Holiday season best wishes from Jones Business Solutions

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The 2009 year is nearly at an end – it has been a very busy one for us, and we are looking at some very exciting developments for 2010. We are adding to our team of experienced accounts staff which will better service our existing and new clients’ requirements. Next year we will be setting up a number of clients onto Xero (a web-based accounting platform), and Flexitime – a timesheet system (also web-based) that is integrated with payroll – watch this space!

A big thank you to all our wonderful long-standing clients; as always it is a pleasure working with you. I really enjoy the challenges that you provide for us; and then working together with you and our team to come up with effective solutions. It has been a difficult year for small business in New Zealand – so it is great to see the enthusiasm and innovative ideas that have come through.

We wish you a safe and happy festive season and hope you get to take a well-earned break. Cheers!

Property Hot Tip!

Knowing what is a fair market rent to charge your tenants is important to maximise the return on your property investment. Charging too high a rent may mean a regular change of tenants which is time-consuming to manage and costly (advertising and admin costs as well as loss of rental income when the property is vacant). Tenants also have the right to apply to the Tenancy Tribunal to have their rent reduced if they think it is excessive. Check out this link for the Department of Building and Housing guidelines to market rents. http://www.dbh.govt.nz/market-rent This gives you a starting point to help determine a market rent. Also regularly check your local papers and Trade Me to see what similar property rents are in your area. You want to retain long-term tenants where possible - but don't under-charge the rent - checking current rents every 6 months or so is good practice. (And remember you have to give a tenant 90 days written notice for any rent increase for a periodic tenancy.)

Client Profile - Body FX – Outstanding Branding Concept!!

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BodyFX is New Zealand's largest make-up company with studios in Auckland and Wellington. The founders Nicole Heydenrijk and daughter Yolanda Bartram have many years experience in Body painting, face painting, make-up and special FX make-up. They have won many awards at both national and international events. This year Yolanda won a world championship in special FX face painting at the World Bodypainting Festival in Austria. Now daughter Myrtha has joined the company with a lot of enthusiasm and fantastic talent to demonstrate.

What a unique option for a product launch – contact Nicole on
04 564 7010 – you will be surprised at the cost-effectiveness – and also the creative ideas BodyFX can come up with. Check out their website www.bodyfx.co.nz – there are some incredible photos to view.

Tracey and I love going out to their studio to do their accounts work - wonderful to be in such a creative environment and seeing a small NZ business do so well on the international scene.

Accounting Hot Tip!

2009 has certainly been a busy and challenging one for small businesses. We have seen the recession impact on a number of our clients - it shows the importance of having accurate and up-to-date financial information available. Some suggestions are:

• Reconcile your bank accounts at least weekly and follow up promptly on any irregularities
• Monitor and predict your Cashflow (ideally weekly) – essential!
• Carry out monthly checks/reconciliations to ensure accurate and complete processing
• Ensure all invoicing for the month is completed promptly at month-end

Contact us for a draft Monthly Checklist which covers best practice for monthly tasks and reconciliations. We can customise this for your company’s needs. Utilising this results in more accurate monthly reporting and a speedy year-end process with few surprises. Review your financial reports monthly - and understand them.

JBSL Website

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Thanks to those of you who registered for our newsletter – and who provided feedback on our site and first newsletter.

We are keen to develop the client resource area of the website – so any suggestions would be appreciated. Paul from Blackbox Design is back in NZ early next year with lots of neat new ideas he has gained from his Hong Kong experience – we look forward to further developing and enhancing our website with Paul’s help and expertise.

Recruitment Hot Tip!

CV’s – What They Don’t Tell You!
Sometimes the information that is not in a CV can tell you more than the information it contains. So what kinds of things do you need to look for?

• Gaps in employment – has a position or employer been left out of the CV? Ask the candidate for clarification.
• What is their education background? Ask for certificates/transcripts etc - and ensure these are "real". Short courses may not indicate competence even if it was an "Advanced" course - put these sorts of qualifications into context with overall experience.
• Has the applicant included their health? While you can't ask directly if someone smokes or is sick a lot it is handy if they have volunteered this information.

If you feel that there is any information missing, you need to make sure that you ask the right questions at interview time in order to ensure that you have all the information you need to make a great hiring choice. As always if you have further questions please give Leaine a call and she will be happy to discuss this further with you.

Team Member Profile - JBSL Xmas Do!

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Bob and Leaine had a quiet drink at the end of 2008 to mark going full-time with the business.

This year we had enough people to take out to dinner to mark a very busy and eventful year for Jones Business Solutions. We had a pleasant evening at the Brewery Bar on the Wellington waterfront with some of our staff and Christine (Beenz and Bytes) and Hollie (Money Matters). Next year will need an even bigger venue!