Hot off the press – the latest labour market statistics released by Statistics New Zealand show that in the year ended June 2009 the number of seasonally adjusted jobs decreased 2.9 percent.

This is the largest decrease since the NZ Statistics LEED series began in June 1999.

From June 2008 to June 2009:

Fewer jobs were created (down 9.4 percent from June 2008)

More jobs were destroyed (up 7.2 percent from June 2008)

So who are the biggest losers in the job market?

Under 50 year olds – the number of filled jobs held by workers in age groups up to 50 years declined

Admin, professional, manufacturing – the decrease was driven by decreases in the manufacturing (down 19,072 jobs, 8.5 percent), administrative and support services (down 12,527 jobs, 13.6 percent), and professional, scientific, and technical services industries.

Auckland and Canterbury – the Auckland and Canterbury regions had the largest annual decreases in actual filled jobs

So if you’re under 50, an Admin specialist, living in Auckland or Canterbury, and you want a change – consider becoming your own boss. Click here to check out your options 

Smart franchises are available in your industry and your region – click here to enquire.

Source: The Linked Employer-Employee Data June 2009 quarter release Click here to download the full report

Broad Business Understanding

To excel in the banking industry, you must be able to interact professionally with a wide range of business organisations and you need a broad understanding of business.

Smart’s franchise owners have a passion for dealing with self employed people and their business, and a sound understanding of how businesses work. In the banking world that has enabled them to tailor a range of financial solutions that best meet clients’ needs. Now they’re applying the same skills in tailoring outsourced business support services to meet the needs of local business owners.

People Skills Needed 

The ability to effectively communicate to customers is essential because as a banker you are the key to their loan, their investments, their money, and their peace of mind. 

Bankers have outstanding interpersonal savvy which helps them:

• build relationships with customers
• acquire new customers
• grow a network of professionals and business contacts from whom business can be sourced and developed
• and work closely with the local branch network.

An innovative attitude to resolving problems and an ability to negotiate successfully for business is also key.

We’ve found that their friendly, can-do attitude and confident manner can quickly establish and leverage positive and long-term relationships with local business owners.

Accounting understanding and attention to detail is a must

Lending makes up a large percentage of commercial banking. These jobs require a strong understanding of accounting.

Meticulous, fearless employees with a relentless attention to detail and a desire to increase sales are what commercial banks are looking for.

Smart’s franchise owners are also energetic go-getters and have the drive, experience and skills to generate key business for themselves. Strategically minded, with impeccable financial knowledge, they’re excited at the prospect of inspiring their team to provide quality, practical, no nonsense business phone, admin, financial and payroll services.

To be effective as a Smart franchise owner bankers need to be sales-focused leaders with communication and business acumen to match.

If you’re got what it takes to think smarter, better, and have the kind of work ethic to test us as much as yourself, then here’s your chance to make a real difference to New Zealand’s SME business owners – and build your own business at the same time.

Click here to find out more

“This wasn’t an area we targeted, but something obviously appealed,” says Adrienne Pierce, Smart Director, “so we’ve talked with them to find out what. ”

Smart has appealed to these bankers because:

• Operating in a business to business environment is something they’re familiar with
• Smart’s white collar Monday to Friday 9 to 5 office hours appeals to them
• They’re used to operating from professional offices, and appreciate the value a strong brand can bring to their business
• They can utilise their relationship and selling skills – they speak the right lingo and are used to talking with business owners
• They have excellent networks – both existing clients and other bankers – which they can leverage to build their own business
• They have business acumen – and they are comfortable and credible talking finances and business
• Having seen business owners struggle every day with their bookwork and paperwork, they have a great understanding of the trials and tribulations facing New Zealand business owners – and see the need for Smart services

If you know of anyone who has these skills and is looking for a new challenge, please let them know about Smart – and our contact details. A Smart franchise might be just what they’re looking for.

Click here now to enquire about Smart franchises

Auckland Expo

13th, 14th & 15th August 2010
ASB Showgrounds Auckland
10am to 4pm

It will have something for everyone considering buying a business – whether you’re in the serious stages of investing large capital or just exploring the idea of a life style change like working from home.

• Look for business ideas to suit your lifestyle and budget – from under $50,000 to over $500,000
• Talk to the experts face to face
• Franchising and business growth tips offered at FREE SEMINARS run daily
• New business opportunities launching for the first time
• Plus mature business systems with opportunities available while/or supporting their brand and presence in the market place

Not only is it an important learning forum for people considering buying their own business – visitors are also in the position to meet experts and talk to business owners face to face in one place.

Information that could take days to collect like interview appointments, meeting and discussions can be researched in a matter of hours.

Seminars

Seminars start at 10.30 and run daily every half hour.  Click here to download Daily Seminar Details.

FREE Expo Tickets

Click here to download a free ticket – and bring a friend or two, too.

Smart has further expanded its national network of franchises by opening new offices in Pukekohe – and what a central location – right by the banks and post office.  Click here for a map & directions

Wyatt Oldfield, who has over 30 years’ experience in the banking/financial industry and 5 years in food retail/cafes in Canada, is heading up Smart Pukekohe.  He is a banking expert who has regularly been sought out by customers, staff and peers, to help solve problems and issues within the branch banking/financial environment – and brings this experience to Franklin businesses with Smart.  Click here to read more about Wyatt

Wyatt saw the opportunity to leverage this experience with Smart – providing expert, friendly, practical day-to-day support to small and medium-sized businesses. His team can take care of your day-to-day work like answering the phone, fielding email and website inquiries, payroll, bookkeeping, invoicing, banking and paying the bills. That means you can get on with delivering your products and services and in doing so building your business. “It is an absolute joy to help someone reach a financial goal, and get a better lifestyle,” says Wyatt.

“Smart is very excited about our partnership with Wyatt, who is determined to bring Smart’s mission of Saving Business Owners Time and Money to companies throughout Franklin,” says Adrienne Pierce, Founder and Director of Smart.  “In the current economy, New Zealand companies have a need to change to more efficient and cost effective infrastructures that will support their current operations and allow for future growth.”

“As awareness spreads that professional outsourced virtual office services give business owners a team of experts at about half the cost of employing an individual office person, we are getting enquiries everyday from experienced business people looking for access to big business resources and technology at small business prices,” she adds.

Get on board.

Click here to discover the benefits of outsourcing your phone, admin, financials or payroll

Click here to read more about franchise opportunity

Chances are that the upcoming changes to GST rates are keeping many of the 600,000 GST registered business owners in New Zealand awake at night – and making software developers and IT consultants rub their hands together with glee!

Altering your systems to comply with GST changes sounds like a simple job, but many businesses could be in for a nasty surprise. So here’s some things to think about…

GST change – What do I need to do?

How do I price the rise in GST?

What are the IRD rules?

There are different general rules that will apply when the GST rate changes, depending on whether your business accounts for GST on an invoice or payments basis…And then there are rules for specific transactions…
Confused? Click here for a guide

Dates you may need to be aware of

Depending on your individual business circumstances the GST due dates that apply to you may be different.

Click here to download a calendar showing due dates for the 2010-2011 tax year.

Because there have been no GST changes for over 20 years, the GST rate is hard-coded into many software programs. They simply haven’t been designed to allow for changes to GST.

Updating systems can be a costly exercise. What settings will have to be changed? Who will make the changes? And will you need new hardware to handle it?

Each situation is different, but the costs for your business could be purchasing and installing an upgrade, hiring a software developer or even buying a whole new accounting system.

Upgrades are expensive, plus they’re a real hassle to install.

You may be wondering what this means to you.

Well, the news is all good. Smart and Xero can take care of all the heavy lifting for you while you get on with more important things. This is a great example of the power of outsourced accounting and online software – you get to enjoy all the benefits of someone doing the work for you alongside automagical GST changes in your accounting system without having to install any updates.

So sit back, relax and ask us how we’ll make the increase in GST a wee bit less painful. Click here to enquire

Someone will have to pay the increased GST. It will be up to your business to make up the shortfall if you don’t charge your customers the correct amount. This could clearly be a big ‘cost’ for SMEs.

So what can you do?

One option (the simplest) is to display only the GST exclusive price. In New Zealand the GST rules stipulate that you can display a price excluding GST if you state that it ‘excludes GST’. If you are dealing directly with other GST registered businesses as your customers, and they can claim back the GST, this may be the simplest option. This, however, might negatively impact your retail customers purchasing decisions.

Option two is to wear the GST rise and drop your net margin. Let’s say your retail price is $9.99. If you wear the GST, your net price would be $8.69, and you would lose 2%. If you think your volume will be adversely affected by increasing your GST inclusive price you might like to keep the same price and forgo 2% on your net sale.

Option three is to mix up your pricing and see if your product or service can make the next natural price jump up over the psychological barrier of $10.00 for example to a price like $10.75, which to your customers will feel like a discount from $10.99. Lots of big brands and retailers use this strategy.

For detailed analysis, consult your advisors.

To enquire about making painless GST changes in your accounting system, click here

Most people realise that a change in GST (or any other tax rate) will mean a change to any computer system that involves money.

Changing the GST rate in your accounting or point of sale system is one thing, but what else should be considered? What are the issues around the changeover – such as customisation of documents and reports and the timing of particular transaction types and situations – that could catch you out?

Some of the key issues you should consider include:

Pricing – how much, if any, of the GST rate increase will be on-charged and how will this be communicated to your customers? Click here for options

Staffing – will you need more staff to cope with changes in demand for goods and services, to make changes to IT software or hardware required or communicate changes to your customers?

Systems – what will be the impact of a rate change on your IT and other systems?

Transition – how will you manage the rates of GST for a transition period and how will this impact on processes, contracts, documents, and transactions such as lay-bys, credit notes, back orders, and quotations that are processed within time frames that span the GST changeover date?

Click here for a detailed checklist

To enquire about making painless GST changes in your accounting system, click here

Smart, NeedANerd and ACE Training present

Microsoft Office 2010

A Microsoft Office Road Warrior Presentation

Monday 28th June, 6pm

Christchurch Park, 250 Westminster St

RSVP:  office2010@needanerd.co.nz

Business card draws and giveaways on the night include…

Need A Nerd prize draw for one free copy of Office Home and Business 2010.

SMART prize draw for one month  free  Phone Answering OR Bookkeeping OR Payroll Service.

ACE Training Vouchers for a 10% discount off any 1 day Microsoft Office Application course valid for 6 months.

PLUS!  Enter the 31st July draw to win:

$2,500 custom-built computer

The Nerds will design and build a computer to your specifications

$10,000 worth of technology products – Need A Nerd and partners will makeover your business with…

• high speed internet
• hosted email server
• business security and remote access package from Bizo Online Services
• 2 Nokia E series Smartphones from Digital Mobile
• Microsoft Office training from Ace Training to improve your staff productivity
• Need A Nerd will come to your office to configure your new IT infrastructure

So come and see what all the fuss is about!