Client Spotlight: The Paper Rain Project
By tasman. Posted in Clients, Company News, Uncategorized.
Tell us a little about The Paper Rain Project, how did you get started?
The Paper Rain Project is a social enterprise born from big dreams early on. We specialise in products with cause and story – namely, ethical clothing, skateboard artworks and longboards made from recycled or locally sourced sustainable timber. Initially born from a hobby of painting custom skateboard artworks, Paper Rain is now four years old.
The goal has always been a business which gives back through our process of making but over the last couple of years, the focus has expanded into giving on through our sales. Each of our new in-house board artworks and every t-shirt is paired with a social or conservation based ‘Cause’ for which we help raise awareness and funds through the sale of the product. We work with a number of talented artists to create high-quality products which each have stories of their own.
We also work with a NZ owned business that works to support women out of modern day slavery in India, screen-print in our garage and shape boards from recycled wine-barrels and locally grown hardwoods.
Where do you operate?
From our Picton Store (29 High Street), pop ups around the country (the next being at Ponsonby Central, Auckland Oct 30th – Nov 12th) and online at www.thepaperrainproject.co.nz Our workshop is at the back of the Cherrybank Orchard in Spring Creek.
Why did you choose to get into this industry?
There was never really a time we made this decision. We stumbled into it by following our love of making art and working with wood. The values of the business come from our upbringing (both amongst trees, Indigo off-grid on a remote Scottish Peninsula.) Essentially, we can’t imagine doing anything else and we are so passionate about social enterprise and hand-crafted products that it’s the only “industry” we can see ourselves in, for now.
Can you share any lessons learnt from business struggles or challenges that you’ve overcome?
Oh so many lessons…. Sometimes a gut feeling and a bucket load of optimism is not enough reason to make investments. We wish we had gotten mentors and financial advisors sooner. There are always people who have more experience than you and much of the time, they want to share that (which we really appreciate!) You can’t get anywhere without working with other people.
One of our biggest lessons is that you should always ask – we have been blown away by who has supported (or even just replied to) us! Some of our biggest opportunities have come through taking the risk of putting ourselves out there. Our Kickstarter campaign was the most visceral version of that (we were 531% funded for our recycled wine-barrel longboard campaign in 2016) and have had the honour of working with influencers such Michel Tuffery, Flox, Karma Cola (brand crush!), Louis Baker and more.
Another thing? There is always room for betterment. It might be a slow process and you might have to turn full tail on things you once thought were right, but in the long term, changes for good will always be worth it.We hope that with Sidekick on board taking care of your accounts, you have found more time to do the things you really enjoy. So what is it that you love to do with your spare time?
We are so in love with Sidekick! It’s so good knowing that despite the importance of knowing what’s going on in your accounts, some one has your back! We are all good at different things and having a team to support us through our numbers is a huge relief. Spare time? We love spending time outside in this beautiful region – kayaking, hiking, running but also playing guitar, drinking wine with friends and walking our dog, Raglan. When money allows… TRAVEL.
What is your proudest moment at The Paper Rain Project, and what are you most excited about for the future of The Paper Rain Project?
Oh, big question! One of the most exciting moments was when our wine-barrel longboard Kickstarter campaign was featured by the Kickstarter newsletter and jumped up $15,000 in a day. Little did we know just how much work that would entail! We loved seeing over 200 people show up for our Framingham Underground event with Framingham Wines too.
The future? We’re pretty excited about it all at the moment! We have a pop up in Ponsonby, Auckland this November… In the long run though, we’d be excited to have some quantifiable positive impact on conservation projects through our Cause range (our t-shirts which are paired with charities to which we donate to).Do you have any deals or specials that you’d like to share?Sure! Locals can have $10 off any t-shirt this month at our Picton Store. Just say, “Hey, I’m Local”. We are about to release 4 new adult t-shirt designs and one kids tee (to support Conservation Kids NZ) so there’s lots of new things in the pipeline!
Client Gift Deduction Rules
By tasman. Posted in Company News, Small Business, Tax Advice.While we encourage giving your valued clients gifts to say thank you, congratulate them on an achievement, or whatever the reason for celebration may be, there are certain rules in regards to deducting these gifts as a business expense that we want you to be aware of.
The rules around deducting client gifts can have a few grey areas, so remember that only certain client gifts can be fully deducted. The tricky part is when you are gifting food or drink – if you provide or consume the gift away from your business premise, the gift is only 50% deductible. However if you provide or consume the food or drink at or from your business premise, the gift is 100% deductible.
Any gifts outside food and drink, e.g homewares, are 100% deductible whether you provide them on or off your business premise. The IRD have given a real world example to help understand the rules around this, which we’ll put below to help you understand the rules a little more. If you have any questions or concerns about gifting, get in touch with your Sidekick Accountant and they’ll happily help you out.
IRD EXAMPLE
Bob is a real estate agent. Each time he arranges the sale of a house, Bob delivers a bottle of champagne to the owner. He also sends a gift basket by courier to the purchaser. The gift basket contains a bottle of wine, some cheese and various household items such as tea towels and soaps.
Bob will only be able to deduct 50% of the cost of the bottle of champagne. This is because he is providing entertainment in the form of drink and doing so off his business premises.
For the gift basket, Bob can deduct the full cost of the tea towels and soap, because an appropriate apportionment should be made for items that are not food and drink. However, he can only deduct 50% of the cost of the wine and cheese (or, if the cost is not separately identifiable, an amount appropriately apportioned as the cost of the wine and cheese).
Client Feature: Zatori Retreat Golden Bay
By tasman. Posted in Clients, Company News, Xero.
Tucked away in Golden Bay, Zatori Retreat is just the ticket for rest, relaxation and adventure. We asked Tracey from Zatori a few questions to learn more about her slice of heaven in Golden Bay.
Tell us a little about yourself and what you offer at Zatori.
Zatori is a boutique type lodge in gorgeous Golden Bay. I brought an old hospital at the end of 2013 for a bargain price, but then proceeded to spend a fortune giving the old building back her grace and dignity and bringing her up to compliance. The local council were beyond useless and completely obstructive which is utterly ridiculous as I have created a huge new tourist development and I am single handily changing the life in Collingwood! I have raised the bar and am continuing to do so with 2 years trading under my belt now. Golden Bay is a delight, a bit quirky and even old school but an awesome destination especially out of season. My most common complaint from guests is that they did not stay long enough, there is simply loads to do here 🙂
Where can people find you?
Zatori is situated on state highway 60, so is very easy access and we overlook the Collingwood Inlet which is constantly changing picturesque land and seascape.
How did you get into the accommodation & venue industry?
It’s a funny story how I got here. I put a crazy low tender in for the property, and being the only offer the DHB took it! Honestly l got a hell of a fright, as I didn’t really mean to buy a hospital!
What is your most favourite part of your job?
Favourite part of the job is meeting cool people and also being my own boss and able to sneak out for paddle board with my dog almost anytime. My cell phone is waterproof so I usually end up answering the phone while out paddling, it’s fun being so flexible.
What is one piece of advice you have for small business owners?
My advice to other new business owners is to build a good solid team around you.
What accounting system (if any) were you using before moving to Xero? How did that compare to Xero?
I love Xero. Before that in my previous business I used MYOB and think Xero is fair superior, l love its intuitive abilities.
Why did you choose our Sidekick service for your business?
Ric has been great with all his support and outside the square ideas, much appreciated when l have been flapping about racking my brain to find another angle or solution.
Do you have any deals that you’d like to share?
We have a Singles Ball coming up! It’s going to be absolutely awesome!! Come to Golden Bay & have a fantastic time! Every single person there will be single!!!! There will be red carpet, champagne on arrival, beautiful canapes all night and an awesome 5 piece band to dance to all night. Please go to www.zatori.co.nz & pop onto events tab or ring me 0225483105 or email info@zatori.co.nz
Please follow us on Instagram as I am much better at using that than Facebook!
Zatori has free wifi everywhere here, free paddle boards, kayaks & push bikes. We do amazing whole foods and the shared facility wing is from $60pp. We welcome Christmas parties and also do great deals for conference packages – a perfect place to work & focus. We are also just getting into wellness retreats, so there is something here for everyone.
The Sidekick Tasman office is now right in town!
By tasman. Posted in Company News.
As you may know, Sidekick Tasman have had a client base in Blenheim and the surrounding areas for many years. With Megan and Dawn on the ground full time, Dave and Ric visiting regularly, and the good word of Sidekick spreading through Blenheim, we have now set ourselves up in a beautiful new space in town.
Our new office features a spacious waiting area, bright open plan office space for us, and a nice big meeting room. Feel free to stop in and say hi anytime, we’d love to give you the grand tour.
We still love heading out to visit our clients place of work, but we are also really pleased to be able to offer a central base for clients to be able to drop in when they need to. You will now find Sidekick Tasman at Level 1, 19-21 Maxwell Road, which is just above Harvey Norman.
End of Financial Year – What you Need to Know as a Business Owner
By . Posted in Business Growth, Company News, Contractors, Small Business, Solutions, Startups, Tax Advice.For most of us, the 31st of March will be the end of our 2014 financial year. We hope it’s been a successful, happy and profitable one for you and your business! Here are some tax tips and helpful information to ensure a smooth end of year process for you.
Need help getting your tax in order? Flick us a message, and we’ll be by your side in no time.
End of Tax Year Obligations – What do I need to do?
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Don’t miss out! Get the Advice your Business Needs
By . Posted in Business Growth, Company News, Contractors.Sometimes all it takes to give your business a boost is a pair of fresh eyes reviewing your business model. Throw in some key financial advice from a Chartered Accountant and the latest insight into cloud software, you might end up with a revolution on your hands!
Providing this kind of advice is just what we love to do. During the last week, we have been all over town helping out with several exciting startup programmes and accelerators. We’ve met some incredibly switched on business owners, and our team dished out some valuable accounting advice that will hopefully help them make a profit and attract investors.
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14 Things You Can Do Today To Get Your Business Flying in 2014
By . Posted in Cloud Software, Company News.We’ve compiled this sweet and simple list of 14 top tips to give you the best start to 2014. Follow even just a couple of these and 2014 can be an improvement on 2013. Have some tips you’d like to add? Send them in, we’d love to hear from you!
1. Use Xero add-on software to help you.
We can’t stress this one enough, there are screeds of helpful software that can help your business. Most add-ons are really cheap with fixed monthly fees, they all plug automatically into Xero, and many have fantastic help centres. Click here for the full list.
2. Reconcile regularly.
It doesn’t need to be every day, but if you can set aside ten minutes each week to quickly go through your transactions while they are fresh in your head, you’ll be thanking yourself in the future.
3. Pay your tax on time.
It sounds simple, we know, but not paying by the due date could result in a late payment penalty. And no one wants to start the year off with a fine!
4. Establish a budget.
Before the year gets ahead of you, take some time to draw up a budget for your business. Not your scene? This is something we can sort out for you – and it’s way cheaper than you think!
5. Keep on top of your outstanding debtors.
If there is no cash in the bank, this could be a reason why. If you are having trouble managing your outstanding debtors, we recommend Debtor Daddy, it’s a Xero add-on that you shouldn’t live without!
6. Always seek advice.
Making any big decisions this year? Whether it’s purchasing a new motor vehicle or if you’re looking to employ a new staff member, don’t make blind decisions, we recommend seeking advice first.
7. Keep expenditures separate.
Try your best to keep all personal and business transactions in their allocated bank accounts. It keeps everything nice and tidy, and will save you time when reconciling.
8. Are you getting the best deal?
Take some time to review your company’s current finance and loan situation to make sure you are getting the best deal. Don’t be afraid to shop around!
9. Technology is your friend.
We now live in a technology driven world, and to stay ahead of your competition means keeping up with the rest of the world. You can pick up a smart phone, tablet or laptop pretty cheaply these days – and for the time, money, and stress it will save you, it’ll be your best investment of 2014.
10. Is your risk adequately covered?
Make sure all risks associated with your business are covered. Give your Sidekick Accountant an email for a no obligation review if you aren’t sure.
11. Sit down and set some goals.
We can’t stress the importance of goal setting enough! Be sure to set a mix of short, medium and long-term goals for 2014. Remember – if you set no goals of your own, you’ll be doomed to fill other people’s.
12. Network!
Use all opportunities to spread the word of your business. You could even look into joining or starting a networking group, it only takes as long as one cup of coffee a week and the business it could bring you in return is definitely worth that £2 or £3!
13. Review your processes, save time.
Are you using your systems to their best ability? Are you using any systems at all? Take the time to review your current processes and systems, you won’t regret it.
14. Set aside time for yourself.
We’ve left the best until last here – Go for a run, walk the dog, take the kids for a bike ride, or just do anything that gets you out of your daily routine. We know you’re busy, but spending time on your hobbies will benefit your business as you’ll come back to work with a fresh mind and a happy heart.
Would you like some help with these? Give us a call today.
It’s Business Time
By . Posted in Company News.New Year’s Resolutions.
We’re not going to tell you to join a gym or to eat better – but we are going to say that it’s time to make some proper goals for your business! What are your revenue targets for the next 12 months? Do you know what your break-even points are for each job? How will you adjust your key performance measures for the New Year? January is a great time to sit down with us to review your business and find ways to improve it.
We’re kicking off the year by hosting an exciting event to get you pumped up, up to date and ready to nail 2014.
Launch your business into the Stratosphere!
This free event will be held in the Impact Hub Westminster (if you’re looking for a co-working hub, this one is definitely worth checking out). We’ll be discussing everything you need to know about the Cloud – and how to make the most of new technology to save money and improve your business. This is good for anyone in freelancing or small business.
Date: Wednesday the 8th of January, 3-5pm. Details and Registrations: https://www.eventbrite.co.nz/e/launch-your-business
So give your business the New Year start it needs and register your spot now!
*Crowds not your thing? We can provide support on an individual basis too, which can be perfect for more complex support like budget setting, goal planning and cash flow forecasting. The costs of our one-on-one sessions do depend on the services you are looking for, so please get in touch for a fixed fee quote from one our team members. If you’re an existing Sidekick member, some of these services may already be included in your package, so give us a call to check.
Xero Add-on Focus: Vend
By . Posted in Cloud Software, Company News.Frustrated with the shortfalls of your current point of sale system?
If that’s an agreeable nod we see, then boy are we are pleased to introduce you to Vend! You can thank us later… for now have a read of how the guys at Vend describe how you can revolutionise the way you run your store.
Tell us in a nutshell what Vend does?
“Vend creates point-of-sale software that retailers love. One piece of cloud software which includes everything from inventory management to customer loyalty tools. We have more than 8,000 stores worldwide using Vend and that number continues to grow every day.”
How can Vend help SME’s?
“Because Vend is cloud software, users always have the latest and best version without having to faff around with patches and updates. We take care of the technical side of things so they can focus on growing their business. All the important business data is kept secured and backed up online, accessible from wherever they are in the world. Vend also integrates with other great software which smart retailers are using, such as Xero, Shopify and Timely.”
Can we try before we buy?
“Of course! Vend offers a free 30-daytrial so retailers can kick the tyres and make sure it’s a good fit. Heck, you don’t even need to put in your credit card details. If at the end of the trial you like what you see, you can get going straight away.”
Where can we find you?
“You can find out more about Vend at www.vendhq.com, or get in touch with Paul (paulb@vendhq.com) who’s happy to answer any questions you may have.
For the more socially inclined, we can also be found on Twitter (www.twitter.com/vendhq) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/Vend.POS).”
One last question for fun, our favourite superhero is Batman because he made sure he had a trusty sidekick… who is yours and why?
“As you might be able to tell, we’re big fans of the colour green at Vend. The Green Lantern or Incredible Hulk are good fits, but Iron Man after a weekend painting the shed green would work too.”