Business reading list summer 2019/20I’ve always been an avid reader but these days you’re just as likely to see me listening to podcasts and audiobooks as you are to see me with my nose in an actual book. Especially convenient when you’re in the car or out for a walk, but also when making dinner or doing housework. My
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Take regular breaks to increase productivityIt may seem counter-intuitive that they key to being more productive is to NOT work for periods of time, but there are many reasons why this is, in fact, the case. And the science backs this up. It's clear that taking regular breaks promotes productivity.
Know your softwareBusiness owners - you are really great at what you do, but chances are that you were not so great at bookkeeping when you ventured into this business.
Efficiency with bookkeeping these days depends, not only on up-to-date and relevant accounting knowledge, but also on an inside-and-out knowledge of your accounting software.
How to approach sales conversationsConversations are like puzzles. Focus on seeking clarity and understanding in your sales conversations and pieces will fit together to bring the picture to life.
How many networking groups should you belong to?When I joined BNI it started working well for me very quickly. And so I thought, this is great! I’ll find another group to join and I’ll get more referrals. But from the very first meeting I realised that that was going to be a problem.
With Brave Wings She FliesI went to a hair salon a few years ago where they had various short, inspirational quotes on the back of their business/appointment cards. I didn’t have a long relationship with that salon, but (unbeknown to them) the impact of those cards was huge. In fact, I still have both those cards – one in
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Yearly planning; Sales targets, financial performance, net profitI've taken the time over my summer break to reflect on last year and to check in with intentions and goals that I set at the beginning of last year. It doesn't really feel like work. I get a real kick out of it and enjoy the process. I especially look at the financial performance of my business and there are 2 things that I do each month to help me to reach my sales targets.
A Business Journey in Children YearsI was pregnant with my first child when my ex husband and I bought out his business partner in his Takapuna hair and beauty salon. That salon was the beginning of my long passion with all things business. At the time I devoured everything I could about business, marketing, staff and HR, leadership. I wanted to
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What a day learning to row taught me about high performing teamsA few years ago I was fortunate enough to be part of some training on high performance teams through my BNI chapter. The training consisted of learning how to row an 8-person skiff, finishing with a race between 3 teams of 8. This was an amazing challenge to be a part of that tested me both
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Xerocon 2018This year’s successful, Vegas-themed Xero conference in Brisbane really was as amazing as it looks in the pictures (yes, that ball pit swimming pool was real!). Accountants and bookkeepers from all around Australia and New Zealand attended - final delegate count was 3702.
Catch 22 For New BookkeepersFor new bookkeepers it can be hard to get some practical accounts experience. You can’t get a job without practical experience and you can’t get practical experience without a job. It can be a bit of a catch 22, right? You may find another bookkeeper who is willing to take you on without experience, but it
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Xero Price IncreaseXero is raising their prices again, a move causing some consternation amongst bookkeepers and Xero users alike. This price increase will not only effect Xero’s small business users, it will also have an impact on bookkeepers and accountants. Many bookkeepers have been exclusively Xero for a number of years, and feel that they have helped Xero
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The Difference Between Bookkeepers and AccountantsI get asked a fair bit by people I meet – “what actually is the difference between bookkeepers and accountants”. Seeing as the NZ Bookkeepers Association conference is coming up, I thought this would be the perfect time to differentiate between the two; There is a distinct difference between bookkeeping and accounting and it’s important
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Social Media Influencers & Other TaxableAges ago, I read an article by Rachel Klaver from Identify Marketing where she was interviewed for an article about bloggers and other social media influencers getting free stuff in return for endorsements to their followers. She’s also featured in this Stuff article. This piqued my interest as some bloggers I know get sent gifts/contra all
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Are you a micro business?We hear the term SME quite a lot when talking business, and most of us know that SME stands for Small to Medium sized enterprise. I wanted to know at what point does a small business become a medium business? What I found in my search was an article from the MYOB blog which brought another classification into the mix. Did you know that there is actually a third category called a micro business?
Did Your Business Perform The Way You Wanted It To Last Year?We are now a month in to the 2018/19 financial year. You should now have a pretty good idea of how your business performed last year. It’s probably a good time to ask yourself some key questions: How’d you do? Did you make the money you wanted? Did you work the hours you envisaged? Did
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Do you have a cheaper rate for data entry?When I owned my bookkeeping business I was once asked if I had a different rate for data entry work. The inference being that that particular task was worth less than the bookkeeping rate which I had quoted.
The thing is though, with bookkeeping it’s never just data entry.
The end result of working with a good bookkeeper is meaningful data with which you can make sound business decisions. It's data which tells you the story of your business; the health of it, the results of your past decisions, and the predicted future of the business. It's also staying compliant with the IRD and meeting your tax deadlines. It's data that tells you how much money you've made and how much money you can take out for yourself (shareholders) or for reinvesting in growth.
Business mentor or business coach – what’s the difference?I call myself a business coach but I am also often referred to by my clients as a business mentor. Everyone seems to have their own definition around these words. I'm fine with either. I am a coach, a mentor and a consultant at different times and for different needs. And sometimes I'm all three in the one session.
4 reasons that end of year holidays are so crucialIt's just another day, but the start of a new year seems to bring with it such promise of hope for us. This time is so crucial for me for four reasons.
Do I know you?I used to have a policy of not accepting friend requests unless I had actually physically met them at least once. That changed a few years ago and here's why.
Surprise aquisition of Reckon’s Accountant Group by MYOBReckon and MYOB have long been business rivals so I was quite surprised to see the announcement today that MYOB has purchased Reckon's Accountant Group for $180M. What does that mean for us as users of their products?
Minimise fraud by hiring wellA quick video on how reference checks and police checks can save you a whole lot of grief! https://www.businessheadspace.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/19640308_2326059557619213_272148347853209600_n.mp4
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Tips for Effective NetworkingI love networking but I've had to learn how to do it, and I've learned to love it.
I'm probably considered outgoing and approachable by most who meet me, but I can be a little introverted at times, and so networking was something that didn't come easily at first.
Fake it 'til you make it has long been a favourite of mine and it applies well to networking. I don't mean be fake. Quite the opposite in fact, you need to be authentic and genuine.
Welcome to the last day of the monthWelcome to the last day of the month. How’d it go? What goals did you achieve and what did you learn as a whole?
Are you making the time to look back and review, and to set goals for the coming month?
Did you know that next month is going to be awesome? It's time to set your monthly goals.
Show up and play, and win!Today I won a prize thanks to MYOB. It’s not the first time this has happened to me. I won the prize(s) because I showed up and played the game. And life and business is just like that. Sometimes what it takes is to show up and play. Make the effort, consistently. Play the game of life, the game of business.
Define Clear and Specific GoalsThe clearer we can get with our goals the better we can prioritise our time and our resources towards actually getting to a position that we want to be in. So often we are so head-down in the daily doing of our business that we don't have any idea where we're actually heading. We have never taken the time and devoted the headspace (see what I did there) to figuring out what we're actually trying to achieve. If we're striving for success in business then what does success look like? If we're at Point A and we're heading towards Point B, what does Point B look and feel like?
Don’t underestimate how valuable you areIt‘s not uncommon to assume that everyone else knows all the stuff that we do. If we know it then everyone else probably does as well, right?
Value what you do. There are so many people or businesses out there who need the skills and experience that you bring. Do not underestimate how valuable you are.
Business systems to capture business informationI don’t think anyone would dispute that as a business owner you need meaningful business information in order to make good business decisions, yet I see many business owners flying by the seat of their pants, so-to-speak, making significant business decisions without having much in the way of relevant and meaningful business information.
In order to get meaningful business information, you need to have good business systems in place to capture the information accurately and efficiently.
How planning has meant I’m having the best year yetI'm having the best year yet as a result of actually planning my business and my life. Here's my take on goal setting and planning and what I do on a yearly, monthly, weekly & daily basis.
Change of scene for a dayWhen I was offered a day pass for a Regus serviced office on the 33rd floor of the ANZ building in Auckland central I jumped at the opportunity. Just what I need I thought, a change of scene, a fancy office. And so here I am for the day. Check out the view. And there is coffee. Air conditioning. And PEOPLE! This place is super nice! And I'm feeling really inspired and productive.
Bookkeeping terms every business owner should knowUnderstanding the accounts of your business is fundamental in order to grow a successful business. It is the backbone of the business and understood and reported correctly, will give you important business information to make sound business decisions. Here are some common bookkeeping and accounting terms that you should know about and understand if you are in business, particularly in business in New Zealand
Make 2016 the best year yetI coach business owners like you who feel stressed, overwhelmed and out of control with too much on your to-do list, too many demands on your time and energy, and not enough time for yourselves and your family. And to top it off you aren't making the kind of money you feel you should be making for that kind of effort.
Turn that around through efficient systems and strong financial margins and you’re feeling on top of your business with more freedom and more profit.
Networking groups – ROII’ve always been a big proponent of networking. I really enjoy it and BNI was integral to the growth of my last business with a tangible financial return. Some of the people I’ve met through networking groups have become lifelong friends and so the relationships that networking fosters can be invaluable and hard to put a figure on.
How I Spent My Summer “Holidays”In among the pavlova eating, champagne drinking and presents opening of Xmas, I spent a significant portion of my summer holidays planning for 2016, improving workflow processes and implementing better systems within my business. I freakin' love this stuff! I love the process and I love the result. I consider it to be holiday time very well spent.
Planning for a new year"I love this time of year. It's a time of reflecting back on the year just been and of recognizing the lessons learned but mostly about acknowledging the accomplishments and how far I've come."
When are taxes due if the due date is a holiday?There is sometimes some confusion around when taxes are due if it’s a public holiday. This from the IRD website: “If a due date falls on a weekend, public holiday or provincial anniversary day, we can receive your return and payment on the next working day without a penalty being applied.”
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Let’s talk about risk. How’s your risk management plan?Identifying the potential pitfalls of the business, their underlying causes, and their potential impact, is the first step towards managing and controlling such events, and of lessening their impact should they occur.
So where do you start if you’re a small to medium sized business?
Budgets – how the heck do I create one?Budgeting can be a bit of an art form and is really a best guess, but if based on historical data has a greater chance of being fairly accurate. It's good to review and revise regularly.
Here are some quick suggestions on where to start when creating a budget or cashflow projection.
Do your business accounts scare you just a little bit?Or a lot?
Trust me you are not alone.
The number of times I have seen people literally shudder when asked about their business financials. I came to realise years ago that it doesn't come as easy to some people as it does to me. But then I also see some of you out there who are perfectly capable but seem to have a real block with it.
So what's the deal?
Why business coaching and why me?A coach challenges, supports, motivates, provides direction, and offers an outside, objective perspective. A coach sees where improvements can be made, they see the finish line and they understand what it will take to get you there.
Businesses who use a coach are more likely to experience better business results - improved work performance, business management, time management and team performance.
So why choose me?
Reset and restartOne of those mornings today. Woke up late, tired (and a little grumpy to be fair). Child was disorganized and consequently we were late out the door and late to school which makes me stressed. I hate being late for anything, I think it’s rude, but for school especially as I know that it’s disruptive
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For all your “fill-in-the-blank” needsFor all your ___________ needs.
The amount of times I see this on the back of a work van or on a sign on the side of the road... it's a lot of times.
Tradespeople seem to be the worst offenders but I've also seen it on a drycleaning sign and outside a lighting shop to name a few.
For all your electrical needs, plumbing needs, drycleaning needs, lighting needs...
Sometimes good enough is good enoughSometimes good enough is good enough. This is a lesson that a business mentor used to try to drum into me until I finally took it on board. You see, I can be a perfectionist by nature. There were times that I would spend ages and ages making a marketing flyer just so because everything has
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Managing Cash Flow – Set and ForgetI am a big proponent of set and forget banking (as I call it) for managing cash flow. Usually it’s for saving money, saving for tax, or paying off debt, but it can also be used for household expenses. It can save a huge amount of stress when it comes time to find the money
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Be Great Today!A good friend of mine has a great farewell saying as we're parting. "Be great today," he says.
