Month: June 2020

How to recruit the right employee for your business

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As unemployment rates rise and more individuals compete for the same job, businesses with open positions may find themselves flooded with job applications and potential candidates. With so many individuals applying for every open position, how can you find the right employee for you? Here are a few tips to help you with your recruitment selection process.

Keep your job advertisement detailed and concise

With so many job seekers in the market, it is important to filter out who you want to invest time into. To make sure you are only interviewing the best candidates and relevantly skilled individuals are applying for your job, ensure your advertisement lists all the essential requirements for the position.

For example, include your preferred education and qualification levels, required experience, knowledge and skills. It is also a good idea to prescreen potential candidates before inviting them for an interview to make sure you don’t waste time (both for you and the candidate) your selection process is uniform.

Prioritise compatibility

Not only will your new employee have to be compatible (in terms of work ethics and career goals) with you as an employer, they also need to be compatible with other employees in your business. It is always a good idea to check whether the candidate has the social skills to get along with others in their team as well as any potential clients they may be interacting with.

Involving current employees in the interviewing process may also help in testing for compatibility. While you can always offer to train employees in effective communication, with so many fish in the sea, consider whether or not social skills training is worth your time when there could be more socially adept candidates.

Test the waters

In addition to having a probation period for any new employees, don’t be afraid to offer a position through an internship first. Not only does an internship allow employers to assess whether or not a new employee is capable for the job, it also allows the employee to assess whether or not the position or the business is right for them. Under the correct legal terms, internships may also be unpaid. However, in the event that your open position is a mid-senior level position, internships will not be effective as candidates will feel their skills and experience are undermined.

What to consider before opening another business location

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Expanding your business to open in multiple locations can offer more opportunities and profitability. However, managing one location can be challenging enough, so it is crucial to examine and prepare for the implications of opening up a second store. Here are some considerations that business owners need to keep in mind before deciding to open up a new branch.

How successful is your current business?

Your current business should be stable and successful before you open up multiple stores. If your business is struggling in key areas such as cash flow, sales, employee skill sets, and customer retention, then it’s a good idea to address these needs first, otherwise, your new locations are likely to face the same issues. Assess your current store’s shortcomings and consider whether they will also put your new locations at risk.

What are the characteristics of the new locations?

Choosing the right business location plays a key role in the success of your business. Before branching out, research potential locations and consider how areas could affect your business due to factors such as popularity, business competition, demographics, transport accessibility, rent prices, and attractiveness to employees. Assess whether the differences between your current and potential new locations will require you to make any changes to your business – perhaps you will have to adjust your marketing strategy, prices, or products/services depending on your new demographic.

Do you have the resources to expand?

Expanding your business will require extra financial commitments for rent, utility bills, more inventory and equipment, employees, insurance, and extra advertising. While your income may increase with your new location, remember that it may take months to make the returns required for expansion. It is therefore important that you are already financially secure before opening up a new store to avoid overextending your funds and putting your business at risk. If you don’t have the assets required, a business loan is an option provided that you can prove your financial ability to repay the loan.

Opening up a new location also means that you will have to manage your time between the two branches. This may require delegating business responsibilities, hiring managers, or promoting current employees to management positions. To keep your new business on track and identify early risks, you may also have to initially spend more time at your new location.

Modified provisions for virtual business meetings you need to be aware of

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Businesses moving towards online operations (temporarily or permanently) need to be aware of the Government’s modified provisions concerning virtual meetings and the electronic signing of company documents. These modified provisions in the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) became active on 5 May 2020 and will automatically be repealed on 5 September 2020.

Company meetings

The new temporary provisions outline how a virtual company meeting should be held and procedures they must follow. Under the Determination, meetings may be held using one or more technologies so that members do not have to be at the same physical location to satisfy business requirements such as a quorum.

Additionally, members must be able to speak at the virtual meeting and voting must be done through an online poll rather than a usual show of hands. Proxies may participate in a meeting in the event that businesses are unsure of the necessary virtual procedures.

Notice of meetings

Notices for meetings, along with any material related to the meeting, must be issued to participating members before a virtual meeting is held. Such notices can be sent digitally through email, or posted on an online location where the notice and other material may be viewed by participating members. Under the new provisions, the notice must also include how involved members can speak and vote on polls during the meeting.

Electronic signing of company documents

It is understandably difficult to sign and execute documents online. However, the new provisions allow for electronic signing in place of signing a physical copy if necessary, as long as the electronic signature reliably identifies the person and indicates the person’s intention about the contents of the document. Physical signings with electronic communication (such as fax) are also permitted.

Although there are many virtual meeting and electronic signing technologies available to businesses, not all are easy to operate and free. Consider investing into a paid service if you are considering moving more of your business operations online and test a number of platforms first before committing to one in particular.

Carrying on a business in an SMSF

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Self-managed super funds can carry on a business providing the business is allowed under the trust deed and operated for the sole purpose of providing retirement benefits for fund members.

Carrying on a business through an SMSF does have restrictions that other businesses do not have, such as entering into credit arrangements or having overdrafts.

SMSF trustees that carry on a business through their fund must adhere to the sole purpose test. The ATO looks for cases where:

  • The trustee employs a family member.
  • The ‘business’ is an activity commonly carried out as a hobby or pastime.
  • The business carried on by the fund has links to associated trading entities.
  • There are indications the fund’s business assets are available for the private use and benefit of the trustee or related parties.

The same regulatory provisions still apply to funds that carry on a business, i.e, SMSF investments must be made on a commercial ‘arm’s length’ basis, business activities must be conducted in accordance with the SMSF’s investment strategy, collectables and personal use assets cannot be displayed at the business premises and so on.

The SMSF cannot be involved in the following business activities:

  • Selling an SMSF asset for less than its market value to a member or relative of a member.
  • Purchasing an asset for greater than its market value from a member or relative of a member.
  • Acquiring services in excess of what the SMSF requires from a member or relative of a member.
  • Paying an inflated price for services acquired from a member or relative of a member.

Cars and taxes for 2020-21 financial year

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New car threshold amounts will be implemented from 1 July 2020. Understanding the new thresholds and how they may affect your small business operations and vehicle usage will be important in preparing you for the financial year ahead.

Income tax:

There is an upper limit on the cost you use to work out the depreciation for the business use of your car or station wagon (including four-wheel drives). The maximum value you can use for calculating your depreciation claim is the car limit (irrespective of any amount you were paid for a trade-in) in the year in which you first used or leased the car.

For the 2020-21 financial year, the upper cost limit is $59,136 including GST.

Goods and services tax (GST):

Businesses registered for GST with motor vehicles used solely for business purposes are entitled to claim a credit for the GST included in the price of the vehicle, provided they have a tax invoice.

In the event that you purchase a car and the price is more than the car threshold, the maximum amount of GST credit you can claim is one-eleventh of your car limit amount. Keep in mind that you cannot claim a GST credit for any luxury car tax you pay when you purchase a luxury car, regardless of how much you use the car in carrying on your business.

Luxury car tax (LCT):

You are required to pay LCT if you’re registered or required to be registered for GST and you sell or import a luxury car.

LCT applies to motor vehicles designed to carry a load of less than two tonnes and fewer than nine passengers. LCT also applies to a car purchased by a person with a disability even if the car is GST-free. However, disability-related modifications are not subject to LCT. The LCT value of a car includes the value of any parts, accessories or attachments supplied or imported at the same time as the car.

Cars with LCT over the LCT threshold attract an LCT rate of 33%. From 1 July 2020, the LCT threshold will increase to $68,740. Additionally, the LCT threshold for fuel efficient cars will increase to $77,565 for the 2020-21 financial year.

Tips to building an engaging website

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A simple yet often overlooked method of improving your business is to build an engaging website. Many business websites act as a product information dump rather than an avenue to attract clients and reinforce business goals. To ensure you fully utilise your website, here are a few website-building tips you can implement.

Get the basics down
First note that a business website needs to:

  • Provide basic information about your business, products and services,
  • Answer typical questions and concerns,
  • Motivate people to buy or use your products.

To make sure your website is able to fulfil its fundamental duties, there are several must-haves to include:

  • Name of company, personalised website domain, tagline hours of operation. Display your business name and website address prominently and on every page you have to ensure potential clients can find through search engines
  • What you sell or do. Make it very clear what your business does and provide an accurate description of your products or services.
  • Photos and graphics. Graphics are a must-have to make sure your website is visually appealing. Examples of graphics include your logo, photos of your products or place of business, a photo of yourself or key employees. In the case that you’re struggling to obtain original images, consider adding stock images that are for free and public use.
  • About Us. Your website needs at least one page with background information on your business and the key people who run your company. This is important to include so that your clients are able to gain a better understanding of your business purposes and goals before supporting you.
  • Contact Us. Provide your potential customers with an email address and phone number and link your social media accounts to your website. Also, provide a physical address so customers can visit if necessary.

Recommended features to add
Three features that are also helpful to add to your website include:

  • FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions). Save yourself some time by answering common inquiries. Also, many people are reluctant to call or email with questions so an FAQ may help clear up some concerns and motivate them to do business with you.
  • Testimonials. Do your current customers love you and tell you so? Testimonials and reviews are powerful selling tools and improve your credibility.
  • Press and awards. Positive reviews from the media and awards similarly add credibility to your brand and reinforce consumer confidence.

Additional industry tips
eCommerce websites making sales directly from their website can include information about:

  • Product details. You’ll need in-depth information about the products you sell online, including photos wherever possible.
  • Security practices. Let your customers know that you are keeping their information secure
  • Shipping. Indicate how quickly you’ll fill orders, shipping prices and options. Keep your clients updated with delivery information.
  • Return policies/guarantees. Make these very clear.
  • Customer service hours.

For businesses with a physical location where customers come to you, include:

  • Hours you are open.
  • Location and directions. You can add a map from an online map service and provide helpful directions for your customers.
  • Photo of your place of business or interior.

How to prevent bad debts from your clients

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Running a business is challenging enough, and having to deal with bad debts can add an unneeded layer of stress for you and your team. The easiest way to handle bad debts is to avoid them in the first place – here’s how.

Do a background check:
Before you enter into an agreement with a client or other businesses, make sure that you know who you’re dealing with and do some research. Make sure they are legitimate, still in operation and look for any bad reviews and feedback concerning other people’s experiences with them. Take into consideration whether they ask you for discounts or complain that your fees are too high. If you get the idea that the client may not pay, it might be safer to avoid the job instead.

Have clear payment terms:
Include payment terms in your client agreement or contract that clearly state payment dates penalties for late payments. Both parties should agree on these payment terms prior to entering into a contract. Conditions for late payments could include interest fees, fines, or the cessation of supplying your goods and services to them within a specified time period.

Ask for a deposit:
When you ask for a deposit and the client does not want to pay, it shows that they are probably not trustworthy and may not be willing to make a full payment. If the client does pay you a deposit or but does not make a final payment, then at the very least you will not have lost as much money as you would have without an initial payment.

Automate payments:
Setting up an automatic payment system for your clients eliminates the chances of them forgetting to pay or refusing to pay unless they actively cancel their payments. Automatic payments can work well if you have instalment fees or a subscription-based service that requires periodic payments.

Follow up quickly:
Making contact with clients soon after a missed payment will demonstrate your expectations to be paid in a timely manner. Often, this means that clients managing cash flow problems are more likely to prioritise payments to your business rather than their other creditors who have more relaxed payment systems.

Why businesses should consider flexible workplace arrangements

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Businesses working from home due to social distancing restrictions can take the opportunity to learn from the experience and consider new work structures coming out of COVID-19. This could mean increased flexibility for employees when it comes to working remotely and adaptable hours. Here’s why flexible work arrangements with your employees may be beneficial for your business in the long term.

Increased productivity
Flexible work arrangements can increase the productivity of employees by allowing them to work when they feel most motivated. Some people may naturally be more productive at night time and do their work then, which would not be possible with regular office hour restrictions. Remote work also saves time on excessive staff chatter and workplace distractions, such as ringing telephones and colleague drop-ins. Offering flexible work arrangements can show your employees that their lives are valued, which can lead to higher levels of performance and hard work to justify the flexible arrangements.

Reduced expenses
When employees are working from home more frequently, it means that your office doesn’t have to sustain as many people and you can reduce rent and utility expenses. This doesn’t mean that your employees have to pay too much more; the ATO has introduced an easier way of deducting work from home costs during the COVID-19 period called the ‘shortcut method.’ This allows employees to deduct 80c per hour they work from home to compensate for running expenses.

Attract talent
Businesses that exclusively depend on employees being physically present may be missing out on ideal workers who live too far or require more flexible arrangements. Modern job seekers are often on the lookout for positions that offer greater flexibility, rather than the regular 9 to 5 in the office. Highlighting workplace flexibility in your job advertisements can attract more prospective talent as physical barriers are eliminated.

Improved wellbeing
Remote work can improve the overall physical and mental wellbeing of your employees. One perk is that they may be able to be better rested and eat a proper breakfast in replacement of the morning commute. Work flexibility will also enable them to work around family commitments, which can boost their quality of life and happiness. This can raise morale and improve their quality of work by reducing the risks of fatigue and burnout.

Employee retention
Workplaces that allow employees to maintain a healthy work-life balance are more likely to retain their employees for long terms. This can benefit businesses by reducing the frequency of hiring and training periods, which can save a lot of money and productivity while continuing to grow corporate knowledge in existing employees.

Transferring a business property into your SMSF

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Employers with a self-managed super fund (SMSF) looking to protect their business assets can consider transferring their business real property into their SMSF.

Transferring business property into your SMSF is useful to protect your assets in the event of your business failing or facing litigation. It is possible for SMSF members to transfer business real property (land and buildings used exclusively for the business) to their SMSF by using a combination of methods.

In-species transfer
An in-species transfer in the context of a business property refers to the ownership transfer of a property from one entity to another without the need to convert it into cash. During an in-species transfer, the value of the property is considered a contribution to your SMSF and is restricted by CGT regulations and contribution caps.

Cashing in your SMSF
You can use the cash available in your SMSF to buy your business property at market value as a normal cash purchase. The property must first be valued by an independent and qualified party before this is allowable. SMSFs that do not have enough sufficient capital to do this may consider using their non-concessional contributions cap to cover the outstanding balance.

Limited recourse borrowing arrangement (LRBA)
In the event that you do not have enough cash in your SMSF to outright buy your business property, you can apply for a loan using an LRBA. An LRBA can be obtained through a third-party lender, including your own business. You can borrow funds for your SMSF under an LRBA from your own business. However, before applying for an LRBA, consider its legal complexities and whether your SMSF will be able to maintain loan repayment fees on top of existing fees you may have, such as member pensions and accounting and auditor fees.

CGT retirement concession
The CGT retirement concession allows business owners exemption from CGT on business assets up to $500, 000 over a lifetime. If you are over 55, there are no associated conditions, however, if you are under 55, then you must place the money into a superannuation fund to receive the exemption.

This means that if you are under 55 and wishing to transfer a business real property into your SMSF, you can potentially do so without incurring any CGT liability (up to $500, 000).

Tax implications for landlords through COVID-19

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Property investors may have a number of tenants that have temporarily paused their rent payments or are not paying the full amount of rent owed due to being impacted by COVID-19. Regardless of rental income changes, landlords are still entitled to claim deductions on rental property expenses if they are still incurring regular rental property expenses.

Landlords who receive a back-payment of rent, or an amount of insurance as a result of a decrease in rental income, will still need to include these amounts in their assessable income for the tax year that they receive the payment.

Additionally, landlords may be faced with deferred loan repayments as a result of COVID-19. In this case, if your loan accumulates interest it will be considered as an incurred expense, meaning that you will still be able to continue claiming a deduction on your loan interest.

It is likely that landlords of short-term rental properties have had their situation compromised by COVID-19 due to cancelled bookings and low demand. If your property is used both privately and for renting out short-term accommodation, you will be able to continue deducting property expenses in the same proportion as you were entitled to prior to COVID-19. If you had begun using the property differently in the period after your latest tax return and before COVID-19, the proportion of expenses you can claim may vary. This can include situations where:

  • You have increased the amount of private use of the property by you, your family, or your friends.
  • You have made the decision to permanently stop renting out your property once COVID-19 restrictions end.