We all understand the commercial pressure derived from declining revenues, declining gross profit margins, wages push and aggressive landlords. The intuitive reaction must be to change. The famous football coach Wayne Bennett has been quoted to say when times are tough– “don’t get bitter, get better”! In my opinion, lessons derived from sport can often be applied to business.
As the business climate has changed enormously over the recent years, the role of your accountant has become more important than ever before. In order to optimise your relationship, I suggest the following:
There is no better feeling than being organised. To collate your thoughts, ideas, records, documents etc. can provide true clarity and peace of mind. You have complete knowledge of what is going on in your business (as well as your personal life). The probability of some type of nasty surprise is drastically reduced.
The importance of maintaining good health, is undeniable. The same goes for your finances! As both accountants and financial planners, we recommend that you go back to basics and undertake a common-sense review of your financial affairs, including investments.
There are some common signs which may indicate that a business is struggling financially. I’m sure we’ve all walked into a business where you’ve sensed that things may not be travelling well. Typical indicators for businesses in retail could be gaps in stock on shelves, old or damaged packaged stock still on display, dirty or damaged fitout, flooring or lighting, lack of customer traffic, skeleton staff rostered on duty, demotivated or disinterested looking employees, etc.
But how do you know when your own business is potentially in trouble? In so many business case studies, proprietors can be in denial of problems which are right under their noses, even if they believe they have things under control. The top 9 indicators of business distress are:
If you’re thinking about setting up a self-managed super fund (SMSF), there are a lot of things you need to consider beforehand. This includes, but is not limited to, the costs of setting up and running an SMSF, being in charge and making the investment decisions yourself, complying with super and tax laws, and having the time and skills to run an SMSF.
Here’s a guide to help you decide if an SMSF is right for you: