My name is Lucy Burn, Client Services Manager. I did a bookkeeping course to better understand what James does. What I learnt most from that, is that in business and tax compliance, it is easy to get it wrong. We have seen some businesses claiming for wrong things and not claiming for what they can. And then they are open to penalties. It really is that Business owners don’t know… Read more
Looking after the customers you’ve already sold to, will not only increase their satisfaction levels but also makes them more likely to buy again and brings you more customers by referral. Does your after-sales service need a polish? When someone has just bought from you, that’s a golden opportunity to start building a customer relationship. Take advantage of being top-of-mind and see where it can take you – and ensure… Read more
The importance of having a business coach It can be lonely at the top when you’re running your own business. As the owner manager, the buck stops with you and that can result in all the pressures of financial management, people management, strategy and business performance ending up on your shoulders. To ease this pressure, it’s helpful to have a business coach. A coach can look at your business objectively… Read more
Our new EV Sustainability and reducing our carbon emissions (footprint) have become buzz words as our country grabbles with changes as recommended by the draft report of the Climate Change Commission and our obligations under the Paris Climate Change Agreement. As a business owner who wants to do the right thing we have looked at ways that our business operation can be more sustainable and be the first local… Read more
Helping you move your business along, with regular reviews through the year to stay on track. Allows you to take back control. You will understand your numbers and have clear goals to achieve in your business. We do this by: Helping you set your 90-day goals. 2 monthly GST return and filing included. Regular reporting of your numbers with twenty minute phone call to ensure your understand the numbers. Advice… Read more
Here in New Zealand we are most fortunate to have hardly any community spread of Covid-19. We are not taking that for granted though and are trying our best to reduce chances of it coming here; We have the Covid-19 tracer app and login wall scan for you to use on arrival. We have hand sanitizer that you can use on arrival and when leaving our premises. Please postpone your… Read more
Next month we are offering a workshop to give Tairawhiti small business owners some guidance and tools for building a flourishing business. This complimentary session will provide you with a road map for creating sustainable growth as well as some great examples of businesses using these techniques today. A Clear Pathway to Success We have established a clear pathway to success which we will be sharing with participants in this… Read more
A Key Performance Indicator (KPI) is a measurable value (metric) that demonstrates how effectively a business is achieving its key objectives. Businesses use KPIs at multiple levels to evaluate their success at reaching targets. High-level KPIs may focus on the overall performance of the business, while low-level KPIs may focus on processes in specific departments such as sales, marketing, HR, support and others. But before we get into using KPIs… Read more
-As published by Accounting Today Xero has fast-tracked the release of two new features on its online accounting platform to help COVID-affected businesses stay on top of cash flow and their business health. As businesses across New Zealand seek relief from government loans and otherwise, accountants and accounting tools remain of paramount importance in getting them through this crisis. Xero has been working on expanded reporting tools, and accelerated the… Read more
Xero Tips & Tricks Wed 20th May 7pm This is a free learning session hosted by James Burn & Associates, in this webinar you will learn all the tips and tricks of Xero to help you become more efficient in managing your business accounting. There will also be an opportunity at the end to ask any questions you may have regarding Xero. Click the link to register:Register Here Read more
As we move into Alert Level 3, we thought it timely to update everyone on our health and safety procedures for providing a safe and compliant service to our clients through this next stage of the pandemic. Over the next few weeks of Alert Level 3 our team will continue to be working from home. We are not able to meet face to face but we have found Zoom meetings… Read more
We are all living in crazy times. It’s really tough for businesses right now. You’ve got Covid-19 support information coming at you from all directions and it’s hard to figure out how some of that support works in practice to ensure your business survives. On Wednesday April 29, 2020 at 11 am, join us for a 75 minute complimentary webinar, where we’ll cover the most important Covid-19 Government support available,… Read more
This is a stressful time for us all and particularly every business owner throughout New Zealand most of whom have no or very low sales coming in, still have overheads going out and no certainty as to how long this will last nor what will happen after the lockdown period ends. As your trusted business advisor, we are offering free webinars to help you through this period and put a… Read more
Important notice In May 2019 Kiwibank announced that it was going cheque-free from 28 February 2020. As a customer of Kiwibank, we will no longer be able to accept cheques from 28 February 2020. Please contact us to discuss other payment options or if you have any questions or concerns – James 06 8671905 For more information on this change visit www.kiwibank.co.nz/cheques Read more
Planning Holiday breaks are a great time to spend with friends and family and have a chance to recharge for the year ahead. But, for a business owner this time can be stressful without careful cash flow planning. Even if you do continue to operate through the holiday shutdown season, your customers’ financial behavior may not remain the same. It can be pretty disappointing to work hard all year only… Read more
You know what you want from your business; it’s time to plan how to get it. Start by deciding what you want personally from your business. For example, if you need $100,000 a year to cover your living costs and a family holiday, and your overheads are $100,000, then your profit from your business needs to be $200,000. If your current profit margin on your sales income is 50%, then… Read more
Defining exactly where you are now is crucial to building a better business. This step is often overlooked, but you must know your starting point to create the best road to success. It sounds so obvious, but many business owners plan for the future without knowing where they are now. Answer the following questions honestly to help define where you are now (warts and all): 1. How aligned are the owners and… Read more
Its amazing what we, as humans, don’t even know that we don’t know. Being open to change and new learning is a crucial step to building a better business. New learning opportunities are everywhere, and in this digital world, there’s simply no excuse not to learn. Consider how many new things a five-year-old learns each day. Children enthusiastically embrace the world of possibility and the desire to learn.… Read more
What does a better business look like to you? Before you can start building a better business, you need to define success. Be clear on exactly what you want from your business. Remember, your business is there to serve you, not the other way around. Life is too short to be stuck doing things we don’t enjoy. The average person spends 40,000 hours at work over their lifetime. Make the… Read more
Hiring new employees can be extremely time-consuming, but it’s important if you want to grow your business. If you get the process right, you’ll ensure you hire the right people. And if you look after your employees, they’ll stay with you longer and your business will perform better. Here are 12 steps to follow before you hire your next employee: Create a clear job description Determine who will be interviewing… Read more