BAY OF PLENTY BUSINESS NEWS OCT/NOV 2019

20 BAY OF PLENTY BUSINESS NEWS October/November 2019
Christmas Preparations - it’s not too early
While it may be too early to be pulling out the Christmas
decorations, financial preparation for the upcoming festive
season should be something you are thinking about.
The holiday period
between December and
February will mean staff
on leave, unusual and sporadic
opening hours and statutory
holidays to navigate. All of
the above can have real effects
on cashflow and financial
positions.
Some financial forethought
and planning can go a long
way to ensuring your summer
holiday is as stress free and
smooth as possible. Let’s look
at some tips to ensure you are
best placed for our upcoming
summer.
Overdue accounts
If you have a number of overdue
accounts, begin making
arrangements to have them
chased up.
If you aren’t interested in
doing this yourself, find someone
who is comfortable getting
on the phone and making sure
that hard-earned cash ends up
in your account. You may need
some strategy around managing
debtors - the suggestions
below can go a long way to
ensuring prompt payment:
• Have a process - Consider
delegating and set time
aside on a regular basis to
ensure it doesn’t become
out of control.
• Make it easy for customers
to pay - Set clear payment
terms and ensure details are
easily accessed.
• Take advantage of accounting
software to send automatic
reminders - Automatic
reminders can
remove the hassle of manually
sending emails and
phoning customers.
Plan ahead
Planning in advance applies
to both staff and clients/customers.
Creating a timeline
of actions that need to happen
before the Christmas break
will ensure your staff is busy
and your customers are left
happy and aware of time lines.
There are a number of tools
available to assist with planning
and job management. A
chat with your business adviser
will ensure the best application
is found for your business.
Communicate
Communicating opening hours
and closures is critical to ensure
you keep your clients happy.
MONEY MATTERS
> BY MICHELLE HILL
Michelle Hill is Director and Managing Partner at BDO
Rotorua, Chartered Accountants and Advisers, and one of
Rotorua’s leading business advisory coaches. To find out more
visit bdorotorua.co.nz or email rotorua@bdo.co.nz
Reminding them of when you
will be shut will avoid disappointment
and maximise traffic
on days you are open.
Consider adding footers to
emails, updating Google listings,
social media updates and
even a good old sign on the
door. Much of this can be done
well in advance and shelved
until you need it. Avoid leaving
tasks until the last minute.
Work in progress
Clear it out. Strike while the
iron is hot and work to move
all pending and in progress
jobs to the completed pile.
This will free up much needed
cash and allow bills to start
going out. This is where a well
thought through plan can help
you and ensure workflow is as
optimised as possible.
Work over the holiday
time
What I hear all the time from
our clients is that their clients
don’t want to hear from
them and so productivity is
just down at that time of year
regardless – I say rubbish.
Plan what can be done for
clients (get what you need
from them in advance) so that
the team can get the work
done to a certain point over
the holidays – don’t let the
norm continue to be the norm –
challenge the boundaries, talk
now to get what you need and
arrange the appointments with
the client now for the other side
of the break to get it complete.
I have worked with a number
of people who have turned
this period of time around to a
really profitable one by doing
just that.
A final note
Refer back to what happened
last year, what you did right
and what you could do better.
Similarly, note down your
actions so in future you have
a good reference and a great
plan for future holidays. A little
preparation can go a long way.
Your business adviser will
be able to provide you with a
number of other helpful tips
when preparing for the end of
the year.
Meet The Law Shop’s latest Family Lawyer
The Law Shop’s team is no longer all-female since
Andre Hinz joined the team earlier this year. He
is part of the litigation team, specialises in Family
Law, and works at the firm’s Rotorua office.
their lives. Often there is extreme
violence involved. It is a sad fact
that some clients have normalised
the violence, and therefore thought
it was okay for their partner to beat
them up.
PAULA LINES
LL.B | Director
Andre got into law a bit later
in life, after working in the
aviation industry for the
best part of two decades. According
to Andre, The Law Shop has
more of a family feel than being
just a workplace. We’ve asked him
a few more questions.
When did you join The Law Shop
and what does your job involve?
I joined The Law Shop in April
2019 as a graduate. I had decided
to become a lawyer because I like
to solve problems. People seek our
advice and help for a variety of
reasons. This can be anything from
adoption matters, on the happier
end of the spectrum, through to
very sad cases where clients need
immediate help to get protection
from violent partners for themselves
and their children. The initial
stages involve a meeting with
the client and getting instructions.
We then prepare their affidavits and
applications and file them in Court.
Later on, there may be negotiations
to resolve the matter or Court
appearances for orders where the
parties themselves cannot agree.
What is the main thing you want
to achieve professionally?
I want to be the best I can be to
help my clients. What I enjoy most
about the job is having the ability
to help people, and to make a difference
in their lives.
What’s the best thing about working
at The Law Shop?
The working environment is collegial
and fosters a culture of individualism,
in the sense that you can
be yourself and don’t have to conform
to a uniform corporate image.
What, if anything, is the most
challenging aspect of your work?
I hear horrific stories from clients
and what they have gone through in
If you weren’t a lawyer, what
would you be?
I always wanted to be a vet.
What do you like doing outside of
work?
I like water sports and love getting
out on the lakes with my SUP.
Would you recommend your
career to others and if so, why?
Law is great. It’s great because
there is such a variety of areas that
you can specialise in. Law caters
for a variety of personality types
and areas of interests. There is a
variety of opportunities in different
fields.
The Law Shop offers personable
advice and legal support to
clients in the wider Bay of Plenty.
Their friendly team is experienced
in Business, Personal, Property
and Family Law. They provide
legal advice in a timely manner,
Andre Hinz, Family Lawyer at The Law Shop.
without confusing jargon, and at
a fair price. You’ll find their office
on 1268 Arawa St, Rotorua and in
PAULA LINES
LL.B | Director
Tauranga they work from a virtual
office. Call 0800 LAW SHOP to
get in touch.
Proudly serving our community from our offices in Rotorua and Tauranga.
ROTORUA
1268 Arawa St
Rotorua
TAURANGA
Virtual Office
ROTORUA
1268 Arawa St
Rotorua
TAURANGA
Virtual Office
203261AA