What’s in the forecast?

When you’re heading out for a fishing trip or a hike, you check the weather forecast first. It’s common sense. You want to know what’s coming so you’re prepared.

It’s the same with running your business.

Cashflow is your weather. And your business forecast tells you what’s ahead, sunshine or storms, based on the direction you’re heading.

But unlike the weather, if your business forecast is looking grim, you can change it. You can adjust the sails, shift course, or even rework your entire route. That’s the real value of forecasting. It gives you time to act.

What your business forecast will tell you

A good forecast isn’t just a guess. It’s a tool that pulls together your sales pipeline, expenses, planned investments, and obligations to give you a clear picture of what’s coming.

It can help you:

1. Know if you’ve got enough sales in the pipeline to hit your profit targets

Your sales forecast is more than just a list of potential deals. It’s about tracking what’s likely to convert, when, and how that stacks up against your goals. If you’re falling short, your forecast gives you time to ramp up marketing, re-engage leads, or rethink your offer.

2. Check if your margins are where they need to be

It’s not just about what you sell, it’s what you keep. Are your costs creeping up? Is pricing aligned with the value you’re delivering? Your forecast helps you assess whether your margin supports your profitability targets.

3. Spot if you need to review pricing or production processes

Are you undercharging? Is it taking too long to deliver your service or produce your goods? Forecasting highlights gaps in revenue versus effort, helping you make data-driven decisions about pricing or process improvements.

4. See if your business is running efficiently

Forecasting isn't just about revenue. It can help you assess how much you’re spending to earn that revenue. Are admin or overhead costs blowing out? Is it time to automate or outsource? Forecasting helps pinpoint where efficiency gains could be made.

5. Identify opportunities to reduce costs

Looking at your forecasted outgoings across the year helps you identify recurring expenses that can be reduced, renegotiated, or removed altogether. You’ll see where you’re overspending and where smarter choices can be made.

6. Decide if you should invest more to get a better return

Sometimes spending more is the right move. Whether it's hiring staff, upgrading tools, or investing in marketing, your forecast shows whether that investment is likely to pay off, and how soon. It helps take the guesswork out of big decisions.

7. Know how much to set aside for tax

Surprise tax bills can crush your cash flow. Your forecast should include projected tax liabilities, so you’re not caught off guard. Planning ahead means avoiding panic when it comes time to pay the ATO.

8. Understand how much you can draw from the business

It’s tempting to pull more from the business when sales are high, but will that leave you short next month? A cashflow forecast helps you make informed decisions about your drawings so you’re not undermining your business’s financial health.

9. Plan your debt repayments

Whether it’s loans, credit cards, or equipment finance, your forecast helps you plan repayments without hurting cashflow. You’ll know what you can afford, when you can afford it, and how to manage it without stress.

10. Make sure you’re meeting bank and lender requirements

If you’ve got finance in place, your lender may have covenants or minimum financial thresholds you need to meet. A forecast helps ensure you stay compliant and avoid breaching any conditions – which could impact your funding.

Forecasting helps you take control

The biggest difference between a business forecast and a weather forecast is control.

You can’t stop a storm, but if your business is heading for a rough patch, you can take action. You can boost your sales efforts, reduce expenses, adjust staffing levels, delay non-essential spending, or seek funding in advance.

Your forecast doesn’t just tell you what’s coming. It gives you the power to prepare, adjust and keep things steady.

That’s why a forecast should never be a one-off document that sits in a drawer. It should be a living tool, reviewed regularly (ideally monthly) alongside your actual performance, to make sure you're still on track.

Don’t wait to get soaked – check your forecast now

Running a business without a forecast is like heading out on the water without checking the radar.

At First Class Accounts Ovens & Murray, we build easy-to-understand cashflow forecasts tailored to your business. We help you break it down, so you know what to expect, and what to do if things change.

Need help forecasting? We can set up your budget, map out expected income and expenses, and even run ‘what if’ scenarios so you’re better prepared for anything that comes your way.

We’ll also help you interpret the numbers, spot risks, and identify opportunities, all in plain language, with support when you need it.

Talk to First Class Accounts Ovens & Murray about getting your forecast sorted for 2025-26.

We’ll help you take control of your cashflow, reduce stress, and make confident decisions for the year ahead.

“Planning is bringing the future into the present so that you can do something about it now.” – Alan Lakein

We’re here to help you every step of the way. Get in touch. Let’s make 2025-26 your most prepared year yet.

Rise in the minimum wage: the impact for your business

On 3 June 2025, the Fair Work Commission’s Expert Panel announced the National Minimum Wage and award wages will increase by 3.5%) from 1 July 2025. This wage increase follows on from the 2024-25 Annual Wage Review and its recommendations.

This increase in basic pay is great news for Australian workers, especially with the country facing an ongoing cost-of-living crisis. 

But how will an increased wages burden affect your small business?

What’s the new minimum wage?

The 3.5% increase will mean that the National Minimum Wage will increase by:

• $0.85 to $24.95 per hour

• $32.10 to $948.00 per 38-hour week

• $1,669.20 to $49,296.00 per year.

How will the wage increase impact your payroll costs?

If your workforce includes a large percentage of employees that are currently on the minimum wage of $24.10, that jump of 85 cents per hour will put extra pressure on your cashflow.

For example, if you’re currently employing 20 people on the minimum wage, and pay them every two weeks, the salary component of your payroll will jump from $36,636 to $37,920. That’s an extra $1,284 on your payroll bill every fortnight – and that’s before you factor in super contributions and other benefits.

If you’re managing your own payroll in-house, now might be the time to hand that task over to a payroll specialist. 

At First Class Accounts Ovens & Murray, we can take care of your weekly, fortnightly or monthly payroll, ensure your team gets paid on time and in line with the rules, and keep your STP compliance up to date.

We also help you plan for changes like these by building your payroll into cashflow forecasting, so there are no surprises when it comes to your outgoings.

Talk to us about preparing for the wage increase

If you’re concerned about the cashflow impact of an increase to the minimum wage, please do come and talk to the team.

We can review your payroll structure, forecast the impact of wage increases, and identify efficiencies in your payment processes. And because we’re a 100% contract service, you’ll never have to worry about payroll being delayed due to leave or unexpected absence.

We also help you understand what the increase means for your overall obligations – from super to leave accruals – and ensure your systems are set up to handle changes automatically if you're using cloud-based payroll or accounting software. If not, we can help get you set up with the right software for your business.

We can review the overall effect of the 3.5% rise and suggest ways to mitigate the impact on your payroll costs, cashflow and overall financial position.

Reducing the uncertainty: performance monitoring and analysis

We’re trading in uncertain times, where changes to the global economy can happen overnight. 

This creates a real challenge for your small business, making it difficult to plan ahead and understand the short to medium-term future of your financial strategy.

But by monitoring and analysing your business data, it is possible to get back in control of your financial management, and to reduce some of the financial uncertainty.

Good business decisions are based on solid and reliable information. That’s why it’s so important to track and monitor your business performance.

Using the metrics and data from your business dashboard, you can follow your progress against budgets and financial strategies – and see when fast, evasive action is needed.

Here are five ways performance monitoring can ease your uncertainty

1. Real-time sales and revenue dashboards

Set up Sales Dashboards to monitor sales figures, revenue streams and customer acquisition costs. 

This makes it easier to spot dips or surges in demand, giving you time to adjust your marketing strategies, inventory levels or pricing. When the market changes, you’ve got the data in front of you to help you respond and remain agile.

First Class Accounts Ovens & Murray can help you implement and integrate Xero-connected apps tailored to your industry, ensuring your dashboards provide real-time visibility of the numbers that matter most.

2. Track KPIs for operational efficiency

Key performance indicator (KPI) dashboards help you monitor crucial operational metrics like production costs, delivery times and resource utilisation.

By monitoring and analysing these KPIs, you can look for the inefficiencies that are most affected by economic instability. When metrics show poor performance, you can take swift action to deal with rising operational costs, or poor utilisation of your resources and workforce. 

We can support you by reviewing your end-of-month reporting and helping you understand the story behind your numbers, so you’re confident in taking action based on what your KPIs are telling you.

3. Monitor customer behaviour and trends

Tracking your customer data helps you spot patterns in customers’ purchasing patterns, website engagement and social media interactions. 

When you have data that demonstrates clear customer preferences and trends, you have the evidence needed to change strategy. The business can adapt its offerings and marketing efforts to remain relevant and competitive, even while dealing with erratic economic conditions. 

4. Review financial forecasts regularly

Create detailed financial forecasts, including cashflow projections, revenue forecasts and profit and loss forecasts. Use your software tools to compare your actual performance data against these forecasts, so you can see the variances and where action is needed.

This helps you anticipate potential financial challenges and economic instability, with enough time to react and refine your future tactics and strategy. 

First Class Accounts Ovens & Murray offers cashflow planning and forecasting services designed to give you visibility over what’s coming in, what’s going out, and when. That means fewer surprises and more control when you’re managing change.

5. Analyse profitability by product and service:

Use your software’s performance metrics and tracking to understand which products, services and customer segments are most profitable, and also which are proving to be most resilient during the current economic uncertainty and upheaval. 

When you know which products and segments are the most stable, you can adjust your sales and marketing strategy to focus on these specific targets. You can also pivot away from more vulnerable offerings or customer groups, helping you generate more stable revenues.

Our team can work with you to generate reports that give you clarity on product, service, and customer profitability, while keeping your bookkeeping and BAS obligations up to date in the background.

Making your financial future clearer and easier to navigate

Today’s forecasting tools and KPI dashboards give you all the data and metrics you need to stay one step ahead of the current economic uncertainty and market instability.

As experienced bookkeepers and payroll specialists, First Class Accounts Ovens & Murray supports businesses across Albury Wodonga with reliable, contract-based services that keep your financial records accurate and timely,  no matter what’s happening in the market.

Come and talk to us about setting up the most useful dashboards and metrics for your business and find out how we can guide you through these uncertain times.

Why fix processes before automation

Automation. The magical word that promises to free us from repetitive tasks, save hours of time, and deliver your business from the clutches of inefficiency. Just plug in a shiny new app, flick a few switches, and voilà, chaos becomes order.

Except… it doesn't. Not if your underlying processes are a mess to begin with.

Let’s break down the common myth that automation fixes processes, and explore why you need to sort your workflows out first, before letting the bots loose.

The myth: “We’ll just automate it”

You’ve probably heard (or said) something like this:

“Our quoting process is all over the place. We just need to automate it.”

Or:

“We keep missing invoice follow-ups. Let’s get a system that does it automatically.”

The idea is appealing: automation as a silver bullet. But in reality, automating a broken process doesn’t fix it. It just allows you to do the wrong thing faster and more often.

Garbage in, garbage out

Automation is only as good as the process it’s built on. If you’ve got:

• Multiple ways of entering the same data.
• Approval steps that rely on someone’s memory.
• Bottlenecks disguised as “checks and balances”.
• Excel sheets of doom lurking in the background.

Then automating those steps won’t solve the problem. It’ll just make the confusion happen faster and more often.

Take invoicing as an example. If your team is unclear on when to invoice, what to include, or which rate card applies, then automating that process will just send out incorrect invoices – but faster! Your accounts team won’t thank you.

This is where working with bookkeeping experts like First Class Accounts Ovens & Murray helps. We can map your invoicing and accounts workflows, clean up recurring issues, and ensure your bookkeeping and invoicing processes are accurate, efficient, and consistent before you automate anything.

The fix: clean before you code

Before you even think about automation, take time to map the process as it should be. It's one of the most important reasons why fixing processes before automation is so effective. You avoid scaling the wrong approach.

Ask:

• Who does what, and when?
• What decisions are made along the way?
• Where does information come from and go to?
• What causes delays or confusion?

It doesn’t need to be a six-month strategic review. A whiteboard, a few post-it notes, and some candid conversations can go a long way. Once you've got a cleaned-up, agreed-upon workflow, then it's time to look at automation tools that can support and scale that process.

And when you're ready, First Class Accounts Ovens & Murray can help you identify and implement the right app solutions for your business. 

We work with Xero-connected tools that are tailored to your industry, including project tracking, inventory, point-of-sale, time tracking, and payroll systems. We don’t just recommend them. We also help set them up properly and train your team so the tools actually get used, and used well.

Automation is amplification

Think of automation as a megaphone. It amplifies what’s already happening in your business, good or bad.

If you’ve got a solid workflow, automation helps your team run like a well-oiled machine. But if your process is a bit… Frankenstein, then automation will just make the monster move faster.

For example, if you want to automate your quote approvals using a fancy CRM integration, but half your quotes aren’t even following the same template, then problems will occur. After standardising your quote process first, automation will make sense and work beautifully.

It’s the same with payroll. We see a lot of small business owners trying to automate payroll without having clear leave policies, super payment workflows, or STP compliance in place. At First Class Accounts Ovens & Murray, we support businesses to get their payroll processes right,  from setup to reporting. Once that's sorted, automation can genuinely save time and reduce errors.

What to do before you automate

Not sure why fix processes before automation is such a big deal? Because when your foundation is right, everything else becomes easier to manage and scale.

Automation isn’t magic. It’s just a tool. And like any tool, it works best when the foundation is solid. So before you go chasing new tech, do a bit of spring cleaning. 

If you’re not sure where to start, we’re here to help. 

At First Class Accounts Ovens & Murray, we work with business owners to clean up messy processes, implement the right tools, and keep everything running smoothly, from bookkeeping to payroll, BAS lodgements, software implementation, and everything in between.

Your future automated self will thank you.

ATO Interest Deduction Changes 

They have gone. Here’s What That Means for You

If you’ve ever had to pay interest to the ATO, you’re not alone. Two of the most common interest charges businesses face are:

• General Interest Charge (GIC): This kicks in when you don’t pay your tax on time.
• Shortfall Interest Charge (SIC): This is applied when the ATO adjusts a tax return and you end up owing more.

Until now, both GIC and SIC have been tax-deductible. But that has now changed.

What ATO Interest Deductions have changed?

The Federal Government has now passed legislation to remove tax deductions for both the General Interest Charge (GIC) and the Shortfall Interest Charge (SIC), effective from 1 July this year. This means that if you’re charged interest by the ATO for late payments or amended tax assessments, you will no longer be able to claim those charges as a tax deduction.

The move aims to reduce the growing backlog of unpaid tax and encourage businesses to meet their tax obligations on time. With the change now law, it’s more important than ever to get proactive about managing tax liabilities.

What you should be doing now

If you’re carrying any unpaid tax, this is a good time to take action. 

If you currently owe the ATO, now is the time to take a close look at your position. One of the most effective ways to manage this is to review your cash flow regularly. Even short, structured monthly or quarterly meetings that look at your cash flow, profit and loss, and balance sheet will help you stay in control. That insight means you can plan for tax obligations in advance, rather than being caught off guard.

If you're carrying any unpaid ATO debt, the focus now should be on reducing the impact of these non-deductible interest charges. Although the deduction benefit is no longer available, paying down tax debt sooner can help you avoid additional interest and stay in a stronger financial position.

If paying it all isn’t possible, start by including the debt repayments in your cash flow forecast and create a plan to reduce it progressively. 

If the debt is large or feels overwhelming, it might also be worth speaking to your finance broker or advisor about potential refinancing options. Without the deductibility, ATO interest becomes expensive debt to carry.

A quick reminder

Even though the change is now law, it hasn’t stopped the ability to ask the ATO to remit interest charges. Businesses that are taking steps to get back on top of their tax obligations may still be able to negotiate a reduction in GIC or SIC. That process is staying in place, and we’ll continue to support our clients in navigating it.

Stay ahead with support that works

We understand how stressful ATO debt and unexpected interest costs can be. But you don’t have to manage these ATO Interest Deduction changes on your own. 

At First Class Accounts Ovens & Murray, we work with you to stay on top of your cash flow, set up practical plans, and reduce the stress of ATO debt.

If you’re worried about how these changes could affect your business, now’s the time to talk. We’re here to help you get in front of it.

Streamline Your Business with the Right Apps

Still bogged down by admin? Spending too much time on manual processes or jumping between systems that don’t talk to each other?

The right business apps can do more than just save time – they can improve accuracy, simplify operations, and help you make informed decisions with confidence.

But with so many options out there, it’s hard to know which ones are right for your business. That’s where we come in. At First Class Accounts Ovens & Murray, our business app advisory Albury Wodonga service is here to help streamline your systems, reduce admin, and free up your time.

Choosing the Right Tools – Without the Overwhelm

At First Class Accounts Ovens & Murray, we specialise in understanding the different options of business apps for different industries and business types. Whether you’re in trades, professional services, retail, or something else entirely – we’ll help you choose the right tools for your needs.

We don’t just recommend an app and send you on your way. Our business app advisory service is designed to help you choose the right apps, set them up properly, and make sure they’re working seamlessly with your bookkeeping or payroll systems.

A Few of Our Go-To Apps

Here are just some of the tools we support and implement for clients across Albury Wodonga:

Xero

A cloud accounting platform that gives you real-time access to your financials. As a Xero Gold Champion Partner, we have the expertise to help you set up, customise, and connect Xero to other apps you’re already using (or should be using). You'll get better visibility over your numbers and a smoother, more efficient workflow.

Dext Prepare

Automates data entry for invoices and receipts, pushing information straight into Xero. No more chasing paperwork or typing up bills – Dext takes care of it.

ServiceM8

Perfect for tradies and service businesses. Manage jobs, quotes, scheduling, invoicing, and payments from your phone. We’ll help you integrate it with your bookkeeping so nothing gets missed.

Deputy

Handles staff rostering, time tracking, and award interpretation. When connected to your payroll system, it can save hours in admin and reduce errors with leave, hours worked, and pay rates.

Other Business Apps

We specialise in understanding the different options of business apps for different industries and businesses. And we can provide you with insights and guidance on what apps would best suit your business.

This is where we really shine. At First Class Accounts Ovens & Murray, we go beyond suggesting tools. We assess your business needs, set up the right apps, integrate them with your accounting software (like Xero), and can train your team on how to use them. We make sure your apps actually work to reduce mistakes, save time, and deliver better data.

Whether you need help with inventory, job costing, project tracking, time sheeting, payroll or scheduling – we can help you get the systems in place.

Make Your Tech Work Smarter

The right app setup can make a massive difference – not just in productivity, but in how confidently you manage your business. If you're not sure where to start or feel like your current systems aren't cutting it, get in touch.

We’re here to help you find the best app combinations to support your cash flow, payroll, and everyday operations – and make sure everything works together seamlessly.

If you're looking for business app advisory in Albury Wodonga that actually makes a difference, get in touch with our team today.

The Fundamentals of a Business Budget

If you want to take control of your business finances and set your sights on growth, you need a budget. It’s one of the most useful tools for staying on track and making smart, informed decisions.

Put simply, your business budget shows what you plan to do with your cash over the next 12 months. It helps you stay clear on where the money is coming from, where it’s going, and what you want the future to look like.

At First Class Accounts Ovens & Murray, we help business owners turn their budgets into practical tools using real-time data and industry-leading apps like Calxa, Futrli and Spotlight. 

So, you’re not just making plans, you’re actively managing your business with clarity and confidence.

What a budget tells you

Your budget is just one part of your financial toolkit. When you look at it alongside your profit and loss statement, balance sheet and cashflow forecast, you get a complete view of your business health. Together, these reports help you plan, monitor performance, and adjust as needed.

A budget gives you a forward-looking lens. It helps you forecast income and expenses, spot seasonal trends, and set targets that are grounded in data—not guesswork.

By comparing your actual results to your budget, you can quickly see where things are going to plan and where they’re not. That gives you time to act—before small issues become major problems.

Why budgeting makes a difference

Creating and using a budget gives you more than just a spreadsheet of numbers. It helps you:

• Understand how your income and expenses change throughout the year

• Set realistic financial goals and track your progress

• Spot cash shortfalls or unexpected costs early

• Stay motivated and focused on what matters most

• Make confident, informed decisions at the right time

And once your budget is in place, it becomes a reference point for everything else. From managing day-to-day operations to planning for bigger moves like hiring staff or investing in new equipment.

We regularly support clients to build and refine budgets in platforms like Calxa, Futrli and Spotlight. These tools are powerful, visual, and designed to work with your accounting software. They help bring your numbers to life, so you can see what’s possible and take action faster.

Where to begin

Every budget starts with what you know: your regular income and expenses. From there, we work with you to add in assumptions about timing, growth, pricing, and planned costs.

Most businesses start with a single budget, but over time, you might develop a few different versions. For example, you might have:

• A business-as-usual version, based on past results with minor adjustments

• A worst-case version, to plan for lower-than-expected sales or higher costs

• A best-case version, where you aim higher and prepare for growth

These versions can help you stress-test your business model and prepare for different outcomes, without the panic. First Class Accounts Ovens & Murray can guide you through each stage, setting up your budgets and tracking them monthly against your actual results.

And if you want to project out beyond the next 12 months, we can build multi-year budgets that support longer-term planning and investment.

Keeping it useful

A budget isn’t something you set and forget. It should evolve with your business.

We run monthly financial reports for our clients and compare them against their budgets. That way, they can make timely, informed decisions and adjust their plans based on what’s really happening, not what they hoped would happen.

Apps like Calxa, Futrli and Spotlight make it easy to track and visualise this performance over time. Whether you prefer a dashboard view, a simple graph, or a detailed breakdown, we help you get the insights in the format that works best for you.

Ready to start?

It’s never too late to build a budget that works. Whether you’re brand new to budgeting or looking to improve what you’ve already got, we can help you create a plan that’s relevant, practical, and aligned with your business goals.

Book a time with First Class Accounts Ovens & Murray and let’s set up a budget in your accounting software that gives you more control, more insight, and a clearer path forward.

Is Your Software Helping or Hurting Your Cybersecurity?

If you're using bookkeeping apps and cloud software in your business, which most of us are,  you're already taking a big step in the right direction when it comes to cybersecurity. But not all apps are created equal, and not all setups are secure.

We’re seeing more and more businesses rely on connected apps to manage payroll, invoicing, staff scheduling, time tracking, and more. That’s great for streamlining admin, but if the setup is clunky or inconsistent, you could be exposing your business to unnecessary risk.

Cloud doesn’t mean automatic safety

Using cloud software like Xero, Dext, Deputy, or ServiceM8 can absolutely help reduce human error and improve your data security. But just being ‘in the cloud’ isn’t enough. How you use these tools, and whether they’re set up properly, makes all the difference.

Here’s what we often see:

• Multiple users sharing the same login details

• Unused staff profiles still active

• App permissions too broad (full access when it’s not needed)

• Out-of-date systems that haven’t been updated in years

These might seem like small things, but they’re the cracks where cybersecurity threats can sneak in.

It’s about integration and protection

When your apps are integrated properly, they don’t just talk to each other – they also work together to protect your data. For example:

• Dext feeds your supplier bills directly into Xero, reducing manual data entry (and errors)

• Single Touch Payroll connects your payroll to the ATO securely

• Xero’s 2FA protects login access

• Secure portals can replace email for sharing sensitive documents

Using apps the right way means less handling of data, fewer mistakes, and stronger protection for your business.

4 signs it’s time to review your app setup

You don’t need to be a tech expert to spot when something isn’t quite right with your app setup. If any of the below sound familiar, it’s probably time to take a closer look:

1. You don’t know who has access to what

If you’ve had team changes, or if your accountant, bookkeeper, or admin staff have come and gone over the years, there’s a good chance old logins are still floating around.

Inactive users with access to your bookkeeping system or business apps are a security risk. Even if they're no longer working with you, those credentials can still be used to log in, sometimes without you knowing.

A regular access check ensures only the right people have access, with the right level of permission.

2. You’re still emailing payslips or invoices as attachments

Email is one of the least secure ways to share sensitive documents. If you're still sending payslips, invoices, or ATO documents as attachments, there's a real risk of that information falling into the wrong hands.

Most modern bookkeeping apps offer secure portals or in-app document sharing. Using these features reduces the chance of human error and protects private information like bank details, TFNs, and ABNs.

3. You haven’t reviewed your connected apps in over a year

If it’s been a while since you looked at the apps linked to your accounting software, you could be running old versions, duplicating data entry, or worse, using apps that no longer meet security standards.

Technology changes fast. Regular reviews help you stay current, avoid software conflicts, and make sure you’re using the most secure and efficient tools for your business needs.

4. You’re relying on your team to remember strong passwords

Strong passwords are essential, but if you don’t have a password manager or two-factor authentication set up, you’re relying on memory (or worse, sticky notes).

The more systems your team needs to access, the more likely it is that corners will be cut. A proper login process, combined with tools like password managers and 2FA, protects your business from avoidable risks.

These issues don’t just affect security, they also affect efficiency and confidence in your systems.

How we help

At First Class Accounts Ovens & Murray, we regularly review clients’ app ecosystems to make sure:

• Permissions are set correctly

• Unused logins are removed

• Integrations are working efficiently and securely

• Everything is backed by the right processes and protections

We don’t just plug in new apps for the sake of it. We recommend and set up tools that actually make your business run better and safer.

Let’s get your systems working smarter and safer

If your apps are making life harder or leaving gaps in your cybersecurity, let’s fix that. We can help clean up your setup, make sure the right protections are in place, and give you back some peace of mind.

Safe systems are smart business. If it’s been a while since you reviewed yours, get in touch – we’re here to help.

Cybersecurity: Why It Matters for Small Business 

Cybersecurity might sound like something only big corporates need to worry about. But if you’re using cloud accounting software, paying suppliers online, or sending staff payslips by email – you’re already part of the digital chain. And that means you’re a potential target.

What’s actually at risk?

For small business owners, a cyber attack isn’t just an IT issue. It can stop your operations in their tracks. If someone gets access to your bookkeeping system, they could:

• Change payment details for suppliers or employees

• Steal customer or employee data

• Lock you out of your own system and demand a ransom

• Lodge fake BAS or IAS statements with the ATO

• Access your bank feeds and transactions

These aren’t just ‘what ifs’ – they happen. And when they do, they create a mess that’s expensive and time-consuming to clean up.

Your bookkeeping system holds the keys

Your bookkeeping system holds everything from payroll info to super details, supplier ABNs, ATO links, and your banking integrations. It’s often the first place a cybercriminal will go because it connects to all the key parts of your business.

That’s why we take data security seriously. As your bookkeeping partner, First Class Accounts Ovens & Murray has internal processes in place to protect your data. But there are things you can do, too.

5 practical things you can do today

You don’t need to be an IT expert to improve your cybersecurity. These simple actions make a big difference:

1. Use strong, unique passwords – and change them regularly.

2. Turn on two-factor authentication (2FA) – especially for Xero and your email.

3. Don’t click suspicious links – especially in emails pretending to be from the ATO or banks.

4. Limit user access – only give team members the access they need inside Xero or other apps.

5. Schedule regular software updates – for your computer, phone, and apps.

Think of cybersecurity as a business process

Cybersecurity isn’t just about tech – it’s about process. Just like you have checks in place before making a large payment or hiring someone new, you need simple processes to protect your data.

If your current systems feel a bit patchy or you're not sure what’s in place, we can help. We regularly work with clients to:

• Review user access levels

• Set up app integrations securely

• Introduce 2FA and safer login options

• Recommend tools to protect your financial data

Safe systems support smoother business

Strong cybersecurity protects more than just your data – it protects your cash flow, payroll, and peace of mind. When your systems are secure, things run smoother. Payments go out on time. Reports stay accurate. And there’s less risk of costly disruption.

At First Class Accounts Ovens & Murray, we make sure your bookkeeping is done properly. That includes helping you make smart decisions about your systems and the way you use them.

If you're not sure where to start or want to double-check your current setup, let’s chat. A quick review now could save you a big headache later.