MYbookkeeping Services

Are They A Sub-Contractor Or An Employee?

2011-12-09T21:44:00.004+10:30

I have noticed over recent times that businesses are opting to increase the number of people working for them by using the services contractors instead of employing staff.

A word of caution - the contractors you are using may in fact need to be converted to employees!!!

The Australian Taxation Office has an online resource where you can check to see if the people working for you can do so as contractors.

This resource is called the Employee/contractor decision tool.

If you are an employer using contracted staff, take a moment to answer the questions on the Employee/contractor decision tool just to make sure you have the people working for you "correctly" employed.

Essential Management Reading

2011-10-22T20:42:00.004+10:30

Long time readers of this blog will know that I have been subscribing to the Manager Tools podcast for some time now.

I find it to be the best source of information and advice on effective management that I have been able to find on the Net.

Apart from the fantastic information that is provided by Mike and Mark (the hosts) on effective management skills, one thing I do appreciate is that they constantly provide reference sources - in particular book titles and authors - that can provide further advice on this subject.

Over the course of their podcasts there have been numerous mentions of the management philosophy of Peter Drucker, so I have recently purchased one of Mr Drucker's books, titled The Essential Drucker and I am finding it fascinating reading.

I have just read a chapter titled "How Should Objectives Be Set and by Whom" (commencing page 117) and wish to share with you the first 3 sentences of this chapter - [Quote] "By definition, a manager is responsible for the contribution that his or her component makes to the larger unit above and eventually to the enterprise. The manager's performance aims upward rather than downward. This means that the goals of each manager's job must be defined by the contribution he has to make to the success of the larger unit of which he is a part. [end quote].

The chapter goes on to say that because of these responsibilities, there is a requirement for "each manager to develop and set the objectives of his unit himself".

Have a think about these sentences for a minute and then compare what is being said here to your own situation if you are in a management role.

Are you - as a manager - expected to set objectives and tasks for your team with the long term benefit of your company in mind (i.e. aiming upward), or is your role as a manager defined by the way in which you motivate the people in your team with little to no focus on action plans that will "better", or "advance", the position of the company you work for (i.e. aiming downward)?

Another way to look at it is by thinking about how much of your time is spent "reactively" putting out the "spot fires" within your team, versus the time you spend "proactively" implementing strategies within your team that will increase the "bottom line" to your company.

Before starting my own business I had worked in many different areas of many different organisations - both large and small - and I can confidently say that the focus of management in every business that I worked in was the "reactive" example above rather than the "proactive".

Certainly, managers were called together in "working parties" to put together "implementation plans" to improve business performance (upwards focus), but these "working parties" only met when there was free time from their "real" job which was "looking after the performance of their staff" (downwards focus).

I am finding that the reading of The Essential Drucker is turning my view on management totally on its head and is beginning to give me many refreshing ideas on ways to improve my management skills in the various business roles I now find myself in.

A huge thank you goes out to the Manager Tools team - once again you have provided me with an absolute gem to assist me in being a more effective business owner and manager - keep the podcasts and author suggestions coming guys because you have an avid listener here in Australia.

Others Agree!!

2011-10-16T00:23:00.002+10:30

Long time readers of this blog will know that I have been going on for years now about the benefits of small businesses using a sub-contracted bookkeeper to look after their financials so that they can spend more time focussing on their core business, or at the very least to give them some free time to spend with their family and friends.

It appears that the word is getting out - I have just been reading a very good article from a totally unrelated group who is saying exactly the same thing - have a read of the article via this link and if you are a small business looking for ways to increase the time you spend chasing new customers, or you are searching for ways to get more free time to spend with family and friends, seriously consider outsourcing your bookkeeping to a sub-contracted, qualified bookkeeper

Time To Get The Financial Data Together - It's BAS Time Again!!!

2011-09-27T15:54:00.004+09:30

Just a quick reminder that the end of this week marks the end of the first quarter for the 2011/2012 financial year - time to lodge your BAS returns again!!!

Remember to have a good look through things like your pockets, purses, wallets, gloveboxes and anywhere else you throw receipts when you are in a hurry - how much extra GST could you be paying if you don't record all these business expenses?

Also remember to make sure you check and reconcile your bank statements for the quarter to make sure you record any expenses that are coming out via direct debit - and make sure that if these expenses are over $75.00 and you are claiming the GST that you also have a tax compliant invoice handy for the purchase.

Isn't BAS time fun?!!!! 8=)

The Value Of Information "In The Cloud"

2011-09-10T21:14:00.004+09:30

I have been listening to lots of talk about keeping your information "in the Cloud" for a while now, but I have not been paying much attention to it until recently when I found out the hard way how beneficial this aspect of the Net can be to your business' success!!!

We were travelling overseas recently and while sitting in Los Angeles Airport waiting to fly home I received a call from a potential new bookkeeping customer.

The caller was in a hurry to get their bookkeeping done so that they could lodge their tax returns and had been given MYbookkeeping Services contact details by one of our long time customers who is very happy with our services (aren't referrals wonderful?!!!).

The call was going wonderfully when I hear the magic words - "Can you email me through your resume so that I can show your qualifications to our Board?"

Normally my response would have been a simple "Certainly - can I have your email address please and I will send it straight through", but there was a problem - just before leaving for overseas I had upgraded my laptop and my resume was on the old computer - back in Australia!!!!

Fortunately the caller was most understanding and when I gave them an undertaking to email it through as soon as I got home, they were happy to wait.

This incident taught me a very valuable lesson - you never know when a business opportunity is going to present itself, so always - and I mean ALWAYS - make sure that all the information you need to make yourself look professional in the eyes of a potential customer is easily accessible, no matter where you are.

Needless to say, my Google Docs account now has my resume uploaded to it and I would encourage all business owners to spend some time thinking about what information they could be asked for at a moment's notice - if this information is not with you 24/7 consider putting it "in the Cloud" for easy access.

Why Not Just Use A Bookkeeper

2011-09-04T23:04:00.004+09:30

I got an interesting Google Alert today called "Bookkeeping Sucs" and as it is not the usual type of title you tend to read when you hear about bookkeeping matters I thought I would have a look at it.

In the article it appears that someone is trying to find easy to use bookkeeping software that "ticks all the boxes" for their particular business.

The writer is obviously frustrated by the fact that they cannot find a product that meets their specific requirements and is asking if anyone knows of a package out there that could help them with their business needs.

I cannot help but think "why even bother?". The writer says straight out that they hate bookkeeping (their exact words) so why not get someone to do it for you?

When your car needs fixing you take it to a mechanic, when your bathroom needs fixing you call a plumber, so if you need to have your financials collated for tax purposes and you do not like doing it yourself, why not use the services of a business that specialises in this field?

Contact a couple of bookkeepers in your area, choose one that feels right for you, talk to them about what services they can provide, then weigh up the price of their services against the down time (and money) you lose while trying to do your own books - it may be an easier (and more cost effective) option than constantly trying to find the "perfect" bookkeeping package and doing this work yourself.

Is Your Bookkeeper "Qualified"?

2011-08-29T19:41:00.002+09:30

It has been an interesting day today - I have been discussing bookkeeping services with a number of potential clients and one point has become blantantly obvious - the gap between fully qualified bookkeepers and those "back yarders" who have been doing bookkeeping for years with little to no formal qualifications is getting seriously wider.

My concern is that there are a lot of people claiming to be "bookkeepers" out there who are providing what they call quality service but have little to no knowledge of the basic principles of double entry accounting.

How can you provide "quality" bookkeeping services if do not even know the difference between a Balance Sheet and a Profit & Loss report?!!!!

To all you business owners out there, remember that if you are using a sub-contracted bookkeeper to assist you with the completion of your BAS and IAS returns they now need to be a Registered BAS Agent.

Remember to ask your bookkeeper to provide you with details of their BAS Agent registration (they should be able to provide you with their Registration Certificate issued to them from the Tax Practitioners Board) and if they cannot provide you with this certificate seriously consider changing your bookkeeper - not doing so could end up being a real inconvenience to you - not to mention the extra expense you might incur with getting your financials sorted at a later date.

Even if your bookkeeper can provide you with some evidence of "qualifications" ask them this simple question - "What is the difference between Balance Sheet and Profit & Loss reports?" - it is the most basic of accounting principle questions and if it cannot be answered seriously question your bookkeepers "qualifications".

The Value Of Good Old Fashioned Service

2011-07-29T17:36:00.003+09:30

Firstly, I must apologise for the length of time between blog posts - to say that things have been hectic over recent times is an understatement!!!!

I now think I know how it feels to be a professional juggler - there has been that many things going on all at the same time that there have been times when I was not sure what day it is!!!

Things are starting to get back to "normal" again (whatever that means!!!), so my family and I have taken some time off to travel and are currently touring around the United States of America.

This is our first time to the USA and I must say that it has been a fantastic experience - the people have been great and the sites have been fantastic - we are having a great time and thank you to all those "Yanks" we have come into contact with - it has been a pleasure to meet each and every one of you.

What has impacted me most on our trip to the USA is the level of good old fashioned customer service you get everywhere you go (the "business" brain never turns off!!!!).

It doesn't matter if you are catching public transport, having a meal, visiting a tourist destination, or asking for something from staff at the hotels where you are staying, everyone - and I do mean everyone - goes that extra mile to make sure you get first class quality service.

I have been trying to work out the secret to this level of service while I have been over here and as best as I can work it out it comes down to people simply appreciating the fact that they can be of service to you - now the goal is to work out how to "bottle" this mindset because I am certain I can make a fortune out of it if I can work out how to do so!!!!! LOL

Is It Time To Start Thinking About Proper Bookkeeping Services?

2011-05-12T23:38:00.000+09:30

Just reading a very interesting article about the Government's plan to make construction companies report payments they are making to contractors in what appears to be an attempt to crack down on undeclared income.

The same article goes on to say that the commercial cleaning industry will shortly have to report in a similar fashion.

Representatives from the building industry have slammed the move, stating that it will cause an "unacceptable time and cost burden" to smaller contractors.

I know I am biased - and of course I gain to benefit by this comment - but I can't help but think "Why don't they just get a bookkeeper?"

A good (and I mean GOOD) bookkeeper should cost you no more than about $50.00 per hour - how many contractors in the building industry are charging less than this these days?

Assuming a contractor does charge more than this amount they can actually meet their compliance requirements if they use a bookkeeper to do this work for them - and still put money in their pocket at the same time (by earning more working while their bookkeeper does the recording and reporting for them)!!!

Also keep in mind that your average small contractor usually has a grand total of about 2-3 hours worth of bookkeeping a MONTH, so assuming a bookkeeper is charging $50.00 an hour (let's forget about things like GST for the exercise), how long does it take a contractor to earn the $150.00 to pay a bookkeeper for a month's worth of data -

One day?

One HOUR?

To think the Government will stop looking for income non-disclosure loopholes is naive - just get a bookkeeper to do the work for you, forget about it and do what you do best - your trade!!!

Is Your Bookkeeper Covered?

2011-05-03T09:20:00.003+09:30

Just received a letter from the Tax Practitioners Board reminding all bookkeepers of their obligation to have Professional Indemnity Insurance by the 1st of July 2011 if they are a registered agent and are providing customers with a BAS Service (a download of the notice is available on the Tax Practitioners Board website Homepage - refer to the In Focus section at the bottom of the page).

If you are a business that uses contracted bookkeeping services to complete your BAS for you make sure your bookkeeper has Professional Indemnity Insurance, or at least intends to do so, by the 1st of July this year - and remind them that they need to notify the Tax Practitioners Board that they are covered by an appropriate insurance policy which can be done online via the Tax Practitioners Board's website from the 9th of May 2011.

If you are a contracted bookkeeper assisting a business in the completion of their BAS, it would be worth your while to check out the Tax Practitioners Board's website and perhaps call them to find out if you should be getting Professional Indemnity Insurance - if the business you are doing the bookkeeping for is ever audited and something is found to be wrong with a BAS lodgement it could be a very expensive exercise proving you have done nothing wrong if you are not adequately insured.

The Reason For My Absence!!!!!

2011-04-28T17:10:00.003+09:30

My apologies to long time readers of this blog - it has been some time between posts, but I have had valid reasons!!!

Another business I am involved in - Working with Wildlife - has taken up a lot of my time lately. There have been new websites to set up and we have even started a website that provides information on snakes of the USA - check it out - it makes for fascinating reading.

After many long hours by all the Working with Wildlife team we are proud to present the Snakes & Us In The USA - A Sensible Perspective e-Book.

This e-Book has been compiled to give readers a better understanding of these greatly misunderstood creatures in an attempt to reduce the number of people that get bitten by snakes.

It is a fantastic read, with heaps of references on this subject, so check it out and let us know what you think.

There is also an Australian e-Book available on this subject that is well worth the read, so have a look and we look forward to your feedback.

Small Business Owners - Do Yourself A Favour

2011-01-30T12:56:00.003+10:30

Long time readers of this blog will remember that last year I was involved in the Business Owners Coaching Program that was made available for me and other small business owners in the area by NABEC.

Taking part in this coaching program was by far the best business decision I have made since starting my business in 2006 and has resulted in a project I am now involved in that will take bookkeeping services to a whole new level in the near future (stay tuned for more information on this in the coming months!!!!)

Our mentor and coach was on this program was Gordon Kay and Gordon has now set up a website where he is promoting his coaching services to small businesses interested in taking things "to the next level".

The website is called Gordon Kay - Doing Business - do yourself a favour - have a look at Gordon's website and give him a call - I can tell you first hand it will be well worth the phone call.

Australia Day Celebrations

2011-01-27T07:27:00.004+10:30

What a wonderful Australia Day celebration we had yesterday.

Families got together who had members born in South Australia, Western Australia, New South Wales and Victoria to "chuck a shrimp on the barbie" and celebrate the day!!!

There were other family members who had been raised in Papua New Guinea and had spent time in the United States of America joining in on the celebrations.

A game of "Tip and Go" cricket got started that was quickly joined in by recent immigrants from Africa!!! Everyone cheating and changing the rules the whole way through, but still laughing and having a great time!!!!!! 8=)

During a break in the "cricket match" a soccer game(football to all you traditionalists out there!!!!! 8=)) was started by the people originally from Africa and this was soon joined in by people originally from the Middle East!!! People are getting kicked in the legs and stripped over, but whenever anyone gets hurt the games stops and everyone comes over to help the person up and make sure they are ok.

The "Aussie" kids started flying kites - one of the kites in the colours of the Australian flag gets stuck in a tree and one of the African kids comes straight to the rescue and scampers up the tree to free it from the branches.

While all this is going on we are getting text messages from relatives originally from England who became "Dinky Di Aussies" yesterday at an Australia Day naturalization ceremony in Melbourne!!!!

At the end of the day, as one "Aussie" family is leaving, they hand the kite with the colours of the Australian flag to the African kids as a parting gift - what a wonderful, tolerant and diverse country we live in!!!!!

The Advertising Power of the Internet

2011-01-17T19:21:00.003+10:30

The power of advertising, marketing and organic growth over the Internet will never cease to amaze me!!!

I received a Google Alert on my business name - MYbookkeeping Services - today and it was actually an alert showing that my business had been listed under bookkeeping services in a business directory called AUBiz!!!!

Thank you to the people who have set this business directory up - there is only one thing better than advertising - and that's free advertising!!!!

Another Brilliant Business Read!!!

2010-10-31T18:00:00.004+10:30

I have just realised that it has been over a month since my last blog post - it has been a LONG month!!!!!! The dynamics of running businesses will never cease to amaze me - at least it makes the days go quick!!!

One thing I have been finding the time to do, though, is read another book recommended by The Manager Tools team - this time it was Winning by Jack Welch.

One thing is becoming obvious - if you are looking for reading material to assist you with the efficient running of your business, the books recommended by The Manager Tools team are an excellent starting point.

For those of you who do not know Jack Welch (do these people exist?), he had a forty year career with General Electrical (GE) and retired in 2001 as GE's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.

To be truthful, the book title does not do it justice - this book goes a lot deeper on successful business practices than just doing better than your competitors (ie winning). My interpretation of it was that if, as a manager, you focus on getting the culture of your business right, with the right staff doing the right "stuff", then winning is just a natural consequence of your actions.

It is very easy to read, straight to the point and gives you a heap to think about when it comes to the successful management of your business.

There is an acknowledgment on the front cover from Warren Buffett that reads "No other management book will ever be needed" - this statement is pretty close to the mark!!!

Another Foolish Bookkeeping Crime!!

2010-09-25T17:16:00.003+09:30

Just reading this article where a bookkeeper has been charged with embezzling over $250,000.00 from her employer.

If the charges are proven correct, did she think that this amount of money would go unnoticed? If she did, this is more worrying than the theft!!!!

The Book Is Finished - Finally!!!

2010-09-10T20:45:00.004+09:30

Readers may remember some time ago I made mention that I was reading a book recommended by The Manager Tools team called Execution - The Discipline Of Getting Things Done.

It has taken me a lot longer than I expected (there has been a lot on!!!) but I have finally finished it!!!!

Let me say straight up that this book is fantastic - the suggestions on "How To Get Things Done" are simple, easy to understand and even easier to implement.

This is where the dilemma lies for me - after reading this book you begin to understand how easy it should be to "get things done" - why is it then, that I see many managers and business owners really struggling with this aspect of their "job"?

I think the answer begins to lie in one word of the book title itself - "Discipline"!!! I'm not talking about discipline in the concept of "punishment" - I am talking about as a Manager, having the "discipline" to ensure you provide your staff achievable (not easy - achievable) goals but more importantly also having the "discipline" to monitor their performance against these goals and also having the "discipline" to hold them accountable if at any time they do not meet these goals and finally having the "discipline" to help them get back on track to meet their targets.

The best part about this "discipline" is that you are reliant on no-one - you, as the owner, or manager, are totally responsible for its implementation, monitoring and follow-up - and if it doesn't occur, all you need to do is look in the mirror to find the problem!!!!

I would encourage all business owners and managers who want to improve their workplace productivity to read Execution - The Discipline Of Getting Things Done - if you implement the recommendations I cannot see how your business will not improve as a result.

Thanks again to The Manager Tools team - this was a great read - time to find my next book on business success!!!

A Great Initiative

2010-09-05T18:13:00.002+09:30

I am just reading this article from Iran where a specialised Bookkeeping School is being launched this month.

It is great to read of any initiative where the level of bookkeeping in any country is improved in any way - congratulations on the launch.

Last Day To Register As A BAS Agent!!!

2010-08-31T11:48:00.003+09:30

Just received an email from the Association of Accounting Technicians reminding everyone that today is the last day to notify the Tax Practitioners Board that you were providing a BAS Service prior to the 1st of March 2010.

Here is what it says -

NOTIFY OR RISK PROSECUTION

Today, until 12:00 midnight, is the last day that you can notify the Tax Practitioner's Board that you provided services to clients prior to 1 March 2010 that would be regarded as a BAS service under the new legislation, and that you continued to provide those services beyond that date.
Basic bookkeeping services are regarded as a BAS service under the new law!!!
Click here for a list of BAS Services.
Regardless of your registration intentions beyond 31 August 2010 you should notify the Board using the BAS Notification for transitional registration found here.
Why register today? Click here to hear from the Tax Practitioners Board.

Notify the Board - don't jeopardize your chance to become registered.

The day is finally here for those bookkeepers who have been providing a BAS Service prior to the 1st of March 2010 and have yet to register - time to get serious about your services, or perhaps look at a career change!!!!

More "Shonky" Bookkeeping!!!

2010-08-25T19:30:00.002+09:30

Just reading an article where employees have used company credit cards to make personal purchases - one of the accused is a bookkeeper and the article goes on to say that the personal purchases were "incorrectly coded" so that the books showed the money was spent on things like advertising and promotion expenses, professional services, accident and damages expenses.

The amount involved here is over $100,000.00 - what is wrong with people - do they think that business owners and auditors will just "miss" this amount of money when the books are checked?

Oh well, the maximum penalty on this occasion is 20 years imprisonment - perhaps they'll have a nice little stint in jail to think about things.

A Snapshot Of Our Future Leaders!!

2010-08-19T20:13:00.007+09:30

Long time readers of this blog will remember last year MYbookkeeping Services was a finalist in the 2009 NABEC Business Awards and a big part of the reason why our submission was so good was because Tarun Kumar, a student at UniSA at the time (he is now working), spent hours helping me put together the submission.

Tarun and I have stayed in contact ever since, but due to work demands it has been really hard to see one another in person since the awards. Well, I received an invitation from Tarun the other week that I simply could not refuse. He asked me to be his guest at the UniSA Future Leaders Recognition Awards for 2010.

The Awards were held last night and I sat watching with pride as Tarun accepted two certificates - the first for contributing towards Peer Assisted Study Sessions (PEER) and the second for being a Business Mate (check out the photos below!!).

I must commend UniSA on this initiative - to see an environment where our youth are given the opportunity to have access to more than just the "theory" of business in our tertiary system is most refreshing.

As a small business owner, knowing that students are coming out of university with more than just a "text book" knowledge of business is most reassuring.

Well done Tarun - everything you do you do well mate - and this was just another example. Thank you for asking me to share this night with you - I was proud to be invited as your guest.

I'd also like to thank Gerry Griffin, Pro Vice Chancellor Division of Business - thank you sir, a great night and a greater initiative.

Finally I would like to thank Tristana Sidoryn, Coordinator Student Transition - Tarun introduced her as the reason why he was there that night - I'm sure it would not have taken too much to get Tarun motivated Tristana, but thank you for helping him along the way.

If last night was a snapshot of the future leaders of Australia, this country is in good hands.

How Do You Incentivize Your Staff?

2010-08-18T09:21:00.004+09:30

I had an interesting discussion with a customer of mine the other day and thought it was worth commenting on here.

The business is looking at ways to increase profit margins (aren't we all?) and as well as the obvious "we need more sales" comment, we also looked at ways to reduce costs.

The discussion eventually got around to incentives that staff are offered to provide a better quality of service.

The first thing that we did was look at what is currently being used as an incentive for staff and the answer blew us away!!!!

Staff are currently being paid more for working slower!!!! That's right - the longer they take to due the job the more they get paid!!!!

This strategy is great if time is not a factor in your business - the problem is that in this particular business the quicker you can get the job done the happier the customer is!!!!

So you have customers wanting a job done quickly (of course the service quality level has to remain high) while at the same time you have staff that get paid more the longer it takes them to do the job!!!!

Needless to say in the very near future the owner is going to introduce a policy where those staff that get their jobs done the quickest with the highest level of quality are going to be offered overtime over those who are slower and produce with less quality.

Not only should this policy change encourage staff to work faster and produce a better quality of service, but there is a good chance that the word will get out very quickly that this company is the "go to" company for prompt, quality service, so the other part of the equation - increase in sales - will occur organically.

How do you incentivize your staff?

Is it the best strategy for your business?

A Must Read!!!!

2010-08-18T08:51:00.005+09:30

Long time readers of this blog will know I have been raving about the Manager Tools podcasts for some time as a great source of information on how to effectively manager your staff.

I am half way through a book that the Manager Tools team have recommended and I would encourage all business owners to buy this book because it is a must read.

The book is called Execution - The Discipline Of Getting Things Done - I am only half way through it at the moment, but already real compelled to let people know about it.

What bowls me over with the message in this book is that the principals are so obvious - but when you look around you very few business owners and managers are implementing them!!!

Simple things like giving staff clear goals and benchmarks - but more importantly, following up to ensure these goals and benchmarks are being met.

Other aspects of effective management like personally interviewing your potential directs (and even their directs so you get a feel for the "next generation") and asking them "real" and "hard" questions so that as the business owner (or CEO of a company) you get a feel for the candidate yourself, not a "filtered" understanding of them as seen through the eyes of other staff who conduct the interview.

What's important to remember is that it is not the interviewing staff who have their heads on the chopping block - it is you as the business owner or CEO - and the consequence of choosing a poor candidate is that it could seriously hurt your business if you are the owner, or if you are a CEO of a large company and as a result of a poor manager the business performs poorly, you could very quickly find yourself looking for a new job yourself!!!

Have a read of Execution - The Discipline Of Getting Things Done and spend time thinking about how you manager your business, company, or department - could the strategies suggested in this book help?

Once again, thanks to the Manager Tools team for suggesting this book - it is another great read.

Registering To Become A BAS Agent Is Becoming Important

2010-08-13T09:06:00.003+09:30

I just received a newsletter from the Association of Accounting Technicians and the first article just shows the significance of not using a Registered BAS Agent for your bookkeeping. I have included the text from the newsletter below and highlighted several comments that you should take particular note of -

"Have you registered with the Tax Practitioners Board to ensure you won’t be prosecuted for illegal bookkeeping activities?

31 August 2010 is a critical date for self employed bookkeepers providing account keeping services to clients.

It is the date after which the continued provision or offer of these services will become illegal and expose you to prosecution if you have not applied to become registered or notified the Tax Practitioners Board (TPB) that you have, since 1 March 2010, and intend to continue to provide BAS services, during the transitional period allowed under the legislation.

Offering, providing or advertising a BAS service is a serious offence that will result in harsh penalties and possibly restrict you from operating a bookkeeping business in the future because in most cases, you failed to complete a simple form advising the TPB of your circumstances.

To assist you to comply with the transitional requirements and conduct your bookkeeping business legally after 31 August 2010, AAT Australia will conduct webinars to advise you what you need to do to remain compliant with the legislation. This includes advice regarding the best option to achieve a BAS Agent status prior to the closure date.

We will also inform you of the services AAT Australia can provide to assist you attain your education qualification and demonstrate your experience.
Feel free to recommend this session to your clients or work colleagues.
________________________________________
If you have any queries you can contact AAT Australia:
Phone: 1800 000 961 Email: membership@aat.org.au
or visit www.aat.org.au"

To all you bookkeepers out there who are not registered and to all those businesses out there using non-registered bookkeepers, it is that serious - the newsletter says it all - you have 18 days to go before you can get into serious trouble.

The Importance of Bookkeeping

2010-08-12T18:34:00.002+09:30

I have just been reading this article that discusses the importance of bookkeeping.

The points highlighted make a heap of sense - it is a pity that there are businesses still out there that cannot see the benefit in what is being commented on here.

BAS Agent's Legislation

2010-08-09T21:14:00.004+09:30

Had a great day today - NABEC invited me to speak on their "Business Talk" program which they hold once a fortnight on PBA-FM 89.7 Community Radio.

Larry Cavallaro, General Manager of NABEC, hosts the show and as well as talking about my business we also discussed the new Tax Agent Services Act and how business owners should be asking their bookkeepers if they intend to register to become BAS Agents.

It was a fantastic opportunity to let business owners know that they should start thinking about whether or not their current bookkeeper intends to register as a BAS Agent and it was a also a really good opportunity to let people know about MYbookkeeping Services and the services we offer.

Thank you to Larry and the team at NABEC for giving me the opportunity - it was great and I hope to get the chance to do it again.

Aussie Accounts Training For Bookkeepers

2010-07-31T13:52:00.002+09:30

Karma is a funny thing!!! The other day I received a brochure in the post from a Queensland based company called Aussie Accounts who are providing training on the subject of Cert IV Financial Services (Bookkeeping) - a subject that I have been recommending bookkeepers do for some time now..

After reading their brochure I actually contacted them by email to let them know that if ever they need help presenting courses in South Australia I would be happy to speak to them to see if I could be of assistance (see, there are sales leads everywhere guys - just look for them!!!!! 8=)) and this morning I actually received a call from Mr. Paul Church, Manager Aussie Accounts Training!!

We had a great chat about the new Tax Agent Services Act legislation and what it is going to mean to the bookkeeping industry.

What impressed me the most was that Paul is quite passionate about improving the level of quality within the bookkeeping industry (something very close to my heart) and it sounds like he is committed to providing high quality, easy to access training for all bookkeepers wishing to formalize their bookkeeping qualifications.

If you are a bookkeeper considering doing the Cert IV course, check out the Aussie Accounts website to see if they can help you with the qualification.

If you are a business owner who uses a sub-contracted bookkeeper (or you may even have an employee who does the bookkeeping for you and you just want them better trained) it might be worth while contacting Aussie Accounts to see what is involved in their training.

Remember, you only have until the 31st of August 2010 to register free of charge to become a BAS Agent - fees apply after this time.

Also keep in mind that you only have until March 2012 to complete your Certificate IV if you are an existing bookkeeper and want to become a BAS Agent - it might sound like a long way away, but Paul made mention that it takes about 12 months to complete the course, so taking into account that there are two lots of Christmas holidays, one Easter holiday break and all "life's ups and downs" that will occur between now and March 2012, time is running out!!!

"Business Talk" Radio - Put It In Your Diary!!!

2010-07-29T21:44:00.006+09:30

I have been invited by NABEC to talk about MYbookkeeping Services on their "Business Talk" radio segment, which is held on Community Radio PBA-FM each Monday.

I would like to thank NABEC for giving me this opportunity, because not only will it give me a chance to inform listeners about the services my business provides, but I am hoping to be able to explain the new BAS Agent legislation that has recently impacted on the bookkeeping industry.

I know I have been harping on about this new legislation for some time, but I am conscious that if you are an existing bookkeeper intending to register as a BAS Agent you have to do so before the 31st of August or charges to do so begin to apply.

This concerns me because if you are an existing bookkeeper intending to register and you miss the 31st of August registration date you will then have fees to pay to do so.

I am also concerned that business owners might find out the hard way that their current bookkeeper does not intend to register as a BAS Agent when their bookkeeper tells them that they have decided to "retire" after the 31st of August!!

Pencil into your diary the following date - Monday the 9th of August 2010 between 2.00pm and 2.30pm - and be sure to tune your radio into 89.7 on your FM dial to hear about the exciting world of bookkeeping and what MYbookkeeping Services can offer your business.

Just a thought - should "exciting" and "bookkeeping" be put in the same sentence?!!! 8=)

The "Cost" Of Time

2010-07-25T17:57:00.003+09:30

Working as a bookkeeper for a vast range of industries, I find it fascinating that regardless of what type of industry you are in, there is a big cost to all small businesses in "time".

Without exception, small business owners are always commenting on the things taking "time" away from them.

This loss of "time" stops small business owners from doing things like servicing their customers, generating new sales and the most important thing of all - spending "time" with family and friends (isn't this why we became our own boss in the first place - to spend more time with the family?)

Have a think about the things that take "time" away from you while running your small business and more importantly, have a think about things you can do to get that "time" back.

Small Business Fraud

2010-07-25T17:51:00.003+09:30

I have just been reading an excellent article on fraud that can take place to small businesses.

The topics discussed are relevant to any small business in any part of the world, so it is well worth the read.

The TAFE SA Cert IV Financial Services (Bookkeeping) Site Is Live!!!!

2010-07-23T15:54:00.003+09:30

TAFE SA has started working on their online information for the Cert IV Financial Services (Bookkeeping) course.

It is still a work in progress, but you can now get online access to the course content and you can content lecturers direct - check it out and enrol away!!!!

Start Asking For BAS Agents

2010-07-23T14:39:00.004+09:30

Long time readers of this blog will be aware that I have been going on for some time now about the Tax Agent Services Act 2009 that was introduced earlier this year.

Well, the correspondence on training programs to become a BAS Agent is coming thick and fast!!!!

Over the past couple of weeks it seems like every second day some type of letter or email is being received reminding people that if they are bookkeepers that they need to get their qualifications formalized and if you are a business owner, that they should be taking the time to find out if their current bookkeeper intends to become a BAS Agent.

For all you bookkeepers out there wanting to get trained up, have a look at the courses being provided by TAFE SA and private companies like Aussie Accounts - it will be worth the qualification in the long run.

Another Bookkeeper Caught Trying To Steal!!!

2010-07-22T00:41:00.003+09:30

I am just reading this article from the U.S. where another bookkeeper has been caught stealing.

On this occasion the suspect has been taking "a couple of hundred dollars" every time she made a bank deposit.

What goes through people's minds? Do they think they will never get caught? Oh well, perhaps the suspect might have some spare time - while serving time - in the not so distant future to think about the stupidity of her actions.

Check Out Happy New Yard Landscaping!!!!

2010-07-20T19:46:00.003+09:30

Check out the new website of a customer of mine - Happy New Yard Landscaping.

David and Diane provide quality landscaping and gardening services and their prices are most competitive.

Contact them if you are after first class landscaping services - you won't be disappointed.

It's Great To Hear Success Stories

2010-07-18T11:16:00.004+09:30

Long time readers of this blog will know that last year MYbookkeeping Services was a finalist in the NABEC Small Business Awards and this was due, in no small part, to the help I received in putting my submission together by Tarun Kumar while he was studying at UniSA.

I have just received a message from Tarun asking if we can catch up to celebrate as he has just been successful in getting a full time job with AccessPay.

It is fantastic to hear that someone as motivated as Tarun has been successful in finding employment. Congratulations and well done mate - AccessPay have themselves a great employee.

"Shady" Bookkeeping In Japan!!

2010-07-17T22:01:00.003+09:30

I have just been reading this article about some "shady" (their words) bookkeeping in Japan - another example of "poor" or "fraudulent" bookkeeping practices eventually being identified - if it is fraudulent, why do people even bother?

Time To Think "BAS Agent" When You Think "Bookkeeper"

2010-07-15T23:39:00.004+09:30

Just completing BAS statements for my customers and I am reading the Activity Statement update 2009-10 Q4 (aren't we bookkeepers an exciting lot?!!!! 8=)).

The first page of this update is recommending using Registered Tax and BAS Agents because with the introduction of the Tax Agent Services Act 2009 taxpayers are now better protected from poor accounting and/or bookkeeping practices under the Safe Harbor Provisions of this Act.

To those unaware of this Act, existing bookkeepers must register their intent to become Registered BAS Agents by the 31st of August 2010 to continue charging customers for providing them with a BAS Service.

They then have two years in which to get their formal qualifications up to a level so that they can provide services to meet an appropriate ethical and professional standard.

For all you businesses out there who use sub-contracted bookkeeping services it might be a good time to ask your bookkeeper if they intend to register as a BAS Agent. If they say "No", in 47 days time (almost 46 days time now as it is nearly midnight as I type this!!!) you might be frantically searching for a new bookkeeper!!!

Nan and The Grandchildren - It Is Moments Like These That You Cherish!!!

2010-07-15T21:25:00.006+09:30

The Girls - They Reckon They're The Brains Behind The Brawn - We'd Tell Them They're Wrong But We Would Get Into Trouble!!!!! LOL

2010-07-15T21:21:00.004+09:30

Mum and The Boys - It Doesn't Happen Often But When It Does It Is Great!!!!

2010-07-15T20:52:00.002+09:30

This Is What It Is All About - Family & Friends!!!!

2010-07-15T20:44:00.004+09:30

The Importance Of Some Down Time

2010-07-15T08:10:00.004+09:30

Just back from a fantastic week away in Torquay Victoria where all the family got together to celebrate Mum's 75th birthday.

What a great trip away - the family is spread out between Victoria and Western Australia, so the chances we get to celebrate life together are few and far between.

Spent time on The Sands golf course with my brother (you have to play this course if you are into golf - it is fantastic!!!) and saw some of the best waves I have seen in ages (I left the boogie board at home this time in favour of the golf clubs - typical!!!!!!! 8=))

Had a great birthday dinner with Mum at an old haunt of mine - The Tarmac Hotel - the last time I was there I was dancing on a table watching Cold Chisel in the early 1980's!!!! It has a new name now and is all family friendly but gee it brought back memories - there was even an old Dude there giving me the life story of the hotel - I reckon he was there last time I visited the place!!!!! 8=)

Caught up with some old family friends that I had not seen in many years - they all have families of their own now but it was great to have a laugh about what we used to get up to before we "grew up"!!!!

Back in South Australia now all refreshed and ready to get stuck back into the business again. It just proves the point that as long as you have people in your business who are professional at what they do and can be relied upon to do their job well that you can take time out to enjoy life - isn't that what we start our own business for in the first place?

Modern Awards Are Here!!!

2010-07-02T10:37:00.004+09:30

Just back from another fantastic, but rather daunting NABEC Business Breakfast where today's guest speaker was Karen Prevost from Key HR Solutions.

As of the 1st of July 2010 Modern Awards have been introduced into the workplace and there are a heap of changes employers need to know in relation to their employees.

Much too much information to even consider going into detail here, but to all you employers out there I would think seriously about using the services of companies like Key HR Solutions to find out what your obligations now are.

Karen Prevost was a great presenter, very easy to understand and very knowledgeable on this subject. There is also the facility to have access to Key HR Solutions' advice through NABEC and after the summary of changes listed by Karen at today's breakfast I would suggest it is well worth taking up the offer if you are a NABEC member.

Isn't running your own business fun?!!!!!! 8=)

The Effectiveness of Feedback

2010-06-27T20:05:00.002+09:30

Long time readers of this blog will have heard me rave on about the Manager Tools podcasts I subscribe to via iTunes in the past.

I am listening to a podcast from the Manager Tools team at the moment where they are explaining (among other things) the difference between giving praise and providing positive feedback to your staff.

Since listening to these podcasts I have been using their feedback model more and more over recent times and it astounds me just how effective their model is.

It is not my place to go into the detail of their feedback model here (subscribe to their podcast - it is regularly discussed) but I must say I find it the most effective method I have come across to date in providing people with comments on their work performance.

What I like most about this model is that it is so inoffensive!!! Positive feedback is usually quite easy to provide, but it can be a real balancing act providing negative feedback in a way that will not offend and at the same time will encourage the person receiving the feedback to do "better" next time.

The guys at Manager Tools have got it!!! Since I have been using their model there has never been a time when the receiver of the feedback has been offended and on most occasions they have actually thanked me for providing them with the feedback as they will be able to improve their performance in the future.

Thank you to all the staff at Manager Tools - I find all your suggestions and ideas great but your feedback model is without a doubt the best tool I have come across to get the best out of the people around me.

You'll Always Get Caught!!!

2010-06-26T22:33:00.003+09:30

I have just been reading this article from Scotland where the bookkeeper of a hotel there has been charged with embezzling 76,000 pounds!!!

The matter came to light when the bookkeeper in question left the business and the new bookkeeper identified irregularities in the bookkeeping.

This type of thing astounds me - did the bookkeeper committing the crime think that things would just go unnoticed when they left?

76,000 pounds might seem like a lot of money at the time, but if the person concerned is found guilty of the crime then is it worth a jail term and never being able to work in your chosen field again?

I think not!!!

Business Owners Coaching Program Update

2010-06-23T23:58:00.003+09:30

Long time readers of this blog will be aware that I am currently involved in a Business Owners Coaching Program which was arranged by NABEC and where we are being mentored by Gordon Kay of STEELbuilder.

We had our monthly meeting today and it was a great morning - again!!!

It is interesting watching how the various group members are starting to "get it". From my perspective, it seems like all the "ducks" are finally starting to be put in a row when it comes to growing and marketing my business.

In the early days of starting a business we all know we have a pond full of "ducks" - or a better way to describe it is business strategies, ideas and goals - but it is not until you have someone like Gordon there, who has "been there and done it", giving you ideas on how to turn the initial chaos into some type of order, that you begin to work out ways in which to prioritize all the "things" you have to do to make your business more successful.

In recent times I have been distracted from my core business because of other projects I have been involved in, but after today's discussion on budgeting and cash flow - and in particular the way in which Gordon described areas of your budget that, if focused on, can greatly increase you profit - I have again got my "ducks back in a row" and am concentrating on what my business does best - that is provide quality bookkeeping services.

So it's back on track again - and if any of you require reliable, quality bookkeeping services make sure you contact MYbookkeeping Services because we will be happy to oblige!!!!

BAS Agent/BAS Service Provider Training

2010-06-12T12:29:00.004+09:30

Had a great day yesterday at TAFE SA Gawler where I was invited to train students on how to correctly generate BAS and IAS reports from the MYOB Accounting system as part of their Certificate IV in Financial Services (Bookkeeping) training course.

This course is now being offered at TAFE SA as a result of the new Tax Agent Services regime that was introduced from the 1st of March 2010.

Under this new regime there is now a requirement for bookkeepers to be qualified to a minimum level of Cert IV Financial Services (Bookkeeping) or (Accounting) to allow them to provide BAS and/or IAS services to other businesses.

This minimum training requirement is long overdue as it will mean the quality of bookkeeping services offered to small and medium business will improve as bookkeepers get a better understanding of the more technical aspects of their chosen career through formal training.

The result of this formal training is there will be less business owners pulling their hair out at the end of the financial year when they find out from their Accountant that the quality of their data entry is "poor" (putting it politely!!) and many hours (and dollars, because Accountants don't work for nothing!!!) now need to be spent correcting errors.

TAFE SA invited me to present to this course as I am already qualified to the level of Cert IV Financial Services (Accounting) and they wanted someone to place a "real life" slant on the training - text books are great until you hit the ground running and it is funny how "theory" and "reality" can be a long way apart!!!!

The students were keen to learn, actively participated throughout the day and made mention that they learnt aspects of bookkeeping that they had never come across before, so it was a most satisfying day.

Thanks in particular go out to Penny Johnston, the Business Development Consultant for TAFE SA Fleurieu, Hills, Mid-North & Barossa areas for allowing me the opportunity to present - it was a most enjoyable day.

Attracting Traffic To Your Website

2010-06-08T07:54:00.001+09:30

I have just been reading this article on ways to attract more traffic to your website - well worth considering.

Different Thinking On Effective Business Plans

2010-06-04T10:21:00.004+09:30

Just back from another brilliant NABEC business breakfast where Mark Bevan from Westpac put a new angle on the necessity for an effective Business Plan for small business owners.

When (If?) a Business Plan gets written by small business owners - particularly in the "start up" phase of a new business - it is usually based in the main on the forecasted earnings they expect to generate through their own blood, sweat and tears!!

What gets overlooked in a lot of these Business Plans is its ability to look attractive to financiers if (when?) a business has to go to a lender and ask for capital to help grow the business.

It is a harsh reality of business life that owners may need to loan money to allow them to put on more staff, buy more inventory, move to a more suitable premises or create an effective marketing campaign to build their business.

It is for this reason that your Business Plan must also be written in a way that a bank's credit approval department can look at it and say "This is worth backing".

It was encouraging to hear Mark Bevan make mention that Westpac is putting the "old fashioned" Branch Manager and Business Manager back out in their branches. I am old enough to remember a time when your local Branch Manager and/or Business Manager knew enough about your business that when you wanted to borrow funds from their bank they could call their credit approval department and explain why lending you money was a good (or bad!!!) business decision.

As Mark pointed out, lending business owners money will never be based on whether or not the owner and the Branch or Business Manager are golfing partners or play tennis together, but at least with Branch Managers and Business Managers back out in the field, they will be able to get a local "feel" for how businesses are going - an aspect of the banking industry that has been too long gone.

Well done Westpac for re-introducing this initiative and well done NABEC for another brilliant breakfast.

Business Owners Striving For Success Have To Do This!!!!

2010-05-28T15:57:00.003+09:30

Long time readers on this blog would be aware that I am currently involved in a Business Owners Coaching Program, organised through NABEC, where Gordon Kay from STEELbuilder coaches myself and a group of small business owners in ways to increase our business.

At my last One to One meeting with Gordon he set me the challenge of contacting all my long time customers to ask them why they continue to use my services over that of other bookkeepers.

Well, I finished my customer survey yesterday and the results have blown me away!!! From the day I started my business I have always focussed on my ability to be able to help owners understand their business better through their financial data, but I have now found that NONE of them retain my services for this reason!!!!

Words like Trust, Professionalism and Positive Outlook were common themes that ran through the surveys. After I got over the initial shock of having no idea why people continue to use my services I began to reflect on the types of services my business provides.

It suddenly dawned on me that small business owners are very protective about their business information. This, of course, makes sense as it is a most competitive market out there, so if a business has a competitive edge they want to make sure that their competition never finds out about it. I had always known this to be true of course (being a small business owner myself I am as protective about my business information as the next person), but it had never really dawned on me before just how big an impact things like trust and professionalism can have on decisions a business owner might make.

Then along comes a business like MYbookkeeping Services, who the business owner may never have heard of before, asking if it is ok to have total access to their financial and business data while they do bookkeeping for the business.

It was like someone turned a floodlight, not just a light, on in my head!!! I began thinking back on how my relationship with my long time customers had changed from a cold business transaction in the early days of our association and had developed to the point where they are now most open about all aspects of their lives as I have become a trusted "family" member.

Of course, this trust has had to be earned (as all true trust does), but this realisation has humbled me greatly and I want to thank all my customers (you know who you are) for allowing MYbookkeeping Services to assist you with your businesses in some small way.

I was so bowled over by the results of this survey that I have already jumped onto my website and have made some changes to show that I have finally got it!!!

Check out the motto on the Homepage which now reads When Trust, Quality & Reliability Matter and you'll also notice that our Vision and Mission is now in line with what customers are truly searching for.

An enlightening week to say the least - thank you again Gordon and thanks NABEC for giving me the opportunity to be a part of this program.

A Timely Reminder

2010-05-27T21:35:00.005+09:30

I have just been reading this article from the United States and it reminded me of staying aware of the need to introduce, or update, accounting and reconciliation processes as your business grows.

This article discusses sloppy bookkeeping within a county jail, but it could just as easily have been talking about a business that is growing rapidly and is not updating work practises to meet the new demands being placed on it.

Business that experiences rapid growth may well find it has to quickly employ new staff to meet the increased work demands. There may also be a requirement for increased spending in the form of more inventory to meet the higher demands and more discretionary spending for things like entertaining clients and the like.

If the auditing and reconciliation processes within the business are not being constantly reviewed and updated, a business could very well find itself in cashflow trouble for overspending.

It is for reasons similar to those pointed out above that it makes sense to consider the services of a competent sub-contracted bookkeeper if you find your business in a similar situation. Sub-contracted bookkeeping services allows a business to only pay for the time needed to perform this duty and in most cases a sub-contracted bookkeeper will be happy to increase their hours as the work demands increase.

Have a think about your business. Is it growing rapidly? Are you noticing an increase in spending? Is it difficult to monitor these increases because you yourself have less time to look into these sorts of things because your own spare time is becoming less and less?

If the answer to any of the questions above is "Yes" then perhaps it is time to start thinking about contracting a bookkeeper to help you keep an eye on this aspect of your business.

A Must Read for Business Owners/Managers

2010-05-24T20:21:00.002+09:30

Followers of this blog will remember some time back I was suggeted that business owners and managers subscribe to the Manager Tools podcasts to help them with ideas on the efficient running of their business.

The Manager Tools team regularly make mention of a book called The Effective Executive by Peter Drucker, so I recently purchased a copy and have just finished reading it.

I have to say that this book is a "must read" for any manager or business owner who is searching for ways to make themselves more effective in the way they manage their staff and their business.

What impressed me the most was the fact that Peter Drucker himself was born in 1909 and was still involved in the teaching of this subject as late as 2005 (that's right - at 96 years of age!!!) when he was Clarke Professor of Social Science at the Claremont Graduate School in Claremont, California in the U.S.A.

It just goes to prove that quality is timeless and it is also a stark reminder that although we are constantly told how much the world has changed, the core principles for quality and success will always remain the same.

Thank you to the team at Manager Tools for making me aware of this book - there are other books they have recommended that I am about to start reading - if they are half as good as The Effective Executive I have some excellent reading ahead of me!!!

BAS Service Provider - it's official!!!!!!

2010-05-20T16:01:00.004+09:30

Today marks the conclusion of a bookkeeping milestone that I have been working on since early 2009 - today I received my Registration Certificate from the Tax Practitioners Board that says my company is now a Registered BAS Agent and we can market ourselves as a qualified BAS Service Provider (BSP)!!!!

MYbookkeeping Services is now able to not only enter your financial data into MYOB but we are now allowed to process your BAS for you.

This certification also opens up a number of other opportunities. For example, in early June I am lecturing at TAFE SA Gawler campus on Carrying Out BAS & IAS Tasks using MYOB Accounting Plus v18.

Fortunately, I had already completed similar studies (Certificate IV in Financial Services (Accounting)) last year after being forewarned by my good friend Mark Clayton from Clayton Rudall Accountants that the BSP legislation was definitely going to be introduced this year.

Thanks Mark - having 12 months notice in advance has now given me the opportunity to lecture to those people who have waited for the legislation to be introduced before they did anything.

It also places MYbookkeeping Services in a strong business position because while everyone is madly scrambling to bring their formal qualifications up to the minimum level we can already promote ourselves as fully qualified BAS Service Providers!!!

Another fun aspect is that when training organisations ring up (as they did today) asking if we are interested in getting qualified to an appropriate BSP level we can say "No thanks - already there"!!!!

For those people thinking about registering, remember you have to get your BAS Agent Notification form lodged by 31 August 2010.

A Must Listen For Any Aspiring Manager/Business Owner

2010-05-13T20:06:00.008+09:30

For many months now I have been subscribing to a podcast via iTunes called Manager Tools.

Two long times friends, Mike and Mark, provide what is simply some of the best advice I have ever heard on effective management.

These guys provide information on how to systematically manager your staff to get the absolute best out of them. Their advice is easy to implement, is based on a "win-win" scenario EVERY time for both the manager and the staff member (or "direct" as they call them - they are based in the U.S.A.) and after implementing a number of their techniques I can say that the success in what they suggest is irrefutable.

I have found their "feedback" model in particular to be worth its weight in gold - the way in which they teach you to provide feedback (both positive and negative) to your staff has without exception resulted in an increase in the way I have been able to interact with the people working with, or for me. If nothing else, listen to their podcast on the feedback model, try it on your staff or people working with you on a project and see how well it works.

The podcasts are easy to listen to, very well produced and ABSOLUTELY FREE!!!!

As I made mention of earlier, you can access the more recent podcasts via iTunes, or if you want access to every podcast they have ever done, you can do so via their website (and their podcasts go back to June 2005!!!!)

The Manager Tools podcasts are without a doubt the best source of information on effective management I have heard of so far, so please do yourself a favour and listen to what Mike and Mark have to offer - I am certain they can help you manage your staff (and therefore your business) more effectively.

Check out the new website!!!

2010-05-11T21:00:00.003+09:30

After months of waiting for the previous web designer to finish the Living with Wildlife website, we called in the services of someone who not only listened to what we wanted, but also had the ability to deliver and the website is now well on the way to how we want it to look.

If you haven't already had a look, check it out via this link and stay tuned - the Living with Wildlife website is still definitely a work in progress and will be bigger and better in the very near future!!!!

How Can We Get Every 16-30 Year Old To Understand This?

2010-05-08T15:12:00.004+09:30

I have just been reading a LinkedIn article on one of the bookkeeping networks I subscribe to and there is post with a link to "Bill Gates' Lessons On Life" where he lists 11 things that high school and college students do not learn until they enter the "real world".

Have a read of this article and please give some ideas on how we can get every person going through high school, college and university to read and believe these 11 points because I am sure if we can make this happen all youth entering the workforce would benefit!!!!! 8=)

I wonder how big a smile Mr Gates had on his face when he wrote Point 11!!!!! LOL

Time To Start Thinking About Bookkeeping Services

2010-04-07T15:31:00.004+09:30

I have just been reading through the newsletter that comes out with BAS statements and I thought this article would be of interest to those small businesses who have been using the e-Record software provided free of charge by the Australian Taxation Office to record their financial data.

It looks like this software will be withdrawn from usage as at the 30th of June 2010 as it is no longer compatible with commercial record keeping systems.

This means that sometime in the next 12 weeks small businesses will have to either go out and buy bookkeeping software to maintain their records, leave it all for their Accountant at the end of the financial year, or consider using a qualified bookkeeper to record and maintain their financial data for them.

Keep in mind that a decent "off the bench" financial software package together with 12 months Helpdesk support will cost you around $1000.00 with ongoing Helpdesk Support costing a further $400.00 to $500.00 per year and if you are going to leave all your paperwork for your Accountant to collate at the end of the financial year, make sure you are sitting down when you get the bill!!!!!

It makes good business sense to consider using the services of a qualified bookkeeper - and make sure you ask any potential bookkeeper if they are (or have registered to be )a BAS Service Provider (BSP), because as at the 1st of March 2010 if they are going to help you with your BAS statement, they must register as a BSP.

Businesses need bookkeepers — even during a recession

2010-04-05T16:29:00.001+09:30

Businesses need bookkeepers — even during a recession &| ajcjobs.com

Posted using ShareThis

In Touch: Barking (IG11)

2010-04-03T10:39:00.000+10:30

In Touch: Barking (IG11)

What Goes Through People's Minds?

2010-03-30T13:39:00.004+10:30

I have just been reading this article from the United States and it will never cease to amaze me the lengths people will go to to commit fraud.

I also find it amazing that people think they are actually smart enough to get away with it - even more so in this article.

Here we have a bookkeeper for a law firm who has embezzled more than $500,000.00 from her employer over a nine year period.

A couple of points spring to mind - firstly, seeing that it was a law firm, wouldn't you think that the employer may have some experience in fraud and embezzlement cases and as such would have an understanding of what to look for if someone was trying the same thing on their firm?

Secondly, even though it was over a nine year period, the amount stolen works out to be over $50,000.00 per year - a significant amount per year by anyone's standards. Don't you think that come tax time a decent Accountant would have raised concerns about this amount of money "vanishing" with the business owner and wouldn't you think a half decent bookkeeper would know an Accountant would do this?

The embezzlers now find themselves having to pay back over $800,000.00 as a result of their actions, so I hope this type of article sends a very strong message out to people in the bookkeeping profession who might be thinking of doing something similar - JUST DON'T DO IT!!! - the long term ramifications of your actions far outweigh any short term benefit you may receive.

Good News!!!!

2010-03-26T16:50:00.001+10:30

http://www.qbr.com.au/news/articleid/62612.aspx

The Value of Integrity

2010-03-21T11:07:00.004+10:30

Over recent times I have found myself embroiled in business situations that I had neither the experience, time, nor inclination to be able to deal with and it has been fascinating how the whole saga has panned out and how the subsequent conclusion has affected numerous businesses and the lives of the people involved.

The most heart warming aspect of this saga is that it has proven that the value of integrity is still alive and well - both in business as well as in your day to day dealings with people in general.

Rules, laws, directions, manuals and most everything else you can think of has been created so that businesses can run "efficiently" and "ethically", but in this particular situation all it took was a simple apology for past actions and an explanation of events that had been hidden from certain players, to get a business back on to an even keel with all remaining players eager to move forward to greater business success.

Smoke and mirrors are a fact of business life these days - that's just the way it is - but it is good to know that there is still room for a simple "I'm sorry" and "Let's sit down and get everything on the table so we can make this work" to repair broken friendships and resolve issues that may seem huge at the time, but take very little action to resolve.

To the players involved (and you all know who you are) good luck for the future and perhaps think about the content of this blog post in future business transactions - honesty and integrity ALWAYS wins, even if it takes time for the truth to come out.

Another Good Reason To Think About A Business Coaching Program

2010-03-13T16:48:00.005+10:30

You may remember in my previous post I was raving about the Business Owners Coaching program that has been arranged by NABEC and where I have Gordon Kay from STEELbuilder as my coach and mentor.

Yesterday I had my monthly One to One meeting with Gordon and it could not have come quick enough.

In recent times I have found myself entrenched in a business situation that is best described as "unexpected"!!!! It is inappropriate for me to go into details, but needless to say depending on the outcome, the ramifications are potentially disasterous to certain business plans I have been working on.

As a small business owner you are constantly coming up against unexpected events that you have to deal in your day to day work, but occasionally something will be thrown at you that you have neither the time, inclination, or experience to deal with - this is one of those things!!!

Fortunately for me I now have a business coach that I can confide in. Gordon and I talked about the situation and he helped put a lot of what is going on into perspective. He provided ideas and suggestions to work through the issue so that an appropriate outcome can be reached, whilst at the same time reminding me that I was losing focus on the most important aspect of my business - it's long term success.

It did mean another sleepless night (there have been a few recently!!!), but this time for all the RIGHT reasons. Instead of focussing on influences affecting my business that I have little or no control over, last night was spent focussing on how to grow my business regardless of the outcome of this current "crisis"!!!!

Thank you Gordon and thank you NABEC for giving me the opportunity to participate in the Business Owners Coaching Program - it is making running my own business just that little bit easier.

A "Must Do" For All Small Businesses - Business Owners Coaching Program

2010-02-25T22:02:00.005+10:30

One thing I have found as my business has been growing is that you begin to feel more and more lost and alone as aspects of business that you do not even consider when you first begin starts impacting on your life.

Over recent times I have been seriously considering having a business coach or mentor help me "get my head straight" with aspects of business expansion, but after making enquiries I quickly realised you need a small fortune just to use the services of one!!!!

Well, NABEC has done it again!!! They have provided members with a Business Owners Coaching Program and by lobbying State and Local Governments they have had the course cost heavily subsidised so that it is a fraction of the cost of that which you would normally pay.

Our Business Coach for the next 10 months is a gentleman by the name of Gordon Kay who owns STEELbuilder and he is fantastic.

He started his first business at the ripe old age of 16 and has never "worked" for anyone in his life (if he is not 50 years old, he is close!!), so this guy really "talks the talk" when it comes to owning and running your own business.

We had our first "one to one" meeting several weeks ago and in little over an hour Gordon was able to start putting aspects of running and growing my business into some sort of perspective.

Yesterday we had our first "group" meeting, where all members of the Coaching Program met in a "Board Room" type environment to deal with issues and help one another as a group.

The most enlightening aspect of this first group meeting was that there was a multitude of different businesses represented, but all have very similar, if not exactly the same, problems and issues that they are dealing with.

Vision, Service Quality, Good Staff, Marketing, Long Term Goals, Profit - when you run your own business you think you are the only person who is dealing with these issues and all of a sudden you are in a room with a group of people you have met for the first time and they are dealing with exactly the same issues and concerns. If nothing else, it quickly takes the "loneliness" out of things.

At 9.00am yesterday a group of people walked into a meeting not knowing what to expect, but by midday those same people walked out with big smiles on their faces, now knowing that there are others out there facing EXACTLY the same issues as them and beginning to believe there are answers to their questions.

It is already obvious that this Coaching Program is going to be of great assistance with my business' growth and I would encourage everyone to seriously think about participating in one if they get the opportunity.

What a Fantastic Idea!!

2010-02-21T10:03:00.005+10:30

I have just been reading this article from the United States where an organisation called SCORE provides free business mentoring services and workshops for small businesses and people aspiring to start their own business.

The mentors are retired executives who obviously want to give something back to their communities and they help with information and guidance on things like bookkeeping, appropriate legal structures, advertising and financing.

What a fantastic idea!!! One of the hardest parts of starting any small business is knowing "everything" that needs to be known - in fact it is next to impossible.

To have access to people who have had to address all aspects of running a business during their careers and to be able to get advice on matters that you have little or no idea about is a great concept.

The fact that it is a free service is even better, because as everyone knows, cashflow and strict budgets are all important for any small business, particularly in the early days of the business.

To those people who started SCORE, I would like to say well done and thank you on behalf of all small business owners - a brilliant concept.

This Takes The Cake!!!

2010-02-11T22:54:00.003+10:30

I have been having a read of this article and I cannot work out if I am reading about the bravest, or the most stupid bookkeeper on Earth!!!!

The accused in this matter has been allegedly stealing money from a trust fund set up for jail inmates!!!

Here's a question - what if he gets found guilty and is sent to the same jail from where he was stealing the funds?

I hope the people he stole from are forgiving!!!!

A Perfect Example

2010-02-08T16:43:00.004+10:30

Have a read of this article from the United States where another person has been charged with theft and fraud against their employer whilst performing the bookkeeping for the business.

More importantly, have a read of the comment that has been left on this article at the bottom of the page - here is a side of this type of crime that people rarely read about.

It is obvious that the person charged with this offence has had a big impact on at least the wife of one ex-employee, because this person has made their thoughts blatently obvious.

This is a side of bookkeeping fraud that should be brought to more people's attention - you are not only ripping off your employer when you commit this type of offence - other people are affected as well.

Why Can't Outsourced Bookkeeping Work For Public Entities As Well?

2010-01-26T23:25:00.007+10:30

Have a read of this article and this article and explain to me why private businesses see the sense in outsourcing non-core tasks like bookkeeping, but government entities cannot come to the same conclusion?

On both occasions state municipalities in the United States have been audited only to find that their financials were in an absolute shambles!!

The city of Surprise (I bet they were!!!) in Arizona found bookkeeping errors of around 4.5 million dollars and a place called Granite Falls had bookkeeping transactions so bad that auditors could not even work out how bad it actually was!!!!

Were the errors a result of poor bookkeeping practices or could fraud have been involved? By the sounds of things no one will ever know - particularly in the case of Granite Falls.

Now, if both places had used the services of a competent, quality, outsourced bookkeeper who was constantly monitored and held accountable for any bookkeeping errors that were found, this loss of public money may never have happened.

Oh well, both places can just raise taxes to fix the problem!!!! LOL

A Good Bookkeeper Would Have Helped!!

2010-01-24T10:42:00.003+10:30

I am just reading this article from the United States where questions have been raised about how "Jeans Day" donations are being brought to account.

The way I read this article it appears that staff at Cook County Court are allowed to wear jeans to work on occasion if they make a small charitable donation and there have been discrepencies between the amounts believed to have been raised and the amount being brought to account.

This is a perfect example of where a quality, independent bookkeeper could have helped allay any concerns.

This person could be brought in on an ad-hoc basis whenever a "Jeans Day" day was held to collect and account for the donations. The donations could be entered into a separate ledger - held offsite by the independent bookkeeper - so that the money raised would be accounted for outside of the ledger used for the day to day running of the court rooms.

This bookkeeper could even be given the responsibility of the banking and distribution of the funds when required - this then gives you one person accountable for the receipt and distribution of the monies, so if any amounts cannot be accounted for there is only one person who has to justify their actions.

In its own way this article again highlights the necessity for businesses to outsource "non core" aspects of their business - if tasks you do in your business are not directly related to your core mission then consider handing them over to competent sub-contracted entities so that you can get on with your "real" work.

The ironic aspect of this article is that it shows that even courts can have problems with their financials so it is well worth considering using a competent bookkeeper!!!!

Simple & Sensible Bookkeeping Advice

2010-01-23T00:38:00.005+10:30

Have a read of this brilliant article that says it all about the benefits of having a professional bookkeeper enter your financial data.

The article may be from the U.S. but it contains simple and sensible data that is relevant to any small business owner throughout the world.

A fantastic read that makes so much sense - well done!!!

Now The Fun Really Begins!!!!

2010-01-19T06:13:00.002+10:30

Went to a brilliant meeting last night at the NABEC office as I have been successful in getting a position on their Business Owners Coaching Program for 2010!!!!

This program has been held for NABEC members for a number of years now and is designed to help business owners move their businesses to the next "level" of success.

The course is designed to make owners look at "business" as a whole, not just "their business" individually, to see what systems and structures they currently have in place and what changes they need to make to allow them to take their business to the next level of success.

We met Gordon Kay who is our coach and mentor over the next 10 months and he gave us a rundown on what we should expect from the course.

I smiled when one of the first points Gordon raised was that the coaching meetings would be held for 3 hours once a month and would start at 9.00am promptly.

The groans from the audience were audible - it would mean they would have to find someone to do their work for them - or make alternative arrangements with their customers - to be able to make the meetings!!!!!

To me, this in itself just highlighted how so many small business owners spend so much time working "IN" their business that they have difficulty even finding 3 hours a month to work "ON" their business!!!!

It is going to be interesting to watch people go through the "withdrawal symptoms" of having to leave their "babies" for a couple of hours to fend for themselves while they go off to these meetings!!!!

I am certain, though, that at the end of this process everyone will come away with a much better understanding of how to run their business successfully without running themselves personally into the ground.

A huge thank you must go out to NABEC for putting this program together - it would normally cost several thousand dollars to do a course like this (I enquired about one last year that was being run out of the United States and it was going to cost me between $8000.00 and $12,000.00 USD to do!!!!) but NABEC staff have been knocking on Government Department doors on behalf of its members and have obtained substantial funding for the course so that the cost has been reduced to only a few hundred dollars!!!

A brilliant coaching program that will cost a fraction of what it would normally cost to help you run your business more efficiently and successfully - it sounds like it is going to be a tough 10 months, but well worth it in the end!!!

Bookkeeping Essentials for the New Year

2010-01-13T06:48:00.003+10:30

Just reading an article from the U.K. where Lisa Newton, author of "Bookkeeping Made Simple" gives some really useful advice on how to get your office more organised with the start of the New Year.

Simple, timely advice that is really easy for any business to implement to make your life heaps easier when it comes time to lodge your financial returns.

I do like the fact that the article also makes mention of getting a good bookkeeper - if you find the type of business "chores" suggested in this article mundane, there are professional, competent people out there that love doing this type of work for you at minimal cost to your business.

It's worth thinking about.

Good Bookkeeping Advice

2010-01-08T08:33:00.003+10:30

I have just been reading this article from the United States that gives sound advice to small businesses on implementing systems and procedures that will reduce stress if ever you are audited.

For those of you reading this from countries out the U.S.A. some of the terminology is not relevent, but the essence of the message is well worth considering for any small business in any part of the world as there can be nothing more frustrating and scarey than being audited and not being able to provide the answers to any questions asked.

Well worth the read.

It Happens All Over The World

2010-01-07T21:54:00.002+10:30

I have just been reading this article from Ireland where poor bookkeeping and financial management has left a college almost 7 million pounds in the red - that is almost 15 million Australian dollars!!!!!!

How can any business continue with that type of shortfall?

Just another reason to have competent, professional bookkeeping staff and systems in place to control costs and monitor budgets.

The Law of Averages

2009-12-27T18:24:00.003+10:30

Have a read of this article - Murphy's Law says you will always get caught out eventually!!!

The moral to the story - pay your tax on time!!!!

Living with Wildlife's Webpage is Coming Along Wonderfully!!

2009-11-27T20:43:00.001+10:30

Check out the Living with Wildlife webpage now - the staff at Compliance & Competency Management have been working on it all day and now you can buy online!!!!

If you have a look at the Living with Wildlife Shop you'll see that all the equipment, publications and merchandise can be bought with a simple click - each item has its own Buy Now button!!

You can even pay for their Online Snake Awareness course online now to get a feel for what Living with Wildlife is all about - and it looks like the price of the Online Snake Awareness course has also been reduced (it used to be $220.00)!!

Check Out Version Two of the Living with Wildlife website!!

2009-11-21T17:31:00.002+10:30

The guys at Compliance & Competency Management have been working like Trojans on the Living with Wildlife website upgrade - check it out to see how well it is coming along.

You still can't buy directly from the Online Shop yet (being worked on at the moment) but everything is there for you to see and if you would like to buy anything or enquire about any courses, just go to the Contact Us page and all the contact details are there.

The Value of Networking

2009-11-18T18:15:00.004+10:30

A successful day today - picked myself a new customer who was referred to me by staff at the Northern Adelaide Business Enterprise Centre - commonly known as NABEC.

You have heard me rave about the value of their business breakfasts in the past, but here is another reason why you should consider being a member of NABEC - it can lead to a heap of new customers!!!!

We have all spent plenty of time (and usually money) thinking of better ways to promote our businesses. Telephone books, signage, sponsorship, blaa, blaa, blaa - all with the view of getting our name out there so more customers will call.

We have all gone to a network meeting or two in the hope of meeting as many people as we can to pass out as many business cards as we can and hopefully someone who is there will need our products or services (or remember where they left our business card when an associate of theirs needs our products or services months later!!!).

And then you have an organisation like NABEC whose charter it is to help businesses with problems they may have - a perfect opportunity to let an organisation who helps other businesses know about your products and services simply by becoming a member!!!!

The new customer I met today had gone to NABEC because they were in an absolute mess with their bookkeeping - in fact one of the owners made the comment that no-one dared come near their house on a Sunday because that was her day for doing the bookkeeping!!! Nice way to spend a Sunday - NOT!!!!

After a 2 hour chat they are now very excited because they can have next Sunday off as I will be there first thing Monday morning to sort out their data!!!

All this came about because one business went to NABEC with a problem and the staff at NABEC knew of another business that could help them with their problem - WIN, WIN, WIN!!!!

Well worth considering becoming a member.

Check It Out!!!!!

2009-11-14T16:44:00.003+10:30

Most of you who have been following this blog for some time will know that MYbookkeeping Services is also involved with another business called Living with Wildlife (Dean Allan, the owner of MYbookkeeping Services, is a Director of Balanced with Wildlife Pty Ltd, of which Living with Wildlife is a trading name).

The Living with Wildlife website has been down for some months now because it needed a total overhaul, but this morning the new Living with Wildlife website (definitely Version 1 - we are aware of the grammatical errors and the pages that need fixing, but wanted it back up so people who knew the old site could start checking out how the new one is coming along) was re-launched and we are really excited about how it has come up!!

We must thank Compliance and Competency Management for their efforts in creating the new website - it has been a big project (and this is why it is still in progress), but they are doing a magnificent job - thanks guys!!!

Make sure you check it out via this link and we would love to hear what you think.

A Great Read on Branding

2009-11-07T18:04:00.002+10:30

Have a read of this article I received via LinkedIn that talks about the importance of branding your business either at start up or as soon as possible after you start your business.

I found the most powerful comment was the first sentence in the "Pick Your Niche" section which says "You cannot be all things to all people" .

Too often business owners, particularly in the early start-up stages of their business, say "yes" to any customer that calls and later find out that this customer takes up too much of their time (usually unpaid) because they are not in line with the niche the business is actually marketing to.

Take the time to work out your brand and niche and once you have done so make a promise to yourself to "stay the line" - it may terrify you the first couple of times you have to say "no" to a potential customer because they do not fit your niche but the long term benefits (and profitability) to your business will far outweigh a "little scare" in the early days.

It will also free up more of your time to work on the 2,367,985 things you have to do when you first start your business - thankfully small business owners have worked out how to have 25 hour days and 8 day weeks!!!!! 8=)

Christmas Ideas for Marketing Your Business

2009-11-06T10:03:00.004+10:30

Just back from another brilliant NABEC breakfast where today we were given ideas on ways in which to set up displays for events you may be holding by Rebecca Zajac of 3 Piece Events (formally Impilo Designs).

Rebecca provided examples of really effective, low cost ideas to make your events stand out from the crowd and with Christmas around the corner and end of year events almost upon us, your customers leaving an event you hold saying "Gee wasn't that set up beautifully!!!" can only mean more business for you into the future.

Thank you Rebecca - some great ideas!!!

We also had a presentation from Bonnie Hart of TAFE SA on how to reduce the wording in notices you send out so that they are quicker for people to read. She provided an example of one business that calculated a saving of over $500,000.00 just by cutting back the amount of words and punctuation included in notices going around the business!! These types of savings are well worth having a look at.

Len Harakos of Elite Signs also provided examples of signage he can create for your business and my good friend Mick Tucker from Mick's Motorcycles Gawler was also there, so it was a great morning all round.

Here is a link to the NABEC Functions Calendar - check out the presentations they have on offer - the ideas you come away with are fantastic for helping you grow your business.

The Importance of Reconciliation

2009-10-30T17:00:00.004+10:30

I have just been reading this article and it highlights the importance of regularly reconciling your bank statements.

It appears that the accused has attempted to embezzle money from the business account by transferring funds into their personal account.

A competent bookkeeper would quickly pick up these transactions when reconciling bank statements and could bring this type of fraud to your attention immediately.

It also highlights the benefit of using contracted bookkeeping staff instead of a permanent employee - if the person committing the fraud is the same person as that who is entrusted with reconciling your bank statements, then the crime could continue for some time before being detected.

A sub-contracted bookkeeper, on the other hand, would quickly detect any "unusual" activity and the business owner could begin investigations immediately.

Officially "Qualified"

2009-10-29T20:54:00.002+10:30

After almost a year of study I am now the proud owner of a Certificate IV in Financial Services (Accounting) which is now hanging proudly from my office wall!!!!

The reason I was so keen to get this qualification is because the long awaited Tax Agent Services Act 2009 was passed through Parliament earlier this year to provide a Code of Professional Conduct for tax agents and Business Activity Statement services.

What this means is that very soon (believed to be around February 2010) there will be a minimum level of education required by bookkeepers before they can charge to complete Business Activity Statements for customers.

My Certificate IV in Financial Services (Accounting) now means that I will be eligible to provide these types of services, so I am chuffed!!!

Obtaining this qualification has also meant that I am able to become a Member of the Association of Accounting Technicians. This Association (also known as AAT)is still relatively small in Australia, but an Accountant friend of mine who migrated from the U.K. several years ago informed me that businesses in Britain and Europe will not look at bookkeepers these days unless they are AAT members and he envisages that the same thing will happen in Australia with the introduction of the Tax Agents Services Act.

Well, after receiving my Certificate IV, I sent off my application and yesterday received my "Welcome" package from the AAT to say my membership has been approved, so I had to go out and buy another picture frame for my Membership Certificate!!!!

A good week all round!!!!

Much Appreciated

2009-10-21T12:25:00.004+10:30

Many of you know of my involvement with Living with Wildlife, who have been a long time bookkeeping customer of mine and in more recent times I have also become a Director in their business.

Living with Wildlife recently conducted a Working with Venomous Snakes refresher course for staff from the New Zealand Ministry of Agriculture & Forestry because New Zealand is having a increasing problem with people trying to sneak snakes into the country to keep as pets.

Often the attempt to sneak the snakes into the country is via shipping containers, so Living with Wildlife thought it would be a good idea to have a shipping container available for the Kiwis so that they could train at finding and capturing the snakes in a more "real life" environment.

A couple of calls were made and Grant Lucas, Operations Manager at P&O Trans Australia (SA) Pty Ltd was happy to provide us with a shipping container for the duration of the course absolutely free of charge!!!!!

Thank you so much Grant - as the "bean counter" of Living with Wildlife these types of savings are always appreciated, but more importantly having the container for the Kiwis to work in so that their training was more "real life" allowed us to provide a much more tailored course to our customer's needs.

The feedback we have received from New Zealand has been fantastic and the training in the shipping container has been mentioned numerous times, so it had its effect on the trainees.

We found Grant Lucas and the staff at P&O Trans Australia (SA) Pty Ltd fantastic to work with so if ever you need shipping containers for the movement of your freight give them a call.

Common Causes

2009-10-20T22:39:00.005+10:30

You may recall an earlier blog post where I sang the praises of Mark Priddle from the Australian Technical College - Northern Adelaide and the wonderful marketing seminar he presented for NABEC members.

Mark was good enough to present another Effective Marketing workshop for NABEC members tonight and it was fascinating to hear that all the business owners there had similar issues that they have to work through regardless of what industries they are in.

The people in attendance were Lorna from Ladybird Carpet Care, Gordon Marshall, Remedial Massage Therapist and Stuart Miller and his wife from Jaikom IT Services and I was smiling hearing that we all have very similar issues that we have to deal with in our businesses, even though the businesses themselves are very different in nature.

Where are the most effective places to market your business at the most cost effective price? What low or no cost promotional tools are out there when you are running your business on a shoe-string budget in its early days? What services are available to you as a small business for little or no cost that will help you grow your business?

What was obvious was that it doesn't matter whether you are providing quality carpet cleaning services, remedial massage therapy, solutions for your IT problems or bookkeeping services, these types of questions are constantly at the forefront of your mind.

Fortunately there are people like Mark Priddle around who get great satisfaction out of helping businesses deal with these issues and there are organisations around like NABEC that can provide you with this information at a price that does not mean you have to mortgage your home to be able to get access it.

Thanks again Mark and NABEC - another great night!!

The Importance of Backup!!!

2009-10-10T12:07:00.003+10:30

A discussion with a new customer of mine yesterday has got me thinking about how much time people put into thinking about having a "backup" for their business if ever they cannot run the business themselves.

Take the time to think about not being able to run your business for any reason (health, holidays, other commitments, anything else you may think of) and then answer the following questions -

Who will look after the day to day aspects of your business in your absence?

Who will know where all your business documents are if an enquiry comes in and you are unavailable?

Who will be able to service your customers until your return?

Who will be able to assist your family with sorting out all the aspects of your business in your absence (remember, one of those "anything elses" could be your death!!!)?

Since speaking to this person yesterday I have had time to reflect on the above questions and when I think about it, in many cases the answer is "no-one"!!!!

People think of the term "back up" nowadays and only seem to think about making sure that everything on their computer is also on a flash drive or CD - when you think about it this term can have many different contexts in the day to day running of your business and is worth having a good think about.

The Joys of Blogging!!!

2009-10-07T15:20:00.004+10:30

Had a great day today introducing some of my customers to the wonderful world of blogging.

I have already helped one customer set up the Better Rentals blog but they had a few teething problems with being able to post to it, so spent a bit of time sorting that one out.

Lorna from Ladybird Carpet Care also set up her first blog today - she has some great ideas on how to get rid of marks on carpets, so if you have dirty carpets and want to know how to get rid of the stains, just ask the question on Lorna's blog and I am sure she will be able to help.

I hope you both get a heap of enquiries and business out of your new blogs.

I Nearly Forgot!!!!

2009-10-04T11:37:00.003+10:30

You will recall I made mention of the fantastic NABEC Business Breakfast and Forum I attended a couple of days ago (if you have not had the chance to read about it, here is the link).

One person I forgot to make mention of was Maria-ann Camilleri, the CEO of ChiBall World Pty Ltd who also gave us a presentation on taking a passion, identifying the potential to turn this passion into a business and then converting this business into a self sustained, lucrative business.

An aspect of growing my business that I have always struggled with is at what point do you convert contract labour into paid employees. With the superannuation and tax obligations placed on business these days I tend to lean towards keeping my staff employed on a sub-contracted basis, but after listening to Maria-ann I may have to re-evaluate this decision.

Maria-ann explained that she had also faced this dilemma in the early stages of growing her business and provided ideas and suggestions on ways in which she has dealt with this issue.

Thanks for your answer when I put that question to you Maria-ann - it is another nagging issue about running and growing my business that has kept me awake at night and I now have ideas on how to deal with it.

What Do Some People Think?

2009-10-04T05:56:00.004+10:30

I have not stopped laughing since reading this article where Danielle Steele's (the world renowned novelist) bookkeeper has pleaded guilty to embezzling $400,000.00 from her employer!!!!

Did she think this sort of money would go unnoticed because book sales are so good?!!!

It will never cease to amaze me what goes through some people's minds when they think they can get away with this sort of crime.

Oh well, by the way the article reads the person concerned will have a couple of years in jail to have a think about things and hopefully realise how foolish their actions were!!!

It's Beginning To make Sense To Others!!!

2009-10-04T05:50:00.002+10:30

Have a read of this article that goes into detail on the benefits of outsourcing your company's bookkeeping.

It was refreshing to read of others who have a similar opinion to that which I have been banging on about since starting this blog!!!!

Further Education

2009-10-03T19:16:00.004+09:30

Very excited about receiving a long awaited letter from the National Institute of Accountants this week - I have successfully completed my Certificate IV in Financial Services (Accounting)!!!!

One thing this study has increased is my admiration for people running their own businesses that are also completing "full blown" degrees and diplomas at the same time - it is not until you have to fit studies into your day (my study time usually started around 11.00pm most nights!!!!) that you realise how much of your time running a small business actually takes up!!!

It looks like the government will be introducing legislation in 2010 that will require bookkeepers to have a minimum level of education (the word is Certificate III in Financial Services) and this is why I thought it about time to get back to school after a 10 year break and get my "hands on" experience in bookkeeping upgraded to formal qualifications.

I am most pleased that the government are going down this path - there have been numerous customers I have picked up over the years that have needed my services because they have been using someone claiming to be a "bookkeeper" and it has turned out that they have known next to nothing about formal bookkeeping requirements.

Unfortunately, these customers have usually found this out after handing their "data" (some may know it as garbage!!!!) over to their Accountant only to find that it all has to be re-processed because it has been collated so badly.

I've made good money from cleaning up these messes over the years, but it still leaves a stain on the reputation of good bookkeepers, so now the government is going to enforce a minimum standard of education a lot of these "bookkeepers" will hopefully go into retirement!!!!

Part of the reason for getting my Cert IV instead of the minimum requirement of Cert III is that I am now eligible to become a member of the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) which will give me more opportunity to promote and market my business through the financial industry - happy happy happy!!!!!!

Breakfasts - Essential for More Than Nutrition!!!

2009-10-02T17:58:00.004+09:30

A longer than usual NABEC business breakfast this morning - today was the annual NABEC business forum where as well as the usual lovely breakfast provided by The Gawler Arms Hotel there were also a number of fascinating guest speakers.

One of the presenters was Patrick Baker from Patrick Baker & Associates Marketing Consultants who gave us a rundown on the future marketing direction for the Gawler area. Everyone involved in business in Gawler knows how good it is to live and do business here and it was fascinating to listen to Patrick as he described strategies they are using to encourage more people to purchase products and services in this region.

There was also a presentation from Cutler Digital Sign and Display (you may know them as Cutler Brands) who provided fantastic ideas on how to improve or revamp displays and advertising to attract more customers. As a small business owner it was great to see how you can really make your business stand out from the crowd using some easy to implement, low cost ideas.

There was also a presentation from Bonnie Hart from TAFE SA who was talking about courses they provide in relation on food handling and streamlining business processes. Bonni Yeatman (Bonni.Yeatman@tafesa.edu.au) was there with Bonnie Hart and was happy for her details to be passed on to anyone who needed advice in these fields.

It was also great to meet Tom Kelly from the Peter Kittle Motor Company - he is the Senior Executive Officer at Peter Kittle but is also a qualified Accountant so we had a good "bean counter" chat during the breakfast!!!!

At $10.00 per head these breakfasts are fantastic - you cannot put a price on the information you receive and the contacts you meet at these breakfasts - not to mention the great feed you get!!!!

A Great Read!!!

2009-09-29T21:18:00.003+09:30

You may recall I made mention of seeing Peter Capp at a recent presentation and buying his book called Shut Up! Let The Customer Speak (if you haven't read the original post it can be found via this link).

Whilst on a recent holiday I had the chance to read the book and I would recommend it to anyone looking for ideas on how to increase their sales.

I have read many of these books and what I liked most about this one was the personality profiles Peter talks about and ways in which you can best sell to these profiles.

Most other books I have read on this topic encourage you to understand "your" personality profile and gives you suggestions on how best to sell based on "your" profile and selling style.

What I liked most about Peter's book is that he suggests you take the time to understand your customer's profile and negotiate based on "their" profile not "yours".

In fact what impressed me most about this book is that you are constantly reminded to look at any sales negotiation through your customer's eyes - and Peter lists real life, easy to follow examples on how to proceed through the sales process.

The book is written very much like Peter presents - straight forward and easy to understand and I enjoyed every page of it.

Thank you Peter - a great read.

Scam Alert!!!!

2009-09-08T20:25:00.004+09:30

I received a fax today from some crowd claiming to be a publication called Who's Who Among Executives, Professionals and Entrepreneurs in Australia.

The fax was asking me to provide information on myself and my business to be included in their 2009/2010 Edition (I assumed a publication - it did not say) and gives a fax number of (02) 8078 6030 to fax it back to.

It did not sit right with me so I "Googled" the business name and came up with this article.

It appears to be some type of scam where you get charged heaps for the return fax.

I must say that they are persistent - I was having trouble with my fax today and it took about 5 goes before they got the fax through to me, so I must give them 10 out of 10 for effort!!!!

If you get a similar fax throw it straight in the bin.

A Brilliant Recovery!!!

2009-09-06T18:10:00.003+09:30

I am sure that all of you who have read books about business success and the like have read about the importance of living up to any guarantee you advertise.

I would like to share with you a recent personal experience.

About two and a half years ago we built the house we currently live in with a building firm in South Australia called Rossdale Homes.

A big part of the reason we chose this builder was because they constantly advertise "quality" and "trust" (not to mention that we loved a particular design of house that they build!!!!).

Recently we had a leak in the main shower that at first was thought to be a leaking breech piece but turned out to be less than perfect workmanship in the way that the shower recess had been waterproofed.

The people repairing the shower (a firm not associated with Rossdale Homes) pointed out that they may soon be back to repair the ensuite shower if it had been waterproofed to the same standard as the main shower so I immediately called Rossdale Homes requesting they have the ensuite shower checked and if the waterproofing was below standard I wanted the whole recess completely re-done.

There was resistance to attend to the issue at first - and rightly so I might say - because nothing appeared to be leaking at that stage and it would be a costly venture to remove tiles, check for leaks and then replace the tiles if there was nothing wrong, but after several visual inspections were carried out by Roger their Building Supervisor and a number of tell tale signs were pointed out about damage signs beginning to appear, Rossdale Homes immediately got Ray the Tiler (top bloke!!) out, the floor and wall tiles were removed and the shower recess was completely replaced.

What could have turned out to be a very disgruntled customer spreading venom about a company and their inability to live up to an advertised promise turned out to be a most satisfied customer who would recommend Rossdale Homes to anyone looking at building a new home.

Thanks Roger, Ray and Rossdale Homes - you still have a happy customer!!!!

Why Would You Do It?

2009-09-05T10:56:00.004+09:30

I have just been reading this article where another bookkeeper has been questioned in relation to the embezzlement of over $500,000.00.

There is a news video of this report on the top right hand side of the screen which is worth having a listen to, because it highlights a point not expanded on that is worth considering.

In this video the news reporter says that the institute that has been embezzled also teaches Accounting courses as part of their curriculum. What impact could this incident have on the number of Accounting course enrolments into the future?

Will potential students think that having an Accounting qualification from this institute be less impressive on their CV's due to the fact that a long time bookkeeper there has been investigated in relation to a half million dollar fraud?

Another example of the longer term ramifications of using a bookkeeper with less than the highest level of integrity.

I Feel Like A Proud Dad!!!!

2009-09-04T21:13:00.002+09:30

You may remember reading about MYbookkeeping Services being a finalist in the NABEC Small Business Awards earlier this year (refer the A Fantastic Night blog post back in July) where I thanked Tarun and Alistair from UniSA for their help in putting the presentation together.

I heard from a very proud Tarun today to let me know that he gained a High Distinction in his Small Business Accounting studies last semester!!!

I hope in some small way that Tarun's involvement in the NABEC Small Business Awards helped him with this academic achievement. If nothing else, I am sure that being able to see how business theory taught at university gets put into practice by small business will help Tarun in any career he decides to pursue into the future.

Well done mate - you do yourself and your family proud.

Small Business Marketing at Work

2009-08-30T18:24:00.004+09:30

Just back from a fun day with the family at the Gawler Show and it was great to see one of my customers, Lorna from Ladybird Carpet Care there with a stand set up promoting her business.

I did not have the chance to talk to her for long because she was with customers when I said hello, but I am looking forward to catching up with her to see how much business she got out of the Show because there were a heap of people there all happy to pay for products and services.

Just another example of ways in which to promote your business in your local area - well done Lorna!!!

It's Great to Help Your Customers

2009-08-25T22:42:00.004+09:30

I have a long time customer, Lynn from Century 21 Town and Country, who has been putting up with my ramblings for ages about the effectiveness of online marketing via blog posts.

She must have got sick of my nagging because I was asked to go out today to help her set up their first blog!!!!

It is called Better Rentals and will provide information to both Landlords and Tenants.

On the landlord's side of the fence it will provide information on how you can increase the value of your asset by keeping on top of things like repairs and maintenance - quality rental properties can demand quality tenants!!!

On the tenant's side of the fence it will provide hints and ideas on how to present yourself when applying for rental properties and things that you can do to keep you in the good books with both your landlord and your property manager. Quality tenants are always sought after and usually looked after by quality landlords and property managers.

This blog will also be a "One Stop Shop" for all the information and literature you need when you own, live or work in rental properties, so instead of having to blunder your way through numerous websites to find the information there will be links available on this site to easily source this material.

If you have any questions relating to property rental just post a comment on the blog and I am sure Lynn and her team will come back to you promptly with the answer.

Well done Lynn and I hope your new blog brings you heaps of business!!!

Well Worth The Read

2009-08-24T14:24:00.002+09:30

I have mentioned David Meerman Scott and his Web Ink Now website before and suggested that all businesses should subscribe to his articles to get an understanding on how online marketing can assist in getting your name out to more and more potential customers.

I received this article from David over the weekend and I just have to share it with you - not only is it the coolest picture I have seen in ages but it discusses peoples "fears" about advertising their businesses online.

I would encourage you to read it to allay a lot of those fears - online marketing is here to stay and it is the way of the future, so the quicker you implement an online marketing strategy the faster you will get ahead of your competitors.

Thank you again David for your articles - they help greatly with effective online marketing strategies.