Borders are reopening! After closing its international borders for nearly 600 days, Australia is now open to foreign visitors starting on Monday, as restrictions gradually lift. Fully vaccinated travelers from New Zealand who test negative in pre-departure tests can now enter and avoid quarantine in NSW. The next set of foreign travelers who can visit Australia will be those from Singapore. From 21 November, fully vaccinated travelers can enter NSW… Read more
Cloud computing is quickly moving from an obscure concept to an everyday reality for small businesses all over the world. A 2015 survey of small business owners found that 52% had already adopted some form of cloud-based data storage; however, a general lack of awareness regarding the logistics and advantages of cloud computing has made others a bit more resistant. The truth is, there are several very practical benefits to… Read more
Australia-Singapore Travel Lane Begins on 8 November Australia and Switzerland will join the eleven countries – including the United States, the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy and France – that have signed on to Singapore’s vaccination travel lane arrangement that replaces quarantine with COVID-19 testing pre-departure and on arrival. The start date for this long-awaited agreement will be on 8 November. Officials Plan to Roll Out COVID-19 Booster Shots Soon Officials… Read more
So many business employees are now telecommuting, that companies around the world are restructuring their management practices to meet the challenges of remote collaboration. Because they tend to be more agile and open to change, small businesses are particularly well positioned to adapt to telecommuting. Increased productivity and happier employees who appreciate the added flexibility are just a few benefits winning over small business owners. But telecommuting also presents some… Read more
We’re thinking of everyone affected by lockdowns around the country and encourage you to reach out if you have any questions about your business during this time. Melbourne to Ease Lockdown Melbourne is set to lift its stay-at-home orders by Friday. This comes as Victoria’s vaccination rate is set to reach 70% this week. Melbourne has been in lockdown for a total of 262 days– the longest in the world.… Read more
We’re thinking of everyone affected by lockdowns around the country and encourage you to reach out if you have any questions about your business during this time. Sydney Reopens After Months of Lockdown Cafes, gyms, and restaurants in Sydney opened for fully vaccinated customers on Monday after months in lockdown. Under the relaxed rules for New South Wales, retail stores and restaurants reopened with reduced capacity, and more vaccinated people… Read more
We’re thinking of everyone affected by lockdowns around the country and encourage you to reach out if you have any questions about your business during this time. 80% vaccination targets approaching The Delta outbreak may have reached a turning point, with more than half the country in extended lockdowns and vaccination rates starting to approach national targets. According to Health Minister Greg Hunt, 80% of Australians will have had their… Read more
There’s no denying the importance of face time—or the competitive advantage businesses enjoy when they can video chat with colleagues, remote workers, and clients from anywhere in the world. Video conferencing apps increase productivity and save time in innumerable ways. They reduce travel time for business meetings, optimize meeting attendance, and allow those in different time zones to chat in real time, helping to streamline sales and the decision-making process.… Read more
We’re thinking of everyone affected by lockdowns around the country and encourage you to reach out if you have any questions about your business during this time. Read on for assistance that may be available to you. Australia Post Pauses Melbourne Parcels Australia Post announced that parcel pickups, collections, and business lodgements would be paused in Melbourne for five days from Friday because of COVID-19 backlogs. Australia Post had already… Read more
As a business owner, you may appreciate the importance of monitoring key performance indicators but feel overwhelmed by the process—especially if you need to sign into to various applications to access a wealth of unconsolidated data. A business dashboard provides an at-a-glance view of your business intelligence, so it’s quick and easy to make sense of your data in real time, whenever you like. Fully customizable, you can pick… Read more
Most small business owners who use accounting software quickly master the basics. They automate processes like invoicing and payroll, track expenses and view real time financial reports to manage cash flow and make better business decisions. But what many business owners don’t take advantage of are key insights that can improve customer care and increase sales. Here are some smart ways you can use your accounting software to help boost… Read more
We’re thinking of everyone affected by lockdowns around the country and encourage you to reach out if you have any questions about your business during this time. Read on for assistance that may be available to you. Vaccine Passports for International Travel The government has taken a major step towards establishing a vaccine passport for international travel. Last week, it was announced that the system that will enable recognition of… Read more
We’re thinking of everyone affected by lockdowns around the country and encourage you to reach out if you have any questions about your business during this time. Read on for assistance that may be available to you. COVID-19 Government Support By State and Industry Small businesses that are currently suffering from lockdowns can get financial assistance to help them get through the pandemic. You can find the latest government support… Read more
At face value, it seems like a great idea. If you’re a small business owner with just a few employees, you probably think that hiring a payroll specialist is an expense that you can avoid. You feel that you can handle it yourself. You have the best intentions to keep your staff paid right and on time. What could go wrong, right? Well, lots actually. Below are the reasons why… Read more
We’re thinking of everyone affected by lockdowns around the country and encourage you to reach out if you have any questions about your business during this time. Read on for assistance that may be available to you. Melbourne and Canberra’s lockdowns extended The lockdown in Melbourne was due to end this Thursday, but authorities announced that they will extend it as the number of COVID-19 infections in Victoria continues to… Read more
We’re thinking of everyone affected by lockdowns around the country and encourage you to reach out if you have any questions about your business during this time. Read on for assistance that may be available to you. Australia Closes One-Way Travel Bubble from NZ Australia has paused “green zone” flights from New Zealand that allow Kiwis to travel to the country without going into quarantine. All passengers on flights originating… Read more
Help grow your business through collaboration, expansion, improved marketing and some of the following quick tips. 1. Improve your customer service Businesses with good customer service retain consumers and attract new business through word-of-mouth. Even if you think you’re already providing good service, make it a priority to provide refresher training to frontline staff at least once a year. Alternatively, hold regular meetings to discuss any issues as they arise.… Read more
Lockdown number #5 for Victoria. How on earth did we get here AGAIN? How much stamina do we have to survive this, especially when financial assistance to many of our clients (and ourselves) is NIL. That’s right, no financial support for months and months, but they are forced to shut down. Sorry for not being more positive, but it just seems that the “we are all in the together” mentality… Read more
Many entrepreneurs believe that hard work and dogged determination are all it takes to build and sustain a successful business. But when you consider the pressures of running a company, it seems wise to add effective stress-management to the list. Left unchecked, stress can erode your passion and undermine performance – not to mention, take a serious toll on your health. Research compiled by Office Vibe reveals that over 70%… Read more
Most small business owners can’t afford to think small. They always need to keep their mind on growth strategies to help them achieve long-term profitability. But becoming profitable in the first place often requires business owners to work long hours on a shoe-string budget. They don’t always have time to implement systems that will support them when they’re ready to scale. It’s not uncommon for entrepreneurs to use free or… Read more