Marsh Tincknell Bottom Line Issue 5

BOTTOM LINE THE

BUSINESS SOLUTIONS

FOR 2021

HOW TO BE MORE PRODUCTIVE THIS YEAR

HOW SETTING REMINDERS CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE

CONCSIOUS BUSINESS SUCCESS WITH

MAT STILLONE Brought To You By:

5 NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS

EVERY BUSINESS SHOULD HAVE

Business Planning

Outline and Benefits

Why we developed this service.

Success is about planning; we want to help you achieve success.

• Do you have a current Business Plan?

• Have you set realistic and measurable goals?

• Do you have clear strategies to achieve your goals?

• Do you regularly review your goals in regard to changing circumstances?

A Business Planning session will require you to take time out from day to day activities in the business to focus on the business. Together we will review your past performance and clarify future direction. You will set solid and realistic business goals and define strategies for achievement. At the end of the session you will have a one page Business Plan which will act as a guide map to ensure you are on course for success.

Who should have a Business Planning session?

Every business should have a Business Plan. Would you like: • To increase the level of growth, profitability and cashflow in your business?

• Support to unlock your business potential?

• A clear outline of what you need to do to unlock this potential?

• A document against which to measure your progress?

What is involved?

You’ll attend a four hour planning session facilitated by Marsh Tincknell. The key issues covered include: • Discussing and setting both personal and business goals for the next 12 months • Discussing and agreeing on an action plan with strategies to support achievement of goals • Identifying Gross Revenue Targets and Key Performance Indicators • Identifying opportunities and vulnerabilities in your business that need to be managed • Establishing a 90 Day Action Plan to address immediate critical issues We'll provide you with pre-work, which you will need to complete prior to the Business Planning session to ensure you identify any issues that need to be discussed. That way we can prepare any information required prior to the session.

Achieve financial success to maximise your freedom of choice.

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marshtincknell.com.au

When should I have a session?

Any time is a good time to develop a Business Plan if you don’t have one, however it's particularly relevant at the start of a new financial year. If you're contemplating a major change in your existing business or starting a new venture, a Business Plan is crucial. You'll also require a Business Plan to support any financial applications.

CALL US NOW ON 07 3422 8000 to discuss the preparation of your Business Plan.

Benefits of a Business Planning Session • Review and set the direction of the business • Eliminate procrastination • Identify common goals amongst a number of directors (if applicable) • Identify and prioritise your key goals • Create strategies to achieve your goals • Identify what you will need to achieve your goals • Set timeframes for achieving your goals • Develop a tool to communicate your business goals and vision with your team • Divide your goals into short term and long term - quick wins vs. key projects • Develop a template to review actual performance against targets • Create a platform to develop Financial Forecasts • Use your Business Plan as a basis for you to set team members’ individual goals / targets

Achieve financial success to maximise your freedom of choice.

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Contents 8

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WAYNE GRIFFITHS: BUSINESS SOLUTIONS FOR 2021 THAT WORK

5 NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS EVERY BUSINESS SHOULD HAVE

HOW SETTING REMINDERS CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE

MAT STILLONE: AN ENTREPRENEUR WITH INTEGRITY

WHY A TIDY DESK IS IMPORTANT TO YOUR BUSINESS

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TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR FINANCES IN 2021

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Every business should have a business plan to unlock your business potential.

TIPS TO BE MORE PRODUCTIVE IN 2021

MEET THE TEAM

RECIPE: POWER THROUGH THE AFTERNOON

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Contributors WAYNE GRIFFITHS Wayne Griffiths heads up Raffino Business Solutions - a business consulting and coaching firm that works with manufacturers and family business owners across Australia to accelerate their growth, become more efficient, and improve profit.

Since 2004, owner Wayne has been refining his unique approach that enables him to guarantee significant improvement in business performance.

raffino.com.au

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MAT STILLONE Founder of Protein Supplies Australia, Integrity Foods and Botanika Blends, Mat Stillone’s newest business, Flexible Foods, has earned him a nomination as the Young Entrepreneur of the year. He won last year’s Wholesale, Manufacturing and Distribution category and is hoping to secure another win this year. A long term client of Marsh Tincknell, Mat shares a wealth of knowledge about tax planning and strategy as his businesses continue to grow.

proteinsuppliesaustralia.com.au botanikablends.com.au Integrityfoodco.com.au flexiblefoods.com.au

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WAYNE GRIFFITHS:

Business Solutions For 2021 That Work M

arsh Tincknell has a full range of specialist divisions tailored to assist their clients in every possible way, but you may not realise they have another weapon in their Business Solutions arsenal - Wayne Griffiths.

Leading the team at Raffino Business Solutions, Wayne focuses on designing and implementing carefully crafted growth and efficiency strategies in order

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to create a more profitable business for his clients.

If you’re dissatisfied with your business profit and want a better return on your time, effort, the risk you are taking, and the capital you’ve invested, then Raffino can help.

Tight cash flow creates stress and may mean you need to dip into private funds to prop up the business. Working hard for little reward and not getting where you want to go doesn’t have to be your reality!

Wayne says that it’s possible to have the financial freedom and security you’ve always desired by focusing on strategy development, marketing and sales planning and implementation, individual and team performance improvement, financial management,

systemisation, and implementing KPIs to measure, monitor and continuously improve business performance.

With more than 30 years of business experience, Wayne knows the pitfalls that constrain most businesses, such as; Staffing issues, including poor culture, performance or unclear roles.

Inefficient business processes Ad-hoc marketing and ineffective sales strategies Unclear state of the business and root causes of ongoing issues Uncertainty about the future and how to grow profitably with minimal risk Low profit and poor cash flow.

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Wayne’s ability to quickly identify the key issues means he has helped many businesses crystalise their strategies, take control of their future, and turbo charge their profit result.

The purpose of your business is to CREATE WEALTH FOR THE OWNERS. Therefore, the purpose of business is to maximise FREE CASH FLOW.

What would it mean to you if you could double or treble the profit of your manufacturing business within 2-3 years? It is not just a pipe dream. Wayne says you must have the following four things without them it is tough yards:

Net profit and working capital improvements create free cash flow.

High quality products and hopefully better quality than your

competition Sufficient demand for those products, that is, there is enough

opportunity Access to sufficient working capital High level work ethic, discipline, and accountability Wayne says it is super important to be clear on the purpose of your business.

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Raffino will show you how to generate free cash flow and explode the financial success of your manufacturing business.

Over the last 3 years, Raffino’s manufacturing clients have enjoyed truly impressive growth: Average revenue growth of 223% Average gross profit margin improvement of 3.1% Average operating profit growth of 488% Average operating profit margin improvement of 10.3% With 31 years’ experience working closely with all

types of manufacturers all over Australia, we know the common speed-bumps, hindrances and stressors in manufacturing, and can help you circumvent these with confidence.

Their Profit Accelerator Program includes Lean Methodology, which optimises factory workflow and systems to improve efficiencies and reduce waste. 9 step process which includes Increase prices Improve materials and freight efficiency Improve direct labour efficiency

Increase your volume Drive fixed expense efficiency Decrease debtor days Decrease inventory days Increase creditor days Improve fixed asset utilisation The Raffino secret sauce is knowing which profit and cash flow driver in the 9 steps below to pull, when to pull it, and how hard. This is where their expertise intersects with their experience, which yields impressive results. raffino.com.au

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5RESOLUTIONS NEW YEAR’S EVERY BUSINESS OWNER SHOULD HAVE

W

ith the start of a new year comes the excitement and hope of a new beginning. As our planet approaches a new rotation

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around the sun, you should start thinking about what you’ll be doing differently this time - not just with regards to personal growth, but to business growth, too.

So, to help your business kick off the new year on the right foot (and hopefully end on the right foot too!), we’ve come up with some New Year’s resolutions every business owner needs to put on their list.

BUILD ON PAST SUCCESSES Before setting your eyes on the future, take a good, hard look at the past.

What went right? What didn’t? Both are equally important questions. New year’s resolutions are more about what you can do to improve, but don’t forget to pat yourself on the back for what you’ve accomplished.

Knowing what worked for your business last year can also set the direction for what you want to do this year. Did delegating more responsibility to your team help bring out talent that you didn’t know was there?

Maybe this year is the time to invest and develop their skills. Think about how you can further cement your position in that market and

maybe even expand it to similar platforms.

Strengthening your company doesn’t just mean creating brand new programs, it also means maintaining the ones that have been proven successful.

BREAK DOWN BIG GOALS INTO SMALLER ONES. If you’ve ever made a list of new year’s resolutions, you’ll know that the tendency is to make grand goals that look just as bright as the fireworks lighting up the New Year sky.

‘Eat healthier! Do things that make me happy! Build meaningful relationships with my family!’ - But as the smoke clears the morning after, you start to realize that those sweeping statements are vague. And when directions are vague, it’s that much harder to follow through on.

The solution is to break your one big annual goal

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down into bite-sized, actionable goals. To get to where you want to be at the end of the year, what do you need to do on a quarterly basis? On a monthly basis? On a daily basis? Instead of taking one giant step in the right direction, take baby steps.

Plus, putting a tick mark on multiple small tasks builds up the confidence you need to continue throughout the year.

FIND A WAY TO EASILY TRACK PROGRESS If you’re wondering how all the new year’s resolutions you’ve made over the years have fallen by the wayside, look no further than the failure to monitor progress. You need to keep your eye on the prize and know what’s happening on the way there.

Luckily, there are a lot of easy ways for you to track your progress.

Habit-forming apps are all the rage, with their userfriendly functions and easy and portable access. Some even provide the platform 14

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to build communities so you can get support in reaching your goals.

Explore the possibility of using apps to help your team stay on track.

Now, there’s nothing wrong with a good old whiteboard in the meeting room to remind you of your annual goals. Take time regularly to share updates about your progress, whether it’s in your weekly meetings or monthly townhalls. This way, you’ll know if you’re on the right track, or if you should change direction to get to where you want to be.

ASK AND LISTEN There are a lot of things you can’t see from the top that are painfully obvious for people down below.

Listening to your team may uncover important insight to what should be prioritised for your business’ new year’s resolutions. Whether it’s as small as changing an inefficient printer or as big as foregoing tedious daily meetings, you might be surprised to find out what

your team thinks is holding your company back.

How to gather and collect that information will differ between workplaces, but the main thing is to get other people’s perspectives on what should be changed.

Chances are, you’ll see recurring themes that will give you clues on what direction you should take to keep your employees happy and engaged.

This exercise doesn’t just help formulate your business’ new year’s resolutions, it helps encourage ownership of them too!

LEARN HOW TO CUT YOUR LOSSES Sometimes, the plan that we form in the beginning

of the year ends up not working. It always sucks when your time, effort, and resources did little to advance you towards your goal, but it happens. And the only thing that will make it worse is if you keep at it just because.

Sometimes, it’s just better to let go. So remove that age old adage that “Winners never quit and quitters never win.” Sometimes, the only way to win is to quit and try something new. As early as the beginning of the year, settle into the mindset that not everything is going to go as planned. And that’s okay. Making the decision to push a little bit further or cut your losses will involve a lot of thinking and discussion, but keeping your mind open to that possibility early on will help you recognise when it’s time.

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HOW SETTING REMINDERS

CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE 16

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he human brain is limited in its capacity to process and store information. Without a little help, we might forget important things such as dates, names, or even emotions. The invention of reminders, is one of the most important breakthroughs for the modern human.

Reminders have become a ubiquitous part of life. Whether you use a physical daily planner or your smartphone, they go everywhere with us. And it’s not limited to just work reminders, we also use them in our personal lives as well.

The beauty of reminders is that it frees our mind so that we can fully focus on things that really matter. It keeps us locked in on tasks that need to be done by a certain time.

However, reminders have a negative side which may have deleterious effects on our mental health if left unchecked - they can take over our lives. So, in this instance, we can definitely

have too much of a good thing.

The constant nudge of the ding from a smartphone reminder or the sea of tasks listed neatly on our daily planner are perfect recipes for our overwhelm.

And when this happens, reminders end up doing exactly the opposite of what it is designed to do.

It ends up becoming potent distractions rather than tools for our focus.

Constant reminders can also become less influential when, at a certain point, we become desensitized to the barrage of reminders.

Let’s look at how you can best keep your reminders working for you.

AIM TO TRANSFORM SOME REMINDERS INTO HABITS There was probably a time when your parents had to remind you to brush your teeth after dinner.

As you age, however, toothbrushing has become a task that you automatically do without any prodding. Such is the power of habits.

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PRIORITISE YOUR REMINDERS Not all tasks are created equal. Reminders for more important tasks, therefore, need to be prioritised.

If you’re using a planner, you could change the colors of important tasks.

If you usually use black pens to write down your tasks for the day, use red for the most important tasks and blue for the less important ones. This way, you see a physical distinction between two different tasks of different priority levels.

One sure way of not forgetting to do something is to turn it into a habit. The key here is to decide which activities you’d like to form into a habit. Want to be a good writer? Then you may want to make a habit out of writing.

This way, you eliminate the number of reminders that could distract you from an important task.

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On the other hand, if you use smartphones as your reminder setting tool, you can change the priority levels of each reminder or notification in the settings menu of your device. Both of the major operating systems in Android and iOS have these features.

Some apps also have their own reminder and notification management settings in themselves so be sure to check those out too.

THE DO NOT DISTURB FUNCTION IS YOUR FRIEND Yes. Reminders and notifications are important.

However, there are times when they become more of a distraction rather than a boon to our focus. So, if you want to truly focus on an important task,

you could turn them off altogether.

Your phones usually have features that let you turn them both off for a certain number of hours. This should help you manage your time a little bit better by postponing reminders for when you’re ready for them again.

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INTEGRITY FOOD CO WAS ESTABLISHED TO CLOSE THE GAP BETWEEN CONTRACT MANUFACTURERS AND BRANDS IN AUSTRALIA; FROM AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE BRIDGES IN SERVICE, COMMUNICATION AND QUALITY EXPERIENCED BY MANY BRANDS IN THE AUSTRALIAN MARKET.

MAT STILLONE:

An Entrepreneur With Integrity

M

eet long-term Marsh Tincknell client and nominee and finalist in the Young Entrepreneur awards for Brisbane 2020, Mathew Stillone.

Mat’s primary business is the design and production of plant and protein based products to both the public and also wholesale to supermarkets and other retailers. He also works with other businesses in the supplement space to design products.

We sit down with Mat to find out more about his entrepreneurial journey with his brands Protein Supplies Australia, Botanika Blends, Integrity Food Co. and Flexible Foods and why focusing on

your customers’ needs is the key to success in 2021.

How long have you been a client of Marsh Tincknell and what made you go with them for your financial needs?

I’ve been working with Marsh Tincknell for around 7-8 years now.

In the second year of my business, it really took off and I wasn’t really receiving adequate advice around my tax responsibilities. I had a huge tax bill and wanted to find someone who was proactive in tax planning and strategy as we continued to grow.

Marsh Tincknell came recommended to me by a friend who used them for their own business.

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Congratulations on your nomination at the Young Entrepreneur awards! Can you tell us a bit about what earned you the nom?

I actually took it out last year, in the Wholesale, Manufacturing and Distribution category and this year entered again, as I have launched a new business called Flexible Foods. Flexible Foods makes plant based meals and meat substitutes that are free from your common allergens like gluten and soy.

The products are clean label, meaning they’re completely natural and do not contain additives such as preservatives, nitrates, artificial flavour enhancers and sugar.

They’re shelf stable (don’t need to be refrigerated), quick and easy to make by just adding water and can be cooked within 5-10 minutes.

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That’s impressive! It’s a growing industry and you seem to be addressing so many people’s pain points there. How did the inspiration come about?

I’ve always been quite a conscious consumer, which led me to start my own business originally, as I couldn’t find options that were suitable to my lifestyle. Giving people better choices and alternatives is important to me, whether it be sugar free, free from allergens like gluten or vegan products that don’t contain egg or dairy. Growing up a vegetarian, I’ve always eaten this way and/or completely vegan meals, so being a part of the change in the food industry with so many more plant based alternatives is such an incredible feeling.

I grew up in Northern NSW (near Nimbin) on an organic farm, my Dad is a naturopath and my first job

was in a health food store.

My parents eventually went on to open their own health food store, where I spent most of my teenage years working in all areas of the business. I eventually moved to Brisbane and landed in sales roles/ customer service roles in health food and pharmacy.

I was really focused on my health and fitness, where I saw an opportunity to create something unique.

In 2011, there wasn’t really anyone doing “natural” sports supplements and I felt like I could give people better value, quality and options. Things from there naturally evolved as my passion for the health food industry continued to empower me to build the businesses.

Can we purchase them anywhere yet?

We have a bunch of new products that we’ve just launched including our Protein Cookies (under the Botanika Blends brand).

We launched them as a trial run online and they sold out within 2 hours. Getting such strong feedback from our community enabled us to create a better cookie and refine what we already thought was amazing.

These are available online and will roll out nationally into our retailers in January 2021.

What are you calling in for 2021?

Although I want to remain optimistic, I think we’re going to see some pretty tough times with the economy. People are going to be really conscious of their spending and all this surplus of cash being thrown around is going to be tightened up. I can see a lot of opportunity and growth for those who are able to be agile, adapt and be proactive. I know it’s business 101, but focusing on your customers needs and your offering is going to be more important than ever this year.

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WHY A TIDY DESK IS IMPORTANT TO YOUR BUSINESS

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eing forced to work from home this year has a lot of upsides.

We’ve spent more time with family, gotten more handson with our homes, and maybe even squeezed in some time to focus on selfimprovement.

However, one thing that the whole work from home

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scenario that almost no one looks forward to is keeping our work spaces clean. The office usually has cleaners come over at the end of each work day. At home, you’re the only one you can count on to clean your space. Who has the time to wash the coffee pot when all you want to do is wind down?

Benefits Of Cleaning Your Workspace While it might be unappetizing to wash the dishes or wipe down your desk once in a while, it doesn’t change the fact that it’s a necessary chore.

We need to do it for your productivity, and both your physical and mental health.

Physical Health First and foremost, it’s important to keep your work area and home hygienic to prevent illnesses from spreading.

Disease causing pathogens thrive on unclean surfaces and rotten foods.

Productivity In conjunction with improving your mental health, keeping your workspace clean also aids in making you more productive. A clear desk is not only conducive for focus, it also helps in keeping the necessary tools within reach at a moment’s notice. This helps you save time from fumbling around in your drawers for that flash drive you’ve been looking for all these years.

Mental Health A clear space promotes a clear mind. This rings true with your workspaces as well. Whether you work on a dedicated desk or at your kitchen table, one of the best things you can do to keep the stress away is to get rid of the clutter. This should help you focus more on the work at hand rather than the clutter behind your computer.

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Digitize As Much As Possible

A CLEAR SPACE PROMOTES A CLEAR MIND.

A clean space is more professional-looking than a cluttered one and with Zoom calls now being the norm, you’re going to want to look as professional as you can.

How to Keep Your Workspace Clean There are plenty of ways to clean your workspace, like wiping down your computer and desk with an antibacterial solution, but here are a few ways to keep your need to clean up your workspace less often.

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Since we’re already making use of digital tools to communicate and collaborate with our workmates, digitizing as much of your workflow as possible is probably one of the easiest ways to get rid of physical clutter.

Need to request for revisions? Use the document revision tools already embedded in your word processing apps. This way, you’re saving on desk space and on paper.

Observe Boundaries For most of us, our dining table has become our default work desk. While this isn’t an ideal situation, we need to make it work.

One way of doing this is to observe boundaries. When it’s time for work, focus on working. Clear out the food on the table. When it’s eating time, put your work things aside and enjoy your food.

The key here is to plan ahead. Bring out only the equipment that you’re going to use for that particular work session and keep mealtimes and work separate.

Organize Add containers and trays to your desk, pen holders, draw trays and funky bookends for textbooks or folders. There are plenty

of options for making your desk look more organised while looking like a part of your home available now.

Stock up on what you need to create a space that looks good and is functional.

This will stop clutter lying around and make you feel organised and productive.

A lamp and a desk plant really warms up the space, which helps you take pride in your environment.

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Take Control Of Your FINANCES IN 2021

M

arsh Tincknell is a trusted Chartered Accounting Firm in Brisbane, serving individuals and businesses for over 27 years. They really are your companions on the road to financial success and freedom of choice.

It’s so important to Marsh Tincknell that their clients receive quality time with their accounting firm partners and their teams of specialists who are devoted to assisting

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small to medium sized businesses as well as individuals operating in a variety of industries.

To help you make the most of your business, investments and time, their accountants are committed to achieving the greatest outcomes possible through innovation and sophisticated business structuring and continuous proactive advice.

Here are some of their tops tips for taking control of your finances in 2021.

How important is financial coaching to succeed in hard times?

How you can save big time on tax by changing a few things now

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TIPS TO BE

MORE PRODUCTIVE IN 2021

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challenging year has decimated the bottom lines of a lot of businesses. For some, it meant it made more sense to close down instead of fighting to survive.

Owners who held on to are intent on improving their productivity this year, in order to compensate.

However, this doesn’t mean that we can simply pick up where we left off in 2019 our habits need to evolve with the new business climate.

Business owners will need to be even more disciplined in their pursuit to increase productivity and overall bottom line, so here are a few tips to stay on track in 2021.

Stick To Your Priorities Chances are, you and your business were in a crisis management mode for most of 2020. While this was the necessary mindset, it won’t be the best one moving forward.

If you’re constantly in the

mindset of looking for and putting out fires, you won’t have the time or the focus to anything else.

So, if you haven’t shifted your mindset yet, now is the best time to do it. Think about the big picture and get your business going in a direction for growth in the year ahead.

Most importantly, stick to the new direction and prioritise tasks and challenges that help you towards that goal.

Remember that your time and focus are limited resources so it’s important to use them on tasks that are worth your while. This may mean saying no to people or tasks that are not considered to be a priority.

Be sure to squeeze in some personal priorities as well. Neglecting yourself after a tough year may result in burnout or a lack of motivation. Remember, you are the head of the ship and need to be firing on all cylinders now, more than ever.

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Build Productive Habits Habits are powerful productivity tools and those who use them are what separates them from the pack. One way of building productivity habits is by scheduling tasks properly.

With so many of us saying goodbye to the commute to and from the office it becomes difficult to differentiate our home life, where we wind down, and our office life, where we’re expected to be productive.

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In a way, scheduling tasks automates your brain. If you’ve scheduled your work day to start and end at a certain time, you’re going to be forced to be as productive during those hours knowing that you will not be able to squeeze in more work at night.

You can also use this method on an even bigger scale. Instead of thinking in terms of days, schedule big tasks that need to be done within the week too.

Be Willing To Give & Receive Help Business owners are naturally do-it-yourself kind of people. However, the strain of 2020 has been more than many owners can handle and certainly, getting the business back on track is a monumental task, so, don’t be afraid to ask for help from other entrepreneurs, other businesses, and your own employees.

Other’s willingness to help out may be surprising; it’s a trait ingrained in a lot of business owners and entrepreneurs. So, if you feel like you can’t handle things on your own, don’t be afraid to ask for assistance.

But of course, this goes the other way as well.

If other businesses or entrepreneurs come to you for help or advice, it’s important to be cooperative as well. At the end of the day, businesses can only thrive if the rest of their community thrives along with it.

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Meet the Team

What do people often overlook in their business?

SAM DEWAR

SPOTLIGHT

ON

Manager

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Sam joined Marsh Tincknell in 2017 with 5 years chartered accounting experience. He believes in working together with clients on a regular basis and providing a personal touch, which he considers to be vital for an effective working relationship and to ensure growth is achieved for his clients. When not behind his desk or with a client, Sam enjoys almost all outdoor recreational activities, particularly boating, camping and fishing to name a few.

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One major oversight that businesses tend to make is not tracking their performance on a regular basis against hard data - Many businesses tend to do well at creating some form of a budget for the upcoming 12 months, however, it is important to ensure the budget is put on paper and just not in the business owners head and it is as equally important to regularly review and compare the budget against actual results.

I recently had a client who had prepared a budget, had put it on paper and circulated to various departments within the business. Unfortunately, they weren’t reviewing that budget against actual results and didn’t realise that despite being busy and feeling good about the performance of the business the business was $200k behind budgets year-todate. Identifying this shortfall, allowed the team to identify that they were under capacity and therefore not getting jobs

out the door (therefore not collecting cash), but paying staff overtime due to being busy (increase in overheads).

Since that meeting, they have employed additional staff to cover the workload, which has increased the profit margin on jobs due to no longer paying overtime wages at penalty rates and also, it has created efficiencies in moving jobs through the production line.

Most memorable fishing moment?

Moreton Island with my sister and her fiancé. We went down the beach to chase some Tailor and I’d hooked up to something big. The reel was running hot and I asked my sister’s partner ‘should I tighten the drag or loosen it?’ He said ‘loosen it and let the fish run.’

As soon as I had loosened it, the fish had spooled me and left me with nothing but the rod and reel. It was probably the funniest and most disappointing moment of fishing I’d experienced. We still talk about that night every trip we do over there.

How important is work/ life balance and how do you maintain your balance?

The old phrase “work to live, not live to work” is something that I continually try and live by (not always successfully, mind you).

I enjoy breaking up my work day with a gym session or some sort of exercise during my lunch break and then on weekends do day trips to Tallebudgera or get away to Burrum heads, or Texas QLD to spend time with family.

The treat about Texas & Burrum is that I don’t get reception so it forces me to put technology down and just recoup and engage in what’s happening now.

Dreaming of travel? Where in the world and why?

I would love to do a sporting holiday to the UK and play the golf courses around Scotland and Ireland. Before I do that, I want to drive the Old Telegraph Track on the way to Cape York and also 4WD through the Kimberleys.

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Meet the Team

Were you always interested in numbers?

RANDAL KING Senior Associate

Randal is a Chartered Tax Adviser with The Tax Institute and has been with Marsh Tincknell since 2004. He provides specialist tax advice to small and medium businesses, including Capital Gains Tax, GST and corporate structuring and is also a cricket fan who is a very keen supporter of the Gold Coast Suns.

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I have always had an interest in Maths and Statistics. I have always been able to reel off heaps of sports related stats – typically cricket and AFL related. I also amaze people with my ability to recall the exact date that particular events occurred. I guess that makes me a bit of a nerd!

Tax was definitely my favourite subject when I did my accounting degree. I have always enjoyed working my way through the Tax Acts to find a solution to a particular tax issue.

What’s the simplest thing most of us don’t do but should do, when it comes to tax time?

Not so much at tax time, but all through the year – keeping records to support your expenses. I can’t count the number of occasions where I have sat down with clients to

discuss the deductions that they can claim, only to find that they have no record of any expenses incurred.

Do you play cricket or prefer to watch?

I have played cricket pretty much every season since I was 12. I currently play in the Masters Competition (Over 40’s) on the Gold Coast. I have certainly watched a lot of cricket also, but prefer to play.

Tell us about your best cricket moment...

As a player, playing in my first premiership, in Adelaide. I had my best season ever as a bowler, taking 48 wickets, but I also made a valuable contribution with the bat in the Grand Final. Close second was as a spectator when I attended an Ashes Test at Lords’ last year and witnessed a tough battle between Steve Smith and Jofra Archer, which culminated in Steve Smith retiring hurt after being hit in the head.

Dreaming of travel? Where in the world and why?

My wife and I had an extended trip to UK & Ireland last year and I would really like to get back there again and see some of the places that we didn’t get to see, particularly some of the islands off the coast of Scotland. Once you get out of the big cities, the people are so friendly and the scenery is so different to Australia. It looks like we will have to wait a few years to get back to international travel.

The perfect Sunday is...

A bit of a sleep in, a leisurely read of the paper, then a nice lunch overlooking the beach on the Goldie or maybe hiking through the Hinterland.

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Recipe

POWER THROUGH THE AFTERNOON

I

f you started your day full of energy, but by mid-afternoon you feel exhausted, there are certain foods you can eat to help you avoid the postlunch slump. Although it’s part of our normal circadian rhythm, whereby our natural reaction is to crave a sugar hit to help bring our energy levels back up, there is a healthier way to push on through.

Reaching for the right foods throughout the day can help us power on longer. Think of those slow release, low GI foods to snack on, such as nuts,

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cheese, nutty dips and wholegrain crackers. Make lunches based around a good serving of protein and wholegrains to fill you up without weighing you down, such a big ham and salad wholegrain roll or chicken and veggie curry with some brown rice. Junk foods will only leave you in the slump sooner rather than later, so keep a selection of more nutritionally dense snacks on hand to choose from, instead of sugary bars and biscuits.

Here is a super-easy afternoon snack to keep in the fridge at home to pack on those busy morning

e t a l o c Cho s l l a B n i e t o r P INGREDIENTS » 200g Medjool Dates (see notes) » 2 - 3 tbs Honey » 1 tsp Vanilla Extract » 1 tbs Cocoa Powder » 3/4 cup Raw Almonds » 1/2 cup Cacao Nibs (or dark chocolate chips) Instructions 1. Place dates, honey, vanilla extract and cocoa powder into a food processor and blend until the mixture resembles a paste.

2. Add the almonds and cacao nibs and press pulse several times, until your desired texture is achieved.

3. Roll into tablespoon sized balls and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months.

RECIPE NOTES You can use either pitted medjool or pitted dried dates for this recipe. If using dried pitted dates, soak them in hot water for 10 minutes, then drain and use per recipe.

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