After much planning, you have made the decision to move Down Under. You want to set up your own business in Australia to allow you to take advantage of all what Australia has to offer including sun, sea and surf. Here are 5 steps to help set up your business in Australia.
1. TFN
This is your Tax File Number, which is the same as a National Insurance Number in the UK or a Social Security Number in the US. Everyone needs a TFN which is issued by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) before they are able to work. It shows they have the legal right to work in Australia and are paying taxes. Everyone has a different TFN and it stays with you your whole working life so that the Government can identify your tax records. If you do not have a TFN, you will be paying emergency tax which is 46.5%.
2. ABN
Every person that is self employed and is running a business, has an ABN (although it is not compulsory). You will need to use your ABN when dealing with other businesses, (when doing work for them), when filing your tax returns, if you are registered for GST (goods sales tax). Once you have your TFN you can then apply for your ABN, which can take up to 4 weeks. The ABN will be used when you file your tax returns at the end of the financial year, which runs July to July.
3. Contact An Accountant
It is important to get in touch with an accountant at the earliest possibility. This will help you to sort out your tax before you start bringing in a lot of business. The last thing you want to doing before the end of the tax year is finding out you have not been paying enough tax. The amount of tax you pay is dependent on your earnings and whether you are classified as an Australian resident. If you have to buy products for your company and travel costs, you can claim these as an expense.
4. Set Up Your Website
As you have just come into a new market, you will need to do a lot of advertising to promote yourself and be seen in Australia. The best way to do this is to set up your own website. If you already have one, then you will need to amend the details to include your new location. If you do not yet have a site, there are many companies in Australia that offer affordable web design solutions.
5. Print Your Business Cards
Once you have your website, you will need to ensure you have some business cards printed with your website address, new Australian mobile and landline number (should you have one).
About the Author: The article is written by Jo Turnbull. There are many printing services in Australia. Visit your local printing company to see what’s on offer.
In a bad economy, companies are turning to a variety of money-saving methods. From cutting a few days out of the work week, to eliminating positions, many companies are in a tough position. If you can’t cut down your work week or eliminate a position all together, however, it would be wise to consider HR outsourcing.
Not only does outsourcing your HR team result in one less in-house employee, it takes the stress of workers compensation, health insurance, payroll and tax filing off of your hands. According to CPEHR.com, “In place of current management, the HRO firm takes over some of the cumbersome administrative functions relating to employment.”
To make the most of this cost effective service, consider the following tips.
Set Goals
When you’re outsourcing an in-house position, it’s important that it’s making a difference for your company. The only way to measure that is to benchmark the progress by setting goals. Goal setting is valuable in any business setting as it increases productivity and purpose. In outsourcing, however, it’s an effective way to keep all your teams working together.
For the company: One of the benefits of outsourcing HR is cost savings in insurance, lawsuits and recruiting. Set savings related goals to be sure you’re getting the most ROI.
For your HR team: With your HR employees out of house, you want to be sure they are staying on track. Set up goals for the week, month or quarter.
Maintain Open Communication
When you can’t have a department meeting or quick chat in passing, it’s critical that you make communication a priority. Outsourcing-Center.com suggests, “… It is important to merge them through open, honest communication steeped in realistic expectations around how things are going to work.” Be sure to utilize various forms of communication to make it effective:
Set an email checking schedule to ensure emails are being received and read.
Set up phone meetings; weekly, daily, whatever you need to stay on the same page.
Utilize new technology such as video chat to maintain a face to face relationship.
Have a Team
Although you should be wise to choose an HRO company that you trust, it’s important that you have an in-house team working closely with your far-away employees. For important projects, having in-house hands involved can ensure that the job is on track and in line with your over-all goals for the company as a whole, not just the HR department. Thus, choosing the right team will be crucial.
Include one member of each department involved; IT, Accounting, etc.
Choose employees that will work well together. For an important project, you want your employees, in-house and outsourced, to be productive and open.
Only include your outsourced HR employee when necessary, as a significant benefit is allowing them to focus strictly on HR without being pulled into side jobs and projects within the office.
Outsourcing your HR employee or team will be cost effective for any sized business. By taking HR duties out of the office, you’re reducing your costs and risks involved. Be sure that you’re making the most of these services with goal setting, communication, and team work.
About the Author: Jessica Sanders is an avid small business writer touching on topics that range from social media to business management. She is a professional blogger and web content writer for ResourceNation.com.
While most Americans have a basic idea of how credit cards work, a recent survey conducted by SmartBalanceTransfers.com revealed that many are not aware of or don’t understand concepts that can save them money on hefty finance charges.
The primary question asked in the survey was, “Have you ever heard of 0% APR balance transfers?” Of the 1500 individuals surveyed, a whopping 62.2% had never heard of this technique. No fee balance transfers have a lot to offer customers. During the process, a credit card company, in attempt to acquire a new customer, will offer to transfer the balance on their existing card over to a 0% interest offer on one of their cards as a bonus for signing up as a new customer. Those who are able to take advantage of 0% balance transfer cards can save hundreds of dollars depending on how high their balance is and what interest rate is currently being charged.
For example, an individual with a $7000 balance on a credit card at an interest rate of 13.99% who pays $140 per month for their minimum monthly payment spends roughly $20 per month on interest charges alone, therefore only $120 is applied to the principal. Assuming the interest rate remains the same and no new charges are incurred, it would take around 58 months, just about five years, to pay down the balance. While the $20 per month may not seem like much, over the life of the balance, the credit card holder spends an astonishing $1,160 on interest charges!
It’s no wonder credit card companies thrive in the society we live in; consumers simply pay the minimal amount to get by not considering how it’s affecting them over the long term. The reflection clearly shown from the credit card survey reveals a society who does not take the time to consider the the long term perspective; even minimal research regarding procuring a cheaper interest rate would reveal this method to any consumer.
It is reassuring to know that most Americans are appearing to learn from their mistakes, however. The survey showed that around 60% of Americans aged 65 and over had basic understanding of 0% balance transfer offers, while those ages 18-24 only yielded 21% who possessed the knowledge of promotional offers. Seeing as how one must be 18 to open an account, this shows that most people first get into debt, discover they are in trouble later on in life, and then seek answers.
The wealthy in the United States aren’t just well off because of luck or special favor; they employ knowledge to make sure they are getting the best deals. Over 50% of those polled with income levels between $75-99,000 per year reported that they were aware of balance transfer offers, and those having incomes even higher than this range ranked over 70%! On the flip side, Americans falling in the income bracket of under $24,000 annually only reflected a 25% awareness.
A picture is worth a thousand words, and the picture painted by this survey reveals a lot about the current state of the United States economy. By creating a larger awareness of methods that can be taken to lower monthly credit card bills, younger Americans as well as those living in poverty will have a better chance to thrive.
A Laundromat is the perfect business for anyone who wants a profitable business with the potential to grow but doesn’t want to spend all their time working. Most owners of Laundromats truly enjoy the business so much that a lot of them open multiple stores. Having a business that doesn’t require a lot of involvement but delivers a comfortable profit is a wonderful opportunity.
You might ask yourself why you should consider something as unexciting as a Laundromat when there are so many exciting ventures available. The short answer is that this is a business with a very low failure rate and a sound business concept. Laundromat owners make money even when other businesses are floundering, no matter what shape the economy is in. It’s a service that everyone need. People will cut corners and find cheaper ways to do things but there are few people that are willing to wash their own clothing in their sink or bathtub.
Laundromats are used by people from every income group. Even the wealthiest people use Laundromats that provide a service that lets them drop off their washing and pick it up later when it has been washed, dried and folded. Businesses, especially smaller ones, use Laundromats for their linens and other items.
Once you succeed with one Laundromat you may want to start another in a different location. You won’t be working 20 hour days like a lot of business owners do to get their businesses on their feet as it takes just a few hours a week to maintain the store, collect the coins, replenish the change machines and do the accounting. It’s a partially automated business that doesn’t require a lot of attention from the owner.
A Business Full of Opportunities
You can start your Laundromat in a few different ways depending on how fast you need it to be profitable and how much financing you have available. You can buy an already existing store that is doing well with an established clientele. You may want to opt for one that is not doing well so that you can get it at a bargain price. If you have a lot of financial resources, you can start your own from the bottom up. If you choose the latter you can often get a good deal on your lease because Laundromats are viewed as “anchor” stores by strip mall landlords. They usually sig long leases and support other businesses by bringing in regular customers.
If you are successful with your first Laundromat you might want to follow the Franchise business model. Opening a couple more Laundromats and selling or leasing them to entrepreneurs like yourself can bring you a very nice passive income.
What will it Cost?
A Laundromat has some pretty hefty start up costs, one of the few drawbacks of starting this kind of business. You’ll have to allow for building costs or renovation if you decide to start from scratch as well as the cost of washers, dryers, coin changing machines, sewage and waste disposal. Don’t forget about insurance and security systems if you should need them.
Promoting Your Business
Laundromats don’t need much in the way of marketing and you probably won’t be doing much of it after your business becomes known in the community. You’ll need good signage, of course, and that’s one area you can use to attract a better class of customer. A cheap, garish sign like “Duds ‘N Suds” will attract a different sort of person than a sign with “Laundromat” in a distinctive font or cursive with an understated color scheme. Making the inside of the store attractive and comfortable will also help the store attract a more positive trade.
Distributing flyers and having a launch party will let the community know you’re there and give them a chance to visit the premises. You should consider giving your store a website, which can be invaluable for promotions and publicity. You can draw your clients in with web-based newsletters that contain laundry hints, industry news and updates on the latest fashions and how to care for the fabrics involved. You could even stage a contest a few times a year that gives the winner a free wash and dry or kids’ coloring pages on holidays. Your clients will have fun and fell as if your store is “their” Laundromat. Compete with other stores by offering morning coffee or pay for play game machines; anything that increases customer comfort will help keep your store busy.
Location, Location, Location!
You can have the best store in the world but it will be a failure if you don’t choose the proper location. Study the demographics of any neighborhood you’re considering. You’ll need young families in apartments, students, maybe even some upper income clients to whom you can offer drop off and pick up service.
What can you afford? The best sites are priced accordingly but paying a little extra will generally result in healthier profits. On the other hand, a creative marketing program can keep customers coming in to a less desired location. You’ll need to assess the parking situation, whether your customers will be safe at night and if there are other businesses whose customers will be interested in your store.
Knowing your competitors is one of your best tools to success. Know their locations because if there are too many in one small area, none of them will do very well. It’s hard to make people break a habit and switch Laundromats.
How Do You Want to Manage Your Store?
One of the best aspects of running a Laundromat is the short work week. If you have just one store or even two, you’ll probably be working less than 10 hours per week to keep everything running smoothly. Once you grow larger you will probably need to hire a few employees to manage and maintain the stores. The advantage of having employees is that you can offer some premium services like small mending repairs, button replacements, washing, ironing and folding. The disadvantage is employee turnover, employees calling in sick at the last moment and other problems employers encounter. You’ll have to think about such situations and make some contingency plans. Running one store by yourself is quite different from being an employer.
You should decide if you want to keep the store open 24 hours a day or stick to an early morning to mid-evening schedule. You’ll save on utilities if you close at night but if you live near a large student population you could miss out on a lot of business. On the other hand, if your clientele is mostly young families or working people there won’t be much demand for your store’s services after 9PM. You may also save on insurance premiums if the store is closed at night.
Don’t forget that your machines will need maintenance and repairs. If you don’t know enough to make these repairs you should find a reliable person or company before you open your store. You can often find retired appliance repair personnel who are happy to pick up some work or you might see which companies others in your industry use. Being ready when a machine needs work will keep your store running smoothly and keep your customers happy.
If you are looking for more details on the laundromat business you can find more articles at OpeningaLaundromat.com
Every decision in your business is very important and it has its pros and cons. While you are finalising any business decision, you need to be certain that it has more pros than cons. Quite often this judgement can go wrong and you may end up making wrong decisions. This is where professional business consultants come into the picture. You may scoff at the idea of hiring a business consultant, but only when you hire one, you will realise that it is a cost-efficient decision.
There are many benefits of hiring a professional business consultant and this article will help you familiarise with these benefits. Business consultants provide services such as business strategy planning, market and demand forecasting, litigation support, policy analysis and consulting and many more. Let us now understand how your business can benefit through these services.
Strategic planning: This is the first and the most important task of a professional business consultant. It deals with understanding your business, identifying the problems and seeking the opportunities. A professional business consultant will strategise a plan for your business that will lead to your company’s success. They will also help you identify the products and services, which will help your business flourish in the long run.
Marketing campaigns: Professional business consultants are not only helpful for mapping out business plans, but also help run successful marketing campaigns. They create entire marketing campaigns, which includes editing, graphic designing and copy writing.
Business check-up: Business consultants conduct regular business check-ups, which help to identify the health of your organisation. This is also useful to assess the strengths and weaknesses of your business and work upon the strengths.
Cost efficiency: Hiring a professional business consultant will give you the greatest ‘bang for your buck.’ They will provide you with business advice for all areas of your business and manage everything with utmost perfection.
Save time and utilise it efficiently: When you hire a business consultant, a great amount of burden will be off your shoulders. Thus, you will have plenty of time to devote to other aspects of business. You can focus on product development, improvising employee relations and providing employee training.
After hiring a professional business consultant, at the end of the day, you will be more relaxed because your business will be safely placed in the able hands of an experienced individual. Business consultants help to alleviate some of the stress that business owners face on a daily basis. All businesses, big and small, regardless of the product or service they provide, will most certainly benefit from hiring a professional business consultant. In today’s fast pacing business world, a business consultant is an important need for every organisation to ensure that all tasks are accomplished successfully.