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Small Business

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Accounting software for Small businesses  to be compliant with ATO accounting methods according to ato website. Below accounting software in intended to be developed , keeping in mind  ato accounting guidelines

accounting software australia calculator

Building and construction industry

As part of the 2011-12 Federal Budget, the government announced the introduction of taxable payments reporting for businesses in the building and construction industry.

The Taxable payments annual report will be required to be submitted by those businesses in the building and construction industry that have paid contractors for building and construction services

From 1 July 2012, businesses in the building and construction industry need to report the total payments they make to each contractor for building and construction services each year. You need to report these payments to us on the Taxable payments annual report.

A list of those developers who have registered their intent supporting the new Taxable payments annual report in their products for the 2012-13 financial year below

Small business accounting software

Accentis Enterprise

Web Address
http://www.accentis.com.au

Description

Accentis Enterprise is a fully-integrated accounting, business management and manufacturing system (ERP/MRP) suitable for businesses having between 2 and 100+ users. Designed for small to medium-sized businesses who have outgrown their off-the-shelf system, Accentis Enterprise is fully designed, manufactured and supported in Australia and has been tailored to suit Australian business who need an affordable, feature-rich and flexible business management solution.

All modules are designed as part of Accentis Enterprise, not third-party add-ons, and include:

– General ledger & financials
– Customers, receivables and Customer Relationship management (CRM)
– Suppliers, payables and Supply Chain Management (SCM)
– Inventory management & warehousing
– Job costing
– Manufacturing (kitting, BOMs, MRP)
– Payroll & Human Resources
– Fixed Assets
– Reporting (over 500 standard reports, all customisable)

MYOB AccountRight Enterprise

Description

Business intelligence and accounting software.
Like AccountRight Premier only more advanced. Use MYOB AccountRight Enterprise (formerly MYOB Premier Enterprise) to drill down to your accounts, payroll and warehouses from wherever you are using Terminal Services. It really does take your numbers to the big stage. It also comes with a 12 month membership to MYOB Cover.

Accrivia

Web Address
http://www.accrivia.com.au

Description

The Accrivia software package offers a range of accounting and operational modules software  (including General Ledger, Cashbook, Payroll, Debtors, Creditors, Jobs / Projects, Inventory and Web Interfacing) and caters for small and medium businesses that require more than an ‘off the shelf’ accounting package.

QuickBooks 2012-13

Web Address
http://www.reckon.com.au

Description

QuickBooks 2012-13 allows access for up to 30 users simultaneously (depending on version used) and includes a comprehensive payroll module, industry specific editions, accounting reports and multi-user capability. QuickBooks 2012-13 also includes the ability to submit your BAS return via the Standard Business Reporting online system.

Classic Software

Web Address
http://classicinfo.com.au

Description

ERP Software for the Mining, Exploration and Oil & Gas Industries

ClearAccounts

Web Address
http://www.clearsoftware.com.au

Description

ClearAccounts is a complete windows based multi-user accounting system designed with flexibility for medium to large size companies, compliant with ATO regulations. The core modules include Debtors, Inventory, Creditors (Cashbook), and General Ledger and can include Purchase Orders, Sales Orders, Payroll, Job Costing, Bill of Materials (Kits), Fixed Assets, Sales Quotes, Foreign Shipping, Overseas Creditors, Colour Selections (Tiles), Point of Sale and Masterviews & Charts, fully integrated. ClearAccounts includes electronic creditors payments bank file creation, electronic filing of BAS, bulk emailing facilities and can have custom modifications to meet specific company requirements

Arrow Financials

Web Address
http://www.arrow.net.au

Description

Arrow Financials delivers to businesses timely and accurate information, smart drill downs menus, extensive audit trails, real time interactivity for immediate data update and response. Arrow Financials is modular in its design, which enables you to select the modules in a combination that best meets your individual business requirements. Available modules include Arrow Financials include: Cashbook, Debtors, Creditors, General Ledger, Job/Time Costing, Fixed Assets, Payroll, Purchase Orders, Sales Orders, Stock, Bill of Materials, Foreign Currency, Multi-Company, Security Matrix, Special Pricing Matrix, Front Counter, Serial Batch Tracking, Advanced Sales Analysis.

Tax Assistant

Web Address
http://www.softassist.com.au

Description

Preparation and electronic lodgement of all tax forms 2001 to 2013.
Tax Assistant integ

Attaché Accounts

Web Address
http://attachesoftware.com

Description

Attaché Accounts software is aimed at small to medium businesses that have outgrown off-the-shelf packages and require better network performance, customisation and control. Operational benefits include faster order processing, more flexible pricing, improved stock control and warehouse management, faster debtor payment and advanced reporting. In addition, Attaché Accounts provides specialist solutions such as CRM, Job Costing, Manufacturing and electronic document delivery. Attaché Accounts has no large upfront software payment, just a low monthly amount, and you can scale the software (up to 100 users) to match your growth

Interactive Accounts Manager [IAM]

Web Address
http://iam-online.com.au

Description

Web based online accounting software produces standard reports & SBR reports. The user can interact with their accounting professional well within the software.
This is an ideal software for ABN contractors, Sole traders and micro & small businesses.

E-record replacement

Software to replace E-record software  download is  over here

More information here http://www.ato.gov.au/businesses/paymentsreporting


Mortgage Tips and building you own Business

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More and more Australians are taking the plunge and starting their own home-based businesses. There are currently over 1 million individuals operating a business from home, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. This number looks set to grow even larger with the easy availability of website building software. The best website templates allow new business owners to create a professional ecommerce site from scratch, with little to no prior knowledge of web design. Recently there has been a surge in Real estate Start ups in Australia

Small business owner WEbsites builder

 

However, starting a home business requires more than simply setting up a website. You’ll need to think of legal issues like registering for company names, business licences, and taxation. Using your residence as a place of business will mean that you must comply with all state, territory, and federal government regulations. To get started with this process, it’s best to contact your local council for more information.

At the same time, home business owners in need of a new mortgage may find that they face some unique issues. Applying for a home loan when you are self-employed can involve a completely different process than the usual one for salaried workers. There may be zoning issues that could affect your mortgage, as well as different standards for assessing your income. It’s best to weigh all these issues to finance a home that will be suitable for your business needs as well.

Choosing the Right Live/Work Property

One of the first unique challenges that a home business owner faces is choosing a property that provides adequate room for business needs. If you have just started up a basic ecommerce site using a Shopify website builder, you will most likely only need one spare room. However, those who plan on meeting with clients could need a full floor of the home. This could also impact your mortgage rates if a significant percentage of the property is used for commercial purposes. The exact percentage will depend on the lender.

How Lenders Assess your Finances

Every lender uses its own methods for assessing your income. In most cases they’ll look at your income using one of three basic methods.

1. Using the most recent year’s income – Although most lenders will use an average over a greater time period, some will only look at earnings from the past year to assess your income.

2. Using the average income from the past two years – Calculating the average income from the past two financial years gives lenders a well-rounded picture of your self-employed earnings.

3. Using the lowest income out of the past two years – If the most recent year’s income is lower than the previous year’s, it may worry a lender who will assume that this downward path could continue into the future. In this circumstance, they may use the lower figure out of the two years as the basis of their assessment.

To assess your earnings from a home-based business, lenders will look at your most recent tax returns as well as other expenses and financial information. Income from other sources, such as rental income, will usually be deducted from the figure that is scrutinized.

Low Document Loans

If you’re unable to find a lender who will help finance a mortgage using traditional methods like tax returns, you may qualify for a low doc home loan. These are available to home business owners who don’t have adequate financial proof available to satisfy income requirements. However, they usually require a higher down payment of at least 20% of the purchase price, and incur higher interest rates than traditional mortgages.

Crime linked to Asylum seekers by Liberal Party ad

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"Under Labor, crime is out of control in western Sydney," the ad states.
"If Labor can’t even control our borders, then how can they control street crime in our suburbs?"….Liberal ad links asylum seekers to street crime – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

racism in australia or politics

The banner was posted on the Liberal Party of Australia’s Facebook page yesterday and was ‘liked’ by more than 680 people.

 

What this liberal ad did ?

  • "Putting boat people and crime in the same sentence”
  • Accompanying the text is an image of a boat at sea and a picture of police crime scene tape

The majority of the more than 430 comments on face book were critical of the ad, but others showed support or sought to explain the ad’s meaning.

While on other forums  questionable comments have been made that  will offend many people

Related links

http://www.racismnoway.com.au/teaching-resources/factsheets/9.html

Achieving operational efficiency with pallet racking systems

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storage solutions australia

Storage and inventory management is one of the major challenges for a growing business. In industries that require precise recording and tracking of goods, it is ideal to have a system and infrastructure in place that can facilitate the operational efficiency required to ensure a smooth supply and delivery process. Businesses in FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods) have realized this and are one of the leading sectors in using pallet-racking systems to better manage their stock inventory. Metal pallet racking shelves have become become an essential part of the industry, not just in Australia, but across the globe. As businesses seek to improve their infrastructure with pallet racking systems, pallet racking companies in Melbourne look at the benefits that lie ahead for businesses and considerations that need to be made prior to their pallet racking selection.

The business benefits of pallet racking

Selective pallet racking is ideal where flexibility, access and speed of operation are the main objectives of the required business system. Pallet racks save time and energy by storing the entire pallet as opposed to breaking down the pallet and storing the items elsewhere. This saves in additional manpower and labour costs. Pallet racking offers businesses a warehouse storage solution both laterally and vertically. As businesses grow and require storage for their inventory stock, a storage management system is required that will allow the business to store and rotate their inventory as per the business requirements. Pallet racking provides a good system for stock accessibility and rotation, as the pallets can be accessed and moved individually, allowing for rapid handling of pallet goods.

Pallet flexibility

Selective Pallet Racking can also be easily adjusted or relocated at any time. For companies that choose to make the investment in pallet racking; one of the key features that the business will notice is the ease of assembly, disassembly and transportation. Pallet frames can easily be transported by containers to the warehouse location and developed as per the business’s needs. Businesses can further develop the pallet racks within their warehouse by creating access to single or multiple bays.

Pallet racking requires a relatively small investment.

Over the long term, it is ideal for businesses to have their own storage facility. The initial outlay that is required to setup pallet racking in the warehouse is relatively small when compared to outsourcing storage services that could cost the business hundreds of thousands or millions annually.

Improved space management

The clever thing about pallet racking is it’s flexibility when it comes to using space. Pallet racks offer diversified rack and shelving solutions

It provides easy beam adjustment and accommodates various pallet heights. Additionally, lower level pallets can be located on the floor for picking purposes.

Pallet racking safety

It is the duty of the business to design and supply a safe warehouse storage facility that will support the business’s heavy inventory. These types of racks are also improving safety due to the load-bearing steel structure. People may be concerned that the rack would collapse, however with the right rack and maintenance, it isn’t something that should arise as a concern.

Considerations when choosing your pallet rack

When deciding which rack to go from, there are a range of options that need to be considered to fit in with your business’s operational objectives. The types of racks that are available to choose from include:

• Selective racking

• Double deep racking

• Drive-in pallet racking

• Narrow aisle racking

• Push back racking

• Pallet live racking

• Pallet runner

• AS/RS.

Business spaces and needs vary. And the warehouse storage solution needs to reflect the business’s needs. The management of inventory stock, records management and supply chain management with the warehouse is important; hence the need to develop a solid infrastructure to support these business demands.

Improve your business’s operational efficiency with pallet racking systems and improve the efficiency and management of warehouse storage, for the long term success of your business.

Business of Your Future For Sale

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brokers and business for sale australia

Australia is booming economically. Building is going non-stop as entire neighbourhoods are created where once there were only grasses and wildlife.  Now is your best time to invest in the business of your own dream you have held so long. Whether you are interested in flexing your business muscles in a bustling supermarket or wholesale commodities, this is the time and Melbourne is the place.

Franchise or Business Owner?

There are business and franchise opportunities in practically every industry from wholesale to retail, manufacturing to repair, from vehicles to home fixtures. All categories have Business for sale. As a business person, you know where your skills lie and how you can turn them into a solid income for now and your future.  If your business interests are more in the services area such as cleaning, restoring or renovations, there is an opening for you to toss your hat today.

Selling or Buying?

To cash in on the anticipated upswing in the economy can also be the wisest move for you to sell your business that has given you excellent income.  Your company and its client base offered as a Business for sale should bring in a substantial price if brokered wisely, and you would be free to invest in another area.   Either selling or buying a business is a life changing event, and you must have the best representation available or face heavy and lasting disappointment.

Professional Advice and Representation

selling your business online interenet

Knowing when and where and how much is an educated professional’s forte and you should retain the best advice available in the form of a business broker. The broker’s job is not to just file the appropriate documents.  He is representing you, as either seller or buyer, in the business of your dreams. You want the person representing you to have clear communication, integrity and persistence –these are the keys, whether you are vendor or purchaser of a Business for sale.

Your expert consultants should meet with you in the first instance before details are discussed. Maintaining trust in your business broker is of utmost importance, particularly with confidentiality agreements. Ensuring all parties are comfortable and confident during meetings, discussions and inspections are a critical measure of a successful broker.  Successful broker means he successfully negotiated a sale or purchase for you!

BPA Brokers Have Right Stuff

Growing from a one man operation in 2000 into the well established brokerage today, with over 15 team members, did not happen by luck.  It occurred because of its founder’s perseverance and unflagging zeal for his business sales.  It also happened because Mino Stronghilis, founder, treats every contact with the same attention, respect, and willingness to go the extra mile to complete the transaction in a trustworthy, professional manner.

You need the confidence of having the BPA Brokers firm representing you, whether you are interested in buying a $750,000 cafe or selling a $40,000 ethnic Takeaway.  That need is the strong suit of BPA Brokers, in that the team of 15 professional brokers share the same vitality and expertise in bringing a sale or purchase to fruition.  The word which stands apt to describe Mino and his team is "professional", because that is exactly descriptive of who and what they are.

The BPA Brokers firm will handle your business for sale or purchase in a professional yet personal manner. They represent you and not a bank or other entity. They will never enter into any promise, agreement or reveal any details without conferring with you first.

Contact Mino Stronghilis at BPA Brokers today to discuss your present in regard to your future.

Shining the spotlight on the neglected areas of your business

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packaging uastralia

For Australian businesses, there are areas that they do really well in. However, the focus on the successful areas often leads to the neglect of another area. In the following article, we seek to help business owners overcome the challenges with their business’s ‘blind spots.’

Operational health and food safety

It is something that is promoted to businesses time and time again, but businesses still seem to fall through the cracks. There are cases where occupational health and safety is put at risk because businesses don’t put safety practices in to prevent customer or staff injuries or health risks. Food safety is just as important and many in the hospitality industry still don’t take significant measures to ensure that their food preservation and hygiene methods are up to the health and safety standards. A simple solution to food preservation would be for businesses that deal with foods, to partner with a wholesale packaging supplier that can offer packaging and preservation solutions.

Looking at your business with fresh eyes

When you are involved in your business operations day to day, your behaviours start becoming habits and you start to become more used to your environment. This makes it difficult to pick up any errors or mistakes that is happening with your business, particularly areas that are being neglected. A better option would be to bring someone in (ideally an expert) that can look at your business with fresh eyes and provide you with a report breakdown on the areas of your business that need more attention. Once you have generated a list of those items, it makes it easier to focus on those areas of your business that have been lacking attention. Sometimes it is the little details that can sabotage the greater operations of the business.

Keeping your business clean and tidy!

 

First impressions count when you have first time customers. You shouldn’t risk the prospect of gaining a long-term customer by bringing them into an untidy workplace. Even though it may not be through any fault of your own, it is important that you instill clean and tidy practices throughout the workplace. Ensure that hygiene is always maintained and that the business is free from odours or unsavoury sights.

Punctuality and distractions

Is punctuality working at your business? People’s lack of punctuality can be costing you more in terms of operations. Someone’s tardiness can be adding to an unnecessary workload and backlog to your business. Even worse than bad punctuality is the amount of distractions that impact the momentum of your business’s productivity. If these issues arise, deal with it immediately as the longer they continue, the more it will negatively impact your business.

Attention to detail when it comes to customer service

The experience the customer has with your business can make or break your business. As important as this is, it is still amazing to see how poorly businesses fail with their customer service management. Whether it is inside the business, training staff, managing complaints, managing new enquiries or etiquette, it all adds to the overall customer experience. It is much easier to lose a prospect than to gain one. It’s not worth letting all the hard work you’ve done to build your business become undone, due to poor customer experience management.

Organisation and planning

This is something that all businesses should have under control from the day that they open their doors, however organisation and planning is an area that is a weakness to many, and their business suffers because of it. Administration is probably the key area that businesses fail to keep organised. Files and receipts go missing and there is no structure or system to keep, manage and maintain records. It is ideal to hire admin staff that can help you manage and stay on top of administration work. When it comes to other areas of your business, hire strong candidates in planning, project management and organisation. Additionally, there are software applications that help to make organising your life and business easier.

Businesses shouldn’t make excuses to neglecting areas of their business. While it can be accidental, measures should be put in place to review the business practices once every few months to ensure all areas of the business are being covered sufficiently.

Why You Should have Emergency Locksmith Services on your Speed Dial?

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smith  lock australia

There’s nothing more frustrating than getting locked out of your home or car. With professional locksmith services, however, you are guaranteed timely and effective services. With years of extensive industry experience, area locksmiths have the tools and expertise to get you back in the house or on the road. From traditional to digital locks, they can easily bypass any existing alarm systems to secure optimal access and entry. They will also reinstall and service these locks once you are safe inside your abode. As always, area locksmiths are available for emergency automotive, residential and commercial lockouts for new and existing clients.

Automotive Lockouts

Automotive lockouts can happen at any time. In fact, over 50% of car lockouts happen in the driveway and with the vehicle still running. With 24 hour locksmith Adelaide services, however, you are guaranteed professional services from start to finish. Not only will they arrive at your home or business in a timely manner, they will immediately assess and analyze the situation. Area locksmiths will then implement strategic plans of action to unlock your car doors and turn off the ignition. This can include traditional slim Jims, however, may require more intricate and detailed procedures. This, of course, depends on the situation and what the locksmith feels will work best. They also assist customers that are stranded on the road due to keys being locked inside.

Roadside Assistance Locksmiths

As always, emergency locksmiths are committed to excellence in all jobs. They are also dedicated to securing the safety of all clients and customers. This is especially true for drivers that are stranded on open highways or on dirt roads in remote areas. Local locksmiths not only specialize in opening conventional and digital locks, they also network with area law enforcement personnel. This guarantees maximum safety for drivers that are locked out in unfamiliar or questionable areas. Area locksmiths also specialize in CCTV maintenance, along with full lock installations and upgrades. They even offer professional safe opening services, along with complete and comprehensive security system installations and maintenance. All it takes is one phone call or e-mail to get the best and most affordable locksmith services in your area.

Residential and Commercial Lockouts

unlock your locks

24 hour locksmith Adelaide services can get you back in your home or office in no time at all. Whether you have traditional or digital alarm based locks, local locksmiths have the expertise to get them open. As always, they will contact your security company to let them know the situation. This way, the police will not be called in to check for possible burglary or robbery. Local locksmiths also offer key duplication services for your convenience. This is a great way to prevent getting locked out again. From traditional to digital keys, locksmiths can easily emulate and create new keys while you wait. They also offer services for wireless and keyless entry gates, garage doors, yard doors, and so much more.

The Clark Locksmiths Difference

If looking for professional 24 hour locksmith in Adelaide, go no further than Clark Locksmiths. With years of extensive industry experience, they have helped countless clients with residential, automotive, and commercial locksmiths. With 24/7 emergency services and assistance, clients are assured affordable and timely services across the board. This included lock installations and maintenance, along with key duplication services and security upgrades. They also check all doors to ensure locks are up to date, along with reinforcing any areas that may be susceptible to break in.

For more information, simply contact them today for a complimentary consultation.

How to build a small business website with wordpress in 25 minutes

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Make a Small Business Website - 2015

If you’re selling online services or products, or just have a small business – then having a website today is essential and wordpress makes this easy. But even if you don’t sell anything directly online, the website can be useful just like a business card of yours on the internet to get more customers in touch with you, with information about you, your business, and the services offered.

What we will show below in short ( summary )

1. Pick and purchase a domain

2. Set up hosting ( 1& 2 are both covered together with bluehost hosting)

3. Install WordPress and a Theme

4. Add content and set up your site (part2)

Well for many of you who possibly don’t know what is wordpress, it’s one of the most popular website building software on the internet and its easy to use. This Website software is being used by tops brands like BBC America, Sony Music, FORD Social, Ourselves and Beyonce. You can easily build your website for a small business in 25 minutes flat and it can take a bit longer than that if you’re not as computer savvy as some. With the wordpress easy set-up, you can be up and writing for your website the same day after it’s installed.

You will need to sign up with a hosting company to set up your website. Installation of your website is made easy in this process with the 1 click install available from bluehost hosting which also provides a free domain with their 36 month plan. More details below..

This software is so versatile and flexible you can use it to create a professional looking website or just a personal blog, infact you can create a many different kind of websites with it – be it a Ecommerce shop website, A fashion blog , a photography webpage, a gadget showcase or a personal story blog. You get hundreds of free designs from within word press ( wordpress themes) to change and customise the look of your blog, but I always recommend that you purchase a paid theme from a good wordpress theme provider (I recommend elegant themes-Great designs at an affordable price and a large number of themes to choose from) to ensure your blog is always upto date and secure and doesn’t break.

What is wordpress themes ?

It’s a skin that you can put over your blog to change its look or design. You get pre made designs for a word press website that you can get free or then purchase from a wordpress theme provider, you just need to download that design and upload it to your blog to change the whole look of your blog and this can be done in less than 5 minutes

Having a well-designed website can also be an effective way to market your business and compete with larger brands in your industry. Whether you’re creating your first website or rebuilding an outdated one, here’s a step-by-step guide to help you design, market and maintain a great professional site.

Below is a quick Step by step procedure on how to get your wordpress website installed and started in 25 minutes

I have provided bluehost hosting for this tutorial as I have used them before and I am happy with them and they also provide a domain name with your hosting which makes the whole process easier and quicker to do.

Here is the step by step guide

 

1. Go To bluehost – Click here

1 starting a small business website 36

( or click on the get started now button image)

2. Get your Domain Name

2 get your domain nameIt It will tell you if  the name is not available and you can search for another name

3 if domain is availabel or not

 

3.Enter your details for sign up,once you find and appropriate domain name

4 sign up

4. Choose what additional options you need with your website  like privacy ,backups etc (as you can notice  below the domain name is free with the 36month plan,which gives you a discounted price of $3.49 a month)5. what options yu need for your website privacy etc

5. Enter your credit card details on the bluehost secure site and  click submit.

6. billing details

You will get emailed  your receipt  and  login details and  You can  access their 1 click install set up after login into the admin panel to set up your word press website by following the prompts.

Here are the steps you should follow after looging in ( this should be similar/same on all the major web hosting companies):

  1. Log in to your hosting account.
  2. Go to your control panel.
  3. Look for the “WordPress” icon.
  4. Choose the domain where you want to install your website.
  5. Click the “Install Now” button and you should get access to your NEW WordPress website.

 

 

Your wordpress website should be ready now

 

Choosing a Design Theme or Template for your site

Once you have successfully installed WordPress to your domain, you’ll see a very basic yet clean deafault site
But while default design is basic ,you need a good looking site – a design template that tells people that you mean business and attract people to your blog/website. Once you have found a good looking  theme you like, installing it is as simple as clicking “Install” followed by “Activate” to change the look of your site

Pros: Of building your own website

· No technical skills needed. You can create a website in minutes.

· Affordable. Also, reduce costs by making your own site changes.

· Often includes, free integrated hosting.

Cons:

· Advanced functionality is limited to number of plugins available in the website builder program
Small business offer from godaddy


Tired of Waiting for your Website to Load? $1/ mo Hosting + Free domain!

A$1.99 per month Website Builder™ with Free domain

Some other website building options

 

Moonfruit

Moonfruit is a free website host and editor with a plethora of fresh designs and detailed editing options.

Weebly

Weebly’s online website designer is a little easier to use than Moonfruit’s. Quite a few of Weebly’s themes are the same as those offered by WordPress, though Weebly optimizes your site for mobile devices.

 

Why wordpress ?

I chose WordPress for this guide because it was the easiest CMS or (website platform) I found that non-web savvy people could get installed and work with. There is lots of free web-site automatic software and websites out there that let people build a website for free.

The problem with this being

1) it only works on their hosting so you don’t really have full control of your own site

2) When it comes time for you to have a designer come in to add functionality you need to or improve the site according to your needs, they won’t be able to use that software, and likely ask you to start all over again.

Don’t procrastinate and get your business online and give it a good chance to get more customers to your business. Good luck!

Jeff is an avid blogger and website builder and writes about website creation when he is not blogging on start-a-website.info or talking about technology at digitalgrog.com.au his Australian blog.You can get in touch with him here on twitter and G+.


Large Format Printing – How To Use it For Your Business’ Success

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There exists a razor-thin point between success and failure in today’s business environment. You need to get your message out, as the only strategy to get ahead in the crowded market. With dwindling returns from most modes of advertising, many businesses are looking into adopting something new. One of the viable alternatives is to capitalize on large format printing.

printing

Large Format Printing is a marketing medium whose popularity is growing by day. As the name implies, it mainly supports maximum print roll width. There are several Large Format Printing Richmond service providers from whom you can select the best. Here are four ways you can utilize large format printing to successfully market your products and services.

Large Format Banners

One thing you can buy from a large format printing firm is a large format banner. Normally, banners tend to be unattractive owing to their limited use of fonts and graphics. However, these options are significantly expanded with large format printing, thanks to the advanced printing technology used by large format printers.

The technological improvements include more eye-popping colours, higher-resolution graphics and texts, and virtually limitless choices for different graphics and fonts. This can definitely give your business a competitive advantage over those that utilize much more ordinary looking signs and banners.

Building Wraps

Large format printing companies can also print on vinyl material, which can be spread over large objects, including entire buildings. The use of large format printing on building wraps helps to create an outstanding image that is sure to capture the attention of pedestrians and motorists.

With the improved printing technology, you can print almost anything onto a building wrap in complex detail. This is without a doubt, a cutting-edge mode of marketing that only recently was not available.

Vehicle Wraps

Vinyl wraps are not limited to buildings. You can as well place them onto any vehicle. Hummer wraps are also available. You can draw various benefits from using a car with large format printing for advertising. First, a vehicle with eye-popping text and graphics is more likely to stand out on the road. Secondly, you can drive the vehicle to wherever you wish to advertise your business. Signs and other physical advertising mediums certainly cannot match this ability.

Floor Graphics

Most businesses opt to only advertise on signs, on walls, in magazines, and so forth. The space under the feet of pedestrians who see these advertisements has always been ignored. With large format printing, you can create floor graphics that you can place on the ground. These may include a sidewalk, a subway car floor, the floor of a mall, or anywhere else that people walk. These graphics can be colourful and intricate. They will definitely capture the attention of everyone that walks over them.

Conclusion

Large format printing presents you with the luxury of a wider area to work with. It can function as posters, banners, wallpapers and many more. They are perfect for materials with graphic or visual-heavy designs. Moreover, their wide texts and images make huge format prints efficient advertising tools. Large format prints attract customers better than ordinary-sized materials. The broadest width available for this type of prints is 61 inches.

You can find a reputable large format printing Richmond Company that offers top-quality services at competitive prices and can select the ideal type of large format print depending on the nature of your business. To take advantage of the cost savings and efficiency of a professional printing company, consider Fine Print Australia, for your large format printing services.

The open-plan effect: how it affects your health & productivity

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Open-plan offices have a reputation for being cool, collaborative spaces where creativity breeds, ideas fly free and everyone is one big happy family. Popularised during the 1950s to help facilitate communication within a company, this open-plan layout has remained a fixture in many modern workplaces all over the world.

However, the assumption that all employees work best in this open environment is contentious, as study after study highlights the health risks of working in an open-plan layout. From this, it has become apparent that ongoing close contact with colleagues in the office doesn’t always generate the most productive situations.

Health hazard #1: germs

It starts with a quiet cough or a little sneeze, and by the end of the week the sound of blowing noses is echoing throughout the entire office.

The Centre for Economics and Business Research conducted a study into unhygienic workplaces a few years ago and found that germs are costing Australian businesses $5.4 billion annually – and that workers are taking nearly two sick days off per year as a result of poor hygiene. This is especially significant for small businesses, where one bout of flu could leave most team members bedridden and affect deadlines, revenue, and overall productivity.

Health hazard #2: privacy

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Of course, physical health isn’t the only way your office could be making you ill. The very set-up of an open-plan office, once thought to be beneficial for working relationships, is not doing much to contribute to our general well-being.

Research by Dr Oommen and his colleagues at QUT’s Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation found back in 2009 that open-plan offices can cause conflict, stress, staff turnover, even high blood pressure. He also found the fact that everyone can hear what everyone else is saying on the phone or see what they’re doing on their computer screen leads to increased feelings of insecurity and distrust.

A more recent study by Dr Rachel Morrison and Dr Keith Macky of Auckland University of Technology supports Oommen’s findings: instead of encouraging employees to be more social and communicative, the lack of privacy in shared workspaces can actually do the opposite. In an article in The Guardian about the study’s findings, Dr Morrison explains:

Although prior researchers have claimed shared workspaces can improve social support, communication and cooperation, our results indicated that coworker friendships are of the lowest quality in hot-desking and open-plan arrangements, when compared with those with their own offices or who share offices with just one or two others. They are significantly worse when compared with those who mainly work at home or on the road.

Health hazard #3: productivity

Professor Richard de Dear, who studies our relationship with built environments, comments on how open-plan offices can have a negative effect on productivity levels in an episode of Catalyst:

The best indicative metric for productivity on a day-to-day basis is actually self-assessment, and what the actual office workers themselves think about their productivity would indicate that there’s a significant decrement in productivity in an open-plan office, mainly because there is unwanted noise. And it’s not really just the noise that’s the issue, it’s intelligible speech.

This aligns with another study conducted on ‘auditory distraction’, or the effect of office noise on mental performance. Participants were asked to complete mental arithmetic and serial recall tests, and the results showed noise significantly impaired their cognitive performance. If you are constantly trying to concentrate in a noisy office environment, your brain’s ‘flight or fight’ response is triggered – releasing cortisol into the body – and high levels of cortisol can actually supress your immune system.

So what can you do?

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The widespread popularity of the open plan means that at some point – if you aren’t already – you could end up working in some kind of shared space. Although this may not be your preferred set-up, this doesn’t have to spell inevitable doom and gloom: there are ways to maximise your productivity while working in a shared space.

Here are five simple ways you can stay healthy, happy, and productive in your open-plan office.

1. Get noise-cancelling headphones

Invest in some high-quality, noise-cancelling headphones to create your own quiet bubble when you need it. Listen to something ambient and calming to avoid putting ‘noise on top of noise’, so to speak. Or you don’t even necessarily have to listen to anything: simply wearing headphones can help when the office’s background noise gets a bit too loud. Opt for some over-the-ear ones (as opposed to ear buds): these can also double as a gentle signal to your colleagues that you don’t want to be disturbed.

2. Book a meeting with yourself

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For those times when you’re working toward a tight deadline or need a quieter environment to focus on something, book a meeting room for a few hours and work through your more difficult projects alone. Or, if it would be tricky to snag an entire meeting room for yourself, block out time in your calendar – then at least you can deflect co-workers’ meeting invites from interfering with your productivity.

3. Create a ‘busy’ signal

Although you can’t completely section yourself off in an open-plan office without attracting more than a few strange looks, there are subtle ways to communicate a ‘do not disturb’ signal to your desk mates. The sales team here at GoToMeeting wear hats as a fun way to let their colleagues know they’re on the phone to a client or otherwise busy – with the result that they’re more focused and productive throughout the day! We aren’t the only ones to don hats either: check out this article to read more about open-plan office solutions.

4. Get out alone

Adopt healthy habits to try and reduce your personal stress levels. Spending more time alone – taking lunch breaks alone, popping out for a coffee by yourself – is a great way to relieve some of the open-plan stress. It doesn’t have to be for long – even a quick walk for 10-15 minutes will help you feel more energised and productive. Getting out for a walk on your break also provides a quick burst of much-needed exercise, fresh air, and vitamin D to keep your immune system strong and healthy.

5. Discuss remote working solutions

Talk with your manager about a remote working arrangement. Even working from home for one day a week could help increase your productivity while keeping you healthy and balanced. This arrangement is especially beneficial when it comes to staying germ-free: working from home when you’re slightly under the weather prevents illnesses from spreading (your colleagues will thank you) and allows you to keep up with your workload.

To read more about the benefits of working from home, check out our guide here.

If changing your office set-up isn’t within your power, adopting a few coping strategies can massively improve your situation. Finding the little strategies that make your immediate environment work for you will help you stay productive, healthy, and – above all – fulfilled in your job!

About the author:

Teneille Dawe is the SMB Marketing Lead for GetGo, the leading provider of phone conferencing and online meeting service GoToMeeting. Based in Sydney, Australia, she uses her 10+ years of industry experience to manage the webinar and content programme for the APAC team, and enjoys collaborating with other business leaders from all around the world. Connect with her on LinkedIn

Find Out Why Dealing In Scrap Cars Can Earn You Real Money And A Bright Future

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Do you consider yourself as an aspiring entrepreneur?

Do you wish to invest your sweat and money in a world-changing business idea?

Then scrap cars can be your deal!

Scrap cars are not necessarily 100% damaged cars. Period!

Scrap cars are damaged cars which the owners do not wish to own it anymore. Hence, scraps. There are over 1 Billion vehicles around the world, but only a few scrap car businesses because it is capital intensive and moreover, no one really understands what to do with scraps to make some real money.

What you can offer that no one else can?

This is a question that you need to ask before you even think of entering the scrap car removal business. Please do not think of giving sellers the option of car removal for cash or preferably more cash than your competitors because that model has long been tried and has only resulted in failed or heavily loaned businesses.

You need to find that one thing which can help you recycle and resell the purchased cars efficiently.

Selling the car part by part?

Remodelling it completely to sell it off?

Modifying it for the Collectors?

Keeping it long term to sell to the vintage fanatics?

Or

Doing something environment friendly with the scraps to avoid tons of metal being dumped?

These are not the only solutions, but a hundred more can be formulated with the right mind and team members. The possibility is endless because the number of cars do not seem to reduce, rather increase exponentially in the near future; proving that the industry is growing and investing in the initial stage can result in some sweet results in the future.

Steps towards Success

In order to run a profitable car scrap removal business in the long run, you need to focus more on the services that you can offer and charge your customers on them, such as:

● Allowing your customers to call you for a pickup and drop of their car from anywhere they want.

● Selling (auctioning) individual parts of the car to Collectors.

● Safekeeping the car and remodelling it can help you charge some extra bucks for the storage as well.

The fact that you do not have to keep your products in perfect condition makes the whole proposition a little more interesting because you cannot damage a scrap car anymore than it usually is (mostly).

You need to have a digital presence for your potential customers to reach you at the click of a button, plus the digital aspect will act as a platform on which you can display different kinds of products that you might be selling. The scrap car business requires you to build a network in different areas of the world because it usually is first-come-first-serve and the collectors do not wait when they see a genuine piece.

Start Now to Make Profits in Future

This kind of business can also be profitable in smaller regions because where there are people, there is a large number of cars. Scrap car removal in Newcastle, Scrap metal in York or scrap car body parts in Manchester etcetera is not just common, but also growing rapidly.

These kinds of businesses require immense hard work and capital in its initial stage, which makes it difficult for every entrepreneur to invest in it. But if you can make real money from scraps, then you can be the best entrepreneur in the world.

The road to success isn’t smooth and a few bumps will only make you shine brighter- Dhoundhu

Buying-In Benefits – The Advantages of Becoming a Franchisee

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Buying-In Benefits ~ The Advantages of Becoming a Franchisee

For many people, purchasing a franchise is a popular means to achieving the goal of starting a new business. With a higher average rate of success than start-up businesses and developed methods of successful business strategies, there are many benefits in choosing to invest in a franchise model.

Franchises combine the independence of small business ownership, with the benefits and support of a big business network. When buying a franchise, you therefore become part of a wider business community, providing you with ongoing support, training and other benefits. Read on to find the other key advantages of becoming a franchisee.

Established Brand Identity

Franchisees are able to take full advantage of the already established market image of the corporate brand. Most established franchises are easily identifiable to the public, providing your business with cumulative marketing impact. Franchised businesses have some of the most successful brand identities in the world and have even built national and international brand-name recognition, such as McDonald’s or KFC.

The name recognition that comes with an established brand and the consistency of the franchise model, provides your business with pre-existing customers who have previously enjoyed the franchise system’s products or services.

Lower Risk

Existing customer awareness of the brand and the guidance of the franchisor are just some reasons that franchises enjoy a lower failure rate than their start-up business counterparts.

A lot of planning and trial and error go into starting any new business from scratch. When you purchase a franchise, you purchase the knowledge of those who have gone before you. This is the expertise of people who have made mistakes, learned from them and developed systems that are profitable and successful for the market and the individual business.

Ongoing Support

Franchise companies are dedicated to the success of each franchise location. They therefore have staff dedicated to providing ongoing assistance, even after you have built and started running your business.

Most established franchisors have already survived decades in their respective industries, and are therefore experts at providing tips and tricks to help your business succeed. A good franchise company will have training programs designed to provide ongoing training and the most successful methods to run the business.

Exclusivity

Exclusivity is another advantage of buying into a franchise. Most franchise agreements provide you with an exclusivity agreement in your specific area. This means that an identical franchise will not be permitted to open within a certain distance from your business.

The exclusivity arrangements of most franchise agreements alleviate some of the competition and provides you with an opportunity to make your stamp on the local business market.

Record of Success

When you buy a franchise, you are buying an established concept that has been previously successful. In fact, before buying a franchise the owners are required to disclose their market results, so that you can verify the numbers prior to making a purchasing decision.

Marketing Assistance

One of the biggest advantages of purchasing a franchise, is the ability to benefit from national advertising campaigns. Advertising can be one of the biggest expenses for any new business. Being supported by national and international marketing strategies therefore puts you at an advantage over other local competitors.

Owning a franchise typically gives you some freedom in pursuing local marketing and advertising campaigns. With the support of the franchise’s marketing experts, providing you with proven tools and strategies for attracting and retaining customers, you can even launch your own locally-targeted campaigns.

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While there are always risks in any new business venture, purchasing a franchise limits some of the concerns of a start-up business. Being a franchisee can indeed be the fast track to success, if backed up by hard work and persistence. When you purchase a franchise, you buy into a proven business model with huge growth potential; providing you with the opportunities and support to run a successful and profitable business.

Bio: Laura Costello is a recent graduate of a Bachelor of Law/International Relations at Latrobe University. She is passionate about the law, the power of social media, and the ability to translate her knowledge of both common and complex topics to readers across a variety of mediums, in a way that is easy to understand.

5 Strategies to Minimize Abandonment of Shopping Carts for Your Online Store

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Once a customer makes a few purchases from your store, they are bound to be loyal. However, abandoned carts are always a problem for most online stores. Luckily, it is easy to manage them and get back your loyal customers to their buying behaviors. Some of the tactics you can use include:

Follow up on abandoned carts

Regardless of how strong your SEO strategy is you need a plan moving forward. Following up on abandoned carts is the first strategy you can make a follow up on. Once you have a SEO agency set up the framework to drive more traffic to your site, you can proceed with your core skills. Follow up on customers who were once buying from your store and lure them back to continue doing the same.

Manage your leads from the start

It is a long road from the time a person visits your online store to when they choose to buy. Most of the time potential customers will give up along the way or take a lot of time before they can buy from your store. Luckily, you can close a sale within a short period if you choose to manage your leads from the start. Once you drive quality traffic to your site with help from the best SEO agency, you can start managing them from there. Allow yourself to ask them for help as soon as they show up on your site. You can offer to help them find an item with ease and close that sale within a few minutes.

Utilize email marketing for buying customers

Email marketing is what every online store should use not only manage abandoned carts, but also to increase the conversion rate. The returning customer is your major asset as they guarantee that you will have sales in future. Always treasure that and by using email marketing, you can win every day for loyal customers. To maintain that spirit of buying, you will need constantly send promotional emails to customers and remind them of the best offers they are missing out on. Consult a SEO agency with expertise in email marketing to optimize your email content for objective marketing.

Keep track of the customers ‘buying behavior

The buying behavior should have an even pattern for a loyal customer. If you identify any deviation from the norm, then you should move in to find out what went wrong. Did the customer change stores, or did the customer move? It helps you to keep a record and remind the customer to come back now and them. If they went to another store, then they might come back when they hear from you.

Respond to views and responses from customers

Since you are running an online store where people are spending their real hard earned cash, then you have to respond to their queries. Whether positive comments or not, you need to keep your composure. It is all about making the customers happy. If the customer is not happy then your business will be in danger or losing revenue. You have to make sure that you follow up on any issue and respond as fast as possible and assure a better service. Also, respond to complements from customers to a cordial relationship.

Streamlined Systems – 5 Ways to Improve Office Efficiency

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Source: Geralt/Pixabay

It’s getting hard and harder to make a dollar. Living costs are rising, but wages are not keeping pace. What’s more, most business’ profit margins seem to get narrower by the day. Rather than make drastic changes that could impact those around you, it’s time to turn your office into one of efficiency to benefit your bottom line. Here’s how to do it:

Update Your Communication Methods

If you haven’t heard of cloud unified communications, then you’re missing out on dramatic savings that could have a positive impact on your business. Unified communications are an advanced phone, video, email and messaging system that merges all these different communication methods into one.

You can make and receive phone calls from anywhere in the world on your official business number, use instant messaging and group chat, and even utilize voice and video calling. Even more eye-opening is the price tag. Unlike traditional phone systems which are complex to maintain and expensive to upgrade, modern methods such as unified communications are scalable and affordable.

Time Tracking Technology

Did you know that over 30 percent of employees waste at least half an hour of work time every day? That might not seem like a lot, but that equates to around four hours every week, per worker. It can make you wonder whether your team’s roles as are streamlined as they could be.

Time tracking technology can help you to establish how much time a particular task takes. While some staff may see it as a privacy invasion, that’s not its purpose. Once you know how long a job takes to complete, you can find out whether some staff can take on more work, or if others need a helping hand.

Team Project Management Applications

Remember in school when everyone had a job to do on a team project, but something always went wrong? Crucial data fell through the cracks, someone didn’t pull their weight, or people forgot which job was theirs.

The workplace can be a lot like that without appropriate project management applications in place. Time equals money, and if you can save time with streamlined project management applications, why wouldn’t you? Such apps have digital paper trails, task allocation, and instant messaging so that everyone knows where they are.

Integrated Workplace Management Systems

When you’re trying to make your workplace more efficient to boost profitability, the last thing you want to do is spend more money. However, that’s often the answer. If you’re going to spend it anywhere, invest in integrated workplace management systems.

Such software can spell the end of most of your everyday programs, transforming them into one easy-to-manage system. In the long-run, you’ll save time, cut down on expensive fees, and make your workers’ days a little bit easier.

Give Your Workers Freedom

While offering your staff freedom doesn’t sound like efficiency, it can have more of an impact than you think. Give your team the freedom to turn their office space into a place for them, and productivity will follow.

Studies show that 17 percent of those with custom workspaces were more enriched and empowered than workers without anything to call theirs. Even a family photo and a few knick-knacks can make all the difference.

Cutting costs isn’t always about redundancies, downsizing, and cutting back on stationery purchases. It can be as easy as focusing on efficiency and productivity to save time. Time is money; let’s not forget. Find out whether your workers’ roles are at full capacity, and invest in beneficial technology to make their lives easier. The financial rewards will follow.

Tips to Grow Your Kitchen and Bathroom Design Business

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Starting a kitchen and bathroom design business is no rocket science as there are so many who have made out there. If you are an enthusiast for interior design, it is never too late to start and become a huge brand. Here are tips on how to grow your business as a kitchen and bathroom designer.

Focus on Marketing

You might have all the right skills to deliver impeccable designs and remodelling, but you have no one to deliver to. A lot of craft persons rely on referrals to reach as many people as possible, but this does not always work since not everybody likes you and will put good work out there for you.

On the contrary, recommendations are not harmful at all but will not get you where you want to go. Start by coming up with a brand name and a simple, attractive logo that represents you. Punch in a slogan cannot hurt too. With these in place, start small according to your financial ability.

You can start with social media pages, podcasts, and blogs and grow to more prominent marketing platforms as you gain more customers and make more money. While still at marketing, move with the trend and consider setting up a website where clients can quickly look through your services and products, including making orders and giving feedback for the services received.

Increase Your Staff

As you look to grow in terms of impact in the market and amount of returns you make, consider starting the growth from the inside.

Marketing might work incredibly well for you depending on how good your strategy is but if you do not have an adequate workforce to deliver to the many clients that you got yourself, they will leave and look for a designer who delivers.

Become selfless for the greater good by spending more of the profit to add a few more skilled employees with the potential to grow too in your payroll to increase productivity and improve on service delivery. Eventually, this investment that seems to be dragging your income at the moment will pay off.

Find a Reliable Supplier

Like all other businesses, you will need people to supply to you certain products that you need to make every design you come up with a masterpiece. As part of starting the business, you will need a list of the basic things required to deliver to clients, and with these, you can start looking for the right people to do kitchen and bathroom supplies for you in Australia.

Go for someone whose competency is at the same level as yours or even higher to avoid last minute rush or delays in delivering to clients’ expectation. The ideal choice here is Argent which is a renowned brand throughout Australia and globally for stocking top-tier products at significantly reduced prices.

Make Quality a Priority

The growing might seem easy, but maintaining the trend is not guaranteed, primarily if you are known to play around with the quality of service you deliver. Everybody wants value for their money, and that is why you need not compromise with the quality of service you deliver to clients to keep them satisfied and recommend your services to others.

Connect with Colleagues

As they say, no man is an island, and when starting a kitchen and bathroom design business, you need to learn from others. It is crucial to add on some creativity in your interactions as well and give much thought into hanging out with other designers in the business.

Best way to do this is to attend exhibitions and visit any kitchen and bath showroom in town where your peers are and wear your ‘people’s person’ hat. You will be stunned by how much extra you get to learn by interacting with your competitors and confrères.

Offer other Services

Do not stick to doing new bathroom and kitchen design for clients but consider adding extra services that will allow you to reach out to more clients and get to grow your business.

Remodelling, consultation, and maintenance are some of the additional services you can bring in rather than only working with clients doing completely new projects.

With the right skill set, planning, and the spirit to learn from others and a handy guide like this, there is no reason why you should not grow to a prominent brand recognized and respected globally.


The Rostering Revolution: How to Effectively Track a Remote Workforce

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As the world sees a huge shift towards remote working in the last few months, businesses and offices all around the globe have had to find effective ways to manage and track their workforce. Managing staff in an office setting can be difficult enough, let alone managing a workforce that is situated all around the country. Whilst tracking a remote workforce can take a little time and effort on the part of a business owner, it is not an impossible feat. In today’s article, we have a look at how business owners can effectively track a remote workforce by using various tools and strategies that help streamline the tracking process. Read on to find out more!

  1. Software is Essential

When it comes to tracking schedules and work hours, software is an absolute essential. Relying on word of mouth or manual ways of tracking hours is almost always a recipe for disaster. This is why it is so important that business owners make use of tools such as an app for rostering your staff when engaging with a remote workforce. With the help of a timesheet and scheduling app, you will be able to effectively and closely monitor employee hours, shifts and schedules. Software essentially does the work for you, thus greatly reducing the burden on your shoulders whilst at the same time tracking your workforce with utmost precision and accuracy.

  1. Face-To-Face Interaction

Face-to-face interaction when it comes to managing a remote workforce is actually more important than you may think. It can be all too easy for both employers and employees to feel disconnected when working from home, which can ultimately prove to reduce motivation and efficiency levels. In order to prevent this, it is incredibly important that business owners engage in face-to-face interaction with employees at least once a week. This could be in the form of a team meeting, a one-on-one meeting with staff or even just an online socialising session that allows everyone to come together and let their hair down. Never underestimate the power of face-to-face interaction when it comes to tracking a remote workforce.

  1. A Culture of Accountability

Once a business has implemented its time tracking and scheduling software, it is important for those who are higher in the hierarchy to lead by example. This can come in the form of sharing your own timesheet with your employees and encouraging everyone to do the same. Openly sharing timesheets can greatly improve employee motivation and can easily set a benchmark for performance, efficiency and productivity amongst the workforce. Sharing this information also helps to foster a culture of accountability amongst your workers which will inevitably make your job of tracking them much easier in the long run.

  1. Focus On Deadlines

One of the best ways to encourage productivity and efficiency with remote workers is to set strict deadlines that workers have to meet. Ensuring that your team fully understands the scope of their work and being firm with deadlines is a fantastic way to ensure that every monitoring activity will be focused on one singular outcome instead of getting your team to collaborate together towards a shared goal. Individual deadlines can keep employees on their toes, thus ensuring that everyone is giving their 110% and reducing the need for business owners to constantly be checking up on activity and efficiency levels.

  1. End Of Day Report Summaries

With the number of tasks that your team has to deal with, it can be easy for them to lose track of what they have accomplished during the day. This is why introducing end of day report summaries is such a great idea. These summaries can be used as a tool to help both employer and employee identify opportunities for improvement, iron out any potential issues and keep track of their activity on a daily basis. Summaries should be paired with regular team meetings in order to make sure everyone is on the right track and no one is left lagging behind.

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Tracking and managing a remote workforce can be a challenging job, but it certainly isn’t one that is impossible. By utilising a wide variety of tools and ensuring clear and effective communication channels with your workforce, you’ll find that managing your team is a lot easier than you had ever imagined.

Big four banks to dish out refunds into bank accounts before June end

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No one gets money for free, but the refund from Commonwealth bank, Westpac bank, ANZ and National Australia Bank might be hitting your bank account soon.

Forget EOFY tax return refunds from the tax office, this is sweeter as you don’t have to apply for it, its your money getting refunded without any paperwork needed.

If you see this in your commonwealth bank account

Additional interest
refund
Value Date_ 25/06/2020

additional interest refund

The refund posting may look different depending on which bank you bank with.

Fancy a $10,000 refund?

Refunds can be anywhere from couple of thousand dollars to even $10,000 or more depending on how many loans you have with the bank.

Why the refund ?

If you have a refund looking like above in your bank account you could have possibly got a refund related to remediation done on your home loan, refunding you amounts of interest that was wrongly charged by the bank.

This is due to the remediation the banks have been forced to do due to the government enquiry into banks and how they treat and charge their customers.

CBA Refund on home loan interest charges 2020 for COVID19

This is not a refund, but more like a payment  for the interest on interest  you get charged for your deferred home loan repayments. Australia’s largest bank will make payments to home loan customers impacted by coronavirus to offset interest charges. 

When a home loan repayment is deferred for six months, interest is calculated and added to the loan balance each month which can result in customers paying interest on interest each month. Anyone having a home loan could possibly get this refund before end of June this year.

“This means for an average loan of $350,000, CBA will be refunding approximately $45 to offset the effect of interest on interest over the six-month period. Customer payments will vary based on their loan amount and interest rate.” Commonwealth bank representative said.

2020 – Big four’s Banks current relief packages for covid19

The four major banks in March announced they would allow home loan customers to defer mortgage repayments for six months as part of a $100 billion scheme with the Reserve Bank of Australia to alleviate stress on Australian households, as thousands are tipped into unemployment. 

CBA – Following the end of the six-month pause, home loan repayments remain the same as before, with the loan term being extended. CBA will also make a one-time payment to offset the interest on interest being charged to customers over the deferral.

Westpac – Impacted customers are being offered a 3-month pause with the option for a further 3 months after review. Home loan repayments increase after the deferral, but the loan term remains the same.

national australia bank

NAB – Following the repayment holiday, home loan repayments increase, but the loan term remains the same.

Australia New Zealand Bank

ANZ – Customers can choose to keep the loan term the same or extend it by six months, with a review at three months, with both options likely resulting in mortgage repayments increasing after the pause.

Robodebt refund: June 2020

The Federal Government has announced it will refund more than $721 million dollars in wrongly issued Centrelink debts to over 373,000 Australians.

The incorrect debt collections made between the 2015/2016 financial year and November 2019 targeted individuals who had supposedly received more welfare than their income entitled them to.

The debts were automatically calculated by special algorithms without human intervention and became known as rob debts.

How do I get my robo debt refund?

If your eligible, the amount will get credited in your account, so update your details on mygov if not done already.  Government Services Minister Stuart Robert said 190,000 individuals will be repaid starting from July 1.

Royal Banking Commission Australia

Started: 14 December 2017

Ended: 4 February 2019

The Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry, also known as the Banking Royal Commission and the Hayne Royal Commission, was a royal commission established on 14 December 2017 by the Australian government pursuant to the Royal Commissions Act 1902 to inquire into and report on misconduct in the banking, superannuation, and financial services industry.

2018 CBA Junk Insurance Refund

After the royal commission, refunds for 140,000 were said to be issued to CBA customers

Commonwealth Bank will issue $16 million in refunds to 140,000 people who were sold add-on insurance right before the bank’s ‘junk’ products become the subject of royal commission hearings.

“Consumer credit insurance” has been pitched to customers as a safety net that’ll help them meet their credit card or loan repayments if they lose their job, become sick, injured or die. The financial regulator characterises them as not of much value and consumer groups simply describe them as ‘junk’.

Consumer Credit Insurance. Consumer credit insurance (CCI) covers you if something happens to you that affects your ability to meet your credit repayment. You may be offered CCI cover by your lender when it approves your credit (such as a credit card, personal loan or mortgage).

Find more about this here- https://www.choice.com.au/money/insurance/insurance-advice/articles/commonwealth-bank-refund-16m-junk-insurance-royal-commission-080318

2016 -Recent Fee for no service scandal:

The sweeping scandals – tagged by ASIC as “fees for no service” in its landmark report in October 2016 – saw the big banks and AMP targeted for practices dating back years where millions of dollars in fees were creamed off accounts for financial advice never given.

Wealth management and financial advice industries were involved and investigated in the banking royal commission for this scandal.

Commonwealth bank Wealth package refund in 2015

This happened in 2015. If you held a wealth package, you could have got a refund. The Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) was said to refund approximately $80 million to around 216,000 Wealth Package customers as compensation for failing to apply fee waivers, interest concessions and other benefits since 2008.

It equated to an average refund per customer affected of around $370, which includes interest. In this case bank staff had to manually apply many of the discounts available under the Wealth Package, which in some instances did not occur.

2017 – CommInsure refunding – CCP premiums

Commonwealth Bank and insurers QBE and Virginia Surety would repay a total of over $26 million to people who were mis-sold add-on insurance, including consumer credit insurance.

CreditCard Plus (CCP) Insurance protects customers’ credit card repayment obligations in the event of death, terminal illness, disability and involuntary unemployment.

Following a review of their records, they identified that CCP Insurance may have been sold to a number of customers who may not have been eligible for all the benefits when they bought their policy. Therefore, they were refunding the premiums paid by impacted customers.

More details here – https://www.commbank.com.au/insurance/creditcard-plus/faqs.html

2020 Westpac refund for small business – Merchant terminal fee relief

The Merchant terminal fee relief was a part of Westpac’s COVID-19 support package for Australian businesses, for 3 months, starting in April 2020.

All eligible merchant customers would have received their final refund payment and westpac are working to provide you with a GST adjustment note for tax purposes in the coming weeks.

Who is eligible? -Merchant customers with a total card spend of less than $5 million per annum.

More here- https://www.westpac.com.au/help/disaster-relief/coronavirus/business/merchant-terminal-fee-refunds/

2015 – 2019 Nab Refunds

NAB’s refund program was set up in 2015, however only about $300 million has been paid back to customers.  IN 2015  National Australia Bank WAS SAID TOl refund A$25 million ($18.38 million) to around 62,000 wealth management clients who were wrongly compensated.

https://asic.gov.au/about-asic/news-centre/find-a-media-release/2015-releases/15-194mr-nab-wealth-refunds-additional-customers-following-asic-action/

In 2019 Nab was ordered to pay back money to customers for junk insurance given to customers by shoddy financial advice. This came about by the royal banking commission.

It now expects another of its remediation Project Hunt to be finished in October.

ASIC is currently overseeing more than 100 remediation programs expected to pay out more than $2 billion to consumers on top of the almost $1 billion that has already been returned. About $10 billion has been set aside by the industry for remediation programs.

Qantas refund /Airline refund/ Flight Centre Travel agent refund

Qantas and Singapore airlines have many destination flights from Australia and there are thousands of customers still waiting for refunds directly from the airlines or then from flight centre or travel agents.

Airlines have given a mix of “travel credit” “travel vouchers” flights for future and money refunds. Flight centre has attracted court action and being looked into by authorities for delay in them giving refunds to customers.

Those customers who have accepted a travel credit voucher may not be eligible for a refund of money, however those whose flights got cancelled will be able to claim a refund.

Delayed air ticket and hotel accommodation refunds by travel agents and airlines could lead to further legal action being taken by irate customers due to interest charges escalating on credit cards.

Qantas Refunds

https://www.qantas.com/us/en/book-a-trip/flights/compensation-and-refunds-policy.html

Singapore Airline refund

https://www.singaporeair.com/en_UK/us/travel-info/charges-changes/cancellations-refunds/

Flight Centre Refunds

https://www.flightcentre.com.au/support/bookings#my-options

https://www.accc.gov.au/media-release/flight-centre-to-refund-cancellation-fees

The ACCC has received more than 6000 complaints from consumers dissatisfied with travel companies’ refund policies and cancellation fees, with thousands more contacting their local state or territory fair trading agencies seeking assistance resolving individual disputes. 

Qantas is refunding customers for flight cancellations after the ACCC COVID-19 Taskforce raised concerns with the way the airline had handled claims

CRUISE REFUNDS

Cruise Ships Australia

COVID-19 has been called one of the worst things to happen to the cruise industry in decades.

Thousands of cruise customers from big cruise companies like Caribbean Cruise, Princess Cruise, Carnival Cruises and P & O Cruises are awaiting their refunds due to cancellation of cruises all over the world.

Most cruise liners though American owned, operate from overseas tax haven countries and so has been denied by USA for financial bailouts in the COVID19 Crisis times.

Most cruise liners are offering cruise credits to their customers leaving not many options to disgruntled clients.

Princess cruises

https://www.princess.com/news/notices_and_advisories/notices/refunds-and-future-cruise-credits.html

Royal Carribean Cruises

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/booking-cancellation-refund-policy

P&O cruises

https://www.pocruises.com/request

Carnival Cruises

https://help.carnival.com/app/answers/list/search/suggested/1

Reference Websites

Banks:

Westpac Bank – https://www.westpac.com.au/

ANZ Bank – https://www.anz.com.au/

National Australia Bank – https://www.nab.com.au/

Commonwealth Bank – https://www.commbank.com.au/

Government:

ACCC

ASIC – https://asic.gov.au/

ATO – https://www.ato.gov.au/

APRA – https://www.apra.gov.au/

ACCC – https://www.accc.gov.au/

Search Keywords to Article:

Refund from CommBank 2020

Commonwealth bank refund

Credit in bank account

When do I get my cruise refund

4 Main Tips to Be a Successful Business Administrator

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Business administration is a great career for you if you’re patient, able to make decisions on your feet and have a keen eye for detail. If you’re not sure where to start, we’ve got you covered. Don’t hesitate to explore this career further even if you don’t tick all the boxes – there is plenty of time to learn and prepare yourself mentally for a stress-free business administrator job. If you are wondering how to be a successful business administrator, check out our 4 tips below and see for yourself.

Never Stop Learning

Whatever career you choose, there is always room for improvement. Business administration courses prepare you for this career and shed light on how you can contribute to companies by working on real projects that prepare you for the competitive business world. The curriculum is practical, so you can demonstrate your theoretical knowledge and gain practical experience which comes in handy when you need to solve real business problems and overcome different business challenges. A diploma of business administration is proof that you’re able to apply yourself to the task and know every nook and cranny of the business or a company you represent.

Organization

Being organized and able to work under pressure are two key skills a successful business administrator has to possess. People rely on you to help the business evolve, show off your critical thinking skills and come up with creative solutions to problems if there is need to. This is also a great way to prosper in your career. Job duties include managing files and data, managing meetings and helping the business run smoothly by using a range of specialized managerial techniques. The core of all these job duties lies in organization and time management. Prioritize your daily goals according to their importance for the company to maximize the profit and minimize the time necessary for completing the task.

Be Inquisitive

As a beginner, don’t be afraid to ask questions or make mistakes. While interacting with different experts in the field, you can learn a lot about case studies or presentations that are relevant for your future career growth, if you’re interested in climbing up the ladder one day. Pay attention to details, and how you communicate with others. First impression does matter. When a new client arrives, it is your job to make him feel welcome and keep him in the loop about meetings and day-to-day business operations. While speaking to him, you can find out more information about the way he conducts his business and the approaches he prefers.

Adept in Technology

Computer literacy is a pretty common job requirement these days. Creating reports, data entry forms or a calendar that includes important dates doesn’t require advanced computer literacy. However, you have to be proficient in the Microsoft Office package and efficiently use it to accomplish your daily tasks. A thorough understanding of operating systems the company uses, customer relationship management systems and different applications for scheduling or responding to e-mails is necessary. In addition, it would be helpful to have great keyboarding speed and accuracy. Furthermore, your verbal and written communication skills will be the icing on the cake for your employee that will most likely seal the deal.

It’s important not to be afraid of constructive criticism or any type of feedback. Don’t take it personally. The feedback is there to help you do your job better and make necessary changes, if necessary. What do you like the most about this career and what skills should a successful business administrator possess? Tell us all about your opinion in the comment section below!

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