Spring has well and truly sprung. It’s tick season and there is no better time to tick some spring cleaning items off your to do list.

Super news about how to pay your Super

The ATO has graciously extended the date for small businesses to get themselves sorted to meet the new Super Stream deadlines.  This date was 30 June 2016, however it is now extended to 28 October 2016.  What this means is that you will now need to pay all employee super by electronic means using your accounting software which will be great (really) because you will know what you are paying, how much you really owe, the super you have already paid and better still, the super you haven’t paid!  Once set up, it is as simple as ticking a few boxes and letting the magic happen for you.  No more cheques to mail, no more individual bank transfers, and less paperwork for everyone.  This is a good thing.

28 October 2016 is also the last day to pay superannuation that has been withheld for the 1 July to 30 September 2016 quarter.  So there is another reason that it is better to tick this off sooner rather than later if you haven’t already.

Your most valuable asset is your database

When was the last time your data base received a tummy tickle, a treat or a bit of love?  Your data base is not something that should be neglected as this is your #1 way of contacting every client at your practice.

Now is a good time to spring clean your data base and check that all of your clients information is up to date before the craziness of summer begins.  If you have the staff available, it is also a good time to throw a ball for some of your quieter clients and see if you can get them to return.  Even if you find out that they are choosing to play somewhere else, you can make a note of it and perhaps even find out why.

Also, remember to keep on asking those important questions to all clients coming in the door:

• What is your mobile number
• What is your email address
• Is your postal address still the same
• And for new clients ‘How did you hear about us’

AND then remember to update their records!

Quarter 2 – time for a new theme

It’s a new quarter, so if you have been playing along at home for a while you will know that all staff at APL Accountants will be furiously shopping for cheap inflatables on eBay for our new quarterly theme. We all have a budget of about $15 – $20 to go crazy with.

Our theme this quarter is – drumroll please – “Smarter not Harder”

Most of us are enjoying different challenges that we face with the ever changing world of technology and the way APL evolves.  Some of us are gaining certificates and/or diplomas in different courses to keep our knowledge up to date or learn something new.

There are huge internet/website/IT changes happening for the majority of us. While some of us still struggle to resize a picture for a webpage.  This is why our quarterly theme is about working smarter.  We are all being educated in one way or another in areas where we can improve our skills, knowledge, or just that space in our brain that stores stuff that will only be used at a trivia night (or APL client day.  Can emus walk backwards? Anyone!?).

You are probably wondering what we will do for our quarterly reward once we achieve all of this extra time we will have once our efficiency is just through the roof!?  You will need to stay tuned until January to find out if we have failed or succeeded with our theme, smashed KPI’s out of the park, or just got really good at trivia nights.

Bottom of the pack –
Pumpkins, skeletons, and ghouls – the whole thing scares me (written by CEO’s assistant ‘Strudel’)

Here is a picture of our CEO Zack and his assistant Daisy last year at Halloween. Daisy has subsequently been promoted to marketing where she loves her new role – chasing away non-veterinary customers who walk in the front door. No jokes here, the other day we had a motor car mechanic walk into the office and he left saying ‘it’s rude to have dogs barking at your customers’ – good job Daisy, if they don’t like dogs, we don’t like them!

Now back to the Halloween thing, I’m pretty concerned here as a newbie after seeing last year’s photos. It’s not my fault I’m a sausage dog, and I just get the feeling my Halloween costume is going to be embarrassing and have something to do with my breed. I’m trying to avoid the whole thing this year as I’ve heard talk about a hotdog costume and the thought of that just makes me want to do a ‘revenge poo’ in a place somewhere dark, hidden, and probably under a desk.

Last Year’s Halloween (Daisy and Zack)

Me, the author of the article having a nightmare about what may be in store for me this year over Halloween: