Thank you to William Shakespeare for the above title (sorry I just couldn’t help myself). In an earlier post on the The Pulse I banged on about the importance of asking questions when meeting and discussing issues with clients and pitching for new business. Now we visit the other side of the communication coin – listening.
Listening is perhaps the most important skill any accountant or professional adviser can bring to a discussion with a client, potential client, staff member, government department, supplier and so on. When you listen … really listen … to the other party some quite amazing things begin to happen. Here are just three to think about: Read more
For most people, the humble lunch break is time to grab a quick sandwich in front of their computer, but an enterprising group of Kiwis is set to change the lunch game. Introducing LetsLunch – an innovative new way to build your business contacts, learn tips and advice from industry leaders and make some new friends…all in your lunch break!
With its origins in Silicon Valley, the idea of expanding your professional network over lunch has been brought to New Zealand by local entrepreneur, Chirag Ahuja. Read more
I’m assuming, if you’re reading this article, that you’re an accountant or at least working in the industry in some capacity. Let me ask you a question … “As an accountant what is the most important thing you do for your clients?” Over the years I’ve been given any number of responses to this question.
Some say, “Keep my clients safe & compliant”.
Others say, “Make their lives easier”.
While many say, “Get them a big tax refund”.
However, the most common response I receive to this fundamental question is, “to add value”. Read more
Happy Super Bowl Monday! (or Sunday, if you’re in the US)
Much like the AFL Grand Final in Australia and the Rugby World Cup Final in New Zealand, the match that stops a nation is currently playing out in lounge rooms and bars across North America.
Last year, a global audience of 111 million people tuned in to watch the Green Bay Packers storm home over the Pittsburgh Steelers, with an estimated 10% of those watching from outside of the US. (and the preliminary figures for this year indicate that we might be on track to reach the 120 million mark.)
Read more
The old saying goes ‘two things in life are certain – Death and Taxes’. I’d like to formally request that this saying is altered to be ‘three things are certain in life – Death, Taxes and Deadlines’.
The consequences of missing these deadlines though can range from missing your bus to angry wife or even losing your job (or perhaps even scarier losing your job and making your wife angry).
So here are six tips to help you stay on top of your tasks and meet those deadlines every time, while hopefully avoiding those all-night work marathons we’ve no doubt found ourselves doing from time to time. Read more
Smart business resolutions for all SME’s.
There’s a New Zealand online business I came across the other day, which may as well have had a photo of me pinned to their mood board when they conceptualised it.
From the moment I spotted an ad for it on another blog, to the moment I followed them on their Facebook page. Read more
Smart business resolutions for all SME’s.
There’s a New Zealand online business I came across the other day, which may as well have had a photo of me pinned to their mood board when they conceptualised it.
From the moment I spotted an ad for it on another blog, to the moment I followed them on their Facebook page. Read more
For anyone who knows me out in the ‘real world’, they’ll definitely know that anything by Michael Buble has never been on my iPod play list. And that’s not due to me having no appreciation for what it is he has to offer to the musical world and his adoring audiences, his music is just not my cup of tea. Read more
It might be smooth sailing now, but sometimes, things fall apart. How will a roadblock in your personal life affect your business?
Remember the song, ‘Breaking up is hard to do’? Those who have been through relationship breakups I am sure will agree that it is not easy and there are lots of both emotional and financial issues processes to go through.
Generally, it is the emotional side that kicks in first, the hurt, anger, grief and so on, and if there are children involved then there is a whole other layer of emotional complexity. But at some point through this process the financial aspects of breaking up have to be dealt with, both in terms of the splitting of assets and debt, and the day to day financial management of who is going to pay the bills and how. Read more
It’s hard to believe that the silly season is here, yet again. There’s only 25 sleeps until the big day, and retailers small and large around the nation are gearing up for the season that traditionally yields the year’s most profitable trading days.
Unfortunately tough local trading conditions mean that Christmas won’t be merry for everyone, and the retail sector is the most at risk. Some retailers attribute up to 60% of their annual trade in the months of November and December, and for many, disappointing Christmas sales can put a serious dent in profit projections. Read more
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