning and the holding of assets in inappropriate structures. Just because you consider yourself
a small business does not mean you have automatic access to all available CGT concessions.
While the rules are complex, if the correct planning is in place, a husband and wife team can receive up to $4 million tax free after the
sale of their business. (If you’ve run your business for at least 15 years, all the sale proceeds might be tax free!)
Are you thinking of acquiring, upgrading or replacing capital assets that will be used in running your business?
The Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT) year ended. With the ever increase budget deficits, the ATO will be reviewing whether all employers who
should be paying FBT are, and that they are paying the right amount.
To help you meet your fringe benefits obligations, we’ve put together a list of essentials every employer needs to know about FBT and review
every year, such as:
How to help a family member who can’t get finance get onto the property ladder without incurring capital gains tax.
With the Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT) year end of 31 March 2019 upon us, it is time to assess the annual FBT obligations of your business.
One of the advantages of self-managed super funds (SMSFs) is the ability to acquire a business real property (BRP), such as a commercial property, a shop or even a farm through your SMSF.
You started your business with the intention of making it a success yet your long-term vision most likely does not take into account what will happen to your business when you retire or in the event you should not be able to continue working.
Being successful in business demands you have certain essential components in place. Such as a durable business model. A solid plan of action. Sound financial management and bookkeeping.
The tax lodgement due date is fast approaching..... make sure you get organised to avoid any unnecessary penalties or interest changes.
The ATO has just announced that it will begin contacting businesses in the building and construction industry who have not lodged their Taxable Payments Annual Report for the 2018 and prior financial years. What is it? Do you need to report? What information should you report? What if you haven't lodged your report? We answer these questions and more.
With free advice, you often get what you pay for. It’s been a long time since I’ve been surprised by clients or colleagues telling me about the latest tip that’s shared around the barbeque. What strikes me is the blind faith put in these comments.
One of the most effective ways to deal with a cash flow crisis is to call in your debts. Only downside is this typically involves picking up the phone and speaking with your debtors in person.
For many, the word ‘budget’ is about as appealing as the word ‘diet’. It seems to imply what you will go without, rather than what you will achieve.
To a successful business owner, however, the word ‘budget’ has a very different meaning.
As an accountant, we wear many hats when dealing with clients. Sometimes we’re accountants, sometimes advisors, sometimes a confidante, and sometimes we’re just another parent of a kid on your child’s soccer team.
A new financial year is a bit like “new year’s eve”, a time to make those New Year’s resolutions. Insurance is not typically first and foremost in your mind when you’re dealing with the day-to-day running of your business.
Here it is, my blog on why I purchased $5,000 on Xero shares for each of my two children. For over 6 months I have been contemplating whether this experience would be beneficial to anyone if I shared it. I kept thinking, “Who would want to read it?” and “What would I say?” and “Would anyone care?” Well, here I sit on my way back from seeing the Grand Canyon whilst holidaying in the USA with the family. I have time, so I pulled out my iPad and started to write. So, here it is. The story of why I purchased those Xero shares.
There has been a lot in the news lately regarding self-managed super funds (SMSF’s) from the Royal Commission into financial planning, and the banks tightening up on lending to SMSF’s some may wonder if it is all still worth it or a viable option. Yes absolutely! However, some of these changes are there to protect members of super funds because a SMSF may not be the most appropriate for everyone.
I always say, “cash is king” you can have a great idea, make lots of sales but if no-one is paying how can continue to pay your bills?
In short, the answer to the above question is yes if actively letting residential rental properties is your business and that you have pursued the said business post 1 July 2017. In addition, Companies, superannuation funds (not SMSFs, however), public unit trusts, and managed investment trusts are still allowed to claim travel deductions for any costs related to the upkeep and management of their residential rental properties.
here are the key dates you need to be aware of
Personal Finance Planning with the help of Xero and Smart Business Solutions If you were to add up all your earnings for a lifetime, the total would come to hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars.
As a business owner facing down the end of another financial year, you’re likely paying more attention to those all-important profit and loss margins.
Personal Budgeting: The Key To Realising Your Financial Goals And DreamsIf you discovered a business owner was operating without a set budget, you’d probably think he/she was incompetent or not taking his/her financial obligations seriously.
Got An Online MyGov Account? Be Sure To Read This The Online MyGov has caused major hassles for tax agents so we felt it was important to let you know. Over the past year, the ATO has made several changes to the way in which it communicates with tax payers and their delegated tax agents.
As Xero’s Victorian Accounting Firm partner of the Year the team at SMART Business Solutions LOVE Xero and everything CLOUD.
Picking the right name for your business or company is an important aspect of beginning a new venture or revamping your current one.
Crowd funding: a revolutionary new way to back your business start up So you have an amazing new business, but no access to the capital you’ll need to successfully launch it? If this is the case, you have several options to secure funding.
Big businesses typically have an in-house Chief Financial Officer (CFO) , but this is not always an affordable option for small and medium sized businesses.
SMART Business Solutions was pleased to host a breakfast event this week on the topic of how can retailers thrive with Amazon coming.
A healthy cash flow is vital to keeping your business operating optimally. Should a large percentage of your customer's delay, their payments or – in the worst-case scenario – refuse to pay you, your business could be placed in a very difficult position.
More and more often in the news today we read about the epidemic that is financial illiteracy running rampant amongst the younger generation. We lament the lack of financial education they’ve grown up with and wonder how they will ever survive in this world of fragile economies, overpriced real estate and cheap debt.
