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With social media, you can connect with business associates quickly and creatively. But this communication mode is not without risk. A thoughtless post can offend customers and other business partners and damage relationships rather than build them. By following a few ground rules you can be confident your comments and posts will be appropriate ones. Check your Messages for Grammar and Spelling Your co-workers and business partners evaluate your communication…  Read more

In today’s fast-paced, digital world, interacting face to face with clients and prospects may seem passé. In fact, face time is more important than ever. For one, you’ll stand apart from your competitors who only touch base with their customers via email, social media, and virtual conferencing. And by hosting in-person events that attract new leads as well as existing customers, you’ll be able to create trust and strengthen ties.…  Read more

What Types of Tax Receipts should you keep? When you own a small business, you want to get every possible deduction on your taxes.  Without tax receipts, the maximum amount you can claim is $300. That’s why it’s important to keep a tax receipt for every expense, such as: Travel If you travel for work and are away from home overnight, you may be able to claim your travel expenses.…  Read more

Use the Right Business Structure When you start a new business, you need to carefully choose the right business structure for your goals and for the type of business you want to run. Each business structure has different requirements around set-up costs, asset protection and tax. There are four primary business structures in Australia and their tax implications are as follows: Sole trader You pay taxes on your business income…  Read more

The worst thing about a rude message is the author presuming you’ll respond to a complaint or request when his communication lacks any hint of civility. When confronted with an obvious violation of good manners, you can easily delete the email without upsetting anyone who is aware of politeness standards. You can also punt the request to a co-worker, but that would make you the bad guy. It’s best to…  Read more

While most small businesses spend a great deal of time and effort in finding the right employees, they often fail to capitalise on their newly hired talent by ceding the on-boarding process to HR or neglecting their responsibility entirely. From long waits for workspace, equipment, or training to an overly negative recitation of ‘don’t do these things or you will be fired,’ employers consistently miss the opportunity to inspire new…  Read more

Small businesses can grow in boom times as well as periods of difficulty by working smarter and taking advantage of opportunities. Put these following effective tips into practice to help grow your business. Utilise new Technology Modern technology can save you time, improve productivity and reduce your operational costs. Make use of Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and other social media tools to market your business. Dropbox is a cloud-based service that…  Read more

Once you’ve made the decision to sell your home, chances are you’d like to do it as soon as possible. While some houses sell almost as quickly as they hit the market, others sit for a considerable amount of time without generating any offers from prospective buyers. Fortunately, there are several steps that you can take to increase the odds that your house is in hot demand and sells quickly.…  Read more

For small businesses, nothing reduces credibility faster than careless typos and sloppy spelling. The trouble is, business owners are often so busy they neglect to notice the errors that can creep into their work, in spite of the latest word processing spelling and grammar tools. Taking the time to carefully edit your newsletters, reports, emails, blog posts and marketing collateral – following these simple tips – will make all the…  Read more

Many small business people wonder whether it’s better for them to buy or lease capital equipment for their businesses. Your options regarding leasing or buying depend upon the nature of your particular business, but there are nevertheless a few guidelines you can follow to help you decide what you should do. If you have the money available, and the item is really necessary to your business, then it will usually…  Read more

Considering home ownership? Congratulations! Buying a home is an exciting milestone and for most people, one of the biggest investments they’ll ever make. Among the many decisions to be made along the way, you’ll need to choose the best mortgage option for your circumstances. In this blog we’ll weigh the pros and cons of fixed, variable, and revolving credit home loans to help you make the right choice. Why choose…  Read more

Q. I am finding it tough. Sales are slowing but I can’t figure out exactly why. No-one seems to be unhappy with what we do, and no competitor has entered the market.  People seem to be buying less often and in lower numbers. Your existing customers are your most valuable asset. This is because it’s easier and far less expensive to get an existing customer to buy off you again…  Read more

The same advice for building a healthy investment portfolio applies to your business: diversifying will lower risk and increase growth. Adding a recurring revenue stream (or two, or three!) can provide a predictable, ongoing source of income which will improve the accuracy of your projections, increase profits, and provide a buffer for any unexpected sales dips. Here are four simple ways to start earning recurring revenue for your small business.…  Read more

Don’t be left up in the air by traditional IT solutions. Check out the top 9 advantages for small businesses switching to cloud computing. Cloud computing is fast becoming the norm because storing information and using software hosted on the Internet has many advantages. Save Money Traditionally, a small business spends money licensing software or buying packages to install or download onto individual computers. Cloud computing, on the other hand,…  Read more

Very few small businesses have a huge marketing budget to work with. Fortunately, there are a number of simple, free and low cost ways to get the word out about your company that are also highly effective. These tips will show you five simple ways to promote your local business without breaking the bank. Get Free Press Advertising rates for local newspapers and radio stations can be way too costly…  Read more

Welcome back to our Weekly Digest. Read on for the latest updates and some ideas to help us all move forward. Australian markets take a hit after multiple US banks collapse Australian markets experienced a sharp decline on Tuesday after multiple banks collapsed in the United States. The ASX200 opened down 1.6% and fell a further 2%, wiping out all gains made this calendar year, with financials bearing the brunt.…  Read more

Value investing is the stock selection strategy famously used by business magnate and third wealthiest person in the world, Warren Buffett, whose total net worth exceeds $91.5 Billion. Developed in the 1930s by Columbia University professor and economist, Ben Graham, value investing involves screening securities to find stocks undervalued relative to peers and the market. Stocks are then assessed for their intrinsic value, determined by a fundamental metric—such as the…  Read more

Debt can be a crippling problem for small businesses wanting to grow or just break-even during difficult times. By reducing debt you’ll improve the value of your business, its financial situation, and its ability to continue operating into the future. Assess your Debt Situation Take a detailed look at all of your debts – both current and long term. Evaluate which ones are more urgent and which can be parked…  Read more

Online marketing tools make it inexpensive and easy to promote your events online. If you want to expand your business and offer webinars or offline events, these eight tools will create online buzz about your event to a worldwide audience. When interacting with people on the Internet, remember to always act in a polite and courteous manner. Don’t spam invitations or promotions about your event 24, 7. Use common sense…  Read more

Local search engine optimization (SEO) is an important part of any online marketing strategy for traditional businesses which service a specific geographical area. Local SEO works in much the same way as normal SEO, although there are some important differences to consider. Taking the time and trouble to optimize your website for local is essential due to the fact that about a fifth of desktop queries and more than half…  Read more