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Quick reference guide It all starts with a vision 4 Getting started with small business registrations 5 Think strategically about your customers 7 If you want to expand, you often need to employ 8 Keeping your business running smoothly 10 Embracing technology 13 Preparing your books with MYOB online accounting software 14 Which accounting software is for me? 15 Looking for a bookkeeper, consultant or trainer? 17 Follow Us Find us 18 The information provided within this document is of a general nature and is intended to be a guide only, in accordance with our Legal Disclaimer. For specific advice regarding your particular circumstances, please consult your tax agent or the Australian Taxation Office as appropriate. 2 Get your business up and running myob.com.au
It all starts with a vision We ve all heard the term vision but what does it really mean? A vision is a simple yet compelling statement of where you re headed. It articulates where you want your business to be, and how you want it to look, in the future. 3 Get your business up and running myob.com.au
Developing an effective vision is one of the most important steps for anyone planning a successful business. Your vision should be based upon a perfect world scenario where everything goes to plan. The following five tips create an effective vision: 1 2 3 4 5 Inspiration Passion and energy Action-oriented Memorable Live it Successful leaders use their vision to motivate and engage employees; the vision sells their ultimate objectives, and gets everyone pulling in the same direction. It must be able to drive you and your people through the tough times you might experience along your journey. Without action, your vision remains as a dream. Keep it short, sharp and punchy so it can be recited from memory. Prove that it s more than just words where possible, link achieving key aspects of the vision to rewards and bonuses. 4 Get your business up and running myob.com.au
Getting started with small business registrations By now, you ll most likely already know whether you re running your small business as a sole trader or a partnership. And you might have already registered your business name with the Australian Business Register and received your ABN number. Once your turnover is $75,000 or more, you ll also need to register for GST. As a GST-registered business, you collect GST on behalf of the Government by building it into the prices of your products and services, and then claim GST back on the products or services you ve bought as business expenses. As an employer, you re urged to register for PAYG withholding once you know that you will be required to withhold an amount and by the day on which you are first required to withhold an amount from a payment.you generally report and pay the withheld amounts quarterly to the ATO when you lodge your activity statements. You must also: > > Provide each employee with an annual payment summary showing the amount you withheld during the year. > > Send an annual report to the ATO showing withheld amounts. 5 Get your business up and running myob.com.au
Stay tuned for our upcoming guide on business tax If you have any eligible workers, you must pay a minimum of 9.50% as superannuation guarantee contributions on their behalf. Your employees are eligible to choose their super fund. MySuper is a special ATO authorised fund type which will become the standard requirement for all super funds by July 2017. From 1st Jan 2014, unless an employee chooses a different fund, all employers must pay the Super Guarantee Charge contributions (9.50%) to a MySuper fund. In 2017, if a nominated fund is not an authorised MySuper fund, the monies must be rolled over into one which is. Small businesses registered for GST are required to submit business activity statements (BAS) to report and pay a number of tax obligations. The following are important BAS dates you need to know in relation to the lodgement frequency and payment of your BAS: 1 2 Monthly: The 21st day of every month for the period just gone. Quarterly: The 28th of October, February, April, and July for the quarter just gone. In the case of a lodgement/payment falling on a weekend or public holiday, it is due by the next business day. As a business owner, you re required by law to keep accurate tax records. You also need to be able to calculate your income and expenses. If you don t have enough records to do this, then you re not meeting your tax obligations and could face penalties. 6 Get your business up and running myob.com.au
Think strategically about your customers Customer interest and needs sweet spot Unique brand expertise and value For a small business, the marketing budget is often small or non-existent. Taking a strategic and integrated approach can help maximise your marketing efforts and costs. Your marketing, like your product or service, must start with your customers interests and needs. Unless your marketing addresses what they care about most, buyers will never see your small business as a valuable resource for information with viable product or service solutions. Think about what problems your customers face and how your business can resolve these problems. The convergence of these two areas is what is known as the sweet spot. By narrowing in on your sweet spot, you will help your business thrive, as your customers will see your business as a useful resource for problem solving. 7 Get your business up and running myob.com.au
Stay tuned for our upcoming guide on effective marketing techniques If you want to expand, you often need to employ If you re looking at growing your staff numbers, take the following steps to see which of the above will be affordable for you: 1 2 3 Know your bottom line. If you regularly review your cash flow, you may have the opportunity to take someone on board. Review expected revenue. If you plan to take on employees to make more money, consider how much additional revenue your new employee will help generate Estimate how much you ll have to pay each employee you take on. Begin with researching comparable pay rates in your area. 8 Get your business up and running myob.com.au
Stay tuned for our upcoming guide on hiring employees Taking on staff also means you need to think about your payroll processes. If you re unfamiliar with payroll and legislations, you may find yourself subject to significant penalties. Payroll is the total amount of money you pay to your employees over a set amount of time. It s also all the financial records and data related to salaries, wages, overtime, bonuses, deductions, withholdings, and garnishments related to your business. Employee type Advantages Disadvantages Require payroll Full-time Part-time Contractor > A larger labour and skill pool to choose from > Higher staff satisfaction levels > Lower cost to acquire > Greater flexibility > Even lower cost to acquire > Greater flexibility > More expensive > Less flexibility > Higher costs of benefits > It s harder to find skilled staff > Lowers staff satisfaction levels > Difficult to get them when you need them Yes Yes Yes 9 Get your business up and running myob.com.au
Keeping your business running smoothly Many small business owners experience stress when it comes to managing cashflow. Timing is everything and knowing how much you have to pay your suppliers and who still owes you money is critical to your business success. These invoicing tips can help you manage your cashflow and get your customers to pay faster. 10 Get your business up and running myob.com.au
Top tips to get cash flowing into your business quicker 1 2 3 Make your payment terms clear Get your customer to agree to your estimated price provided on a quote prior to the work they want done. If your payment terms are stated clearly on your quote or invoice, it is considered a binding contract. Invoice your customers as early as possible Try not to wait until the end of the month to do your customer invoicing. If you wait 20 days to invoice then that s 20 days of no cashflow. Email your invoices rather than posting them If your customers have email addresses, use this as a faster, more reliable method to send your invoices. Posted invoices can easily be delayed or lost. 11 Get your business up and running myob.com.au
Stay tuned for our upcoming guide on managing your cashflow 4 5 6 Always have detailed descriptions on your invoices Customers that dispute invoices often delay payment as they are unsure of the job you had completed. Including a description in your invoices reduces the likelihood that someone will have cause to dispute the details. Accept a wide range of payment options The more options you can provide to your customers, the more flexible and easier it is for them to pay on time. Use reports to track amounts owing Using reports allows you to easily track who owes you money and what you need to pay. With good accounting software, you can easily view your business performance in a snap. 12 Get your business up and running myob.com.au
Stay tuned for our upcoming guide on technology, storage and security Embracing technology Developments in technology help us run a business more efficiently, but its ever-changing nature can make it hard to keep up. In this way, embracing accounting technology can help you stay compliant and stay ahead of the game. Accounting software like MYOB Essentials or AccountRight Plus is always up to date with the latest industry and regulation updates while continuously looking for ways to operate more effectively. This can help you stay up to date with changes in both technology and your compliance responsibilities giving you better peace of mind for your business. It s also important to keep up with changing legislation, regulation and product or service standards to avoid putting your business at risk of penalties and other consequences. 13 Get your business up and running myob.com.au
Preparing your books with MYOB online accounting software Preparing your books using MYOB accounting software can save you a lot of time. It has all the smarts you need to complete your pay run like GST codes that you can allocate to each of your business transactions. Generate reports detailing GST related income, expenses and capital purchases to complete your BAS with ease and efficiency. I can do my BAS in about 3 mins now Eden Connell Zoom In With Eden 14 Get your business up and running myob.com.au
Accounting software for people who love what they do Easy online accounting Take care of business MYOB Essentials is easy online accounting that has everything you need to take care of business, including payroll. Take back your time MYOB Essentials is the fast and easy way to manage your cash flow and ATO compliance requirements. Includes time saving features help take care of the day-to-day bookwork. learn more 15 Get your business up and running myob.com.au
Power to manage business, your way Stay competitive MYOB AccountRight is powerful accounting with business management capabilities so your business can stay competitive to get ahead. Stay compliant Improve productivity and efficiency, make ATO compliance easy, and choose the plan that best suits your business needs. Stay in control Fully customisable, it enables you to stay in control of the most demanding jobs, inventory and multiple company accounts. learn more 16 Get your business up and running myob.com.au
Looking for a bookkeeper, consultant or trainer? MYOB Certified Consultants are accredited by MYOB to provide onsite support for MYOB Products including sales, setup, implementation, training, advanced reporting, trouble shooting and bookkeeping. Find an MYOB partner nearest to you. Have any questions? We re here to help and our support team is available by calling 1300 555 111. Sit back and relax knowing you re in the hands of experts. search by postcode 17 Get your business up and running myob.com.au
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