Small business management?

[bogan]

Haven't heard back from teh ano chaps then? Must be time to start buying bits for that eh?

Nah, many would say why don't I just ring them, which is what I will do after trying to email them all first, because I prefer having the record of emails. If any of them respond to my emails then they will be first on the list of places I'd deal with, it just shows professionalism.

[ducatilover]

I'll keep my gmail primed Bogan

Gremlin, the reason I want to expand (eventually) in to anodising in small scale is because there aren't a heck of a lot of people willing to service normal people, because big scale set ups cost a lot more to run.
Same goes for most metal finishing.
I can happily fluff around in my garage, polish anything to any shine you want, and have a vibratory finisher for the annoying little bits. So, there should be a wee bit of business there.

The mechanical side isn't realistic until I shift areas though, would be a nice side earner in town One advantage is I have experience with weird shit and old stuff (the cars side of things)
I'm confident I'll offer exceptional service too.

You have some excellent points, thank you

[unstuck]

Gremlin, the reason I want to expand , because there aren't a heck of a lot of people willing to service normal people, and have a vibratory finisher for the annoying little bits. One advantage is I have experience with weird shit and old stuff
I'm confident I'll offer exceptional service too.

What are ya, a polisher or hooker.

[Edbear]

I have a certificate in small business management somewhere, I also have one for my 25yds breast stroke completed, to which I rate higher.
Yes Yards, it was a long time ago.

Does Mom know about this..?

I got my 25 yard free style, I think that was about 1965...


Gremlin makes some good points, too. It's word of mouth that does it in the end.

The only reason I have survived and grown is through having very low overheads and living off my wife's wages for the most part. Although having sole agency for a top quality new tech product that everyone will eventually want as it is the way the whole world is heading, is a big advantage. I really have no competition and as word gets around, my sales are skyrocketing.

Quality and service are the most important, price is third on the list of customer considerations according to a survey not too long ago.

[Akzle]

fuck. ed hit it, rather him than me. too many words.

everything is tax deductable. you can start drinking espresso coffee, and writing off beer as "client entertainment expenses"

i read a great story about a guy writing off a 300k launch as a business expense, the govt argued it, took him to court, he ended up paying 5k with the govt paying the 295k balance.

if you're not savvy, get a good accountant, you'll find one by reputation, a good accountant pays enough tax on your behalf to keep you out of jail, but not so much that you're wasting money on the government. their fees are also tax deductable.

as ed says, the government will pay you to run a failing business. this can last forever (ask any carnies you meet)

dealing in cash does not oblige you to keep records and the words "i can do it 15% cheaper for cash" go down well with most buyers.

if you're turning over less than 60k a year you don't have to be GST registered.
you are not automatically GST registered when you tell the IRD you are no acting as a sole trader (you can do this on the phone, no paperwork or forms)
you can voluntarily register for GST, even if you're turning over less than 60k. this enables you to claim your expenses back. merely acting as a sole trader does not.


GREEEEEEN

[Edbear]

Nah, many would say why don't I just ring them, which is what I will do after trying to email them all first, because I prefer having the record of emails. If any of them respond to my emails then they will be first on the list of places I'd deal with, it just shows professionalism.

Emails these days are vital to business, but be aware that you need to adjust your settings so that they don't disappear after a month, and/or save important ones to file as well. Keep a file of each customer, their details and record of contact/services/sales.

Best to use Excell for this as I used Word and it's gonna take ages to update to Xero.

[Akzle]

oh, and if you are a "one stop shop" it might go down better, find local courier companies, form relationships with carriers or whatever so people can phone you, you say "this guy will pick it up off you tomorrow" they think "fuck, that's good service"

nowadays you're not thinking local markets, you need to think bigger, the internets is here, so use it.
(get a website, even if it's not a flash one, you're better if someone can google "who is good at doing the shit i want done" and your site comes up...) unfortunately the geeks you used to wedgie at school now on companies that make websites, they know this, their revenge is in their fees.

[Akzle]

Best to use Excell for this as I used Word and it's gonna take ages to update to Xero.

open source software wins. every day.

and OP - get a smart phone or blackberry, they are the devil, but if you can reply to emails <5 mins, people are going to jizz.

[ducatilover]

What are ya, a polisher or hooker.

Both


I will do a website once up and running with pictures, magpies love pictures

[Edbear]

fuck. ed hit it, rather him than me. too many words.

everything is tax deductable. you can start drinking espresso coffee, and writing off beer as "client entertainment expenses"

i read a great story about a guy writing off a 300k launch as a business expense, the govt argued it, took him to court, he ended up paying 5k with the govt paying the 295k balance.

if you're not savvy, get a good accountant, you'll find one by reputation, a good accountant pays enough tax on your behalf to keep you out of jail, but not so much that you're wasting money on the government. their fees are also tax deductable.

as ed says, the government will pay you to run a failing business. this can last forever (ask any carnies you meet)
dealing in cash does not oblige you to keep records and the words "i can do it 15% cheaper for cash" go down well with most buyers.

if you're turning over less than 60k a year you don't have to be GST registered.
you are not automatically GST registered when you tell the IRD you are no acting as a sole trader (you can do this on the phone, no paperwork or forms)
you can voluntarily register for GST, even if you're turning over less than 60k. this enables you to claim your expenses back. merely acting as a sole trader does not.


GREEEEEEN

What Axzle means is that as long as your expenses outweigh your profits you will continue to get refunds. Last year I bought $20k more stock than I sold, plus expenses and depreciation meant I made a rather big loss for the year which meant no tax to pay and the loss is carried forward to this year to offset any profit I make.

GST periods are like smaller versions of the tax year and you offset the GST paid on purchases and expenses against the GST made on sales. This period I may not be able to offset enough as I am expecting a rather large order from a customer, equal to my average turnover for the period. I'd have to buy something substantial to offset it.

[Edbear]

oh, and if you are a "one stop shop" it might go down better, find local courier companies, form relationships with carriers or whatever so people can phone you, you say "this guy will pick it up off you tomorrow" they think "fuck, that's good service"

nowadays you're not thinking local markets, you need to think bigger, the internets is here, so use it.
(get a website, even if it's not a flash one, you're better if someone can google "who is good at doing the shit i want done" and your site comes up...) unfortunately the geeks you used to wedgie at school now on companies that make websites, they know this, their revenge is in their fees.

Also yes, Am I dreaming? I find myself agreeing with you!

yhp.co.nz is the only one I'll use. Of course, being my son-in-law makes it a no-brainer cost-wise. However he is one of only three or four in the world that we can find who know what he knows. A lot of people can do you a website according to your budget, but if you want to grow, Rudy is about the best.

For a reference, just ask John at James Blond Car Rentals, www.jamesblond.co.nz as an example of what he can do. John's business has quadrupled in four years from one of the little guys to one of the biggest and he has been having to import his own vehicles by the shipload to keep up with growth. Rudy scratch built the website.

[Zedder]

All the best for the future D.

[Maha]

All the best for the future D.

At the course I did years ago, the future was only ever talked about unfavorably....like the failure percentages within the the first two years.

[HenryDorsetCase]

Sorry dude, I leave that side of things up to the missus. I do the REAL work.

you can do as much "real" work as you like, but unless you invoice it, and get paid for doing it, you're not actually doing work (in the sense of effort begets reward) you are playing.

my advice. talk to an accountant.

[Brian d marge]

Can't add much to what has been said
Except
If you want to be the same as most NZ businesses, don't reply to email , tell the customer you can do it and it will be ready tomorrow, of course it won't but that's what you tell em
Use some bat shite crazy software that no one uses or is so outdated as to be useless , or fail completely at using a computer
Not
Answer all email quickly
Under promise over deliver
Communicate clearly so that people are under no false illusions and get what they expect or more
Customer service is a pleasure not a hindrance
Don't spend money on shit you don't need for example computers
Employ Indians or Chinese they are cheap,

Stephen