Back to Blog

Creating a landing page that converts prospects into leads

Global attention spans are narrowing, according to numerous studies. With more and more information online we tend to jump more quickly from one thing to another. So how do you capture the attention of people that visit your website or social channels and convert them into leads, customers or subscribers?A landing page is a standalone webpage that is created with the purpose of getting your audience to perform a specific action, such as filling out a form, signing up, downloading a guide, or reg...

Do you need to improve the cash flow position for your business?

Keeping on top of the financial management of your business can be hard work. It's possible to have a profitable business that is struggling to find the cash flow to pay expenses and fund growth. Likewise, you could have positive cash flow but are not turning a profit, particularly if you are scaling.Turning a profit is at the heart of running any successful company But without an even and predictable flow of cash into the company, you can't cover your overheads, you can't pay your employees and...

June’s Key Tax Dates - and Tax Relief for Businesses hit by Adverse Weather

Remembering the filing and payment deadlines for your business can be challenging. And forgetting about tax payments coming up can seriously disrupt your cash flow planning.We have summarised tax deadlines coming up in June for you to prevent you from missing any deadlines and facing a penalty.Note: the provisional tax due dates apply to those clients who have a May balance date. Different dates will apply for those clients who have different balance dates.Hit by the weather? Get some tax relief...

Health and safety compliance for your small business

We know our clients are committed to being excellent employers – taking care of their team and themselves. That includes being compliant with health and safety regulations. But these can be confusing for small businesses, so how can you get started?Your health and safety responsibilitiesIf you are responsible for health and safety in your business, you have obligations under the Health and Safety Workplace Act 2015. It’s important to understand the risks in your business and have a...

Leading your business

Times of crisis are defining moments for great leaders. Consider the contrasting results that different countries experienced with Covid-19, based on the approach their respective leaders have taken.Great leadership is effectively guiding or influencing your team to work towards achieving your goals. Leadership is always on; there is no place to hide in a time of crisis.Consider the four quadrants of great leadership:1. Vision. Clarity of what you want, what the future looks like for the bu...

Overcoming your leadership roadblocks

We all have improvement opportunities and face roadblocks in our roles - it’s no different for leaders. By recognising these, we can implement strategies to become a more effective leader.Potential leadership roadblocks include:1. No formal leadership training.Many leaders fall into a role with no formal training. Leadership skills must be learned and practised.2. Lack of clarity or alignment.A leader that’s not aligned with the company vision, or able to clearly articulate this, will create...

Could your business survive without you?

Would your business still thrive, or would it suffer a catastrophic failure if you suddenly stepped away?It’s tough to remove yourself from the day-to-day operations when you’re passionate and busy. However sudden accidents, illnesses, or family emergencies can – and will – happen and you need to be able to step back knowing your systems are robust enough to cope.For your business to work for you, you need to make yourself replaceable. Large corporations have plans in place to mitigate w...

Managing change in your business

Successfully implement change in your businessResearch by Kotter International found that more than 70% of change projects within a business fail. Why is this?The research findings show that employee engagement is the biggest factor. Whether it is a small change to one or two processes, or a company-wide change, it's common for staff to feel intimidated by it.So what can you do for successful implementation of change? Here are the principals from Kotter’s 8-Step Program:1. Get the team onboard...

Goodwill: What’s it worth?

Goodwill is one of your business assets – but you can’t measure it and it’s very tricky to put a price on it. When you sell your business, goodwill is the intangibles in your business that add value beyond the physical assets and guaranteed income stream.Goodwill includes:Your brand’s great reputationYour loyal customer baseYour positive customer relationshipsYour happy employees who want to stayProprietary data and intellectual propertyThe great systems that make your business run smoot...

10 ways to improve business performance

Here are ten ways to make sure that you continue to drive through each business quarter with purpose, vision and the courage to super-charge your business.1. Eliminate distractions: Time is the scarcest resource and biggest killer for most businesses. When we get busy we can also get distracted and focus too much time and energy on the wrong things. Be brave - slash standard meeting times, reduce unnecessary admin and delegate roles and responsibilities.2. Say goodbye to bad customers: ...

Minimise team turnover and time spent recruiting

How to minimise team turnover and time spent recruiting.Recruiting is a hard and often frustrating journey. It takes you away from other important, and productive, business activities. It leads you down dead-ends; that awesome applicant who’d accepted a new position before you offered them yours!Not to mention those awkward interviews, where you realise within twenty seconds that the person is not suitable, but you still have to go through the motions. Ultimately, all roads lead you to you tak...

Leadership lessons: JUST FOR ME

There are thousands of books written about leadership. We’ve distilled some lessons from some of them into the acronym JUST FOR ME - nine things within your control to help you become a more effective leader.1. Just do it.So often we get in our own way of implementing our ideas. Stop limiting the business’s potential and prioritise your time to ensure the important things get done.2. United vision and values.Your vision is where you want the business to be in the future; your values are the ...

10 steps to Business Continuity Planning

‘Business continuity’ is the process of planning out how your company can continue trading – when disaster hits. In essence, it’s your Plan B for how to set up a means of trading, when you don’t have access to your usual offices, workspaces or equipment.10 key elements to include for your ongoing business continuity planDigital communication and cloud technology have given us the ability to access company information, applications and communication channels. For many businesses this wi...

Why your accountant is the mentor you didn’t know you needed

A business mentor can provide guidance and support, so you make the right decisions and stay focused on the end goal as a business owner. They can also help you move forward in your career by providing advice and feedback on what steps to take to reach the pinnacle of success.But have you ever thought of your accountant as a mentor?Why your accountant is the ideal mentorHaving someone who understands your business journey is incredibly important. You might see an accountant as someone who files ...

The first cause of poor cashflow - Your cash lockup

There’s a massive difference between profit and cashflow. Profit increases when you create an invoice for work you’ve done or goods you’ve sold; cash increases when you bank the money.Your lockup equals the cash that isn’t in your bank account because it’s either in work in progress (you’ve done some work but you haven’t yet billed for it) or you have billed your customer but are waiting to be paid.There are two key processes that need to be improved to reduce the cash that's stuck...

Is your team as diverse as it could be?

Having a focus on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) is a vital part of being a forward-thinking, 21st century business. Having a diverse and inclusive team is not just a 'box-ticking exercise’ to impress your shareholders or investors. It's a proven strategy for making your business more flexible and attuned to a modern way of doing business.Recent research by Gartner found that inclusive teams unlock diversity benefits by improving team performance by up to 30% in high diversity envi...

The fifth way to grow your business - Increase transaction value

The fifth way to grow your business is to encourage your customers to spend more each time they buy.There are hundreds of ways to do this. The key is to develop strategies that add value to the transaction instead of simply increasing the price.Here are some universal ways to encourage a higher spend:1. Upskill your team.Teach them how to articulate the value of your products or services. The first sale is to yourself. They need to be able to readily identify the right upsells for customers and ...

Simple things your sales team must avoid

There are certain selling faux pas which your sales team must avoid in order to improve their results:1. Chasing unsubstantiated leads.You must earn the right to sell to someone. Carefully consider who you target and how to build trust before pitching. You only get one chance to start a relationship; make sure you make a great first impression.2. Being unprepared.If unprepared, you’ll instantly be on the back foot and prospective customers will sense it. Create scripts and email templates to p...

The five stages of brand experience

A great brand takes time and energy to develop, but there are many benefits:Projecting a trustworthy, established and reputable image; implying qualityAttracting the right fit customers (and team members!) – who share your vision and valuesCohesively linking products and services as you expand your offering or marketsSo, how do you get people to discover your brand, let alone develop a connection to it? It’s important to consider what you can do along the Brand Experience Journey.There are f...

P is for purpose, not profit

Why does your business exist?Your purpose is three to seven words explaining why your business exists for your customers; it should be about them, not you. It is a small statement with immense power - your reason for being.EXAMPLES:Tesla: To accelerate the world's transition to sustainable energy.Netflix: To entertain the world.Zoom: To make video communications frictionless and secure.These may be big company examples, but a clear purpose statement is just as important for small and medium size...

Managing pay increases and pay conversations

Conversations with employees about pay and pay raises can be tricky, as it’s an emotional subject for most people and there can be a lot riding on it when economic conditions are tough.If the employment relationship is healthy and based on open dialogue, respect, and trust, there is less chance discussions about money will get heated. Having a solid remuneration system that your people understand will also mean pay decisions are easily understood and communicated, which will reduce the chances...

Are You Suffering from Business Burnout?

The last two years have been demanding and exhausting for many business owners. Are you one of them?The challenges have been relentless, and we know many small business owners have had to navigate unprecedented demands because of the pandemic and related government regulations.Burnout results from long-term stress and can manifest in emotional and physical exhaustion, which may affect your enthusiasm for running the business you once loved.So, What Can You Do About it?We understand that as a bus...

Creating your initial Succession Plan

A Succession Plan is about maximising the value of your business so you can achieve a better outcome when it's time to exit. Many business owners don't think about a Succession Plan until they're ready to sell the business. However, it takes 3-5 years (minimum) to define and execute an effective Succession Plan.1. Start by clarifying your business and personal goals.Establish what you want the business to deliver to you personally. Then, set business goals that will allow you to achieve your per...

Business tips - Learning to make good business decisions

Making good business decisions is easier to do when you have excellent information at your fingertips – and that’s the value of having great reporting at the heart of your startup.Any cloud accounting software worth its salt will offer you straightforward ways to run your financial reports and track your important metrics. That’s standard in the new digital world. And this level of reporting gives you real, tangible data on which to base your decision-making. But good decision-making isnâ€...

Understanding your numbers to improve your results

Understanding your financial reports, or knowing your numbers, is critical to business success. It allows you to make better business decisions, measure the impact of those decisions, take corrective action where necessary and, ultimately, enjoy better results.By understanding your financial reports, you’ll:Know if your business is growing or shrinkingDiscover trends in your business and be able to respond accordinglyCompare your actual results to your expectationsIdentify areas of strength an...