First of all, we need to figure out what’s the cost of a bookkeeper.
Here at Inspire CA, we do have a bookkeeping package that’s around $200.00 a month. That’s how much it costs to do your bookkeeping for that month or $40.00 an hour.
Now we need to figure out what your time is worth.
One of our clients, he’s a GP, and he could easily earn about $120.00 an hour.
Now, let’s think about it. If you spent an hour doing bookkeeping you would have said bye to that $120.00 just to save $40.
You could have earned that money instead by growing your business and seeing clients.
Instead, you were sitting in a back room doing bookkeeping and you wasted $120.00.
Whereas, you could have outsourced that and cost you only $40.00.
That’s the logic there.
If your time is worth more that the cost of doing your bookkeeping, outsource it.
Not only is it cheaper & more affordable (compared to the opportunity cost of your time), you buy back hours of your own time each month.
Personally, I like to do a lot of cooking and that’s a lot of fried rice that you can cook in 5 hours.
If you guys are watching this right now, comment below and tell me, what would you do with the free 5 hours you just received because you hired a bookkeeper to do your bookkeeping.
Book in, to TEST DRIVE AN ACCOUNTANT – a 15 min rapid fire Q & A session with an Inspirational Accountant.
So Ben Walker, brings you his top 9 New Financial Year Resolutions you should start now.
A mentor of mine once told me “Ben, a great morning, makes a great day, which makes a great week, which makes a great month, which makes a great year, which ultimately makes a great life!” There’s a book I recommend called Miracle Morning, which outlines a practice used by millions in their pursuit of an extraordinary life. My miracle morning includes – getting up, brushing my teeth, drinking water, meditations, affirmations, visualization, planning the day ahead, reading, journaling and exercise. How many miracle mornings will you have in the next 365 days?
A percentage of every dollar that comes in the door goes straight to our ‘Profit War Chest.’ In the beginning, we started with putting aside just 1% but cranked up this profit percentage as we cut expenses that we didn’t really need. I’m happy to say we’re a lean (mean!) machine and every quarter Harvee (my business partner), and I empty the Profit War Chest and spend it according to our “Build The Nest, Spread Your Wings” philosophy.
Every quarter, 50% of our Profit War Chest goes to Build The Nest – I like to invest in cashflow producing assets like Shares, Property (Residential & Commercial) & Precious metals. The other 50% of our Profit War Chest goes to Spread Your Wings – driving that new car, enjoying regular holidays, eating out, drinking that nice bottle of wine, etc. It’s great to be rewarded for your hard work while knowing there’s enough going towards an inspirational future.
As well as taking our Profit First, we also take our Holidays First too.
Every June, we grab a big 12-month calendar and map out all the holidays we want to take. We aim for about 8 – 12 weeks. Travel opens your eyes, gives you ideas and nourishes your soul. From a business perspective, it leaves room for your team to grow, make decisions on their own and appreciate the magic you bring to the table. Travel is a non-negotiable.
So often I hear stories of business owners staying up until midnight as they “do their books”, or retailers sitting in their store on a Sunday doing their books on their laptop as customers come in and out of the shop. In terms of “doing your books” (sending invoices, paying staff, paying invoices, recording what should be in the bank and what is in the bank ) – all of these functions can be outsourced for as little as $50 an hour. As soon as you get to a point where there is any volume of bookkeeping required, you should be able to outlay a couple of hundred dollars each month on having someone do that job for you while you continue to spend 80 per cent of your time on sales and marketing activities – activities that should be worth a lot more than $50 an hour to your business.
Every day I see business owners who don’t really understand what they can and can’t claim. This means you could be missing out on deductions which will ensure you keep more of your hard-earned cash. Knowledge is power so read up on what is and is not tax deductible for your business so that you can make more informed decisions around spending. For example, remember you can still claim accelerated depreciation in the form of an immediate write-off for assets costing less than $20,000.
There are some really cool things a Young Family can do with a Self Managed Super Fund. For example, right now I’m using the money in our Family SMSF to invest in a Commercial Property as the new office for Inspire CA (which means my own company will rent it off my own trust – how cool!). By 2018 there is expected to be $1 trillion of assets in Self Managed Super – I don’t know about you, but I look forward to representing a good portion of that $1,000,000,000,000 ;). Starting Aug 1st we are running a new 12-week challenge, where we’ll share with you The Mechanics & The Magic behind our own #SelfMadeSuccess journey and introduce you to the little-known strategies, tips, success stories of actual SMSF Millionaires and Australia’s top SMSF experts – who have guided our journey. Check it out here.
The new financial year is a great time to Change Accountants. Do you have a feeling your current accountant might have you paying too much tax? So did Katie Richards, CEO, and Founder of Virtual Legal. Then she did a “Look Under The Hood” with Inspire, and we saved her $18,586 tax. BOOM! In fact, we ran a campaign in Apr – Jun 2016 where we aimed to Save our clients $500,000 Tax. We ended up saving our small business clients a total of $1,261,715.00 by giving proactive advice on tax planning strategies before 30 June. If your current accountant isn’t very proactive or isn’t on the inspirational business journey that you are on, it might be worthwhile changing accountants.
Each one of us has natural talents that we were born with. Therefore the fastest path to wealth is to know these unique talents and capitalize on them. I did this profile on the recommendation of a mentor four years ago and I almost instantly went into FLOW and had been there ever since. By flow I mean, I doubled down on the things I was really really good at, my strengths. The wealth profile tool I did is called Wealth Dynamics, and it helps you find your path of least resistance on your spiritual journey to Wealth. By spiritual, I mean your internal fire, your human spirit. You can tell when people are ‘on fire’ or in flow, as they can make a radical impact and make it look easy. Have a look at the eight wealth profiles and you might consider doing the Wealth Dynamics profile yourself.
Now you have read these top 9 Resolutions – Enjoy the process of Implementing them into your own business and life! Go for Gold and have the best New Financial New Year Yet!
In April 2016 we set a very big (and hairy) audacious goal. To help young families in business by having, to save $500,000 tax for our clients before 30 June.
Well it’s our pleasure to announce that as at Thursday 30th June we’re up to over $1,000,000 tax saved!
Congratulations #InspireFamily.
It feels great to aim for something and reach it.
We no longer have to IMAGINE, what half a million dollars would mean, back in the hands of the young families who work so hard to earn it!
A long needed family holiday!
A credit card that’s been hanging around – paid off!
An upgrade to the family car!
A small renovation to the home!
A donation to a social cause!
An investment in the family wealth!
Congratulations, and here’s to achieving and exceeding Big Hairy Audacious Goals!
I’m fresh off the boat from 9 magical days in New Zealand and instead of cheap souvenirs, I’ve got a game changing business strategy for you:
Grab a big 12 month calendar and map out all the holidays you want to take, aim for 8 – 12 weeks. Block out:
Once you’re done, tell us in the comments below where on earth you’re heading in the next 12 months (I want some inspiration!)
The back story on why holidays and travel is good for business …
This is an inspirational process and will do wonders for you as a business owner.
Most people plan out their holidays around their work.
They hope there will be some spare time and money leftover for holidays each year.
But the problem is, there never seems to be enough time or money leftover!
And sadly another year goes by with no time for play… Sad face emoji
What a shame, seeing as how big & beautiful the world is.
The successful business people I know plan their work around their holidays, and I too have been doing it for the last 12 years.
Plan the year ahead by blocking out at least 8 – 12 weeks of holiday time.
Work out where you want to go.
Work out how much you need to save.
And then reverse engineer your business to fund the lifestyle you want to live.
The business journey is tough at times, long days, late nights, weekends. You’re almost always ‘ON’. Knowing there is some downtime on the horizon can do wonders for your subconscious and allows you to focus intensely on the task at hand.
Your family and friends will know when they can enjoy some good quality time out with you.
If they know there is a good 10 weeks of planned holidays, they won’t worry so much if you have to work late or work through a weekend here and there.
I have my best ideas when on holiday! I’m a big picture type thinker and getting out of the office (and sometimes the country) gives me some precious time to THINK BIG, THINK LONG TERM, THINK RADICAL IMPACT.
Have you ever noticed how much you get done the week before, you take 2 weeks off to go camping on Stradbroke island with limited wifi or reception?
You somehow move mountains so you can switch off and enjoy the trip.
You find a way to make it happen.
That’s the power of putting holidays first.
Since my first real overseas holiday at the end of year 12, I’ve been able to –
All while building a successful investment portfolio and multiple businesses.
In fact, it was those priceless experiences that fuelled my own entrepreneur journey, and I’m confident that TRAVEL will do the same for you.
I truly believe it when they say,
“Travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer.”
But how do business owners fund their Big Goals – like 8 to 12 weeks a year holiday?
They Become a Cash Rich Business.
Here’s the process –
You can use the code ‘wanderlust’ to get $10 off the next Become a Cash Rich Business [Workshop] – A short course in cashflow acceleration for small business owners who love family but not numbers. The CRB method will help you rapidly get on top of debt, start to amass a rainy day fund and worry less about the ups and downs of cashflow – RSVP at inspireca.com/events.
So where are you going in the next Financial Year?
Share your travel plans with me and the rest of the Inspiring Business Community here.
I’m fresh off the boat from 9 magical days in New Zealand and instead of cheap souvenirs, I’ve got a game changing business strategy for you:
Grab a big 12 month calendar and map out all the holidays you want to take, aim for 8 – 12 weeks. Block out:
Once you’re done, tell us in the comments below where on earth you’re heading in the next 12 months (I want some inspiration!)
The back story on why holidays and travel is good for business …
This is an inspirational process and will do wonders for you as a business owner.
Most people plan out their holidays around their work.
They hope there will be some spare time and money leftover for holidays each year.
But the problem is, there never seems to be enough time or money leftover!
And sadly another year goes by with no time for play… Sad face emoji
What a shame, seeing as how big & beautiful the world is.
The successful business people I know plan their work around their holidays, and I too have been doing it for the last 12 years.
Plan the year ahead by blocking out at least 8 – 12 weeks of holiday time.
Work out where you want to go.
Work out how much you need to save.
And then reverse engineer your business to fund the lifestyle you want to live.
The business journey is tough at times, long days, late nights, weekends. You’re almost always ‘ON’. Knowing there is some downtime on the horizon can do wonders for your subconscious and allows you to focus intensely on the task at hand.
Your family and friends will know when they can enjoy some good quality time out with you.
If they know there is a good 10 weeks of planned holidays, they won’t worry so much if you have to work late or work through a weekend here and there.
I have my best ideas when on holiday! I’m a big picture type thinker and getting out of the office (and sometimes the country) gives me some precious time to THINK BIG, THINK LONG TERM, THINK RADICAL IMPACT.
Have you ever noticed how much you get done the week before, you take 2 weeks off to go camping on Stradbroke island with limited wifi or reception?
You somehow move mountains so you can switch off and enjoy the trip.
You find a way to make it happen.
That’s the power of putting holidays first.
Since my first real overseas holiday at the end of year 12, I’ve been able to –
All while building a successful investment portfolio and multiple businesses.
In fact, it was those priceless experiences that fuelled my own entrepreneur journey, and I’m confident that TRAVEL will do the same for you.
I truly believe it when they say,
“Travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer.”
But how do business owners fund their Big Goals – like 8 to 12 weeks a year holiday?
They Become a Cash Rich Business.
Here’s the process –
You can use the code ‘wanderlust’ to get $10 off the next Become a Cash Rich Business [Workshop] – A short course in cashflow acceleration for small business owners who love family but not numbers. The CRB method will help you rapidly get on top of debt, start to amass a rainy day fund and worry less about the ups and downs of cashflow – RSVP at inspireca.com/events.
So where are you going in the next Financial Year?
Share your travel plans with me and the rest of the Inspiring Business Community here.
Hi #InspireFamily,
Please join me in welcoming Jake Pretorius to the INSPIRE team.
Jake came to us a few months ago with his dream of becoming an inspirational accountant.
He has since excelled in his 12 week internship (aka baptism of fire!) all while juggling his last few months of Accounting Degree at UNI and being a husband to wife Rosie.
Jake is an experienced personal banker with Westpac and combined with his accounting degree, will help #InspireFamily strike the balance between paying just the right amount of tax, while still qualifying for a great loan with the banks.
The cool story about how Jake found his home at INSPIRE …
Jake is very much aligned with our core value of making a radical social impact.
He first saw Ben Walker, Jessica Kate and I on Facebook when we were packing boxes in Melbourne at Thankyou. for the #ChapterOne campaign with Daniel Flynn.
Thankyou just happens to be one of his favourite brands and social movements.
Seeing Accountants supporting Thankyou, he thought this is a dream come true!
So he Facebook messaged me for a coffee – and since then he has been a key figure in helping small business owners implement the principles taught at our famous Become a Cash Rich Business Workshops.
I asked Jake “what do you want to tell your grandchildren about your time at INSPIRE?”
To which he said –
“I’d be proud to say I was a part some amazing things. Ben and Harvee, I see INSPIRE going BIG, really big. And I want to be a part of that impact. I’m in with the vision, I’m in with you two. Thank you so much.”
Love your work bro, let’s make some radical impact together!
To save young families in business, $500,000 in tax before 30 June.
The campaign is not over until 30 June, and who knows how much we’ll end up saving in the end.
It feels great to aim for something and reach it.
We no longer have to IMAGINE, what half a million dollars would mean, back in the hands of the young families who work so hard to earn it!
A long needed family holiday!
A credit card that’s been hanging around – paid off!
An upgrade to the family car!
A small renovation to the home!
A donation to a social cause!
An investment in the family wealth!
Congratulations, and here’s to achieving and exceeding Big Hairy Audacious Goals!
“How much should I / can I pull out of the business?” is a question we get asked almost everyday. There are two primary ways a business owner gets paid from the business and it’s extremely important to understand the difference between the two.
Owner’s Salary is your reward for being a good technician (an accountant, a PT, a psychologist, a Videographer, a Financial Planner, a Physio etc).
Profit is your reward for being a great business person (building systems, developing team, defining vision and strategy, improving the numbers, sales and marketing).
It’s the difference between working ON the business and working IN the business.
Think about Clark Kent vs Superman as the difference between Salary & Profit.
Ultimately we all want to be like Business Supermen and Superwomen, with the cashflow and profit to –
But even Superman earns a Salary.
Coming back down to earth, Superman hangs up the cape and becomes the reporter that is Clark Kent.
Getting Cashed Up is about taking a healthy amount of money out of the business. Here’s what we’ve seen to be healthy.
$0 to $250k Revenue – 5% Owner’s Profit and 50% Owner’s Salary
$250 to $500k Revenue – 10% Owner’s Profit and 35% Owner’s Salary
$500 to $1M Revenue – 15% Owner’s Profit and 20% Owner’s Salary
$1M to $5M Revenue – 10% Owner’s Profit and 10% Owner’s Salary
$5M to $10M Revenue – 15% Owner’s Profit and 5% Owner’s Salary
$10M to $50M Revenue – 20% Owner’s Profit and 0% Owner’s Salary
The rest of your revenue goes to the tax man and to paying for the many expenses of running a business – rent, wages, subscriptions, insurances etc.
Naturally you want your business to fund your growing lifestyle and aspirations but it’s important to take things easy and not take too much too soon.
Taking too much money from your business too soon would be like not giving a growing baby enough nutrition and sustenance that it needs in the early days in order to grow into the strong adult it has the potential to be. You will stunt your growth.
Taking too little money from your business can similarly starve you, the business owner, of the vital funds you need to live a good life. We’ve seen way too many entrepreneurs who haven’t paid themselves in years, haven’t been on holidays since they started the business and feeling totally unrewarded for all the hard work they do. A highly unrewarded founder can result in poor performance, lack of endurance and low energy & enthusiasm in the business (which starts a cycle of even worse business results and even less available revenue.
So stay within the healthy ranges for Owner’s Profit and Owner’s Salary and as you increase your revenue and reduce your unnecessary expenses, you’ll be able to take more and more.
You may have noticed that Owner’s Salary goes from 50% > 35% > 20% > 10% > 5% > 0% as the revenue increases. Why is that?
Ultimately being the owner of a Cashed Up business isn’t about HAVING to show up every day to be a good technician (an accountant, a PT, a psychologist, a Videographer, a Financial Planner, a Physio etc).
In fact it’s impossible to achieve high levels of revenue if YOU are the only one that can deliver your product or service. You only have so many hours in the day after all.
As you employ more technicians they will be the ones who “work IN” the business while you transition to “work ON” the business.
That’s why the goal is to ultimately pay you nothing in Owner’s Salary because we don’t want you having to work as a technician. Your reward lies in Owner’s Profit, which we now know is your reward for being a great business person.
So ask yourself –
What systems do I need to build?
What team would I need to assemble?
What is my future vision for the company?
What are the KEY NUMBERS that will indicate that I’m on track with my vision?
How can I improve my sales & marketing systems?
Answer these questions well and implement the ideas like crazy and you are well on your way to getting Cashed Up!
Good question –
You probably pay more than 15% tax, some of us pay up to 47% tax but you have to remember what this is a percentage of …
Let me explain –
You are taxed on your profits, not your revenue. That’s why in one sense it’s good to pay more tax, because it means you’re earning more profit. Just don’t pay more than you are legally required to! So according to Cash Rich Business, for $100 real revenue, you’d put aside 15% or $15 into your Tax – No Temptation Bank account.
Well let’s assume you pay tax at 20%. If $100 real revenue came in, and you incurred $50 worth of expenses, you’d pay 20% tax on the $50 that’s left – which goes to
Profit and Owners pay.
Tax Due (20% of $50) = $10
Balance in Tax reserve = $15
So the 15% of Real Revenue is a Target Allocation Percentage for tax, which aims to cover both your business (profit) and personal (owners pay) tax obligations.
Does that make sense now? As always, post any questions below.
Where 99% of business owners go wrong is they use tax, profit and owners pay to fund operational expenses which are way too high, and they never, ever become a Cash Rich Business. What a shame.
We’ve been busily researching the latest in tax law and have found a number of strategies that will either save you tax, increase your wealth and / or accelerate your cashflow.
Beginning next week, we will begin personally walking each of you through these strategies, including the good and bad news about the recent federal budget update.
Our next intake will begin in the new financial year.
Why do we have a waitlist?
In order to deliver our accounting service in a remarkable way, we need to do a few things very differently to other firms –
This is the magic behind how we deliver a 5 star service – Accounting fees that are paid for by tax saved, help desk responses in 24 hours and 10 day job turnaround.
SECRET … we’re also busy onboarding a few new key team members & specialisations, in order to introduce new ways we can Help Young Families Use Their Small Business to Achieve Big Goals.
To make sure employer superannuation contributions are paid in a consistent, timely and efficient manner, the ATO has introduced SuperStream.
The key component of SuperStream is that it is compulsory to make your superannuation contributions online with products that are SuperStream compliant.
The easiest way to become SuperStream compliant is to use software in your business that enables electronic super payments – e.g. Xero Cloud Accounting.
If your business has 20 or more employees your cut-off date was 1 November 2015 so you will need to start making these electronic payments ASAP!
If you’re not sure if your business is SuperStream compliant give us a call on 07 3106 3320 or email help@inspireca.com and we can do an assessment for you.
We can also help you implement Xero, an online accounting software, into your business so you can easily make SuperStream compliant superannuation payments for your employees.