Mark Gwilliam

Claiming NZ income tax deductions for travel expenses

14/04/2010
Mark
Tax
Comments: 3

You’ll generally be entitled to claim a NZ tax deduction for all work-related travel, which may well include: Business travel between business premises; Business travel overseas Business travel to acquire assets and equipment Note: The Inland Revenue Department may request that you support your claim for business travel expenses with appropriate records. One of the […]

Want to strengthen your business with some business transformation tips?

Business transformation needn’t be a process that’s restricted to the big corporations. In my experience, as an accountant and business consultant, one of the biggest challenges that most small business owners face is how they cope with the demands of doing everything. From formulating their business plan, to marketing their services or products, to managing […]

7 ways to grow your business in a recession

Are you struggling to survive the recession? If your business’ systems & structure are solid; you have the right team on board and you have your cash flow under control, there is every chance you will survive a downturn or recession. At the height of our recession, many small businesses focused on surviving, which is hardly […]

Are you at risk of you becoming another business failure statistic?

Every person who has ever tried to establish their own company knows it’s a difficult challenge to carry out. I’m in no doubt you know that more than 50% of small business ventures fail in the first 12 months & 95 out of every 100 fail within the first 5 years. But, that statistic doesn’t […]

22/02/2010
Mark
Tax
No Comments

For many, tax is a sizeable “expense” of doing business. Business owners have always had opportunities to lessen their tax bill, legally. The focus has always been on the small business owner to “find” an accountant who is prepared to help them. Until they did, they were repeatedly oblivious of what “clever” business owners have […]

13/10/2009
Mark
General
No Comments

2009 World Bank “Doing Business Indicators” have just been issued and New Zealand has been ranked as the easiest place on earth to start a new business. Starting a Business indicators evaluates the steps & and expenses related to forming a new business. This excellent result is primarily attributed to the Companies Office & Inland […]

29/09/2009
Mark
Marketing
No Comments

How you design your core message is probably one of the most critical and primary steps in marketing. It sets the foundation for creating clear, focused and specific marketing messages. The key message produces valuable strategies for many other marketing applications like your emails, brochures, your “elevator” pitch, sales letters and more. Developing your core message takes you […]

25/09/2009
Mark
Marketing
No Comments

Your customer service level is a significant measure of how well (or how poorly) you assist your clients. Hence, it is a vital factor of how well your firm will do – especially how good you are at keeping clients and generating ongoing business. Indirectly, it also adds to your referral business – how well […]

Why it pays to look after your existing customers

Over the last 10 years, I’ve learned numerous lessons managing my own businesses and also by consulting to my customers and by far the single most significant lesson is ensuring that customers stay happy. The logic for this is watertight. Marketing people will advise you it costs between five to seven times more to win […]

06/08/2009
Mark
General
No Comments

Cash flow is definitely the lifeblood of every business. One of the biggest challenges while running a small business is cash flow management. Read on to find out how you can close the floodgates and improve the cash flow of your business. Insist on down payment: This way, it is your customers and not you […]