Small business owners wear many hats. From customer service and sales, to bookkeeping and recruitment — when you run a small enterprise, the buck stops with you. There’s no doubt that owning a small business has many rewards. However, it’s important to acknowledge that this lifestyle also comes with its fair share of challenges. There is the...
The way you report employee payments and superannuation is set to change, with the Federal Government passing legislation to extend Single Touch Payroll (STP) to all employers. Under the requirements of STP, you’ll need to report payments such as salaries and wages, pay as you go (PAYG) withholding and superannuation directly to the Australian...
Pay rates and employer obligations can vary depending on which industrial relations system applies to your business. Find out about four free tools that can help you pay staff correctly.
In a world where customers are often driven online to find the cheapest option, it can be hard for bricks-and-mortar businesses to feel they have a fair chance to be competitive. Bricks-and-mortar business can be tough – but there are also some fantastic advantages that might not work for online businesses, particularly in light of recent pressures...
You’ve probably spent some time working out what to put on the home page of your website, but how much time have you invested in planning what goes into your shopfront display of your bricks and mortar business? Your shopfront will quite often be the first impression you get to make – so make it a great one! You want to encourage people to enter...
Whether you’re an employer or a person who considers themselves self-employed, it’s important to know the difference between what the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) sees as an employee and a contractor to ensure you are meeting your tax and super obligations. Many people believe that a worker is automatically a contractor if they have specialist...
Carrying out a couple of quick checks online can help you avoid falling prey to fraudulent sellers and suppliers targeting small business owners. When looking to purchase products or services for your business, finding a great deal can often be the deciding factor in choosing to buy from. Unfortunately in many cases, a deal that appears to be ‘too...
Are you a small business owner feeling overwhelmed by social media? Me too! I got a degree in communications well before anybody had smartphones or Facebook friends, and the word “content” was mostly used to describe somebody who was pretty happy with their life. I’ve learned everything I know about digital marketing on-the-job over the course of...
Did you know that bubble wrap was originally sold as a textured wallpaper? As history has shown us, it wasn’t a viable product for its intended customers. The success of online business ideas or other small business ideas will always depend on a range of factors. Some factors are out of your control, such as interest rates, tax brackets and the...
Avoid putting your business at risk by checking that the agent you are using is actually registered.
The State Government has approved extended trading hours for general retail shops in the Perth metro area in the lead-up to Christmas. While businesses classed as small or speciality retailers can generally trade across whichever hours they choose, if you’re a small retailer that’s based in a shopping centre (and have to follow standard trading...
Once you’ve developed your business plan, successfully launched your business and are starting to enjoy life as an entrepreneur, you may be thinking about the best ways to take your business to the next level. Whether you work from home or from other premises, one way to get more done in your business is to hire some extra hands to help. Hiring...