Why New Bookkeepers Can’t Grow Their Business

Why New Bookkeepers Can’t Grow Their Business

The huge difference between accounts staff (and technical support staff) and sales staff is fascinating. It’s the classic difference between staff who are technically trained and aim to perform accurate data entry or fix detailed problems versus sales people who...
Cleaning Business Start up Issues

Cleaning Business Start up Issues

I had the pleasure of meeting Michelle and being her first customer for her brand new cleaning business. Michelle was excited and nervous but had the support from someone who was experienced in running a cleaning business with her. Michelle did a fantastic job and...
Customer Service Quality can Make or Break Your Business: Google Ads is NOT a Silver Bullet

Customer Service Quality can Make or Break Your Business: Google Ads is NOT a Silver Bullet

You might offer a great product or a great service. But if your customer service is bad, the news will spread like wildfire. With Facebook, Twitter, TrustPilot and social media in general everyone’s experiences are made public, so your customer service must be...
Hacking happens: Prepare for it and protect your Xero data with Google Authenticator or Authy from Twilio

Hacking happens: Prepare for it and protect your Xero data with Google Authenticator or Authy from Twilio

Source: google.com The harsh truth is that most people will get hacked at some point in their lives. Hacking can happen to the biggest and smartest of companies and their strongest security efforts. People are vulnerable to password theft when they: use the same...
Online Business Course better tailored to your skills & training

Online Business Course better tailored to your skills & training

Students are now exploring online businesses as an alternative to finding a job in these uncertain times. Starting an online business enables you to work from home but trying to get a business to use your services is different than applying for a job. The Online...
Hourly Rates vs PBRs

Hourly Rates vs PBRs

Most Clients Don’t Like Paying an Hourly Rate … Unless It’s a Low One Settling on a pricing structure for your new business is something many new independent contractors agonise over, particularly those in the professional services space. As a...
Hourly Rates vs PBRs

Why Australian Businesses Use Upwork

Upwork, Freelancer and Airtasker: what kind of freelancer will you find on an online marketplace? Hiring a freelancer isn’t particularly easy. In fact, depending on the type of freelancer you’re looking for, it’s often more difficult than hiring a permanent employee....
Do Customers Really Care About You?

Do Customers Really Care About You?

Age doesn’t have a lot to do with how much customers love you I was speaking the other day with a young guy who left school and would love to start his own business, but he said that clients wouldn’t give him a go because of his age. It made me think about the...
Is Australia Post Digital Mailbox Competing with Dropbox AND RealEstate.com.au?

Is Australia Post Digital Mailbox Competing with Dropbox AND RealEstate.com.au?

Australia Post entices customers to e-invoicing with $25 gift card If you have had to renew your PO Box recently you probably received an offer to switch to e-invoicing and why wouldn’t you? Save money, receive yearly invoices in your email and get $25 bucks. We...

20 Questions You Need to Ask Before Starting a Business – Part I

Business structure and needs analysis when starting a business There are about twenty questions everyone should ask before starting a business. Most of those questions we cover in our Small Business Management Courses, while others we assume you’ve already thought...
Keep in Touch with Clients via a Newsletter

Keep in Touch with Clients via a Newsletter

In our last post we talked to the Australian Small Business Centre’s, Michelle Stone, who is currently studying our Small Business Management Course, about how she feared her competitors because she was worried she wouldn’t be able to get any clients. Finding that...
Fear Factor: Don’t Be Afraid of Competitors

Fear Factor: Don’t Be Afraid of Competitors

Part of writing a business plan in our Small Business Management Course, is that you have to research the market, and by doing so, you come to learn a little bit about the other businesses in the marketplace that you’ll eventually come to compete with. Is Competition...