An explosion in the development and popularity of co-working spaces is creating a better life for Sydney's suburban business owners and

Writing catchy subject lines for client email can be challenging if you want to get your message noticed, but there's one cardinal sin you should NEVER COMMIT - because if you do - it will kill off interest in your email messaging. More than 300,000 publically available email threads were analysed by email productivity software company Boomerang to discover what does and doesn’t work when it comes to subject lines. In a blog post, the company revealed subject lines written wi

Many small businesses use gift vouchers, particularly at this time of the year - so remember if you sell vouchers it is important to know when to report the GST on your activity statement. If you sell a gift voucher which can be redeemed for a choice of goods or services up to that value, you report the GST for that gift voucher when the gift voucher is redeemed, not when it is sold. If only part of the gift voucher is redeemed, you only need to report the GST on that part. H

Think you know all the things that need to be included on a valid Tax Invoice? Do you check expense receipts to make sure they're correct? Of course you do! Or do you? These questions caused a few double takes at this morning's Bxnetworking Penrith breakfast meeting where everyone did, sort of - in a fashion, particularly where those valuable expense receipts are concerned! They were posed during a presentation from Teresa Tidball (left) of Tidball Accountancy. So here's the

So, you have a business plan (hopefully), are reasonably confident about your target market, have sussed out the competition, developed your point of difference or unique selling proposition and need to begin marketing. But how? Budget is always a consideration. Never feel bad or disadvantaged about not having enough budget. No one ever has enough money for marketing budgets. As your business grows, you can look to having a marketing budget tied to your growth percentage. For

Today's self promotion candidates have thrown traditional expectations out of the window in their business sales approach and formalities. Co-founder and chief executive of real estate startup ActivePipe, Ashley Farrugia, says his approach to self promotion isn’t traditional. “I live in jeans and a tee and despite my PR team’s advice; I don’t intend to change that,” he said. He also acknowledges this can be a winner when persuading others to hop on board with your idea. “My a

Promoting your business is not just about the products or services you offer - it's also about you! You can't hide behind behind a veil of anonymity in business, particularly in small business. You are a key point of difference and you possess a uniqueness that no other business can offer - yourself! Icky? Self conscious? Embarrassed? Forget it! Humans are social beings and respond best to personal interaction - and it's free - so start interacting! Over the next few days we

High profile businessman, professional speaker, author, business coach and multi business award winner, Matt Alderton, has achieved success by practising what he preaches to small business owners all over NSW and the ACT. Here he shares his 10 secrets of success based on years of experience and contact with thousands of small businesses. This is a must read for all new and existing business owners! 1. Start out the right way What I love about business owners when they are jus

How's your time management? Business Builders time management expert Kate Christie explains in this video how best to utilise your time based on your energy flow. Here’s how you can maximise your energy. Kate’s top 3 tips: 1. Are you a morning, afternoon or evening person? Get a clear understanding of the time when you work at your best. 2. Use that time (either morning, afternoon or evening) for your absolute best work. 3. Get onto your high strategic tasks. It’s not worth

Whether you use a registered tax agent or lodge your own tax return, here are a few tips to help you get ready for tax time 2017. Prepare your records Make sure you have all the records ready to send to your tax agent or to prepare your tax return, including: cash, EFTPOS, credit or debit card, and online sales records records of the expenses you can claim as a deduction this tax time. Check if you have personal services income (PSI) If you are paid mainly for your personal

As an anxious world waits to see who next will be hit by the latest Ransomware attack (maybe you?) a number of "didn't do's" are emerging from major corporations and institutions who have been brought to a standstill. And they are pretty basic! Like ensuring you have applied all the latest Microsoft updates to your servers, computers, laptops and other Windows based devices. Making sure your security software is up-to-date and includes endpoint protection or at the very least

A lot of little deductions can add up to a big refund. If you run a small business, almost any purchase that helps generate income is tax deductible. While you’ll need to be careful to ensure that these expenses are genuinely claimable, they are commonly overlooked and could save you come tax time. GOOD DOG Canines aren’t just man’s best friend. They can also be a tax deduction. If you have a dog that safeguards your small-business site, you can claim food, vet bills and the

It's truly amazing that many business owners still don't understand the importance of good customer service. Providing a good customer experience can increase profit and save costs. Ask yourself would you accept shoddy service from someone you dealt with? Here are some statistics from reputable sources around the world that may help you to focus on this very important aspect of business. Price is not the main reason for customer churn, it is actually due to the overall poor q