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Making the most of digital and cloud

Transforming into a digital business sets the best possible infrastructure for your future growth. And, as your business scales, the benefits of going digital will start to become obvious. Running your key business processes in the cloud and using the latest digital software and apps adds to both your efficiency and your productivity. And, most importantly, digital systems are designed to scale with you as your enterprise grows and the need for resources increases. Here are some of the big reaso...

XEROCON 2022

Xerocon is the years highlight for all things Xero and due to the pandemic wasn't able to go ahead last year - so this year was set to be bigger and better than ever! Accounted4 sent a team of seven over  to Sydney in September to soak up the best that Xero (and Sydney) has to offer! The team were immersed in Xerocon for the full two days learning what's coming, what's new and how best we can continue to help our clients. The focus this year was on purpose, community, innovat...

Get to know: Nikita

Nikita joined A4 in May 2022 as Client Services Support and is now the Client Services Assistant for Martyn Steffert and his team.  Originally from Hamilton Nikita and her husband Scott moved back to Scott’s hometown of Cambridge in 2018 with their two small children, Nixon and Isla.  Outside of work Nikita loves spending time with her family, especially at the beach and also making the most of everything that Cambridge has to offer locally.  Nikita enjoys the supporti...

Payroll Update - Festive Season Shutdown

Have you worked out your team’s Leave Management Plan? If your business traditionally shuts down over the festive season you need to plan closing and opening days, check if anyone needs to work during the closedown, get your team sending in their leave requests, and start organising! Check out People in Mind’s excellent article on ‘Planning Leave for the festive season’: https://www.peopleinmind.co.nz...Public Holidays this festive time• Christmas Day – Sunday 25 December or Christm...

Changes to ACC Payment Plans

From the 29th of August 2022 ACC changed their payment plan options. Customers will continue to have access to 3- and 6-month payment plans but the 10-month payment plan has now been removed. Customers with existing 10-month payment plans in place will not be impacted by this change.For more information, please refer to the ACC website HERE...

Featured Partner - The Tree Company

Founded in Hamilton, the Tree Company have been passionate about providing exceptional horticultural skills and professional service since 1987.Our property in Hamilton holds an extensive range of plants, trees, grasses, ferns and shrubs, all available for long term or short term hire within the greater Waikato, Auckland and Bay of Plenty including Whakatane, Opotiki and Kawerau. We employ highly skilled staff, each holding customer satisfaction at the center of their work. Always eager to info...

Featured Client - Circus Eatery

It has been a dream come true for Circus Eatery owner and long-term Cambridge-ite Kiri Cranshaw who finally found a place that ticked all the boxes in Cambridge Park late last year. Kiri’s vision became reality when Circus Eatery was opened early July and the café has had a great start with support from locals, friends, and family.Circus Eatery takes pride in showcasing fresh, authentic and well-crafted food alongside outstanding coffee and efficient service. With both indoor and outdoor dini...

In The Community

The Accounted4 Social Club spent a fun night at the Cambridge Raceway for the Blue September fundraiser.  We managed to collect $200 in winnings that was donated to the Blue September Campaign (Prostate Cancer Foundation of NZ), as well as ticket sales being donated to the wonderful campaign. ...

How high will mortgage rates go?

The latest inflation data gave the Reserve Bank (RBNZ) and economists a bit of a shock. At 7.2%, it was much higher than anyone had forecast, and it means the RBNZ is likely to be more aggressive with its official cash rate rises. A higher official cash (OCR) rate leads to higher mortgage rates. Home loan rates are already in the mid-5% range – how much higher are they likely to go?A 5.3% OCR in 2023?Current pricing suggests the OCR will peak at 5.3% in 2023, which would likely push mortgage i...

Bringing your cashflow processes into the digital age

Keeping on top of your cashflow is even more important during tough economic times. With a global slowdown on the cards, energy prices soaring and supply chain still challenges, cash is likely to be tight over the coming year and beyond. Cloud technology and fintech apps, can give your business the best possible control over its cash. Why is cashflow so important? To keep your business operating, you need enough money coming into the business to cover your outgoings – with enough surplus cash ...

In The Office

Gina was raised in Te Awamutu and completed a Bachelor of Business in December 2020. She has a background in audit and has now made a career change to financial accounting – her true passion. Gina is currently studying towards her CA qualification. Outside of work, Gina loves distance running, nature walks, and spending time with friends and family....

Business tips: Building your brand to create a competitive advantage

In a crowded marketplace, it can be difficult to make your products and services stand out clearly from the competition. A key way to do this is to focus on building brand awareness and turning your existing customers and targets into advocates for your brand. Sounds simple, doesn’t it? Creating that competitive advantage won’t always be easy, but it is key to carving out a niche and scaling up to meet your customers’ needs. Clearly define your brand values Once your brand values have been...

Farm Business Health Check

Disruption is nothing new for farmers. For years, you've battled drought, flood, market volatility, Mycoplasma bovis, and COVID-19. But, as for the rest of New Zealand, staying positive and boosting the economy are vital. “We’re all in the same storm, just different boats” rang true when it comes to the impact of COVID-19, supply chain issues and labour shortages on farmers around New Zealand. Despite challenges for all, most agreed that being an “essential” was a good waka to be in. T...

Farm accounting - 10 tips

Farming businesses have unique accounting needs. The specific challenges you face in running a successful and thriving farm, require tailored business advice that goes beyond simply tax and accounting needs. Not many other businesses rely on living produce and have so many factors that can dramatically affect profit and loss. Farmers are managing assets, liabilities, payroll, compliance, exchange rate fluctuations, costs, revenue, not to mention day-to-day operations. The following article cover...

Cost of Living Payment

The Cost of Living Payment is a payment to help with the rising costs of inflation and you do not have to pay it back if you meet the eligibility criteria. On this page, we explain who can get the payment, based on the criteria set by the Government.  You do not need to apply for the payment We'll pay you the Cost of Living Payment automatically if you're eligible. You do not need to apply. Make sure we have your correct bank account number for your Income tax account in case you are eligib...

Get to know: Lisa

Lisa joined our team in May 2020 and is Client Services Administrator for Geoff Hurst and Kim Antonio’s clients and teams. Lisa has a background in animal care, training as a vet nurse at Otago Polytechnic before moving to the Waikato where she spent many years managing a Boarding Kennel and Cattery. Lisa then spent two years as a receptionist at an accounting firm in another part of the Waikato.Lisa was supposed to start in the office with us right when we went into the very first lockdown in...

Featured Client - Grinters Funeral Home

Celebrating Life – Your Way. This is what the team at Grinters Funeral Home believe each service should represent. They understand that when a funeral is personalised, it creates a special space for sharing precious memories, telling stories, and simply being together with friends and family. Grinters Funeral Home are dedicated to providing personalised and meaningful funeral services, and are happy to discuss new ideas, pre-planning and/or prepaying for your funeral. The team are here for you...

Xero Tip: Calculating % on Cash Coding Screen

Did you know Xero can automatically calculate the % for you on your cash coding screen?Click the down arrow on the transaction line, select ‘split’ and a new coding screen will appear. (Or you can type / in the account box).When using the split box, you can allocate the transaction based on a percentage and Xero can calculate this for you. Simply enter your description and account code, in the amount column, override the dollar value with your percentage (e.g 25%) and Xero will calculate the...

Payroll Update: Employment Agreements

When did you last review your Employment Agreements?Do your employment agreements reflect the changes in the last couple of years?Matariki Public Holiday – will shift each year to align with the maramataka (Māori lunar calendar) and will always be on a Friday.Sick Leave entitlement increased on 24 July 2021 to 10 daysREMEMBER – there is no pro-rata of sick leave – all eligible employees get 10 days on their anniversary.https://www.employment.govt.nz/leave-and-holidays/sick-leave/sick-leav...

5 quick wins for a greener business

Consumers are driving the trend towards sustainable business practices, voting with their dollars to support greener companies. The Global Sustainability Study 2021 found that: 63% of consumers have shifted their spending toward being more sustainable in the past five years, particularly younger consumers.Half of consumers rank sustainability as a top 5 value driver.34% of consumers are willing to pay more for sustainability, with a higher share of Millennials and Gen Z prepared to pay...

Featured Partner: The Little Acre

Here at The Little Acre creative studio, our branding, print and web designs are all driven by storytelling. It’s what makes us unique. To us, branding and design is all about connecting with others through a story, whether that’s with a logo, a website, or packaging. The Little Acre story began as (literally) a little acre down in Cambridge, New Zealand. Now, that little piece of land has been transformed into a full-service creative studio, servicing clients across New Zealand, Austr...

Join Our Accounted4 Team!

What’s the role We are seeking a confident, productive and motivated person with accounting experience in a CA office. We are flexible with work hours and options to work some hours from home.  This is a rewarding opportunity for the right person who wants to fast-forward their accountancy career, while working closely with a variety of interesting clients and a supportive, professional, social, fun team! What you need Accounting experience in a CA officeExperience in financial statement ...

IRD says ‘No more Mr Nice Guy’

Inland Revenue was taking a much more relaxed approach to outstanding tax debt during 2020 and 2021 – but now it’s ready to crack down. Since the start of July, it has stepped up its efforts to pursue outstanding amounts from local businesses. PAYE and KiwiSaver payments will be the first priority The amount of outstanding PAYE and employee KiwiSaver payments have doubled, and overdue GST has tripled, over the past five years. This is obviously a major problem, particularly the KiwiSaver pay...

Weighing up a big investment in your business

Are you considering investing in a new way to make your business more productive or streamlined? With a tight labour market, everyone’s time is at a premium – so finding ways to maximise productivity has never been more important. But it can take considerable funds to pay for a new website, ecommerce platform, software system or automations. Here are a few questions to ask yourself when you’re weighing up the costs and potential benefits of a significant investment.What are the upfront cos...

Looking for a new and exciting challenge?

Who are we Accounted4 (A4) is a successful, progressive, CA Firm nestled in the heart of Cambridge. At A4, our 30 strong high performing team are 100% focused on our clients and our people. Our vibrant culture is reflected in our Team Values: Authenticity, Excellence, Innovation, Energy and Solidarity. We are 100% cloud technology based with Xero being our preferred software. We are a Xero Platinum Partner and Figured Gold Partner. We are conscious about protecting the environment and were the w...