Kiwitax delivers on everything you’d expect from a professional accounting team, and they specialise in the areas of small business and property investment. Essentially, they will ensure you are 100% compliant with the Inland Revenue, whilst also ensuring that you don’t pay a cent more tax than you need to. Because they specialise in small business and property investment accounting, you can be sure they really know their stuff in these areas, and more importantly, no matter how small your business, this is their niche, so you won’t get passed over for bigger business clients.

Kiwitax’s best feature in my opinion is their fee structure. Their rates are capped, based on the size and turnover of your business. These are listed on their website and can be confirmed before you commit to working with them, so you know what your costs will be upfront and ahead of time – no nasty surprises! And, talking with them is always free. So you can phone or email them anytime with questions, and you don’t get charged extra for this.

The world has become flat. The Kiwitax team is actually based in Hawke’s Bay. I have been using their services for my businesses for 6 years now, and I’ve never actually met them in person. However, they are always readily available by email or on the end of the phone, and, of course, they are always happy to see you, if you do happen to be local!

Accountants are not always known for their innovation, but the Kiwitax team likes to stay up with the play. As well as keeping abreast of legislative changes in the tax realm, they are also very much in the 21st Century in their application of available technology and software. They have a great website, with loads of useful information, and even Tweet, if you are that way inclined. They are certified Xero advisors and also use Banklink software and other, more traditional, accounting packages.

In a nutshell, the team at Kiwitax know their stuff, but that’s to be expected. The added benefits of working with Kiwitax are:

•  They’re friendly and accessible and don’t charge extra to answer your questions.

•  Their fees are set up front so you know exactly what their services are going to cost you – no nasty surprises!

•  They specialise in small business and property investors, so no matter how small your business is, you’re their important client.

For more information contact Kiwitax directly:

www.kiwitax.co.nz

Free phone: 0508 KIWITAX (549-4829)

These businesses are largely service type businesses such as media publications, business coaches / consultants, graphic designers, copywriters, web designers/ developers, etc.  At a time when businesses need to innovate, learn and grow, develop and try new strategies, promote themselves, advertise their goods and services, they are instead hunkering down because they can’t afford to spend in these areas.  Not only does this mean that businesses aren’t moving with the times, it also means that other small businesses that in turn are reliant on these businesses as clients, also slow down, and so on it goes.

A simple idea could be for government to introduce some kind of small business incentive / subsidy /grant that allows small businesses to spend on training and development  and /or marketing and promotion to drive their businesses forward, as long as they spend this money with other NZ businesses. 

I know it’s very trendy to look at bigger business and the ability to export out of New Zealand, but at the heart of New Zealand lies a helluva lot of talented individuals who are self employed or running small businesses.  That equates to a big waste of skills & experience when their businesses go under and they can’t find jobs, and a huge loss if they decide to go overseas because they can’t earn a living here.

I’m not a politician, or particularly a strategist, so I’m certainly not suggesting this would solve all the ills of the economy.  But, I do think this simple initiative could turn around a downward spiral that I am seeing every day.  Let’s get our talent moving forward again, in a positive way, that will benefit us all.

© Jacqui Thomas, 2010, All rights reserved.

Feeling stuck, being stuck in a rut, groundhog day, going through the motions…. they’re all euphemisms for the same phenomena, and often stem from needing to do something different and making a change, but not doing it.  It could also be thought of as resisting the flow of life.

Change can be scary, even when we want to change, and/or know we need to change… even when we realise the benefits of change will leave us in a much better space.  Because of fear we try and prepare ourselves well in order to ensure the change is successful.  Such preparation is useful to a point, but it is easy to overdo it and end up stuck in the no-man’s land known as ‘paralysis by analysis’.   Spending too much time preparing for every possible outcome and trying to get all your ducks in a row, is actually a pointless exercise – the ducks always move. 

And so it is with life.  Everything is dynamic, constantly moving.  Like a game of chess, every move has the potential to completely change the game.  To plan all your moves at the beginning of the game would make it necessary to play entirely by yourself and control all the conditions.  Not only would this be boring and lonely, but you may miss out on better opportunities that are only made possible by another player’s moves.

So all you need to know is the first move.  Then you assess the best move to make next once it is your turn to move again.  The possible moves change all the time and can’t necessarily be planned in advance.  If you don’t know what the first move should be, or feel like you can’t make a good move, then just make any move.  This is kind of like a reshuffle.  Sometimes there are no great moves to be made, as in any game.  But by at least making a move, even if it is sideways, then you keep the game moving and change the dynamics which may open up a better move for the next turn.

So if you’re stuck, move!  Any move is better than staying stuck.  Take a leap of faith and do something.  Movement builds momentum.  The first step is often the hardest and requires the most energy.  Once you are moving it is easier to keep going.

© Jacqui Thomas 2010, All rights reserved.

But why do we put off doing the things that we DO want to do?

Generally, this type of procrastination is linked to our attachment to a desired outcome. The fear of getting something wrong, or not achieving our desired outcome, can stop us from taking any action at all. As long as we do nothing, our desired outcome is still a maybe, it’s possible. The fear of that ‘maybe’ becoming a ‘no’, prevents us from taking the action that could turn the ‘maybe’ into a ‘yes’.

We place too much value on how we think things need to pan out, in order to get ‘where’ we want to go, or ‘what’ we want. We micro manage our actions to the point where we stall, we get stuck, we’re too scared to move, in case we make a mistake.

The trick is to trust in the process. Trust that any action is a step in the right direction – even if it doesn’t seem so at the time. Trust that you are heading to your desired outcome, even if it seems like you’re given a U-turn, a detour, or even a dead end.

Getting somewhere requires movement. And each movement changes the state of play. You literally need to move one step at a time, and each step will be subject to factors and variables that you may be aware of, but that are outside your control. Pre-planning all the steps to your desired outcome is a waste of time and energy as the best steps may not even be apparent yet.

If you’re clear on your desired outcome / your end result, don’t put off taking a step towards it. Any movement is positive, even if it doesn’t seem so at the time – it may just be shaking things up to make the next step possible.

© Jacqui Thomas, 2010 All rights reserved.

This is the difference between feeling and thinking.  If you over think something, you can literally feel your brain whirring around in over drive.  Conversely, if you go with what you “feel” is right, decisions and a course of action come comparatively easily.  Put simply, brain power is limited, heart power is limitless.

Of course the head (mind and brain) has an important role to play.  It is useful for putting structures and plans in place to make things happen effectively.  The trick is to use it for its intended roles without letting it completely take over the show!

This is why you are much more likely to achieve goals you actually want to achieve, to be successful in a business you actually enjoy, to have a long lasting relationship with someone you really love.  This is why you hear stories of people beating incredible odds to achieve their dreams, of mothers lifting cars to save their children, people with no legs climbing Mt Everest.  The thing is you can pretty much have anything you really want.  Not because it just happens with the wave of a magic wand, but because if you really want it, your heart will unleash an amazing force of energy to help you do whatever needs to be done in order to make it happen.

So what you do really want for yourself?  What would you love to do this year?  Who would you love to be?  If you are truly honest with yourself and your heart is fully, 100% involved, then anything is possible.

© Jacqui Thomas, 2010.  All rights reserved

Here’s a strategy that I find very helpful for tough choices.  It’s a simple process involving four questions.  They are known as the Cartesian Questions and were developed by a famous metaphysician called Rene Descartes.  You’ll need some paper to keep track of your answers. 

The questions are:

*  What will happen if you do?

*  What will happen if you don’t?

*  What won’t happen if you do?

*  What won’t happen if you don’t?

If you like you can divide your piece of paper into 4 quadrants:

* WILL / DO

* WILL / DON’T

* WON’T / DO

* WON’T / DON’T

You’ll find this really gets you thinking about the pros and cons at a deeper level, helping you make the best decision for you.  When you see the answers you’ve jotted down for each question, the decision becomes very clear.

© Jacqui Thomas, 2010.  All rights reserved

The woman behind showing me that successfully creating a website IS actually possible is the fantastic Belinda Duffy of Duffy Design.  Belinda was recommended to me by a friend who had endured three years of my website woes over numerous coffees.  And bless her, Belinda took it upon herself to personally guarantee that I would have a positive website experience, resulting in a fantastic website.  And she certainly delivered.

I have had many web companies tell me over the years that I couldn’t have cool design AND functionality, that I would have to choose which was my strongest priority.  I could never understand why I couldn’t have both and Belinda confirmed my gut instinct, that this is utter hogwash.  If your web design company is telling you this – RUN!  Yes, you can have a website that looks good, and also works.  No, it is not an unrealistic expectation!  If your company is telling you this, then it may be that they have staff that specialise in one or the other.

In Belinda’s case, she is primarily a designer.  She did all the design work for my brand and website www.jacquithomas.com from the overall layout down to individual little buttons and design features.  Belinda also works closely with a web development company that she uses to create the back end / functionality of the website, ie the code.  This can be where it all falls apart if the design team clashes with the development team.  As well as designing my site, Belinda project managed the complete website development and ensured that all aspects of functionality were covered off, as well as making sure that the design was fully implemented as she had intended.  

Belinda’s attention to detail and photographic memory is amazing.  No matter how stressful the project gets (and given my website history, it didn’t take much to push my buttons!) she manages to remain calm and good humoured.  I’d go so far as to say, she’s quite unflappable.  She really went the extra mile for me and for this I am extremely grateful.

As an aside she also is the parent of a small child and can be found working at strange hours of the night.  If you have weird  nocturnal habits like me, these crazy extra working hours can be an added bonus.  I am delighted to be able to recommend Belinda Duffy – Duffy Design to my clients, colleagues and friends.  If you would like to know more about her business and what she can do for you, check out her website or contact her directly at:

www.duffy.co.nz

Written by Jacqui Thomas, 2010 © All rights reserved.

Knowing what you want and where you are heading is half the battle won, but in order to actually get there, you have to take some action!  You must take the first step and get started, not only to move closer towards your goal, but also to really commit to your intentions and to let the world know that you are serious about this.  The first step can be the hardest but once you’ve done it, it’s easier to keep moving.

If you are having trouble taking the first step, ask yourself why?  Is the first step too daunting?  If so, break it down into smaller, more manageable steps.  Keep breaking it down until the first step is easily doable so you can get started and then build on the momentum you have created from there.

A common stumbling block is fear – fear of failure, fear of the unknown, even fear of success.  A certain amount of fear is perfectly normal – accept that this is a natural response and do it anyway.

Another obstacle can be that you don’t have all the steps worked out yet.  Ie, you don’t have all the “how” figured out.  You may not know how you are possibly going to achieve your outcome, or you may have most of it figured out with a few fuzzy areas that aren’t clear.  Don’t let this stop you!  As long as you know where you want to go (can see your intended outcome clearly) and can identify the first step required, then you have enough information to get started.  Trust that the next steps will become clear along the way.  Think of it as a journey- there will be signposts along the way and if you get stuck you can always stop and ask for directions!

 A great analogy of this is driving a car.  When we drive at night we can only see as far as our headlights shine, maybe 100 metres max.  We trust that by the time we have reached the end of that 100 metres, we will be able to see the following 100 metres, and so on.  If we need to drive from Auckland to Invercargill, we don’t need to know every single road, stop sign, intersection, along the way.  We know how to leave Auckland.  We know that we need to be on State Highway One and which direction we need to go.  We trust that there will be signposts along the way to help us get to our final destination.  We also have resources we can use for help such as maps, and we can ask other people for assistance if we get stuck.

If you are clear on “What” you are trying to achieve and “Why”, then the “How” will take care of itself.  You just have to make a start.

If you still haven’t moved, you need to ask yourself “is this something I really want for myself?”  If you can’t wholeheartedly say yes, then go back and choose something that is honest and real for you.

It’s not rocket science but as Albert Einstein once said, “Nothing happens until something moves.” 

Written by Jacqui Thomas

All rights reserved

© Jacqui Thomas, 2010

Usually it’s that same old obstacle holding us back – FEAR. Fear of failure, fear of success, fear of the unknown, fear of change, fear of what people might think…. and the list goes on.

When you are open to the flow – of energy, and of life itself – ideas and opportunities can come anytime and frequently. The thing with flow, though, is it needs to keep flowing! Ie, it needs to keep moving. If you start stockpiling your opportunities, you block the flow. You create a traffic jam in your mind and new ideas can’t get through until the first one is out of the way.

I realise it’s not always practical to act on ideas immediately. Sometimes you have to pop an idea to one side – maybe it needs more time, more thought, more information, or more resources before you can act on it. You can still keep your ideas and opportunities flowing by moving this one out of the way. A coach I once worked with, had what he called an Idea Incubator. He looked at my To Do list and wondered why things would still remain on the list week after week – I simply couldn’t action them yet, even though I still wanted to.

He said, “Jacqui, you need to take these things off your To Do list and put them in your Incubator – they are wasting valuable time and energy and clogging up your flow. When you are ready to actually do something with them, move them back on to your action list then.”

Your incubator could be a box, a folder, a book or just a scrap of paper in a safe place. Anywhere where you know you can keep your ideas safe without having to actively remember them.

Another important thing about ideas and opportunities is that there are plenty of them. You don’t have to take them all. Opportunities are like buses – one gone is one gone forever, but don’t worry, there will be another one along soon. There’s no point wasting your time longing for the one you’ve missed, just get yourself ready to take the next one!

To make the most of your ideas and opportunities you need to be proactive. You have a choice to make and the sooner you do it, the better. Here’s a simple Opportunity Filing System with three options:

• Act on it
• Decide not to act on it – ie, Bin it!
• Move it to the Incubator so it’s in a safe place for the future.

There’s no right or wrong choice, just choose. If you’re not happy with your choice, choose again. But DON”T let your ideas take up valuable space in the forefront of your mind while you do nothing – this will block your flow and stop new opportunities getting through!

Written by Jacqui Thomas

All rights reserved, © Jacqui Thomas, 2010

 Many people say yes to things when they really mean no, simply because they don’t want to let the other person down.  Hello!  The very same person gets a much bigger let down in the long run when you can’t deliver what you said you would.  Most people would much prefer to have a no upfront, so they can make alternative arrangements, than be let down at the last minute.  Not only that, imagine how much easier your life would be if you weren’t racing around trying to keep everyone else happy and stressing out about letting people down?

Right now, decide to stop making promises you can’t keep, even better stop making promises at all.  Stop agreeing to things you can’t do, won’t do, don’t want to do, or aren’t even realistically capable of doing.  Your new mantra is “under promise and over deliver”.  

Once you stop saying yes to everything and trying to be in multiple places simultaneously, you can practice being 100% present in wherever you are and whatever you are doing.  Become more in control of your choices, and then focus on and enjoy the choices you have made.  If you choose to be working on a project, then that is what you are doing.  If you’re reading your kids a bedtime story, you are not cooking dinner.  And if you choose to be having a coffee with a friend, be just as 100% focussed on that task.  If you’ve made the choice it is because it is important to you and should only be over-ridden by something that is even more important to you (and then only if it’s urgent).

We are aiming for quality here, not quantity.  Many of you will be arguing that this way you will only be getting one task done rather than five.  My point is that you will be getting one task completed well (and with no stress) as opposed to five tasks incomplete and not done well with potentially a huge headache and follow-on problems as well!

As you practice this technique, you will find that you actually get a lot more done and please a lot more people.  Also, things that aren’t that important to you start to drop away, leaving even more precious time for the things that are.  Eventually, it even becomes easier and easier to deliver even more than people expect of you, and this is done with a lot less effort because you are doing it because you want to and are able to, rather than because you are committed and pressured to.

By Jacqui Thomas

All rights reserved