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Hold me accountable or else what?

Most business owners understand that the only way to ensure something gets done is to document what is expected, assign it to the right person, and set a due date. But what do you do if the task isn’t done? What are the consequences of this inaction?Think back to your school days when you had homework... maybe you were super organised and got stuck in as soon as the work was assigned, or perhaps you completed it on the school bus the morning it was due. Either way, why did you get it done? Cha...

Featured Partner

Figured is a platform which provides accountants, farm advisors, farmers and agri banks (the Farming Team) a single source of truth for making financial decisions. It uses cloud technology alongside Xero, to provide up-to-date financial information, reports and analysis. We are a disruptive and ambitious international software company that believes we can change agriculture for the better. Global market trends including the growth of on farm technology, open banking, the rapid adoption of cloud ...

Featured Client

We have always had that kiwi can-do mentality despite being Brits. When we came on holiday here in 2004 we felt at home. Cut to four years later with two young teenage boys Jake and Harry, we decided to move to NZ for a “bit of an adventure”.  Within a year we quickly realised that although we loved New Zealand the beer scene was pretty bad being dominated by the Big Two.  I have always been a home brewer (starting in my student days) so when we lived in the UK, Karen and I would t...

Payroll Team Update

IR Payday filing UPDATE Check out this link for full details on Payday filing. Many payroll software providers are yet to roll out Payday filing, so find out when your provider is expecting to go live and get prepared for the changes. https://www.ird.govt.nz/campaigns/2018/campaign-payday-filing.html Employment Law Update The Employment Relations Amendment Bill has progressed through Parliament and has now been passed. The Bill strengthens the legal rights of employees, limits the use of the 90-...

Get to Know - Genevra Scott

Genevra originally joined Accounted4 in 2014, and after a stint in sunny Central Otago she returned in November 2017. She has since worked her way up to become a Senior Accounting Manager, and manages a team of 3 for Kim Antonio. She loves to help her clients to achieve their goals, and enjoys training Xero and finding ways to enable her clients to stay on top of their finances with efficiency and ease. Genevra is currently an Associate Chartered Accountant (ACA), and is studying towards becomin...

In the Office

Last Month we said farewell to our Accounting Team member Craig Greene. We wish you all the best in your future ventures Craig....

In the Community

As an alternative to client gifts this year we have made donations to the Salvation Army and the NZME Special Children's Christmas Party. Thank you to our wonderful clients who have allowed us to make this donation. Here at A4 we think this is a great way to spread some Christmas cheer to those less fortunate than ourselves....

How to make your out-of-office message work harder

Heading on holiday? Don’t forget to set up your out-of-office message. And once you’ve included the essential information, think about including a link to your newsletter landing page, some humour or a link to a useful guide. #SmallBusinessTips #officelife #takeabreak...

New Navigation in Xero

You may have noticed a few changes to the navigation in Xero. Launched on 27 November 2018, these changes bring a more logical framework to the menus and are more in line with the way businesses use Xero. One of the most obvious updates is the split between business tools and accounting tools. The accounting tools include financial reports and compliance functions that are more commonly used by accountants and bookkeepers. The business menu holds all the tools that you use every day such as invo...

Better Business, Better Life Annual Planning Day

A great value way to postively kick your businesses off in 2019. Geoff Knox - Founder of the Better Business Academy, will facilitate the day and use a highly practical, reality based planning approach that will lead to personally motivating goals and a high quality one page plan and road map to achieve for 2019. Book now to receive the Early Bird price of $395 plus GST - Early Bird prices ends on Friday 23rd November so get in quick! Reconnect with your PrioritiesEvaluate your business, yo...

Website Workshop with Rocketspark

On Wednesday evening, in association with our friends at Rocketspark, we ran our last client  event of the year and what a great event to finish with!  Clients who attended were treated to a one-on-one session with one of the Rocketspark Team who sat with them and gave them 'tips and tricks' on improving their business's website. Caroline Bagshaw (pictured above) was so excited with the advice she received and in her words "Thank you so much for last night. I had a wonderful ...

2SA - it's fundamental to good security

Here at A4 we take Your Security seriously and with ever-changing technology hackers are getting smarter and smarter and making it difficult for us to realise we have been hacked until it is too late. Check out this great blog from Xero about 2 Step Authentication and why you should be implementing it where you can. For many Xero customers in Australia, using two-step authentication (2SA) to access their Xero account is now mandatory – and you will start to see this security being en...

Featured Partner

CreateVideo is a Production Agency - we Create and Produce Video and Animated Content for TV, WEB and Social Media. We also Capture Video and Create Animation for Events like Award Shows, Conferences, Expos, Trade Shows etc. Our point of difference is everything is done in-house and our team based around NZ all work from home.  What this means to the Client is a one-stop-shop across the country at a significantly lower rate than our competitors.  Our standards are high and we can list ...

Full-time Administrator Vacancy - Fixed Term

Who are we Accounted4 (A4) is a successful, forward-thinking Chartered Accountancy Firm located in the Cambridge CBD. We have a team of 32, including a 9-strong Support Services Team. At A4 we are very much about our customers and our people. Our strong culture is reflected in our team values; authenticity, excellence, innovation, energy and solidarity. What’s the role We are looking for a person with exceptional administration, organisational and IT skills who can step effortlessly and confid...

Xero Tip

If you need to query a transaction with us or make a note for yourself about a transaction, you can use the Discuss tab. To do this, go to your bank account to the Reconcile tab, and on the right hand side choose the Discuss tab:...

In the Office

Congratulations to Ben Calvert for being part of the Waikato Mens A Squash Team who won the New Zealand Champs in September.This is the first time Waikato has won!...

Payroll Update

IR PAYDAY FILING – Checklist for employers using software Payday filing Payday filing is where employers provide IR (IR – Inland Revenue’s new name) with employment PAYE information every payday – currently voluntary, and it becomes mandatory from 1 April 2019. If you use supported software Talk to your software provider about what options they will offer and when they will be ready. Make sure you understand any implications their release schedule will have on your businessConsider any c...

Get to Know

Armando was born in the Philippines and moved to New Zealand in 2002, where he lived in a little place called Palmerston North. Eventually he moved to Hamilton, to pursue his university studies and was enrolled as a student at the University of Waikato, studying a Bachelor of Management Studies, with a major in Accounting, and a graduation certificate in Economics. Armando tries to keep fit by playing a variety of sports such as basketball, volleyball, and netball. He previously worked as an aud...

Public Holiday - Labour Day

The Public Holiday of Labour Day is upon us this month. This year (2018) it is observed on Monday the 22nd October.If your staff work on the day and that day would be a normal day of work, then in addition to payment for the hours at 'time and a half, the staff are also entitled to an alternative holiday (day in lieu), which when taken should be paid at the Employee's relevant daily pay. If the Employee does not work on a Public Holiday and the Employee was not due to work that day, then th...

In the Community

A4 joined the Steptember New Zealand movement , we turned our steps into dollars raising funds towards supporting kids and adults with cerebral palsy. Steptember Stats: $835,695.05 raised so far in NZ  a minimum of 4,480,000 steps walked as an organisation  20 afternoon tea walks  16 Accounted4 staff committed to the cause   5 late night walks around the house before bed  3 dance parties to go over 10,000 steps  1 accomplished, fit...

How anti-money laundering legislation impacts you

If you've seen the film The Wolf of Wall Street, you'll be familiar with the concept of money laundering – an illegal process where 'dirty money' received from criminal activities is passed through legitimate businesses and made 'clean.' In response to a growing number of laundering incidents in New Zealand, the government has made changes to the law, which now affect accountants and small businesses like yours. As of this month (October 2018), we're required to put new preventative measures i...

Talking about Kiwisaver with your staff

Building Kiwisaver confidenceMany people feel they don't understand or know enough about Kiwsaver, so they ask others - including their employers - to talk them through it.There is lots of general information you can give them about KiwiSaver, but there are some rules around what you can and can't say.You can safely tell your employees what KiwiSaver is, what the features of a particular KiwiSaver scheme are if you have a preferred relationship, and information about what your staff member needs...

Conservation Week

Conservation Week is run by DOC each year to encourage people to get involved in nature and help to take care of it. Each year DOC works with community groups across Aotearoa to spread the conservation message. It’s a nationwide celebration of kiwis pitching in to help our native plants and animals. We invite you to join us by:Going to a local Conservation Week eventDoing an activity off your own batDonating to an existing conservation programmeThanks and hope to see you out there!Check out mo...

XEROCON 2018

Accounted4 sent a team of 6 over to Brisbane, Australia for the 2018 XEROCON. And what a trip it was! As we walked into the Brisbane Convention Centre on Day One to a DJ pumping music into a Blue lit room we could have been mistaken for thinking that we were entering a nightclub. The focus this year was #human, with the opening act emphasising exactly this - Tom Thumb is an artist who makes music with only his voice, that is every single sound you can think of - he can make. Steve Vamos, re...

Customer Choice Winners for Cambridge

We are proud to announce that we won the Customer Choice Category at the Waipa Networks Business Awards on Friday 31st August. Well done to all the other finalists and Winners on the night....