From customers to suppliers, to staff and other intangible offerings; many business owners have worked hard for what they have today, and are certainly entitled to stop and smell the roses. However, taking action to reinforce, fortify and solidify what we know is great is key to ensuring it is here tomorrow.

From roadmaps and master plans to strategic sessions and retrospective assessments – there are many ways to assess and grow business, sure-up the future, and metaphorically, continue dancing. Need advice? Help? Ideas? While we won’t be able to help you with your salsa (or crumping), we can help you with you strategy. Get in touch today.

In business, not taking professional advice presents an interesting conundrum. Studies show that owners that take professional advice experience faster growth and greater success, yet industry reports indicate an advice discounting and rejecting phenomenon. So what gives?

From taxation, financial planning, law, accounting and human resources to information technology and marketing; reasons for taking advice are somewhat established: improved cashflow, better returns, increased profits. However, reasons why advice is not taken, are somewhat unclear.

In favour of solving this puzzle, we’ve agreed to support University-level research that aims to explore and examine small business owner advice taking in professional services. The goal is to generate insights that help the small business sector, contribute to the professional services industry and hopefully, evolve the client-adviser relationship!

To generate insights and new knowledge – we need your help. If you are a business owner who has received advice from a professional service adviser, or a professional service adviser that engages with business owners, then we would love to get you involved!

The research team we support is looking for candidates to participate in face-to-face or online interviews that will run for around 30-minutes. There is nothing fancy or special required, just your insights, experience, and time. Importantly, anything you tell the researchers is completely private and confidential, and separate to us as an organisation.

This may lead you to wondering, what do we get out of it? We will receive a copy of the final report, and feel good about supporting research that will potentially benefit the small business sector, professional services industry and of course, client-adviser relationship. Want to get on board? Get in touch today, and we’ll connect you with our researchers!

Created specifically with small business owners in mind, we’ve created a cost-effective ‘bundle’ that meets all your basic requirements. Comprising bookkeeping, BAS, tax returns and strategy advice, it’s everything you want and nothing you don’t need.

No unexpected bills! Flat weekly rate! Fixed for 3, 6 or 12 months! Weekly bookkeeping, 4 X BAS lodgements, annual company tax return, weekly business advice and strategic direction.

A small business ourselves with big business ideas – we’re just like you, and we understand what it takes to thrive (and survive) in a challenging environment, and have designed our services with your needs in mind. That means we’re fast, efficient, accurate and insightful, and come with a sense of humour (an uncanny trait for a suit-and-tie kinda profession). Our services are provided by CPA Accountants, registered tax agents and University-trained strategy specialists, but we’re hoping you won’t hold that against us, because our funky socks and more than make up for it.

Designed to reduce your tax and grow your profit, our services are provided in a language we can all understand to deliver outcomes you have actually asked for. Oh, and did I mention? We will come to you. Need a weekend appointment? No problem. Work the night shift? See you there. What are you waiting for – ask us how today.

Experts in small business, we maintain an exceptional client retention rate, and that’s no accident. We ask questions, we listen and we customise our approach. We share your values, we understand your goals. We know that as a small business owner, you have to put yourself – and your personal assets – on the line everyday. We understand that family and business are synonymous, and that going on a camping trip with loved ones is just as important to you as meeting a project deadline. It is this home-grown spirit that motivates us to thrive and work even harder.

Experts across a range of business disciplines – accounting, taxation, financial reporting, business strategy, marketing and leadership – we’re committed to helping you get back to what you’re good at, and moving you forward with resilience and confidence. Together, we can formulate a roadmap for the future. Get in touch with Start Grow Run today.

Whether staffed by one or several, leadership influences the culture of your business and permeates day-to-day decision-making, which in turn, impacts outcomes, performance and results. From customer service to marketing; cashflow management to financial strategy, leadership provides the fuel to either motivate, empower and grow – or distract, misalign and disconnect.

While effective leadership can increase creativity, attract more customers and improve productivity; ineffective leadership can increase staff turn-over, decrease morale and promote a mindset of judgement and blame – costing you lost time and money. Worse still, an absence of leadership (a consistent lack of reinforced values and culture-influencing customs), can leave your business open to a leadership highjack, where the most dominant person in your business will dictate the culture. No one is as passionate about your business as you are (it’s your money, after all), so a leadership high-jack – no matter who it is – is going to cause trouble.

Comprising the way you describe, motivate and empower yourself and others – your leadership style impacts decisions, and decisions result in actions that collectively, either make or break a business. Carefully devised, leadership can positively influence how you view yourself, how you interact with others, and how they interact with you. So what are you waiting for? Get empowered – avoid a leadership hi-jack. Ask us how today.

Humans consciously and subconsciously avoid change – we prefer patterns, familiarity and routine. It is no surprise then, that a forced re-definition of how business is done – how consumers buy our products, how we administer our services and even how we connect – is a tough pill to swallow. However – there is an upside – devising new ways to conduct business and out-wit the competition are age-old ingredients for long-term success. Today, we just have to act faster. Here’s how.

(1) Identify old habits and replace unhelpful distractions with new ways of solving problems – and thinking. As a small business owner, growth and innovation starts with you. Ask loyal employees for suggestions and new ideas, enlist the help of family and friends!

(2) Explore deeper than above-the-surface issues, don’t just examine cost-cutting and resource finding – define what makes you different. Know your competitors, re-define your unique selling proposition. Position offerings to attract new customers and staff – get creative!

(3) Rethink what was done yesterday and challenge yourself to a growth mindset. Just because it was done that way before (or was successful in the past), doesn’t mean it will work today.

(4) Look for both old and new opportunities. Tried it before? Maybe an old idea that didn’t work in the past will work today.

(5) New opportunities can often emerge by simply adopting a new perspective. Don’t know where to start? Consider the lens through which you’re looking before discounting a hidden opportunity.

Need help? Start Grow Run can help re-engineer your business with the tools you already have. Want to know more? Ask us how today.

At Start Grow Run, our accountants each possess more than 10 years commercial experience in leading corporations – from international advertising agencies to fast-growth recruitment companies and national hotel conglomerates – they’ve worked on the front-line and understand business – not just numbers. Comprising specialist skills in performance coaching, conflict resolution, strategy development and risk mitigation – our accountants are less ‘average Joe,’ more Yoshi super-star (that insightful and helpful dinosaur from Mario Kart that helps you reach tough places and navigate challenging terrain). For a confidential chat and to leave the average Joe in your life behind – get in touch with Start Grow Run today.

It’s only a few weeks until Christmas and for many, business is leading into a peak period. To some, this may sound like an excellent reason to hire some additional help. But just what are the true costs of hiring an employee and are you prepared to foot the bill? Here’s a working example to illustrate…. Meet Arnold.

General Manager of a catering business, ‘Arnold’ knows from experience that this time of year is exceptionally busy. With many people ‘beating the rush,’ workplace celebrations can start early and festivities can effectively kick on into late January, which means he needs additional resources – and he needs them now. Deciding to hire a full time operations manager and a catering manager, Arnold assigns a salary of $50,000 per annum to each role and begins his search for the right recruits.

Let’s skip forward to February – the peak period has come to an end and the owners of the business are reviewing their accounts. During the ‘busy’ period, revenue went up by 30% and the business attracted 15% in new business – a resounding success. Strangely, the bottom line profit appears to have decreased on last year by 37%. How is this possible? Surely it is an accounting error? The owners’ look at Arnold for answers, whom true to form, is unable to give any.

Referred to Start Grow Run for advice and insight, the owners of the business are shocked to discover that Arnold’s recent ‘hires’ had actually cost them an additional $14,800 in 3 months. Arnold had failed to take into account the real cost implications of hiring an employee!

A surprise to many (including Arnold), employees actually cost 25%-40% above their wages/salary amount. On top of the $25/hour you may intend to pay, additional costs such as superannuation, sick leave, annual leave, workers compensation, payroll tax and the cost of recruiting, must be factored in. Which, on an annual salary of $50,000 adds an estimated $15,000. This cost doesn’t include the costs of employing someone, such as ongoing training, professional development, office space, stationary, computers, office furniture, staff amenities etc.

Further, studies show that in the first month of employment, new employees are functioning at about 25% productivity, which means that the cost of lost productivity is 75% of the employee’s salary. The level goes up to 50% productivity for weeks 5 through 12, with corresponding cost of 50% of employee salary. Weeks 13 -20 usually bring the employee up to 75% productivity rate, with the cost being 25% of employee salary. Around the five-month mark, companies can expect a new hire to reach full productivity.

Hiring a new employee isn’t a decision that should be taken lightly, as it doesn’t fall lightly on the company budget. But now that you have a better understanding of what employees cost your business, would you consider a consultant? What measures will you put in place to reduce turnover and manage non-performing employees to get a better return on investment?

Get in touch with Start Grow Run today – make a change your business will love you back for.

Business Support
On about 30 June 2021, the State and Federal Government combined forces to roll-out a support program to help NSW small business owners impacted by the recent NSW COVID lock-down. Support is available for eligible employing and non-employing entities and not-for-profit organisations.

Individual Support
From 18 July, the COVID-19 Disaster Payment for eligible casuals was increased from $500 to $600 each week (if lost 20 hours or more of work a week), or from $325 to $375 each week (if lost between 8 and 20 hours of work). Casual staff can apply directly for this support via the Services NSW website. 

Business grant extension 
The NSW Government will be offering financial support to businesses impacted by the recent COVID-19 restrictions and stay-at-home orders. The grant can be used for business expenses such as rent, utilities and wages, for which no other government support is available. Further details to come.

New micro business grant
A new grants program for micro businesses, providing a fortnightly payment of $1,500 during restrictions was recently announced. Eligible businesses must have a turnover between $30,000 and $75,000, and experience a decline in turnover of 30% or more.

Business tax relief
Administrative relief will be provided to NSW taxpayers facing hardship. This includes reduced payment plans, no interest charged on late payments and varying of instalments on request.

Land Tax Relief
Land Tax relief of up to 100% of the land tax liability will be available to residential and commercial landlords that reduce rents for their tenants.

Want to know more? Need help?
Contact Start Grow Run for a complimentary telephone assessment! We’re local and we’re small, but we’re backed by big business strategies, ideas and experience. Get in touch today.

When we entered 2021, we all hoped the ‘new normal’ of lockdowns and masks might have been behind us – however, the way we do business, assess risk, generate income and balance priorities has changed again – and history shows that these changes require a long-term growth mindset. To survive (and even thrive) in our not-so-new environment, new thinking and a new roadmap to sustainability is required. But old habits die hard, and for many, imparting change and adopting ‘new thinking’ will be difficult.

Humans consciously and subconsciously avoid change – we prefer patterns, familiarity and routine. It is no surprise then, that a forced re-definition of how business is done – how consumers buy our products, how we administer our services and even how we connect – is a bitter pill to swallow. However – the fact is, devising new ways to conduct business and out-wit the competition are age-old ingredients for long-term success. Today, we just have to act faster.

Identifying old habits and replacing unhelpful distractions with new ways of solving problems requires a new way of thinking. Deeper than tangible actions such as cutting-costs, writing a strategy or investing cash, new thinking will challenge how you manage your business, make decisions and clarify goals. More than a strategy – greater than a plan – Start Grow Run’s new thinking program can re-engineer your business with the tools you already have. Want to know more? Ask Start Grow Run today.