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Just quickly; I really can't believe it's December 2017 ALREADY yet, here we are. Personally, I've had a great year for which I'm very grateful and I hope yours has been too. Either way, here's to you and a fantastic 2018!
Townsville has seen its fair share of, shall we say, not quite ideal economic times in the last few years but from reports and conversations with local business owners, 2018 is looking really positive.
Christmas and New Year is a great time of the year (unless you work in retail, I'm told). Christmas parties, winding down of the work year, school holidays, sunshine and pool time. Plus the food. Oh, the food! For me, Christmas is an awesome time in our family. My beautiful mother-in-law Gail quite literally 'decks the halls' with Christmas decorations, outdoor lights and has better packing skills than Amazon, with her ability to fill a fridge/freezer with more food than a small army could eat.
One of the best things about the business that I am in is that I get to see behind the curtains of a LOT of industries. I see the good, the bad and I definitely see the ugly. One thing that is constant across all industries is 'change'. The reason I want to talk about change is that it's nothing to be frightened of! As more and more technology enhances and streamlines our everyday way of life, it is impacting on our employment. Casualisation of the workforce is not ideal but its happening, so rather than sit back, it's time to take control.
Never before has it been easier to start and build your own business. Between smartphones, apps, social media and DIY webstore templates – the only thing holding you back is you.
I started my 'first business' with a mate back when we were 15 years old. We lived in the same street and figured we had a bit of spare time to earn a few dollars, so we came up with the ever innovative business named Scott & Trent's Lawn Mowing Services. Straight to the computer we went to do up our pricing and flyers and as soon as they were printed, off we went on our pushies and delivered them to the neighbourhood letterboxes.
As a regional based business we are thrilled to be recognised as a Runner-up in the 2017 Intuit QuickBooks Global Firm of the Future contest.
This achievement is a great team effort for the 2nd consecutive year.
Full details of the winners can be read here: https://www.firmofthefuture.com/content/intuit-announces-2017-top-four-global-firms-of-the-future/
"Oh, congratulations!" they say.
"What a beautiful home" they say.
"Well done" they say.
"Let's talk about budgets and savings plans" they don't say.
"It's not just the loan repayment, it's the rates, the insurance and the maintenance costs" they don't say.
"I'll pay for you to join us on holidays" they don't say.
LAST month I spoke about a small part of our cruise of the Caribbean. We were celebrating my wife's 30th birthday with a group of friends aboard the Oasis of the Seas and were docked in Jamaica, a few days into our cruise. This was the first time that we had been on a cruise and we definitely picked an amazing way to introduce ourselves to cruising, or as we liked to call it: #cruiselife.
LOOKING out from the balcony of our Stateroom, I am watching the waves break on a small reef. The colour of the water is an incredible turquoise blue even though the sky is slightly overcast – Something that is not unusual in the tropics of the Caribbean. We are celebrating my wife Shantelle's 30th Birthday, along with her friends, on the Oasis of the Sea – the second largest cruise ship in the world at a whopping 360m long. We boarded from Cape Canaveral in Florida and have just pulled up (docked to be correct) at our port in Jamaica.
WE have all heard of DIY (aka Do It Yourself). We've all watched an episode of The Block and thought "I could do that… sort of". And there is no escaping the ads that make you think: Yes, I am sick of my bathroom… Why not renovate? Just DIY! It's so simple!
We had quite a scare late last month. The Boss (aka Dad) came down with a very serious infection is his leg. After many trips to visit Doctors, Specialists, Hospital and X-Rays, it seems he is on the mend but it has not been an enjoyable experience, as you could imagine. He has been out of action, as much as a business owner allows themselves - which means not for long.
Last July RBS entered the Intuit Firm of the Future competition. Ian was interviewed recently to find out exactly what makes RBS a Firm of the Future.
The full interview can be read here: https://www.firmofthefuture.com/content/firm-of-the-future-profile-regional-business-services/
Find out about FBT, Super changes, HR manuals, the Instance Asset Write-off and much more in the Autumn 2017 Business Bulletin.
I'm up in Normanton as I write this. Staying in a luxurious 2.5m x 3m single man's quarters (and I'm not kidding about the luxurious side either) with a super silent Mitsubishi Electric split system, wall mounted flat screen TV and blackout windows, I haven't slept this well (away from home) in a long time.
Regional Business Services has been around since GST was first introduced in 2000. I started working with Dad (Ian) at RBS in 2012 after working for a "Big Four Bank" for 9 years. We are a small business consultancy. We specialise in helping small to medium size businesses in implementing productivity improvements in their business using cloud based applications to maximise profits.
EVERY week we hear of another story about how someone has been unable to secure finance. Whether it is purchasing a home, looking at a new building premises, purchasing a piece of equipment or just having working capital, finding finance is just not as easy as you might expect.
I always approach my New Year with excitement and a list of enlightened resolutions.
Come January 2nd, some of them suddenly don't seem so enlightened (like giving up coffee) and come February 1st, well let's just say I still can't run 10km. This year however, I am going to stay the course!