Tricks used in scams
Scammers use clever tricks to reel you in and get you to reply to their email or not hang up the phone. Most scams seem like genuine offers but they are carefully designed to trick you into giving away your money or your personal details.
Get your staff ready for cloud-based software
Shifting data, systems and the inner workings of a business onto the cloud can be a big move. However, it’s hard to stay away from the cloud these days; the applications of cloud-based software are seemingly endless.
Understanding the Cosmetic Industry’s Supply Chain
In the cosmetic industry, managing the supply chain efficiently and effectively is crucial for cosmetic companies to gain a competitive advantage.
How to Start a Private Label: A Chat with Sarah Ferrence of Mod. Merchant
Have you ever considered selling private label products? If so, keep reading. For this post, we caught up with Sarah Ferrence, the founder of Mod. Merchant, a firm that helps retailers and wholesalers adapt and grow their businesses in the new era of retail.
How to Refinance Your Business Debt
Many firms will decide to take on debt at some point, at different stages of growth and for several reasons.
How the Automotive Industry Manages Seasonal Pressures
Managing seasonal pressures in the automotive industry is an ongoing struggle for car dealers, repair shops and others in the auto business.
6 Father’s Day Promotion Ideas to Try in Your Retail Store
Father’s Day is just a few short weeks away, and while this holiday isn’t as huge as the day dedicated to moms, consumers still increase their spending quite a bit.
What’s the Buzz About Innovation?
As more businesses use online inventory management, manufacturing and procurement tools, businesses that stick to traditional ways of operating are likely to surrender their competitive advantage.
9 Reasons Your In-Store Retail Displays Aren’t Working — and What to Do Instead
One of the major differences between brick-and-mortar and ecommerce retail is the ability (or inability) to create a physical customer-product interaction.
12 Retail Checkout Counter Ideas to Try in Your Store
When was the last time you gave your retail checkout counter some love? (And no, we’re not just referring to cleaning up your countertop or moving some stuff around.)
The Reluctance to Automate Leaves UK’s Food Industry Stagnant
Competition is rife in every industry. In order to keep up with competitors you have to be innovative and quick.
How to Avoid Cash Flow Problems
Cash flow can be hard to get to grips with for any business; whether you’re growing, just starting out, or established. In fact, 82% of businesses become insolvent because of bad cash flow.
New date for 7 ways to grow your business
This business workshop is too good to miss. We know you will get that mid-year recharge to take your business into a stellar second half.
Secure your hot seat for 7 ways to grow business at 4.10pm on Wednesday June 13, 2018.
WIN a $250 Bunnings voucher
Calling all tradies. Are you tools looking tired? Has your chisel lost its shizzle? Does your level still measure up? Or does your wrench need to get a grip?
Complete our online survey and you can enter the draw to win a $250 Bunnings voucher.
New BUSINESS buddy franchisee
We are super excited to welcome our new BUSINESS buddy, who is operating a new business advisory service in the Franklin region.
How to prevent and handle internal theft in retail stores
When thinking about threats to your retail store, shoplifting is probably number one, right? The idea of someone swiping hundreds of dollars of products into a giant bag and walking out with them is horrifying, isn’t it? (post by Cara Wood)
3 key trends that will drive business success in FY 2019
As some of us begin a new financial year, it’s time to reflect on trends from the year that’s been. The 2018 financial year continued the dramatic trend of change that small and medium sized businesses have been experiencing for the last few years.
Team work produces golden glory
Last month, all eyes were on the Gold Coast and the 21st Commonwealth Games.
The jaw dropping performances by the Black Ferns sevens, Sophie Pascoe, Tom Walsh and the women’s Black Sticks left us all in awe.
But like in business, exceeding expectations can never be taken for granted.
Here at BUSINESS buddy we recognise the importance of a great coaching and a strong team.
Whether it is a national sports team or a small business, the principals of success are the same.
How to engage and sell to Gen Z
While millennials are still a significant consumer segment for retailers, there is another shopper group that’s continuing to gain spending power.
Best and worst businesses for cash flow
No matter how inventive or simple your business model is, you can still have problems with cash flow. Here is a rundown of the best and worst businesses for cash flow.
5 essential business costs not to skimp on
If you are a startup owner or entrepreneur, it is no secret that you may be working within a tight budget. The ability to make pennies stretch is an important survival skill.
Putting Two and Two Together: Manufacturing Inventory Management and Quality Control
When it comes to quality control as a manufacturer, it’s important to remember the role inventory management has on your ability to moderate quality. In terms of running a business, your aim will be to make quality products that will sell, with as little waste as possible.
How to Train, Manage and Motivate Part-Time Retail Staff
There were almost 5 million retail sales jobs in the U.S. in 2016. Those workers, both full- and part-time, represent a sizeable chunk of the workforce, and they’re also a key component to every growing retail business. (post by Alexandra Sheehan)
7 Examples of Good Customer Service in Retail (and How to Apply Them to Your Stores)
While there are many things that can affect the in-store experience (e.g. products, prices, store environment, etc.) customer service is always going to be one of the top factors that impact how shoppers perceive your brand.
The Retailer’s Guide to Cashier Training: Getting People up to Speed with Your POS
Perhaps the most important part of retail is the moment of the transaction — when money transfers from the customer to the cashier. (post by Cara Wood)
Local Store Marketing for Retailers: 6 Ideas to Boost Your Presence in the Neighborhood
Local store marketing is critical for many retailers, particularly those who have brick-and-mortar stores. Chances are, the bulk of your foot traffic comes from people in the neighborhood, so it’s vital that you get yourself in front of as many locals as possible.
Innovation Poses New Challenges and Opportunities in the Food and Beverage Industry
One critical factor for food and beverage industry growth is innovation. While the food and beverage players are experienced innovators, the industry itself is facing new consumer, food safety and regulatory challenges.
WIN two free tickets to 7 ways to grow your business seminar
BUSINESS buddy CEO, Kirsten Hawke says continued growth and development in Auckland presents business owners with opportunities as well as challenges.
Finding the right staff, coping with new competition and even inefficiencies caused by traffic woes, all impact on local businesses.
You must not miss 7 ways to grow your business
It’s May! How’s your year going? Have you had a blockbuster first quarter or has your business slipped back into the same old, same old.
What to learn from failure in a business
There are many lessons to be learned through failure. Each time something does not work in a business, there are endless reasons and factors that could culminate to cause the failure.
5 Ways to reduce debtor days
Debtor days measures how quickly cash is being collected from debtors. The longer it takes for a business to collect, the greater the number of debtor days.
The 5 best Xero apps of 2018
We have scoured the marketplace to bring you the five best Xero apps of 2018. From reporting software to time management applications, we’ve covered a wide variety of apps designed to make your life easier.
Why Do Businesses Fail to Grow?
No entrepreneur or business startup sets out to fail, yet in every industry, there are those companies that grow and dominate their markets, while others stagnate or ultimately fail.
How to Stay Productive When You Work Remotely
Working remotely or freelancing has its positives— working in your pyjamas being one of them— but when it comes to self-motivating and staying productive, it can be an uphill battle.
Avoiding Supply Chain Woes
Controlling a supply chain can be a very difficult exercise. Businesses can struggle to control what is going on in their supply chain and this can result in failure.
Managing supply chains effectively during the holiday season
Gift giving is a major part of the holiday season. As a result, the holiday seasons is hectic, not only for the consumers, but also the retailers and manufacturers supplying the gifts.
Learn how to create business values in just 5 simple steps
When it comes to creating a vibrant company, values are absolutely foundational – in fact, they’re one of the most visible aspects of any company culture.
Women in Tech – It All Adds Up!
Recruiting more women into roles within the technology sector continues to be to a major challenge for employers. In the UK technology sector, only 15% of people working in STEM roles are female, and women hold only 5% of tech leadership positions.
Have your say on taxes
It’s hard to believe but New Zealand’s Government is giving you a chance to say what you think about our tax system.
BUSINESS buddy thinks this is an opportunity not to be missed.
We Asked Retailers About the Habits That Led to Their Success. Here’s What They Said.
Highly successful retail businesses don’t just happen overnight, nor does it (usually) occur because of one big, bold action.
Retail Metrics: 14 Essential KPIs for Tracking Your Business’ Performance
Numbers don’t lie, so if you find yourself at a loss with what’s happening in your business, one of first the things you should do is look at your retail metrics.
How to recognize and prevent sexual harassment in your office
The Harvey Weinstein scandal is back in the news this week – and it’s a reminder that we should seriously think about how we recognize and prevent sexual harassment in the workplace.
How to Encourage Impulse Buys and Unplanned Purchases in Your Retail Store
Impulse purchases account for a significant chunk of the consumer spending pie. According to a study by Marketing Support, Inc. and Leo J. Shapiro and Associates, about one-third of all consumers make a sizeable impulse buy every week, with a median purchase of $30.
Expanding from 1 to 5 Stores: How This Retailer Used Communities to Fuel Their Growth
Picture this — you find yourself in an industry that is dominated by big chains at the top and crowded with online stores that keep popping up. How do you stay competitive?
Choosing Cloud Software? Look Out for These Trends
Software as a Service (SaaS) has paved the way for businesses and consumers to test early cloud services. With SaaS being both flexible and financially attractive, businesses continue to take advantage of the simplicity and high performance the cloud offers.
How to deal with difficult customers: Nine proven tips for retailers
Dealing with difficult customers can be… well, difficult, but it doesn’t have to be. With the right attitude and action steps, you can effectively navigate these tricky customer situations and emerge (hopefully) unscathed.
Are employee benefits the key to attracting and retaining employees?
Free healthy meals at work, discounted travel, opportunities for personal development and study, flexible working, and paid time off for volunteering – these are just some of the compelling employee benefits that leading company’s offer.
Technology + Humanity = The future of services
Running your own business is awesome, right? There are not many other lifestyles that afford the opportunity to enjoy the kind of life you’ve always dreamed of, on your own terms. Time, money, flexibility… the chance to have it all.
Streamlining your Small Business for Greater Efficiency
One of the complexities of managing a small to medium sized business is having the ability to optimise your organisation, enabling it to run more efficiently.
Avoiding Stockouts: 5 Preventable Causes of Out-of-Stocks and What to Do About Them
Stockouts almost always make it to the “worst nightmare” lists of retailers, and for good reason. Not only do they lead to lost sales, but out-of-stocks also result in reduced customer satisfaction and lower loyalty levels.
Save the date - 7 ways to grow your business seminar
Join Kirsten & the Business Buddy CA Team on Wednesday June 13 2018 at this 90-minute event to understand the mindset change required to succeed in a changing business landscape.
John says, “do you want to visit?” Obama says, “oKey doKey.”
The team at BUSINESS buddy realise the power of good networking, so the news of the former US president Barack Obama’s visit later this month – got us thinking.
Three measures of customer satisfaction compared
It is a difficult task to gauge customer satisfaction without some form of survey to do so. However, understanding the extent to which your customer base is happy with your services is integral to your company’s success.
5 things you need to know about sourcing globally
Global sourcing occurs when companies go beyond their home borders for sourcing goods and services.
What shape are your end-of-year accounts in?
The end of the financial year can be either stressful or a seamless part of what you do.
Ideally, your end-of-year accounts will confirm what you think your business has been doing for the past 12 months.
Where do your customers see value?
Most small businesses are trying to grow their market share and revenue. This typically means thinking deeply about one of the major factors affecting inventory management: pricing strategy.
Getting business strategy at the heart of your success in 2018
Strategy lies at the heart of most successful businesses. Businesses that plan and have clear objectives or goals, robust accountability and a shared sense of purpose should always outperform those that just show up and go through the motions.
6 Retail Marketing Strategies to Help You Get New Customers
Whether you’re just setting up shop or been running your store for decades, acquiring new customers is always the name of the game.
We Asked Shoppers Who Their Favorite Retailers Are and Why. Here’s What They Said.
Who is your favorite retailer and why? We posted that question on LinkedIn last week because we wanted to learn more about the retailers that consumers love.
Three Must Have New Year’s Resolutions for Small Businesses
As some countries ring in the new financial year, now is the time to reflect and make New Year’s resolutions for your SME for the financial year ahead.
How to Optimize Your Inventory: A Guide to Getting Stock Levels “Just Right”
How much money do you lose to stockouts and overstocked items every year? The answer might surprise you.
Handle conflict like a pro: essential team conflict management examples and tips
Conflicts are inevitable, even in the most engaged of workplaces. Regardless of the source of the conflict, if they are left unresolved, conflicts can quickly impact employee morale and productivity.
Choosing Between Local or International Suppliers
As industries increase in globalisation, establishing trading relationships with suppliers further and further afield, there is a concurrent and rather ironic push for consumers to support local entities and ‘shop small’.
Benefits of a Domestic Supply Chain
The success of a business, amongst other things, is largely dependent on their ability to supply their product or service to a customer exactly when and in what quantity they require.
The Power of Customer Success
Customer Success is one of the most important strategic priorities at Spotlight Reporting. The more we learn about Customer Success principles, strategy and practice, the more we can see the powerful resonance this could have for accountants in practice.
Got a Seasonal Business? Try These 9 Tips to Stay Profitable and Productive All Year
Every seasonal business – whether it’s a haunted house attraction open on Halloween or a summer souvenirs shop on the beach – dreads the off-peak season.
12 Examples of Retail Stores That Will Inspire You to Run Your Business Better
One of the best ways to get inspired in your retail business is to see merchants like yourself who are killing it.
Kill your mortgage
Hannah is a financial force. She is the founder and director of enableMe – Financial Personal Trainers, a chartered accountant, a master of taxation studies, best-selling author, TV personality and mum of two.
Hannah is presenting her brand new, 45-minute seminar at Uxbridge Arts Centre, Uxbridge Road, Howick February 27, 2018 at 6pm.
Accountancy becomes accountability
If someone had told me as a student in the 1980's that one day soon I could track my client’s business performance online, on any device, from anywhere in the world, I wouldn’t have believed them.
4 Essential employee engagement trends for 2018
Creating a highly-engaged workforce and a thriving workplace continues to be a major focus for all HR managers. And the reason is simple.
The force of the Star Wars’ business model
From a business perspective, it’s universe-shattering that a product that first rolled out in 1977 still captivates the punters and successfully enthralls a whole new generation.
BUSINESS buddy has investigated how Star Wars resonates with people who weren’t born when the first movie was released, without alienating those who are old enough to be their grandparents.
Financial Mistakes To Avoid In Your First Business
After spending months thinking about it, you finally decided to quit your 9-5 job and start your very first business. You think that this will be a win-win situation for you because you get to do what you love and be your own boss.
8 Eco-friendly packaging alternatives for your shipping needs
If you’re shipping your goods out to your customers, it’s essential to ensure your freight costs are as low as possible. At the same time, we all know how important it is to reduce our impact on the environment.
Late payment reduces small business confidence to grow
Three quarters of small and medium sized UK builders say that late payment has directly hampered their business growth according to a recent Federation of Master Builders survey.
What’s Brewing in the Future of Coffee?
The growth of the coffee industry has been truly unprecedented and experts have been prepared for the bubble to pop.
How To Prepare Your Business For The Next Recession
There has been a lot of chatter in the media recently that another economic downturn might be around the corner. As The Wow Company found in their recent “How recession-proof is your business” survey, a surprisingly high number of UK-based businesses are not prepared for the next recession.
Working From Home – Managing the Risks to Reap the Rewards
Working from home is becoming increasingly common as many employees look for flexibility and work-life balance.
3 Deadly Sins of Inventory Management
Sales numbers are not the only factor that influence a business’ bottom-line. Inventory management is just as important, and managers need to be wary of a few common inventory management mistakes to avoid.
Is Peer to Peer Lending the Best Funding Option for Your Business?
Over the last five years, peer to peer lending has become a popular alternative to traditional bank lending for individuals.
How to Get Media Coverage for Your Retail Business: A DIY Guide
There are several advantages to getting some good PR for your business. In addition to generating buzz, getting covered by the press can drive traffic and sales while boosting your credibility in the process.
Do You Need to Up Your B2B Marketing Game?
Business to Business (B2B) marketing practices are changing. Here we identify the latest trends and best practices of 2017.
3 Great Examples of Retailers Reinventing Their Stores to Reach Modern Consumers
If you’ve been keeping abreast with the latest trends then you’ve likely heard about the shifting shopping habits of consumers.
WIN two free tickets to BUSINESS buddy’s cashflow management seminar
The BUSINESS buddies are so excited about our February seminar that we are giving away one double pass to help a local business keep the dollars running like a river, all year round.
Are you a business owner feeling financial squeeze this January? You are not alone.
The Value of Workplace Training
Training in the workplace is a very valuable and important component of running a successful business.
Shipping Musts and Must-Nots
Online purchasing has not-so-slowly and very surely become the way people shop. It is efficient, convenient and best of all can be done without any concern for traffic or trying to find dreaded car-parking at a mall.
The Five Elements of a Lean Business
If your business is doing well and you’re looking to expand, that can be a sign of success. However, moving to the next stage of business development can be a risky endeavour.
The Dance of Technology and Business
Conducting business is no longer as simple, and dare we say primitive, as being present in the store at the point of sale, making said sale, recording said sale and replenishing inventory stock – all in a very hands-on manner.
Dear Santa
You’re never too old to write to the dude in the big red suit and the BUSINESS buddies have scribed their wish list for something special they would like to find under the tree.
Of course, they are trying very hard to be good right up until Christmas Eve, which is more of a challenge for some buddies than others.
Money, money, money
Loot, dosh, cash, dollars, money, moola, coin… call it what you will but when there’s none in your pocket and none in the bank, it means one word – trouble.
The holiday season is a time when many businesses find cashflow diminishes to a trickle and it is the perfect occasion for BUSINESS buddy to advise entrepreneurs on how to unblock the dam.
Make sure you don’t overlook this critical step in your employee onboarding process
So, you’re doing your homework on employee onboarding and preparing new starter kits infused with your company’s values. You also want to mastermind an onboarding process that even the tech giants would be proud of.
6 Factors You Need to Know When Considering a New Supplier
The best suppliers will provide the most suitable goods or services at the right prices and within the right time frames for your business needs. Below we give you six factors you need to know when considering a new supplier.
Virtual Currencies: Bitcoin and other Virtual Currencies
Many virtual currencies, such as Bitcoin have emerged over the last 10 years but just how safe are they? We explain how virtual currencies work and the risks you take buying, trading or investing in them.
The Happiest Time of the Year? Holiday Pressures for Food Manufacturers
Holiday seasons are often just as exciting for food manufacturers as they are for consumers. Holiday seasons are big business for food manufacturers.
Making a Case for a Time and Attendance System
Having reliable rostering software, like goRoster, means that you know who is working in your business at any given time. It’s a great tool to help you manage your staff without having to be on site 24/7.
Happy Customers, Thriving Company: The Role of Inventory Management
If there were no customers, there would be no business. And with no business, there is no income. So, it would be safe to summarise that customers should be the point of business, would it not?
Buy Now, Pay Later Services
Buy now, pay later payment services allow you to delay payment or pay by instalments (often fortnightly) over a period of time.
Automation: Changing the Face of Inventory Management
Inventory control and supply chain management has evolved on a near continuous basis since the 1980s.
4 Questions to help you assess HR software costs
To manage people in fast-growing small businesses like yours, you need to streamline all areas of HR administration – which would be hard to do without HR software.
10 Tips to Help You Meet (and Beat) Your Retail Sales Targets
If you’re reading this, then you’re likely: a) not meeting your retail sales targets; or b) meeting your targets but want to find ways to blow past them.