business advice

Thank you to William Shakespeare for the above title (sorry I just couldn’t help myself). In an earlier post on the The Pulse I banged on about the importance of asking questions when meeting and discussing issues with clients and pitching for new business. Now we visit the other side of the communication coin – listening.

Listening is perhaps the most important skill any accountant or professional adviser can bring to a discussion with a client, potential client, staff member, government department, supplier and so on. When you listen … really listen … to the other party some quite amazing things begin to happen. Here are just three to think about: Read more

It is that time of year again -  business award season!

If your business has been nominated for a Telstra Business Award you could be in the situation where you’re at the gala dinner, enjoying your night, and suddenly -  your name has been called out as a winner! You need to give a speech… but don’t panic!  Be you a business owner, or employee this is your opportunity to shine in front of your peers, and enhance the reputation of your business.

Here are my top tips for sailing confidently through your acceptance speech.

Practise and palm cards

Take the time prior to the event to think about what you want to say and who you want to thank (team, clients, family, supporters, fellow competitors). Read more

I’m assuming, if you’re reading this article, that you’re an accountant or at least working in the industry in some capacity.  Let me ask you a question … “As an accountant what is the most important thing you do for your clients?”  Over the years I’ve been given any number of responses to this question.

Some say, “Keep my clients safe & compliant”.

Others say,  “Make their lives easier”.

While many say, “Get them a big tax refund”.

However, the most common response I receive to this fundamental question is, “to add value”. Read more

Has ‘breathing space’ become your way of life?

First, thank you for rocketing Booking a win to Number 1!

Your support blew me away.

Second, all this talk of dreams got me thinking.

Big, ambitious, important dreams usually take a long time to achieve.

Often you must approach them with sideways (or even backwards) steps.

But what happens if a temporary move becomes permanent?

Side step

I adore copywriting, but my first love is fiction.

That’s why I cashed in my super. Read more

Happy Super Bowl Monday! (or Sunday, if you’re in the US)

Much like the AFL Grand Final in Australia and the Rugby World Cup Final in New Zealand, the match that stops a nation is currently playing out in lounge rooms and bars across North America.

Last year, a global audience of 111 million people tuned in to watch the Green Bay Packers storm home over the Pittsburgh Steelers, with an estimated 10% of those watching from outside of the US.  (and the preliminary figures for this year indicate that we might be on track to reach the 120 million mark.)

Read more

There’s sure to be some pretty tired faces around Australia this morning, as over 2.4 million people tuned in to watch the 2012 Australian Open marathon final between Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal last night.

As the clock ticked past midnight, and Nadal forced the game into a fifth set with a nail biting tie breaker win, the game officially became the longest final in tennis history.  Finally, just seven minutes shy of 6 hours, Djokovic took the main prize.

So how does this game apply to business life? Read more

2011 was a tough year for Aussie small business despite much passionate hard work, long hours and persistence.  With local economic obstacles and an unpredictable global economy, it was no surprise the latest MYOB Business Monitor Report found only 19% of business owners increased their revenue (compared with 35% in 2010).  MYOB CEO, Tim Reed commented on this issue late last year, outlining why he thinks we should see optimism, confidence and conditions improve in 2012. Read more

The old saying goes ‘two things in life are certain – Death and Taxes’. I’d like to formally request that this saying is altered to be ‘three things are certain in life – Death, Taxes and Deadlines’.

The consequences of missing these deadlines though can range from missing your bus to angry wife or even losing your job (or perhaps even scarier losing your job and making your wife angry).

So here are six tips to help you stay on top of your tasks and meet those deadlines every time, while hopefully avoiding those all-night work marathons we’ve no doubt found ourselves doing from time to time. Read more

Smart business resolutions for all SME’s.

There’s a New Zealand online business I came across the other day, which may as well have had a photo of me pinned to their mood board when they conceptualised it.

From the moment I spotted an ad for it on another blog, to the moment I followed them on their Facebook page. Read more

For anyone who knows me out in the ‘real world’, they’ll definitely know that anything by Michael Buble has never been on my iPod play list.  And that’s not due to me having no appreciation for what it is he has to offer to the musical world and his adoring audiences, his music is just not my cup of tea. Read more