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...
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...
It’s no secret that the cost of practically everything seems to have risen. As a commercial leasing tenant, it’s important to understand the outgoing clauses in your lease, so there are no surprises later on. Our business advisers spend a lot of time speaking with small business owners across WA. One question appears to be coming up frequently in...
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...
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...
Have you found yourself in a situation where you’ve finished a job only to discover you’ve only just broken even or perhaps actually lost money due to underquoting? First of all, don’t beat yourself up. Most small business owners discover at some point, particularly when starting out, that they have underquoted. Here are some tips to help you avoid...
Signing a lease is a big commitment for any business. Here are our top five things you need to know before signing on the dotted line.
Many small business owners are unaware that they may be required to obtain various local government approvals for their new premises, to ensure they are operating in compliance with the relevant planning, building and health legislation. Here’s how to avoid costly and disruptive mistakes. It’s an exciting time for your business. You have a strong...
As an avid cook passionate about local produce, when Rom Blount moved to Collie in WA’s South West, she couldn’t find a shop that met her needs: a one stop shop where she could buy all the goodies she needed to make a great meal. Not one to let a small challenge put her off her culinary creations, Rom decided to start her own small business with...
Whether you’re just starting out in business, or you’ve been your own boss for years, the end of the financial year (EOFY) can be a busy time. To help you organise your financial records and find the paperwork you’ll need to pass onto your accountant, we’ve put together a handy EOFY checklist to help you. Download our free end of financial year...
Are you finding it hard to work out how much you should be charging for your services? One of the most common questions we’re asked by new business owners is how much should they be charging per hour for their services. There are a number of factors to consider when setting an hourly rate. Here are our top tips if you are running a service-based...
In today’s competitive markets, you can’t afford to lose sales through poor customer service. Wow your customers with our tips on how to keep them happy.
