Sowing Seeds for Success

 
In the spirit of this podcast my previous articles have discussed the benefits for businesses setting goals and planning ahead. If you’ve been following my column, you will hopefully have reflected on the value of goal setting and perhaps implemented some simple targets that you are working towards.

Once you’ve set goals, it’s important to keep good records, and use technology to your best advantage. Dealing with finances and paperwork is usually something most people dread, with repetitive administrative tasks often being something that keeps us away from those other things we love doing like watching or playing sports and spending time with loved ones.

With the availability of quality record-keeping software, internet and mobile solutions now available to regional areas like ours, we now have access to up-to-date information to monitor goals and keep on top of bookwork.

By using technology to make bookwork easier a few of the things you gain control over include:

• Flexibility to access information from anywhere
• Keeping track of customer and supplier accounts and collection of money in and out
• Easily meeting your obligations including dealing with GST, employee wages and super
• Understanding your performance and thinking like an entrepreneur

Working in regional areas, we often hear many clients using poor internet access or “my business is too small” as a reason not to invest in technology.  This is no longer an excuse as there are now solutions to any problem that may have been previously experienced. The right technology should be viewed as an investment in your business, not as an optional cost.

Forsyths made the decision 5 years ago to move to Xero software for our firm accounts and haven’t looked back.  The efficiencies Xero has created for our team along with the real time reporting, payroll management and bank feed links mean that as our business grows, we are not overwhelmed with the administrative side of managing our finances.  Instead, we can focus on things that give us more joy like helping our clients to achieve their goals.

If you would like to know more about Xero, I would be happy to walk you through this and demonstrate how this might just be the difference you have been looking for.

Andrew Freebairn