Australia Weekly Digest – 19 May 2022 Welcome back to our Weekly Digest. Read on for the latest updates and some ideas to help us all move forward. Changes to company tax rates are in effect Companies, corporate earning trusts, and public trading trusts may be eligible for a reduced tax rate this season. Learn more about the changes and find out who qualifies here. STP Phase 2 requires more…  Read more

As a parent, you may worry about how to ensure your child can receive a post-secondary education. Costs are constantly rising, and you may face high tuition fees as well as cost of living expenses if your child has to live away from home. Here are some steps you can take to save for your child’s education. Be clear about what you can and cannot afford to pay Being clear…  Read more

Welcome back to our Weekly Digest. Read on for the latest updates and some ideas to help us all move forward. GST fraud attempts circulating on social media lead to extra security measures Due to a significant number of GST refund fraud attempts, legitimate businesses may face extra steps to receive their refunds as extra security measures are put in place. Tighter controls around ABN and GST registration have been…  Read more

Welcome back to our Weekly Digest. Read on for the latest updates and some ideas to help us all move forward. More Australians turning away from home ownership A new study suggests that younger Australians are choosing to invest their money in stocks over buying a home. Around 43 percent said they would choose to invest their money instead of spending it, and 38 percent of those saying they would…  Read more

Welcome back to our Weekly Digest. Read on for the latest updates and some ideas to help us all move forward. Xero Report: Small Business Creation at Record Levels Landmark research from Xero has revealed new small business registrations in Australia are at unprecedented levels, growing 34% from 225,000 in 2019 to over 300,000 in 2021. Over the next 10 years, an estimated 3.5 million small businesses are expected to…  Read more

If putting together your estate plan isn’t at the top of your priority list, you’re not alone. It’s something that people typically don’t want to do–for a variety of reasons. It’s not fun to think about what happens after we’re gone, and we often believe we have a lot of time to get our affairs in order. No matter how large or small your estate is, you need a plan…  Read more

If you want your business to continue growing and thriving, you’ll need to find ways to bring in new clients. Here are 5 ways you can find new clients for your business. 1. Set aside time for marketing Regardless of whether marketing is your preferred activity, you need to set aside time for it. It’s easy to put marketing at the bottom of your priority list, but doing so makes…  Read more

Welcome back to our Weekly Digest. Read on for the latest updates and some ideas to help us all move forward. Central Bank Opens Its Door to Interest Rate Hike The central bank dropped its previous pledge to be “patient” on policy, signalling a step towards an eventual tightening. While the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) kept its cash rate at 0.1%, it noted inflation had picked up and was…  Read more

With the potential for business life to return to something resembling normal, it’s a good idea to take a look at your budget and see where you may need to shift some of your priorities. Pay attention to how your spending over the past few years affected your business and either helped you achieve, or took you away from, your overall goals. Considering how your business and your employees functioned…  Read more

Businesses are increasingly moving online to expand their reach and provide the best possible experience to their customers. Being online, however, means more competition, so business owners must come up with ways to amp up their game to gain a bigger market share. If you own an ecommerce business or are looking to start one, read on to learn about ways to delight your online customers. Put the buyer’s journey…  Read more

Yes, but only after transferring the property from your self-managed super fund (SMSF) to yourself.  This can only occur upon retirement.  As the trustee, you cannot live in the SMSF property if it’s still owned by your super fund, even after retiring. This rule applies to your relatives (no matter how distant) and members of the fund too. The property also can’t be rented by trustees, members or their relatives…  Read more

Many small businesses run into costly mistakes when filing their taxes without the support of an accountant. This isn’t surprising. Small business tax accounting is complicated, so unintentional mistakes are often made. For example, many business owners struggle to provide evidence for transactions, or even miss out on tax deductions they’re entitled to. They often end up paying more tax than required.  Although it’s tempting to “wing it” on your…  Read more

Small business owners often feel that they have to do something to stand out from the crowd and attract an audience. If that’s how you feel, you’re definitely not alone. Many business owners try to stand out by creating fancy websites that grab attention. Those may work in the short term, but it’s worth considering other ways to market yourself as an industry leader and build relationships with your ideal…  Read more

Steady, reliable cash flow is crucial for the survival of your construction business – so taking steps to ensure your customers pay promptly is a key priority. Debtor days refers to the length of time it takes clients, on average, to pay you for the work you’ve done. A higher number of debtor days means clients are taking longer to pay you. A lower number of debtor days means clients…  Read more

  As a sole trader, you need to apply for an ABN, regardless of your business size. This article explores why sole traders benefit from having an ABN, but first, let’s clear up any confusion around definitions.  What is a sole trader? A sole trader is legally responsible for every aspect of their business, as the only owner trading as an individual. This is the cheapest and easiest business structure…  Read more

When it comes to running a business, the personal assets of sole traders aren’t protected. This is a major disadvantage if anything goes wrong. It’s a big reason why so many Australians choose to set up their own company, which exists as a separate legal entity from its owners.  The company shoulders liability in the face of financial or legal difficulties. This low-risk investment is also a more tax-friendly option,…  Read more

Traditionally, employers have relied on giving employees raises as a way to retain their staff and reward them for being hard-working and loyal. Raises can get expensive, and there is often an upper limit for what you can offer when it comes to increasing salaries and wages. Keeping your employees happy makes business sense. You want to keep your good employees, and it costs money to find, hire and train…  Read more

Whether your small business is business-to-business (B2B) or business-to-consumer (B2C), you likely deal with some level of customer churn, especially given the COVID-19 pandemic. Even customers who love your business and your products may have lapsed for a variety of reasons. Whatever their reasons for leaving, it’s still a great idea to try to win them back. Why? Mainly because winning back a lost customer still has a higher success…  Read more

  Covid has resulted in many business transformations. While some small businesses found themselves shifting their offerings, others moved online or found new niches. If you’re wondering how to continue moving your business forward following Covid, you’re probably not alone. Here are some important tips for navigating the business landscape following Covid. 1. Explore your remote options Having a business model that enables you and your staff to work remotely…  Read more

  When a business first starts out, it’s natural for the owner to be a jack-of-all-trades. You may not have the capital to hire specialists or access to the technology that can help you. As your business grows–or as you look to take a smaller role in your company–you may find the business has become over-reliant on you, which makes it difficult for you to take a step back. Here…  Read more

  Financial security, whether that’s for a business or an individual, requires planning. You need to know where you want to be, where you are now, and how to cross the gap between the two places. Having goals and a plan makes it more likely that you’ll achieve financial security–whatever that means to you. Here are some steps to setting your financial goals. 1. Be specific with what you want…  Read more