SME Business Insights

Pay Your Super First

10 January 2020

Simon Brown

SuperStream and more recently Single Touch Payroll (STP) have both been significant changes to the payroll compliance framework for employers.

Surviving due diligence for a Pharmacy Business

1 January 2020

Michelle Seeto

Buying a pharmacy should be treated like any other big investment or commitment you make in life.

How do you manage business performance?

22 November 2019

Navigating your business toward success can be like sailing a ship with a faulty compass at times. The needle can seemingly spin in circles trying to find where true North is. When you need to make wise business decisions, you need your compass to reliably show you the way. Good business intelligence is the answer.

What are the basics of business?

28 October 2019

Matthew Robinson

How many of you remember life before smart phones…or even before the simple mobile phone? How ever did we manage to survive or even get in touch with someone urgently?

A guide to changing a business structure

25 October 2019

Grace Gan

Nothing is permanent except change.

Strategic outsourcing services checklist

25 September 2019

When compiling year-end accounts and tax returns for a client, do you identify with any of the following points? Download our Strategic Outsourcing Checklist to find out!

Are you Single Touch Payroll ready?

24 September 2019

Alex Alander

The deadline is fast approaching for small businesses to be registered and lodging their payroll information to the ATO using the Single Touch Payroll (STP) reporting system. Are you registered and lodging? If not, you have a small window to register and start lodging!

Superannuation Guarantee Amnesty - A case of deja vu

10 September 2019

On Wednesday 18 September 2019, the Assistant Treasurer, Mr. Michael Sukkar, introduced an unexpected but welcome Bill to the House of Representatives.

The ‘P’ in Pharmacy – It’s about Professionalism, not Price

9 September 2019

Michelle Seeto, Peter Saccasan

The ‘P’ in Pharmacy – It’s about Professionalism, not Price

Sign up for an Asset Protection event near you

8 September 2019

Imagine losing all of your assets in one fell swoop – house, cars, savings… the lot. Insurance can never protect against every scenario, but asset protection can try.

Asset protection vs tax optimisation

17 August 2019

In business, there are many risks that are simply out of your control. This thinkBIG report takes a closer look at one of the great conundrums for owners of small businesses - the balance between asset protection and tax optimisation.

Budgeting and forecasting for your pharmacy business

30 July 2019

Michelle Seeto

Having cash in your pharmacy business gives you the ability or confidence to make important decisions and provides you with a sense of security when you go to sleep at night.

Pricing: Is your business going backwards?

29 July 2019

Anthony Smith

Is your business going in the wrong direction? How often do you review your prices? When did you last increase your prices? Do you pass increased costs on to your customers?

4 Tax Tips for Pharmacy Business Owners.

2 July 2019

Peter Saccasan

As the income tax year draws to a close yet again, many pharmacy

Is it a scam? - How to avoid falling into the ATO scam trap

25 June 2019

In this day and age where text messages, phone calls, and emails are the norm, receiving something suggesting it is from the ATO doesn’t necessarily cause red flags to pop up anymore.

Business advice for your veterinary practice - Our services

20 June 2019

Working with you to strengthen your vet practice, so you can face the future with confidence. Whether you care for cats or cattle, the vet industry is changing.

Avoiding the pitfalls of a partnership breakdown

6 June 2019

Felicity Taylor

We are all familiar with the old saying, “if you fail to plan, you plan to fail”.

Grants, Rebates and Incentives for Australian SMEs in 2019

3 June 2019

Kian Ghahramani

Providing information on government funded incentives, rebates, grants and offsets.

Instant asset write-off increased to $30,000 – more businesses to benefit

14 May 2019

Mike Letchford

There is some good news for business on the instant asset write-off front. Both the size of business and the amount you can write off instantly as a tax deduction has been increased. While these measures are welcome, it has added a little complexity for the year.

Superannuation & the federal election – change is on the horizon

3 May 2019

Dean Carnaby

With a federal election just weeks away and party campaigning in full swing, what changes to superannuation may be on the horizon? Coalition Win: Unscathed Superannuation

Managing your margins in the hospitality industry

16 April 2019

Simon Brown

The management of key cost margins is imperative for operators of café and restaurant businesses, as this industry is characterised by high sales turnover and high input costs.

What is Single Touch Payroll and how will it affect my business

26 March 2019

Dace Harris

Are you ready for the Modern Slavery Act?

19 March 2019

Jayesh Kapitan, Mathavan Parameswaran

On 1 January 2019, the Modern Slavery Act (Cth) (hereafter “federal Act”) came into force. What this means is that Australia, following in the UK’s footsteps, has federal legislation which requires, among other things, certain entities to report on the risks of modern slavery in their operation and supply chains.

Modern day challenges for hospitality and tourism businesses

12 March 2019

Simon Brown

The hospitality and tourism industry in Australia today is continuously changing, specifically with regards to the demographic profile of travellers and the technological advances of the modern world.

Digital team at RSM meets TANDA

6 March 2019

Single touch payroll - soon mandatory for every employer

26 February 2019

The ATO has followed through on plans to improve digitisation of tax reporting and returns, making it mandatory for all employers to use Single Touch Payroll from 1 July 2019.

Surviving the hospitality cash flow conundrum

15 February 2019

When the music stops, will your business cope?

What to do about the summer holiday cash flow bell curve

11 December 2018

Any local business operator in the hospitality industry will be able to relate to the summer holiday period rush. When reviewing the month to month annual profit and loss results, they can usually be displayed graphically as a significant bell-type curve.

The essentials of cloud accounting

6 December 2018

Simon Brown

Transitioning from a desktop product to a cloud accounting package is one of the best decisions you could make for your business this year.

Are you across the New Payments Platform?

1 November 2018

The wait is over, after 4 years in the making and months of delays the New Payments Platform is finally here! What is it and what does this mean for your business? Key benefits: Real-time movement of money Simpler, smarter addressing (PayID)

Adopting mobile and cloud technology in your Trade Business

19 September 2018

In the ever-evolving world of mobile and cloud technology, it's easy to get left behind on the latest developments that can help trade business owners mobilise their workforce and take away a hefty portion of their admin burden.

10 tips to make your business transaction-proof

13 September 2018

Are you and your business ready to take the next step?

The importance of making a profit

19 July 2018

Andy Graham

Entering into a franchise agreement may be the best business decision you ever make.

Single Touch Payroll reporting is coming - employers take note!

16 March 2018

Peter Saccasan

Employers with 20 or more employees will need to change the way they report to the ATO from 1 July 2018. Single Touch Payroll (“STP”) is a new reporting system the ATO has introduced. STP involves the reporting of payroll payments, PAYG and superannuation directly to the ATO for every pay run that is made.

Going digital in my business? How do I do that?

4 December 2017

Laurel Grey

Finding a reliable IT advisor is, so they tell me, a bit like finding a good mechanic to look after your car. You can spend a lot of money working out you haven’t found the right person yet.

HR systems – the benefits for small businesses

3 October 2017

Laurel Grey

As a small or medium sized business, you might be thinking that implementing a HR system is unnecessary or irrelevant for your business. After all, HR systems are just for large corporations, only accessible by a limited number of HR and payroll administrators, and used to electronically store an endless number of personnel files, right?

CRM systems - taking the stress out of building your database

26 September 2017

Laurel Grey

Customer relationship management systems, often referred to as CRM systems, are designed to do exactly what they say they’ll do, manage your relationships! However we all know that customer data does not populate itself, so how can you streamline this process and take the stress out of populating your da

Making disability services viable within an ‘NDIS world’

22 September 2017

Kirsty McGovern-Hooley

Knowing ‘thy core mission’ is the key to surviving the transition to a NDIS environment.

Unlocking vital business information

20 September 2017

Travis Bate

In a tough economic environment, small businesses may be forced to cut costs in order to remain viable. A significant cost for many small businesses is labour, so this is an area commonly targeted.

Estate planning and the impact of loan accounts

20 September 2017

The impact of loan accounts in business structures on your Estate planning can be far-reaching.

Cloud accounting packages - what you need to know

19 September 2017

Laurel Grey

Transitioning from a desktop product to a cloud accounting package is one of the best decisions you could make for your business this year. Here’s what you need to know about making the switch.

Failure to seek commercial and strategic advice crippling SMEs

2 August 2017

Andy Graham

Many Australian business owners are frustrated at not reaching their growth targets because they haven’t identified the need to transition from an accountant providing basic tax compliance advice to a business advisor who can help implement the right growth and profit targets via strategic advice.

Great profits? It's not just about great sales

25 July 2017

Michael O'Hehir

It’s very common for a business owner to focus on their turnover or the sales they generate.

Should your SME start making R&D tax claims? | R&D Tax Incentive

15 June 2017

Richard Wraith

In light of the disproportionate number of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) lodging annual R&D Tax Incentive claims, there’s never been a better time for non-participating SMEs to consider their options, urges Dr Richard Wraith R&D Tax Principal with RSM Australia.

Stress at work – destigmatising mental health issues in the workplace

6 June 2017

The importance of destigmatising mental health issues in the workplace.

Agile Leadership - Three inputs model | Part 3

31 May 2017

The last model relies on an environmental form of management to build state change. It is also longer term and rarely instant. Individuals and companies can work on state change by altering any of the three inputs to state.

Sell your business tax free - is this too good to be true?

19 May 2017

Jade Wade

In many situations this is entirely possible. When small business owners dispose of active business assets, they may be entitled to disregard some or all of the capital gain by utilising the available Capital Gains Tax (CGT) concessions.

Agile Leadership - Jump to state model and reframing your beliefs | Part 2

18 May 2017

Jump to state model It is absolutely possible to instantly change your mood (state). Just consider the last time you felt amorous toward a partner, and it turned cold when they started discussing the neighbours, the news or your finances. Instant change.

Caveat Emptor - Let the buyer beware

4 May 2017

Simon Brown

Let the buyer beware - a simple and obvious statement but one which is particularly relevant to business people. This period running up to the end of the financial year is a popular period for vendors to dispose of their business. If you are considering purchasing a business, it is worthwhile considering a few issues.

Agile Leadership - What it is and the role state management plays | Part 1

28 April 2017

A few years ago ‘bespoke’ was the buzzword. Last year it was ‘ramp up’. Nowadays agile is quite the term, but as always with such words, it has a very fuzzy meaning.

Cloud Accounting can help save bookkeeping time!

10 April 2017

Jarrad Turnbull

For the many business owners who spend too much time doing bookwork, now is the optimal time to make the switch to an internet-based bookkeeping software, known as cloud

Why customer service is vital in a sea of automation | Part 3

28 March 2017

Andrew Sykes

Do you want your business to stand out from the rest? Offer a quality user experience! Great customer service isn't just about resolving an issue. If you really want to differentiate yourself and impress your customers, you need to consider their experience from beginning to end. This is where user experience comes in.

Why customer service is vital in a sea of automation | Part 2

17 March 2017

Andrew Sykes

5 Simple ways to improve your customer service Have you ever been so frustrated by a company’s customer service? On the other hand, how incredible is it when a company has excellent customer service?

Why customer service is vital in a sea of automation | Part 1

9 March 2017

Andrew Sykes

How to increase profits through better customer service. "Customer service is not just a warm and fuzzy addition to your business practices, it's directly linked to your profitability and sales. This is why it needs to be a priority and a focus for any business that wants to grow or even survive in a highly competitive future"

Small Business Income Tax Concessions - Am I small enough?

23 January 2017

Arlene Kristianto

It is a well-known fact that small to medium businesses drive the majority of the Australian economy. The ATO has made certain income tax concessions available for small entities in particular, since at least 2002 with the introduction of the Simplified Tax System which then transitioned into the now known Small Business Concessions.

Business Partnership: easy to get in, sometimes painful to get out

23 January 2017

Jim Adamson

As the saying goes “ If you fail to plan, then you plan to fail! ” Not enough planning goes into starting a business partnership prior to its commencement.

The fine art of hiring consulting services

14 December 2016

David Wall

By investing more time running a competitive tender process, companies should end up with consulting services that better reflect their business needs.

Fraud and corruption prevention for SMEs

8 November 2016

Roger Darvall-Stevens

Budgeting for Innovation

4 November 2016

Stephen Carroll

Many businesses use innovation to grow, however the challenge and failure of many companies that carry out innovation projects is to inadequately budget for the innovation.

The fine art of determining a customer's true worth

21 October 2016

Andrew Sykes

How does a CLV determine a customer's true worth?

Behavioural Insights - An introduction to 'Nudge' theory

6 October 2016

Have you ever looked up as you entered your local supermarket?

Are low interest rates reducing business risk?

23 September 2016

Peter Saccasan

The current low-interest climate In 2016, the Reserve Bank has again lowered the cash rate, taking a 0.25% cut to bring the rate down to the current 1.5%. It really is staggering – an official cash rate of just 1.5%. Recently one bank has come out and boldly predicted the rate will fall to 1.0%.

How much tax will you pay on your profits?

13 September 2016

It’s estimated a million small and medium-sized businesses were given some tax relief last financial year and from July 1 this year are benefiting from an additional tax cut. Are you one of them and taking advantage of it? How the tax cuts works

Understand and navigate the new ASX changes

24 August 2016

Glyn Yates

A consultation paper was issued on 12 May 2016 by the ASX providing details of the changes in admission requirements for those entities applying to be listed.

Don't follow 'the pack'

11 August 2016

Peter Saccasan

Have you ever heard of the mysterious 'they'? If you are a parent of teenaged children 'they' are close family friends. You know how it goes, 'they' always get the most privileges, have the best parents ever, go to the movies every weekend and of course, 'they' have an unlimited phone plan. Yep, 'they' are living proof that I, as a parent, know nothing.

Introduction to Short Term Restorative Care (STRC)

21 July 2016

The majority of top tier providers (according to financial performance) take the specialisation route. This makes sense because, whilst the provision of care is common in all services, the business models across service areas vary significantly. The bottom line being; doing what you already know reduces risk.

9 ways to reduce business costs

21 July 2016

Andrew Sykes

Every business owner is aware of the importance of keeping costs low while continuing to offer customers the best service possible. Equally, that no matter how profitable your business is there is always a bit of fat that could be trimmed away to reveal a faster, leaner, more effective operating model.

SMEs eye the ABCs of SMSFs in retirement

11 July 2016

Andy Graham

Much of the whopping 25 percent jump in the uptake of bank debt recorded within our thinkBIG survey 2016, may be attributed to an increasing number of SME’s buying their own premises.

Directors shouldn’t second-guess asset values

6 July 2016

Glyn Yates

Regardless of their size, past acquisitions are coming back to haunt the financial statements of a growing number of ASX-listed companies.

Four ways to grow your business

1 July 2016

Michael O'Hehir, Peter Nicol

As a business owner, most would agree that the dream for your business is to one day see your hard work turn your small business into a leader in your industry. Expanding your business means taking on more staff, in the hope you can spend more time with your family.

Stress at work – destigmatising mental health issues in the workplace

6 June 2016

The importance of destigmatising mental health issues in the workplace.

Are you market intelligent?

31 May 2016

Andrew Sykes

The foundation of any successful business strategy is market intelligence. Being informed means you can make competent decisions about your business’s direction and have the foresight to predict and be prepared for the challenges ahead.

10 things politicians teach us about impression management

20 May 2016

What comes to mind when you think of Donald Trump or Hilary Clinton? I’ll wager the images which come to mind are very different from Malcolm Turnbull or Bill Shorten. Both Trump and Turnbull are independently wealthy, that’s for sure but would a man like Trump ever be taken seriously in our political landscape? I’m not sure he would.

What price are you really paying for that pharmacy?

19 May 2016

Peter Saccasan

Last month I wrote about the art of negotiation in a pharmacy purchase. If you get the timing right with asking the right questions you can generally argue the price down in a sensible way. This month I want to look at the impact of paying above valuation for a pharmacy and what that means for your investment. Current pharmacy market

Are you in good shape? How about your business?

2 May 2016

Peter Saccasan

At a tender age of 50+ (now that I have been here for a few years, ‘50’ is the new ‘40’ okay!), I have recently bounded off for the ‘executive health check’. After 2 ½ hours of testing, sampling, hitting the tread mill etc., I (and my wife) am pleased to report that all is well. All the vital signs are in good shape and no alarm bells are ringing.

Tips to improve your cash flow

17 February 2016

The start of the new year provides small businesses with the perfect opportunity to improve their credit management and cash flow conversion cycle. Here are some tips for improving your credit management and cash flow in 2016:

That dollar discount – the power of 3!

5 February 2016

Peter Saccasan

EVEYRONE knows what the dollar discount is about. So let’s just talk about some issues. Firstly – it can apply to ALL scripts. The big focus has been on concessional patients but the discount can apply to general scripts as well.

Stress and Resilience – Change Management in Organisations

22 January 2016

Summer in Australia has just passed, with the New Year being celebrated under our blazing sun. How do you usually experience this time of the year? Some people find it relaxing and wonderful, whilst others have the most stressful time of their lives. These are very different reactions to the same season. Change, whilst normal, brings stress.

Five areas corporate Australia should be aware of in 2016

21 January 2016

The introduction of new tax measures, increasing insolvencies, and the growing incidence of digital disruption in the corporate sector in Australia means there are a number of key areas that CEOs, executives, directors, and boards should be aware of in 2016, according to RSM Australia.

Tax help for those affected by the recent bushfires in Victoria and Western Australia

15 January 2016

Bill Beard

Practical business planning, it's easy as now, where, how

15 January 2016

Peter Saccasan

Building a business plan is not difficult. Yes, it does take a little time, and yes, it is a useful process. The process can be brought down to just three clear steps: where are you NOW? WHERE are you headed? HOW will you get there?

Building Effective Recruitment Functions

7 January 2016

The recruitment team should seek out the best candidates and proactively bring them to the organisation. Recruitment is the most important HR function. Unless organisations attract and hire the right talent they cannot hope to achieve their full potential.The recruitment team should seek out the best candidates and proactively bring them to the organisation.

The NSW small business grant

6 January 2016

Brad Loftus

The NSW Government has introduced a new grant providing incentives for NSW businesses to employ new workers and expand their enterprises.

10 things business owners should focus on in 2016

22 December 2015

Andy Graham

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) forecast suggests the domestic economy will remain stable into 2016 and low interest rates are set to continue. [1] This is likely to create some growth in consumption, which is good news for small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Activity Based Costing - As easy as ABC

22 December 2015

Rodney Miller

Whether you are trying to reduce your operating expenses, improve efficiency or determine how much to charge your customers, gaining an understanding of your cost structure is an important first step. RSM is experienced at undertaking cost structure analysis and a key approach we use is Activity Based Costing (ABC).

Drought Concessional Loan scheme

18 December 2015

Bill Beard

The Australian Government has recently announced $30 million to support farmers dealing with drought conditions across Victoria.

Has your organisation experienced a year of change? If so, how do you think it has fared?

10 December 2015

This morning, RSM hosted the Change Management Institute’s Christmas Breakfast at which Dr Robert Holmes, Consultant at RSM in Canberra, spoke on “Stress and resilience: Change management in organisations”.

NSW payroll tax rebate scheme extended - 23 November deadline

16 November 2015

Jamie O'Rourke

The payroll tax rebate scheme has been extended to 30 June 2019. Payroll tax rebates can be up to $5,000 per employee in situations in which a business’s full time employee numbers have grown and in which new employees are retained for a two year period.

Programme evaluation for contemporary government

11 November 2015

Evaluating modern policy programmes Effective government develops and implements policy in response to complex issues through instruments, such as laws, advocacy, monetary flows, programmes and initiatives. Over time developing and implementing effective policy has become increasingly difficult as a result of three factors:

Managing change at board and executive level

10 August 2015

RSM recently held a lunch featuring a panel including Paula Dwyer, Professor Judith Sloan and Fiona McGauchie with Catherine Walter as MC to discuss how to manage change at board and executive level. This is a synopsis of the event.

46 percent of SMEs planning to invest in the digital space

5 August 2015

Andrew Sykes

Disruptive technologies and innovation are accelerating the need for change and are having a profound impact on many traditional business models and their revenue streams. To compete effectively, businesses must adapt and evolve quickly to respond to what is becoming the new 'norm'.

Small business owners in regional WA to access free advisory services through Business Local

1 July 2015

RSM has announced it will provide free, specialist small business support in regional Western Australia as part of the State Government’s Business Local service. RSM was chosen as one of eight key providers and will cover four of the 12 regions, including the Wheatbelt, Mid-West, Gascoyne and Pilbara.

Ten things to do before the end of the financial year

19 June 2015

The end of the financial year is almost here again. We try to plan to reduce tax all year long, however 30 June presents us with some opportunities and it’s a critical deadline to make sure we minimise tax for the year. Here are some key opportunities to make sure you don’t miss out:

What are the cash drivers in your business?

5 May 2015

There three primary cash drivers in any business and three secondary drivers. The primary drivers are responsible for the overall amount of cash that you generate. The secondary drivers are responsible for the amount that you have access to at any given time. It is often the secondary drivers that are overlooked.

Caveat emptor - let the buyer beware

17 April 2015

Let the buyer beware - a simple and obvious statement but one which is particularly relevant to business people.

Is your business ready for sale?

1 April 2015

There are many reasons you might sell your business, including to capitalise on your investment and start a new business or another venture. Whatever the reason, the decision to sell your business does not come easily, and as the business owner, you want to make sure that you get the most out of the sale.

Ten step process to maximising the value of a business on exit

1 April 2015

There are ten steps that can be used to maximise the value of a business which can be grouped into three distinct phases: Phase 1: optimum performance Phase 2: polishing the business Phase 3: creation of the sale

How to minimise the risk of aquisitions

30 March 2015

Merger and acquisition activity is soaring in some sectors such as healthcare, while it is taking a backseat in other sectors such as mining services. In this climate, businesses must take a step back and evaluate the benefits and risks of making acquisitions in their sector.

Selling a business - the basics

25 March 2015

Preparing your business for sale

Six goals for increased business performance

9 March 2015

Increasing sales is great. In fact it’s the number one goal of most businesses, however it’s not enough alone to ensure a growing bottom line. What you need to also focus on is increasing gross profit percentage.

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