Blog


The 2022-23 Federal Budget is aimed at moving business into the digital era with both carrots and sticks in the budget. In this overview we examine what the impact of the Federal Budget will have on individuals and businesses...


With the upheaval experienced to all aspects of our lives due to the Covid pandemic, it is not surprising many people are questioning their career choices and considering major changes. As a result, we are expecting to see a surge in business start-ups in 2022. New business owners often focus on the product or service offering, financial aspects or other mechanics of start-up whilst neglecting their marketing plan, instead of making it a priority…


In part one and two of this series of articles we identified the fact that there is no secret formula or magic potion that guarantees financial success in business, however, there are some key ingredients that successful businesses have in common.  In part three we look at the importance of building a great team, having a lead generation website (including video content) and building a customer database...   


Wishing all our clients and their families the very best for the Festive Season and a safe & happy 2022. Please note we ill be closed from 3pm Friday 24th December and re-opening 8.30am Monday 10th January 2022. In the meantime, and in case you missed it, check out our latest Business Accelerator Magazine, full of articles and news about growing and nurturing your business. This edition includes our second article in a series on What are the Key Ingredients for a Successful Business? As well as articles on the ATOs new Stapled Super Fund rules, an examination of why start-ups fail and info on the rules around the newly introduced Company Director ID Number…


Most people for one reason or another contemplate starting their own business. While there’s no magic potion or secret formula that guarantees business success, highly successful businesses have some common characteristics that we will explore across a series of articles. In this instalment, we look at the importance of marketing and systemisation as well as the need to know your competition...


The new Director ID regime was passed in Parliament in June last year and is now law. Existing company directors have until 30 November 2022 to apply but new directors appointed between 1st November 2021 and 4 April 2022 have just 28 days from appointment to apply and directors appointed 5th April 2022 onwards must apply before appointment... 


The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the way we live, work and play. While the pandemic has posed a threat to lives and livelihoods, there’s clear evidence that people have struggled to balance the hybrid work model particularly when combined with home schooling duties. After 18 months of uncertainty people are doing a lot of soul-searching and a chunk of the population are re-evaluating various parts of their lives including their employment or self-employment...


It's an emotional moment when you finally make the decision that it's time to sell your business. All those long hours, customer dramas and financial risks will loom large in your mind but the buyer isn't interested in how much work you've put into your 'baby', they want to see financial proof that the asking price is justified....


Don’t miss our latest edition of the quarterly Business Accelerator Magazine, full of articles and news about growing and nurturing your business. This edition includes our first in a series on What are the Key Ingredients for a Successful Business? As well as articles on the ATOs data-matching programme, rent relief for Victorian (& NSW) commercial tenants and Are Covid Grants taxable?...


Most people at some stage of their lives, for one reason or another, contemplate starting their own business. While there’s no magic potion or secret formula that guarantees business success, highly successful businesses have some common characteristics that we will explore across a series of articles...


The State and Federal Governments have provided business owners with a range of grants and subsidies through the pandemic including the Cashflow Boost, COVID-19 Disaster Payments and JobKeeper. While you might think all government support is tax free, this is not the case...


The Victorian Government has announced the reintroduction of the Commercial Tenancy Relief Scheme. Businesses with an annual turnover of less than $50 million and who have experienced a decline in turnover of 30% or more due to the pandemic will be eligible as well as most ACNC registered charities that have experienced a decline in turnover of 15% or more…


Tougher COVID-19 restrictions came into effect in Melbourne on the evening of Tuesday August 16 including a 2 week extension of the state’s 6th lockdown, a 9pm curfew and the ban on the removal of face masks to drink alcoholic beverages in public. For small business owners, access to government support is a critical lifeline and there have been a lot of changes in the last month which we summarise here...


Australian businesses are again feeling the pinch financially as the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to unfold. Businesses along the east coast particularly are in a state of uncertainty - going in and out of lockdown like a swinging door. As a result, the Federal Government has expanded the range of financial support available...


The Government has introduced a Director Identification Number (DIN) to provide greater transparency around the background of company directors and combat illegal phoenixing leaving creditors unable to recover debts...


Don’t miss our latest edition of the quarterly Business Accelerator Magazine, full of articles and news about growing and nurturing your business. This edition includes our Budget roundup, articles on working ON your business, not IN your business as well as a Tax Return Checklist...


As we approach the end of the 2020/21 financial year, the Australian Tax Office has indicated that several types of costs associated with working-from-home will not be eligible as a tax deduction…


Victorian Business Costs Assistance Program (Round Two) - with the snap lockdown commencing Thursday 27th May the Victorian State Government has announced Round Two of the Business Costs Assistance program which opened for applications today (Friday 4th June) and the Commonwealth Government has announced a Temporary COVID Disaster Payment for employees...


As we approach the end of the 2021 financial year, tax planning has never been more important and as accountants, we believe our client brief includes helping you minimise your tax liability within the framework of the Australian taxation system. Business planning is always challenging but planning with a pandemic in the background is incredibly difficult given the uncertainty, so for many businesses, the number one priority right now is cash flow...


The Treasurer Josh Frydenberg released the Federal Budget on Tuesday May 11 and the focus is on recovery and investment to support job creation to drive economic growth. In this article we examine the main changes proposed around personal and business taxation as well as superannuation…


In this fourth edition of our Recession Buster Newsletter we continue to examine the 4 Ways to Grow Your Business, specifically the 4th way – Improving Your System & Processes. In other articles we explore the importance of having a website. Other articles include the 3rd part of Ways to Turn Your Website into a Lead Generation Machine - this particular article looking at the importance of a good headline, Live Chat function, Social Proof (Testimonials) & Social Media Links - and finally we look at mining your customer database for gold...


In this third edition of our Recession Buster Newsletter we continue to examine the 4 Ways to Grow Your Business, specifically the 3rd way - Increasing the Average Sale Value. In other articles we explore the importance of measuring, monitoring & testing your business, Other articles include the 2nd part of ways to turn your website into a lead generation machine - this particular article looking at the importance of Lead Magnets & Calls to Action - and finally we examine the importance of goal setting and future planning...


There is an old saying, ‘The most fertile source of insight is hindsight’. That being the case, what can business owners learn from the COVID-19 pandemic? 


Every business owner wants to grow their business and their profits. While there’s no secret formula or recipe, the fact is, business growth and improved profitability are outcomes achieved as a result of processes including marketing, your expertise, customer service and your team’s performance...


The JobMaker Hiring Credit system announced in the 2020-21 Federal Budget has now passed into law and if your business is eligible and you hired additional younger employees from 7th October onwards, you can now claim the credit (quarterly in arrears) from the ATO from 1 February 2021…


With the media flooding us with COVID-19 information and governments around the world using vocabulary that is normally reserved for war time we know we are living in unprecedented times. Historically, business start-ups tend to surge when there are high levels of unemployment and middle management lose their jobs. Amongst all the uncertainty, is it the right time to start a business?


The COVID-19 pandemic not only triggered a global health crisis, it also plunged Australia into recession for the first time in three decades. As such, a lot of business owners are in unfamiliar territory and we are here to help you navigate your way through this extraordinary and challenging period...


Treasurer Josh Frydenberg presented his second budget on October 6 in what was described as the, "most important budget since World War II". As expected, there is massive expenditure to reboot and stimulate the economy after the economic devastation brought on by the coronavirus pandemic...


As business owners we need to learn from experience because history has a habit of repeating itself. Going forward we need to have a contingency plan in the event there is another virus outbreak or some other catastrophe …


The Government’s Stimulus Packages have given thousands of businesses a lifeline during the Coronavirus crisis. Unfortunately, with many businesses back in lockdown in Victoria, some businesses just won’t survive this time around. As accountants, our mission is to ensure you survive but if all avenues have been exhausted and it’s the end of the road, there are a number of things that need to happen to wind a business up…


The ATO has announced a rise in the cents per kilometre deduction rate for motor vehicle expenses for the 2020/21 financial year. Effective from July 1, 2020 it will be 72 cents per kilometre. The tax office is expecting to see a drop in work-related car expenses claims due to the COVID-19 travel restrictions in the last quarter of the 2019/20 financial year ... 


Businesses have been forced back into lockdown, for some maybe for the first time under the current stage 4 restrictions in Melbourne and one thing has become clear, it’s no longer ‘business as usual’. The world as we know it has changed and we have been forced to rethink our daily routines, spending habits, exercise regimes and social interactions. Many businesses will be in dire circumstances, but is this the time to be trimming your marketing, or just the opposite?