Renae Pitargue, Author at First Class Accounts Ovens and Murray and Busy01 Consulting - Page 9 of 30

All Posts by Renae Pitargue

10 steps to Business Continuity Planning

10 steps to Business Continuity Planning

10 steps to Business Continuity Planning

Digital communication and cloud technology have given us the ability to access company information, applications and communication channels. For many businesses this will allow you to keep at least some of your usual day-to-day operations ticking over.

However, there are a host of important business areas that you need to consider when developing your company strategy to deal with an emergency situation.

Here are 10 steps to business continuity planning

1. Location and workspace

Does everyone in the business have a good internet connection for remote working? Make sure you agree on the guidelines for maintaining workflow. Schedule regular online catch ups to check in and agree on the priorities.

2. Key products or services

Which products and/or services will you be able to offer? For the business to continue trading, you need to identify a core set of products/services. Review which product/services will bring in the required revenue and cashflow, and which activities in the business should therefore be classed as essential.

3. Key staff and resources

Who are the core people you need for the company to operate? Based on your decisions regarding essential activities, identify who your key management and staff members are. Think about how much resource is needed to trade, how you’ll get approvals and sign-off and what critical knowledge needs to be shared within the team.

4. Key contacts and connections

Who are your main stakeholders outside the business? And which of these are vital to the running of your business? Make a list of your key suppliers, service providers, property contacts and customers and ensure you can have open communication with all these connections. Also, look at alternative suppliers so you can minimise any disruption to your operations.

5. IT equipment, data and infrastructure

What equipment, tools and software do you need to continue working? Essential hardware and software will include laptops, tablets or smartphones for your staff, paired with cloud services, video conferencing, communication apps and effective, secure access to your customer and business data.

6. Plant and manufacturing equipment for essential businesses

If you’re a bricks and mortar business, or a product-based manufacturing business, what equipment do you need to carry on your operations? This will include any machinery, hardware equipment and vehicles needed to manage the essential operations you’ve identified for the business.

7. Financial management

How will you access your key financial numbers during any outage? It’s sensible to move to a cloud-based accounting system NOW, so you have continuous, uninterrupted access to your financials. A platform like Xero online accounting allows you and your advisers to see those all-important figures.

8. Cashflow management

How are you going to ensure you maintain a positive cashflow position? We can help put a process in place to run regular cashflow statements. Use forecasting to project your cashflow position forward in time – so you can take proactive action to avoid any cash gaps in the near future.

9. Insurance

Does your current business insurance policy cover you for all emergency situations? Review all your existing insurance policies so you understand what your policy covers. Securing the business in all scenarios should be your focus here.

10. Leadership 

Who could take over if you (the owner/MD/CEO), is left unable to run the business? Having a nominated deputy, with a clearly defined chain of command, means you can be confident that the company will be in safe hands, even if you’re indisposed.

In times of crisis, maintaining business continuity becomes paramount. While digital communication and cloud technology can enable remote work for many aspects of your operations, certain critical functions require specialized attention. This is where outsourcing services, such as bookkeeping and payroll, can play a pivotal role in ensuring your business stays afloat, especially during times of crises.

Benefits of outsourcing


Expertise

Professional bookkeeping and payroll service providers, like First Class Accounts Ovens & Murray, bring specialised knowledge and expertise to the table. We can efficiently handle complex financial transactions, ensuring compliance.

Time Savings

Outsourcing allows you to focus on core business activities. You can redirect your time and energy toward dealing with the emergency situation at hand, knowing that your financial and payroll processes are in capable hands.

Cost-Efficiency
Outsourcing can often be more cost-effective than hiring and training in-house staff. You eliminate the need for salaries, benefits, and ongoing training while gaining access to a team of experienced professionals. This is also beneficial if there is an emergency situation as the organisation you have outsourced to is unlikely to be affected by the emergency. 

Business Continuity
Outsourcing mitigates the risk of disruptions caused by staff turnover, leaves of absence, or unexpected events. Your financial processes continue without interruption, maintaining cash flow and stability.

Considering the essential role that bookkeeping and payroll services play in your business continuity plan, it's wise to explore reliable partners like First Class Accounts Ovens & Murray. Our expertise and dedication to your financial well-being can be a vital asset when navigating uncertain times.



Go walking keep you and your business healthy

Go walking: keep you and your business healthy

Go walking: keep you and your business healthy

Being able to run a business from a laptop is an amazing thing. But it does mean that you spend a LOT of time sitting in front of a screen not being very active.

Research shows that office workers spend 75% of their waking hours sitting down – and that’s not great for your health.

A good walk may well be the answer to this issue, with walking being a great way to get yourself fit and to add some energy to your business thinking too.

Get active and become a more effective leader

Sitting down for long periods is not healthy. That’s the undeniable truth of being a sedentary entrepreneur that spends hours each day looking at a computer screen or mobile device. Sitting down slows your metabolism, burns no calories and leaves our muscles to waste.

To make your working day more healthy:

Go for a walk every day

Whether it’s walking to your office space, or scheduling a lunchtime walk around the block, it’s important to be active. A 30-minute walk ups your step count, raises your heart rate and can burn off between 100 to 300 calories – all good things to include as part of a healthy lifestyle for the modern entrepreneur.

Arrange 'walking meetings' with staff and clients

Meetings and 1-2-1s don’t have to happen sitting on a chair. Instead, take a stroll and chat with your clients, employees or suppliers as you walk. It helps keep the conversation flowing and gets you and your attendees breathing in some fresh air and interesting scenery.

Take time to walk and think

The best ideas can appear during a walk, without the pressures of a formal office setting. Sometimes a change of location can work wonders for your thought process, especially if you turn off your devices and don’t have the distractions of the office.

Walk between meetings

Taking your car to meetings may be quicker, but why not walk between your client meetings and get yourself fitter. By walking, you're more sustainable, healthier and don't waste so much money on fuel or transport costs.

The benefits of being an active entrepreneur

Time spent walking isn’t wasted. It’s a way to keep active, to refresh your business ideas and to place a better focus on your health, wellbeing and stress levels.

If you fancy having a ‘walking meeting’ for your next catchup, we’d be delighted to stroll with you while we talk through your plans for the business. Fresh air and business advice could well be the best way to get the support and strategic tips you need.

Get in touch to book a walking meeting.

Proving your ongoing business viability through 5 financial reports

Proving your ongoing business viability through 5 financial reports

Proving your ongoing business viability through 5 financial reports

Whether you’re applying for government subsidies, taking out a business loan or seeking investor support, you need to be able to demonstrate your ongoing viability as a business.

To prove this viability, it’s important to have the right financial information at your fingertips. This information is also just as important for your own internal planning and decision-making.

So, where do you start and what are the reports that you’ll need?

The numbers that prove you’re a business with a future

Any lender or government body wants to know that your business has a future.

As the owner, you may believe in the destiny of your company, but you also need the numbers to reinforce this argument. Banks, lenders and investors are taking a risk in backing you. Because of this, they want to know that you’re capable of making the agreed repayments, and that the business is in a financial position to deliver profits and payouts for investors.

Before investing in your business, organisations will want to see:

  • Evidence of a healthy sales pipeline and sales revenue
  • Manageable debt that’s not eating into your capital
  • A positive cashflow position that covers your main costs
  • Forecasts that show stability or growth in your revenues
  • A meaningful business strategy for the next two to five years of growth

The data you need to plan your future

You can’t run a business on a wing and a prayer. With so many different ways to track and record your business data, there’s no excuse for not being up to speed with your performance, your targets and your forecasted sales, cashflow, debt and profits.

This information isn’t just useful when approaching investors and lenders. It’s also vital for your own strategic thinking, your business planning and your internal decision-making

Crucial management information to know will include:

  • Your targets and budgets for the upcoming period
  • Your sales and financial performance against these targets
  • Your basic financial position and health
  • Your forecasts for future sales, cashflow and end profits

The 5 key reports that define your company’s growth

Today’s cloud accounting software makes it a breeze to produce detailed and informative financial statements. These are the main statements and reports to focus on:

Business plan

Your business plan is a written document that outlines the company's goals, strategies and financial projections for future success. It’s your route map for the business journey that lies ahead, and a crucial document when approaching investors.

Sales reports and forecasts

Sales reports give a historic summary of your past sales data, so you can track how you’re performing. Sales forecasts project this data forward in time to show future sales trends and potential sales growth you may achieve.

Revenue forecasts

A revenue forecast is a projection of your expected income or revenue for a specific period. Being able to track and forecast your revenue position is vital information when carrying out financial planning and decision-making.

Cashflow forecast 

A cashflow forecast is an estimate of your expected inflows and outflows of cash over a specific period. By forecasting these cash inflows/outflows you can aim to keep the business in a ‘positive cashflow position (more cash coming in than cash going out).

Financial statements

The main financial statements to keep your eye on will be your:

  • Cashflow statement – shows your current cashflow position, so you can make the most informed decisions about spending and cost management.
  • Balance sheet – shows your present assets, liabilities, and equity. It’s a snapshot that reflects the company’s financial position at a specific point in time
  • Profit and loss statement (P&L) – a breakdown of the income coming into the business, and the expenditure going out. Crucial for managing your profitability.
  • Aged debts – categorises and analyses your outstanding customer invoices, based on when they should have been paid. Keeping on top of this helps to speed up payment and improve your cashflow position.

Talk to us about proving your business viability

Having the data and evidence to prove you’re a viable and stable enterprise is crucial. It’s these numbers that will help you plan your growth and access the investment you need to scale.

We’ll help you create a detailed business plan, revise your strategy and produce all the financial and non-financial statements you’ll need to make informed business decisions.

Get in touch to talk about your financial reporting.

Providing Accurate Source Documents to Your Bookkeeper

Providing Accurate Source Documents to Your Bookkeeper

Providing Accurate Source Documents to Your Bookkeeper

Did you know that the accuracy of your bookkeeping is only as good as the accuracy of the source documents?

Source documents are any documents that provide evidence of a financial transaction. This could include:

  •  Invoices
  • Receipts
  • Bank statements
  • Credit card statements
  • Payroll records
  • and more. 

Providing accurate and original source documents means that your financial records are more likely to be accurate and compliant.

Benefits of having accurate source documents

There are several benefits to making sure you are providing accurate source documents to your bookkeeper.

Accuracy

Making sure you are providing the correct source documents means that your financial records are more accurate. 

And this is important for a number of reasons:

  • Making sure that you are paying the correct amount of taxes
  • Avoiding financial penalties
  • Getting accurate financial reports
  • Making informed business decisions

Compliance

Accurate source documents help keep your business compliant with all applicable laws and regulations. 

This is important because non-compliance can lead to fines, penalties, and in the worse-case scenario, legal action.

Time & financial savings

When you provide accurate source documents to your bookkeeper, they can save time by not having to track down missing or incomplete information. And this can save you money in the long run.

Managing your source documents

There are a number of platforms that can help you to manage your source documents and make it easier to provide them to your bookkeeper. 

Platforms that we recommend include Dext, Xero, Hubdoc, and Lightyear.

Dext is a cloud-based document management system that allows you to scan, store, and organise your source documents. Dext also has integrations with a number of accounting software platforms, like Xero, making it easy to reconcile your accounts.

Xero is an online accounting software platform that allows you to track your finances, invoice your customers, and pay your bills. Xero also has a document management system that allows you to upload and store your source documents.

At the end of the day, using a digital platform to manage your source documents helps improve the accuracy and efficiency of your bookkeeping and helps keep your financial records accurate, compliant, and up-to-date.

Here are some additional tips for providing accurate source documents to your bookkeeper:

  • Scan or photo your source documents and upload them to Dext or Xero as soon as possible after the transaction occurs. This will help to prevent them from being lost or damaged.
  • If taking a photo - always photograph the original source document. Don’t take a photo of a photo or a screenshot of a document or receipt. 
  • Make sure that the scan or photo’s of your source documents are clear and legible.
  • Label each document with the date, amount, and description of the transaction.
  • Keep your source documents in a safe and organised place. This is where using platforms such as Dext or Xero is highly beneficial.
  • Provide your bookkeeper with access to your digital document management system.

By following these tips, you can help to ensure that as your bookkeeper, we have the information we need to keep your financial records accurate and compliant.

Avoid ATO’S increased tax penalties

Avoid ATO’S increased tax penalties

Avoid ATO’S increased tax penalties

As the ATO directs its attention towards taxpayers grappling with unresolved tax lodgements and debts, it's crucial to understand how to steer clear of facing heightened penalty rates in the upcoming fiscal year of 2023–24. 

In this article, we explore strategies to help you manage your financial compliance and minimise the impact of these changes on your obligations.

Increased Scrutiny on High-Value Outstanding Debts

The ATO (Australian Taxation Office) has received increased funding to intensify its scrutiny on taxpayers with high-value outstanding debts and aged debts. If you're among the following categories, it's time to take note:

  • Public and multinational groups with an aggregate turnover surpassing $10 million.
  • Privately owned groups or individuals controlling a net wealth exceeding $5 million.

The goal is to ensure that outstanding debts over $100,000 and aged debts older than two years are properly addressed. 

Rising Penalty Rates: What You Need to Know

As of 1 July 2023, the Commonwealth penalty unit rate has seen another increase, now resting at $313 per unit. This change follows a previous increase in January 2023 from $222 to $275.

What does this mean for you? 

If you fall behind on your tax lodgements, expect more substantial financial penalties.

These penalties may apply to late lodgements of various returns and reports, including but not limited to:

  • activity statements
  • income tax returns
  • FBT returns
  • PAYG withholding annual reports
  • single touch payroll reports
  • annual GST returns and information reports
  • taxable payment annual reports.

For small businesses, these penalty rates translate to base penalties ranging from $313 (1 penalty unit) to $1,565 (5 penalty units) for every 28 days a lodgement is overdue.

Lodgement Penalty Amnesty for Small Businesses

There is some good news for small businesses facing overdue income tax returns, fringe benefits tax returns, or business activity statements. 

The ATO is extending a helping hand through a lodgement amnesty, valid until 31 December 2023.

Announced as part of the 2023–24 Budget, this amnesty covers tax obligations originally due between 1 December 2019 and 28 February 2022. 

Eligibility is granted to small businesses with an aggregated turnover of less than $10 million at the time the original lodgement was due.

Navigating the Changes: Your Next Steps

To avoid the pitfalls of revised, higher penalty rates, it's crucial to ensure you provide us with all necessary information well before the lodgement due date. This will ensure your lodgements are completed on time, safeguarding you from unnecessary penalties.

Should you anticipate any delays, we recommend engaging with the ATO and communicating your situation. We're here to assist you in requesting lodgement due date extensions, applying for remissions, or even establishing payment plans to manage your tax debts effectively.

Small businesses have the opportunity to benefit from the lodgement penalty amnesty, allowing you to submit eligible overdue forms before 31 December 2023. The ATO will automatically remit any associated failure-to-lodge penalties.

At First Class Accounts Ovens and Murray, we're here to guide you through these changes.  Should you have any questions please contact us.

Cost of a new employee

The cost of a new employee

The cost of a new employee

When you’re calculating pay rises, it’s important to think about more than just how much you can afford. You also need to consider the true cost of replacing that employee.

Low pay rises can be unexpectedly expensive

It’s surprisingly common for businesses to offer low pay rises, only for workers to feel undervalued and resign. The employer is left with all the upfront costs of replacing them, plus paying the salary, plus training the new employee and lost productivity as they learn the ropes.

Some estimates put the cost of a new employee at around 40% of their salary and a 2021 Australasian survey put the price at an average of $23,860 per worker.

Overall, that low pay rise could cost your business a lot more than you bargained for.

Not paying enough might just cost you an employee

If you run the numbers you’ll see the impact that an insufficient pay rise can have.

Let’s say you employ Ashley, an office manager who is paid $60,000. You offer Ashley a 4% pay rise, which will cost you around $2,400 more each year. With inflation running at over 7%, Ashley feels this isn’t enough and finds a job paying $68,000 almost immediately.

If you had provided Ashley with a 10% pay rise, it would have cost you around $6,000 more each year and you would still have your employee. Finding a new employee could cost you $20,000 or more.

Running the numbers

Make sure you understand salaries in your industry, and think about inflation, when you calculate pay rises.

Also consider how easy it would be to replace the person and how much value they bring to your business.

And think about extra benefits you could offer a valuable team member: do they want more flexibility or a four-day week?

We can run the numbers for you before your remuneration reviews or if you are looking to hire. 

If you have any questions about pay rises or hiring this year, get in touch – we’d love to hear from you.

Take care of yourself not just your business

Take care of yourself, not just your business

Take care of yourself, not just your business


Being a business owner can be stressful. When the buck stops with you, it can be easy to let the pressure mount up and to discount your own wellbeing.

But taking care of your own mental health is equally as important as taking care of the business.

Research from MYOB showed that 53% of business owners suffer from stress and anxiety relating to the running of their business.  So, what can you do to take care of your own mental health and work mindfullness into your usual life routines?

Ways to nurture your wellbeing as an entrepreneur


Looking after your mental health is as important as looking after your balance sheet. That’s the reality. So, having an improved focus on rest, wellbeing and talking about your struggles is a big part of moving towards becoming a better business leader.

For example:
Don't overwork yourself
It's tempting to work every hour that's available, in an attempt to meet your goals. But working yourself into the ground is, ultimately, a destructive thing to do. If you're tired and burnt out then you're in no position to lead the company. Try to stick to set working hours, and avoid working 60-hour weeks wherever possible. Sleep, rest and downtime are vital.

Schedule time for non-work-related activities
Make sure you have time blocked out for things that aren't work. That might be a walk in the countryside, time with your kids, or a game of tennis. The aim is to take yourself away from the stresses of the business and to give yourself a broader life outside the company. It's a chance to have fun, to relax or to be someone who isn't just 'the boss'.

Take up an activity that promotes wellbeing
There are plenty of pastimes that can help you bring down your anxiety levels and bring you to a calmer place. Yoga is a good way to stay fit, but also an excellent form of relaxation. Equally, finding time for meditation helps you to empty your mind of business concerns and allow yourself to become more grounded and calm. Even something as traditional as a fishing trip could help you to chill out and relax, away from a screen.

Talk about your worries, concerns and anxiety
If business-related stress is building up, the worst thing you can do is keep it all bottled up. It's beneficial to open up and talk about this anxiety. This could be with a partner, a fellow entrepreneur, your accountant or even a professional counselor. Be transparent about your state of mind and you’ll find people are more than willing to listen, understand and offer some support.

Talk to us

As your bookkeeper and adviser, we’re in the perfect position to help you open up about your business worries. We know your business inside out, and we know the common threats, challenges and goals that will be on your mind.

Come and talk to us about your business worries and let us take some of the weight off your shoulders. A chat can be the start of a whole new way of thinking about your own wellbeing.
Get Your Business Records Ready for Your Tax Return 2023

Get Your Business Records Ready for Your Tax Return 2023

Get Your Business Records Ready for Your Tax Return 2023

Organising your documents now will mean you can work with your Tax Agent to get your tax return completed earlier and access any refunds due or start planning for tax payments.

Getting your business records up to date and accurate will allow us to work with you and your Tax Agent proactively to plan for the coming year.

What Records do you Need to Have Ready for the Tax Agent?

  • Have you bought or sold assets? If so, you need full details of acquisitions and disposals.
  • Have you taken out a new loan or other finance? You must have details of the finance arrangements and statements of monies owing at 30 June.
  • Check that any bonds or deposits paid or received have been allocated correctly.
  • Have you prepaid for insurance or other large business expenses that need to be apportioned to the following financial year? Make note of the portion applicable to the current financial year.
  • Do you carry stock? If so, you need to perform a full stocktake at 30 June (unless you qualify for the simplified trading stock rules).
    List any doubtful or bad debts to be written off.
  • Review your debtors and creditors (accounts payable and receivable). Is the list current and correct?
  • Do you have loans with related entities? Reconcile the loans to and from each entity to ensure the same value is reported in the accounts of both entities.
  • Ensure that all payments to company directors have been correctly captured.
  • Provide records of any government grants received during the year.
  • Contact details of business owners and key personnel if any have changed.

We will let you know if there are other matters to discuss with your Tax Agent before completing your tax return, such as cryptocurrency transactions, capital gains, vehicle usage, private usage apportionment or superannuation. There may also be new elements to discuss if you have received grants, refunds, credits or deferrals of business expenses and liabilities.

Remember you need to keep all your business records for seven years, so store everything securely and where possible electronically for safety and ease. We recommend integrating Apps, such as Dext, into your cloud accounting. Talk to us about integrating Dext into your business.

Once you have all your records for the 2023 financial year, make an appointment with your Tax Agent to schedule in your tax return for prompt lodgement.

Which business expenses can you claim against tax

Which business expenses can you claim against tax?

Which business expenses can you claim against tax?

Incurring expenses is an unavoidable fact of running a business. But which expenses can you claim tax deductions against and which don’t meet the tax-free criteria?

Here’s our lowdown on which expenses you can claim against tax.

Which business expenses can you claim deductions against?

If your business expense is directly related to earning your assessable income then you should be able to claim a tax deduction against this particular cost.

For example, everyday business expenses that you may be eligible include:

  • Your day-to-day operating expenses
  • The purchases of products or services you’ve made for your business
  • Certain capital expenses, such as the cost of depreciating assets like machinery and equipment used in your business.

The amount of a deduction (and when you can claim it) will vary, based on the type of expenses you’re claiming. You can find out more on the Australian Tax Office (ATO) website here.

There are three basic rules for checking the your expense claim is a valid business deduction – and that it won’t be challenged by the ATO.

  1. The expense must have been for your business, available as an allowable deduction and not for private use.
  2. If the expense is for a mix of business and private use, you can only claim the portion that is used for your business.
    You must have records to prove that the expense was incurred.

Which business expenses can you NOT claim?

As we’ve explained, you can claim a deduction against most business expenses that are incurred as part of your day-to-day revenue-generation activities. But there are some business expenses you cannot claim against tax.

These non-tax-deductible expenses include:

  • traffic fines you receive
  • private or domestic expenses, such as childcare fees or clothes for your family
  • expenses relating to earning income that is not assessable
  • Non-compliant payments – payments for which you have not met your PAYG withholding or reporting obligations -
    the GST component of a purchase if you can claim it as a GST credit on your business activity statement.
  • Generally you cannot claim a deduction for the cost of capital assets that are dealt with under the capital gains tax rules, although there are some exceptions.
  • Your deductions may be limited for expenses incurred in relation to personal services income (PSI) if the PSI rules apply to that income.

This isn’t an exhaustive list of tax-deductible expenses. There will be various ways to claim your operational expenses against the relevant reliefs and incentives offered by the ATO. It's best to seek professional advice from your accountant to understand your options. 

If you’re looking to cut back your costs we can help. Talk to us about your regular operational expenses and we’ll work with you to find the important reliefs, incentives and allowances that can be claimed.

Get in touch to start reducing your expenses.

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