Findlay and Co

How to reduce your financial year-end stress

2012-02-07T16:02:00.002+13:00

March heralds the end of the tax year for the majority of small businesses in New Zealand. The lead-up to the filing deadline in July is an unpleasant experience for many; involving countless late nights wading through unruly piles of receipts, invoices and statements, trying to make sense of transactions from nine months ago or even further back.

The good news is that it doesn’t have to be this way. Find out how a little bit more attention and discipline can turn your filing chore into a small and relatively easy task. The secret is to avoid procrastinating!

Keep your accounts in order throughout the year

Many businesses tend to avoid anything to do with tax until the deadline looms ominously, glowering with the threat of penalties. Then, under pressure, they tackle the lopsided and untidy piles of paper in the vain hope of trying to remember what happened in their business many months ago, or sometimes even longer than a year ago.

The main trick to easing this sort of last minute pressure is to keep your accounts up to date on a monthly basis. If you keep your monthly accounts in order throughout the year, then there’s not too much left to do when you get to year end. It really is that simple.

Keeping your accounts up to date has other benefits too. You’ll understand your financial position during the year, be able to assess your likely tax position and its implications before year-end, and be able to monitor the progress of your business and make adjustments where necessary during the year.

Lose some of the stress by using technology

You’ll probably be able to reduce your financial year-end stress by making better use of technology to minimise any reliance on paper filing. Try using:

Microsoft Excel spreadsheets or equivalent. Spreadsheets allow you to analyse figures, perform complex calculations and produce graphs, and they are easy to learn to use. If you need to calculate sales and expenditure for a certain period, for example, using a spreadsheet is a good way to crunch the numbers.

Computerised accounting programs. These automated programs make record keeping much simpler and faster.

Online banking for access to your accounts 24/7. Makes bank reconciliations that much easier.

Another way to reduce the year-end stress is to avoid the last minute rush. Just because the deadline is in July, it doesn’t mean that you can’t file early. Set your own deadline and get your returns filed early. This might seem counterintuitive, but there’s little point in waiting until the last minute, when you can get the job done at a more comfortable pace just by starting early.

This also ensures you have a safety net if there are any unexpected or unavoidable delays in completing your accounts.

Draw up a financial year-end plan

An effective way to manage the stress of year-end accounts is to approach it like any other project - and project manage it. All you need to do is draw up a list of things you need to do before you can file your annual returns (sit down with your book-keeper and accountant to draw up your list). Then put a timeline to the various tasks, assign tasks to responsible people and monitor your progress to filing day.

It is a good idea to build in some safety margins. Some tasks might take longer than expected and hold back your progress. You’ll also want to try to identify the more complicated tasks, like organising a stock take and updating your asset register, and plan these in great detail.

Good communication and feedback with all the people involved in your financial year-end project will ensure you meet your tax obligations with the least stress and fuss.

Thanks business.govt.nz

Leap year myths!

2012-02-07T15:43:00.001+13:00

Even elementary school students know that every four years February has 29 days instead of 28 because the planet makes 366 revolutions around the Sun, not 365. On January 1, 45 B.C. the Roman Emperor Julius Caesar introduced a calendar that was based on the notion that the astronomic year is approximately 365.25 days (or 365 days and 6 hours). Every four years there was a full extra day. Despite the simple explanation, people have always feared a leap year. Moreover, the many superstitions about a leap year have survived to this very day. KW decided to check how true these superstitions actually are.

Myth No. 1: Life is better without changes

It is widely believed that a leap year should not end in major purchases and distant trips. Even dying hair or changing hair-do is ill-advised. Speaking about changes of the workplace or starting up a business is also completely taboo. Explaining this superstition is impossible, though most people are convinced that the leap year is not suitable for any new beginnings. Psychologists believe that due to this extra day of the year the customary vision of the world is altered and people, as a rule, are afraid of anything “supernatural”. Nevertheless, statistics show that in a leap year apartments are sold, new workplaces become vacant and business flourishes. After all, who in the world would turn down an advantageous offer only because it was proposed in a leap year?

Myth No. 2:

Mortality plummets

It is believed that in such an uncommon year the mortality rate increases all over the world. However, official statistics are incontrovertible: the number of people that are born in a leap year remains standard. In Ukraine the number of deaths per year remains stable at 700-750,000. In 2007, 8,000 more people died than in a leap year. So, such fatalistic perception of a leap year is most likely nothing other than a simple superstition, for example, Friday the 13th.

Myth No. 3:

No weddings or divorces

The Church customarily bans certain dates for two love birds to tie the knot. According to Orthodox canons, people cannot take the oath of holy matrimony on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays and before major holidays during Lent. Getting married on all the other days of the week is permitted. If a leap year was not “out of the ordinary”, this most likely would be reflected in church law.

And even statistics show that a leap year does not have an effect on the number of people that take the oath of wedlock. In Ukraine today a trend of a decline in the number of people willing to get married can be observed, regardless of the number of days in a year. According to data of the State Statistics Committee, in the last leap year (2008) approximately 320,000 couples tied the knot. In the following year this figure fell by 3,000 and a year later only 306,000 couples got married.

Popular beliefs advise again getting divorced in a leap year as one may never find happiness again. Of course, a divorce is generally the final cut, but only superstition can allay the fear of ephemeral and eternal solitude.

Noteworthy is that with every year less and less Ukrainians are getting divorced. While 166,000 couples got divorced in 2008, in 2010 this figure dropped to 126,000. So, the decrease in the number of those wanting to get married or divorced is merely a reflection of the overall trend in Ukraine and not due to one extra day in the year.

Myth No. 4:

Don’t sell your property

It is believed that one should not begin the construction of a new home or buy property in a leap year. Superstitions confirm that major problems will arise when building a home in a leap year and a newly bought apartment will result to complete unhappiness. But again, finding a logical explanation for such omens is totally unrealistic. Realtors say they have not observed a notable downward trend on the real estate market in a leap year.

Myth No. 5:

Wrath of Mother Nature

Yet another superstition connected with a leap year is an increase in the number of natural disasters. It is believed that in a leap year Mother Nature shows unusually turbulent behavior. As practice shows, such fears are not substantiated by anything but superstition. It is more likely that such a superstition developed due to events that occurred in a leap year that were given great attention exclusively due its ludicrous reputation.

For example, last year (2011 – which not a leap year) Japan was hit by a tsunami followed by a devastating earthquake. Australia and Brazil suffered from serious flooding, the western regions of Ukraine are also inundated by floods and the eastern part of the country turns into desert every summer. So, it appears that a leap year has absolutely no impact on natural disasters.

Myth No. 6:

Give particular care the elderly and children

There is a superstition that this year the appearance of the first tooth of a newborn should not be celebrated. If so, the rest of its teeth will not grow properly and the child will suffer for the rest of its life. It is impossible to prove how true this superstition is, however not many try to test it on their own child.

In general, in folklore it is believed that a woman should not even think about having a child in a leap year. In other words, if a couple is planning to have a child, it is better off to postpone such plans for a regular year. If everything happens spontaneously, by no means should a couple even think about an abortion.

Fortunately, many couples take such superstitions with a grain of salt. Otherwise every fourth year people will be in for sharp demographic crisis. Psychologists affirm that children born a leap year are no worse off than other children and in the majority of cases are even more successful seeing as a unique individual trait is implanted in their sub-consciousness.

People even came up with “leap year superstitions” for the elderly. Specifically, they should not celebrate their birthdays in the leap year and not buy decorations for funerals in order to not evoke disaster. Psychologists say if the mortality rate grows in a leap year it is precisely due to similar prejudice. The fact is that the older a person is, the more they suffer from hypochondria and their body becomes more reactive to diseases that can lead to death. Moreover, stupidly glorifying a leap year could make the elderly become more nervous and expect the worst. So, the best one can do for parents or grandparents is give them lots of attention and tender loving care to safeguard them from evil thoughts.

Myth No. 7:

Conjure up the garden

Generally speaking, all agrarian nations show deep respect for their land. And this should come as no surprise as the earth does not appreciate negligence and carelessness. After all, if you don’t properly till the soil you will not reap the harvest. However, superstitions prove that in a leap year the land is particularly unpredictable which is why when sowing seeds in the spring farmers must utter the words: “I am sowing in a leap year – so I’ll live a little more.”

The incantations are not likely to help if the summer is dry or too rainy. Albeit, a sincerely read prayer does no harm regardless of how many days there are in a year. Naturally, whether one believes or does not believe in superstitions, it is a totally personal matter. Nonetheless, psychologists say the essence of an omen is that only becomes true when a person truly believes in it.

Posted here

We are filming!

2012-02-07T15:18:00.003+13:00

Here at Findlay and Co we have a bunch of mega cool clients we want to tell you about. They come from all walks of life, all sorts of industries and backgrounds and they all use a mixture of the tools and systems on offer here at Findlay and Co. Over the coming weeks we will be showing you who they are and what they do!

More soon, watch this space!

Accounting firm declares war on paper

2012-01-30T16:32:00.001+13:00

Driving an army tank over the office filing cabinet seems a dramatic way of introducing a paper-free environment at work, but a Blenheim accounting firm has done just that.

Three years ago, the accumulation of boxes and filing cabinets filling the offices of TVA Lock chartered accountants on Scott St prompted directors to consider how they could become more user- friendly and efficient.

They have converted to a paperless office system, and the bulky filing cabinets are gradually being phased out.

Then when director Peter Tolan received a voucher from his wife for his 50th birthday from Tanks for Everything in Christchurch, he immediately thought of the satisfaction of crushing the ungainly cabinets and their old system along with it, under the tracks of a 52-tonne battle tank.

So that is exactly what he did.

Director Brian Creedy said the idea to go paperless was part of a larger scheme to maximise efficiency using innovative technology and speed up the turn-around time for their customers.

"We had 16 four-drawer filing cabinets, with boxes of files underfoot and shelves of paperwork, our office was very cluttered and untidy and it was getting harder and harder to keep track of everything," he said.

Now all records are stored in a server and backed up every day, a much cheaper alternative to the firm's former off-site storage unit. Paper use has been slashed by about 70 per cent, Mr Creedy said.

"If we needed any records beyond last years' we used to phone someone to dig out the file at `the bunker' and get them to bring it up to us.

"Storage space on a server is a lot cheaper than off-site, plus it saves time and staff. When a client rings up with a query, I've got all their records right there in front of me."

Instead of comparing paper copies of bank accounts with balance sheets, each staff member has two computer screens with the digital copies in front of them.

Mr Creedy admitted he was dubious about having two screens at first, but is even considering a third.

There were a few hiccups during the first 12 months as staff got used to the system but they would never go back, he said.

"It was second nature for the younger staff, but for us older accountants there was a bit of comfort having that file tucked under your arm. Now we are all used to it, we're providing a better, more timely service," he said.

"The whole concept has worked so well we've had other accounting firms from Christchurch visit us to check out our system."

Published in Marlborough Express- Kat Pickford 30/1/2012

Rippon this Waitangi Weekend!

2012-01-30T12:57:00.002+13:00

It's that year again! Great to see Rippon Festival has sold out again this year. This town is host to such a variety of events, Challenge Wanaka one weekend, massive music festivals the next!

Love it! Enjoy and wear sunscreen.....

Wanaka Meets the Fokker

2012-01-26T11:14:00.002+13:00

An aircraft considered Germany’s deadliest fighter in World War 1 will fly at this year’s Warbirds Over Wanaka.

The Fokker D-8 replica has been built by the internationally acclaimed Vintage Aviator restoration company based in Wellington and Masterton.

Production manager Gene De Marco says construction of the plane was completed late last year and it will fly for the first time at Warbirds.

Gene is originally from New York and has been building and flying WW1 aircraft for around 25 years.

Along with the Fokker he will be bringing other aircraft from his collection to Wanaka for the Easter airshow.

“Some early aircraft don’t have throttles, or brakes or even ailerons. There’s a huge difference from modern aircraft and you really have to be around them to learn about them.”

The nimble German D-8 fighter is a parasol-winged monoplane which entered WWI late but was quickly acknowledged as a formidable foe by Allied pilots.

It carried two machine guns and was extremely manoeuvrable in comparison to its predecessors.

It will be joined at Wanaka by a British Bristol Fighter.

This was a very successful two-seater aircraft which served in New Zealand during the early days of the RNZAF, known then as the New Zealand Permanent Air Force.

Bristol Fighters were used for pilot training, aerial surveying, and gathering meteorological data in this country, and flew in combat with the RAF in Europe, some piloted by New Zealanders such as the highly decorated fighter ace, Sir Keith Park.

A WWI Sopwith Camel will also be appearing at Wanaka this year. The Camel, an agile bi-plane which was difficult to control in landing and take-off, was also flown by Kiwi pilots in WWI.

Posted on Wanakalive.com news page 26th January 2012

Top 10 New Year’s Resolutions for Businesses

2012-01-25T13:08:00.000+13:00

Our top 10 resolutions will help you focus on what’s important to you and your business, whilst maintaining a sensible work-life balance and a state we like to call ‘Business Contentment’.

1. Learn how to delegate and make it a daily habit

We often delude ourselves that it’s easier to do something ourselves rather than teach a staff member the process. That initial time spent transferring knowledge and skill is a powerful investment in leveraging our own time.

2. Fight procrastination

Procrastination is referred to as the ‘thief of time’. The simplest trick in dealing with procrastination is to do the hardest tasks first.

3. Focus on one thing at a time and stop multi-tasking

Recent research indicates that people who constantly multi-task take longer to complete tasks and make more mistakes. Get into a real work zone. Turn off your mobile phone and your email and disconnect from all distractions and possible interruptions for blocks of time. You’ll be amazed at what you achieve.

4. Set realistic goals

Goals should be SMART – Specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time bound.

5. Make business planning a weekly event

Set aside time each week to review, adjust and look forward. Lock these times permanently into your diary or online calendar.

6. Promote your business regularly and consistently

It’s amazing how businesses just expect potential customers to know that they exist. There are plenty of low cost ways to promote your business, so create a simple marketing plan.

7. Learn something new

What you choose to learn may be directly related to your business or completely unrelated. Depending on how you choose to learn, you may meet new and interesting people who may become customers, colleagues or friends.

8. Drop what doesn’t work for you and move on

If a technique, a product or a business relationship isn’t working for you, take stock. Don’t keep investing a lot of energy into trying to make the unworkable work. Move on. Something better will turn up.

9. Give something back to your community

Find a cause that matters to you and give what you can. Serve on a worthwhile committee, be a mentor, volunteer or simply make regular donations to the groups in your community that make the place you live a better one.

10. Put time for you in your calendar

Business owners lead demanding lives. All work and no play is a recipe for mental and physical disaster. If you have trouble freeing up time to do the things you enjoy, write time regularly into your schedule to ‘meet with yourself’ and stick to that commitment. If you won’t invest in yourself, who will?

WOW, Warbirds Over Wanaka!!

2012-01-25T12:50:00.001+13:00

It's that year again, time for Warbirds 2012.

For three days over Easter our Wanaka skies will be filled with noise, fun and sights to see.

There website says:

Over 65 aircraft including the Spitfire & Kittyhawk mix with trade stands, wine & food, aircraft for sale, classic cockpits, warhorses and ground displays. The RNZAF have their 75th anniversary in 2012 and invite you to their superb celebration.

Wahoo, get onboard and we will see you there!

Team 3 Findlays!

2012-01-24T11:59:00.002+13:00

Here are the results for Team 3 Findlays for the half team event on Saturday. Fantastic swim by Kenzie saw the team off to a great start. The weather was fantastic a Wanaka day for both Phillippa and Scott to do their best in the run and bike.

Fun was had by all, the team here at Findlay and Co are pretty proud of the trio!

Challenge Wanaka Stuff

2012-01-24T11:45:00.001+13:00

It might sound strange that 40 seconds could prove so important over a race which lasts almost nine hours, but that might have been the case for defending Challenge Wanaka titleholder Jamie Whyte on Saturday.

The Southlander was fourth out of Lake Wanaka after the 3.8km swim, trailing fellow New Zealanders Kieran Doe and Bryan Rhodes and eventual winner Aaron Farlow, of Australia, by less than a minute.

With Farlow eventually catching and passing Doe on the bike and Rhodes dropping out of contention, Whyte had the loneliest, longest ride of the leading contenders and he was not able to press his claims on the run before settling for second place, with Doe third.

While riders aren't allowed to draft at Challenge Wanaka, there is a benefit from trailing another rider.

"I was in a position where I was caught in no-man's land on the bike, obviously behind the lead group and well in front of the chase group, so I rode a 180km time trial today. It was hard out there. I had to do all the work myself," he said.

"I'm really proud of the way I raced. It was a tough situation to be in and I just had to dial in my wattage and chase hard. I held that gap to those front guys, who were working together so I was always up against it. Full credit to the way Aaron raced, he deserved it."

Was the swim pivotal?

"I was happy enough. I didn't lose too much time to Kieran but maybe the 40sec to Aaron Farlow might have cost me. If I'd swum 40sec faster I might have been able to ride with him up at the front," he said.

"Looking back, maybe that was a decisive moment in the race, but in saying that he raced incredibly well across all three legs today and I don't know if that would have made the difference."

Whyte, who left after the race to attend the wedding of a former university friend and workmate in Queenstown, isn't about to beat himself up too much about the result.

While disappointed not to back-up in Wanaka, he enjoyed the experience of wearing the race's heaviest number. "It's something to work on. I know that swimming is a weakness, but fourth out of the water's not too bad. I'll just keep chipping away, maybe come back next year 40sec faster and it could be a different race," he said.

"You don't get too many opportunities like this in your life so I was certainly ready for it, I prepared well. I was in the best possible shape and I was cleanly beaten today by the better athlete."

Meanwhile, Christchurch's Gina Crawford re-established herself as the undisputed queen of Challenge Wanaka after winning her fourth title at her fourth attempt after missing last year's race to start a family.The former Southland Boys' High School pupil has a varied programme for the remainder of his summer which will take him to Australia, Europe and North America.

With baby son Benji waiting for her on the sideline, Crawford held off the challenge of former professional cyclist Britta Martin, a German now based in Nelson, who is the partner of New Zealand Olympic cyclist Robin Reid, and a fast finish from Wanaka local Simone Maier.

"I've been out for a while and I definitely needed to prove myself to all my sponsors again that I'm still the athlete that I was,"Crawford said.

Men: Aaron Farlow 9:44.06 1; Jamie Whyte +10.00 2; Kieran Doe +15.24 3.

Women: Gina Crawford 9:44.06 1; Britta Martin +3.33 2; Simone Maier +13.36.

Published on Stuff by Nathan Burdon on the 23rd January

It's race day!

2012-01-21T08:15:00.000+13:00

Good luck everyone, be safe and do your best!

The new Google: what does it mean for your business?

2012-01-19T08:26:00.001+13:00

Google has long been a friend to small businesses, making it much easier to market services and products. Just think about the game-changing things Google has done in the advertising space:

Introduced pay-for-performance advertising to the mainstream (ie. charging per action rather than for exposure), forcing traditional media to become more transparent in terms of the ROI they offer
Created a PPC model combined with infinitely flexible ad targeting that allows even the smallest ad budget to be effective
Created a search relevancy model that evens the playing field, potentially giving the little guys just as much exposure to prospective customers as the big global brands
With Google Places, every business in the world can have a strong, easily self-managed online presence, for free!

The benefits of these innovations are well documented. I want to look at what Google has done more recently, and how this could change how businesses promote themselves online.

Google is going social – and in a big way. By now you’ve probably heard about Google+, Google’s new social network. On the surface, it appears to be just a competitive product to Facebook and Twitter. However, Google has much bigger plans than that, as evidenced by changes to Google’s search engineannounced last week. These changes are rolling out now.

In a nutshell, Google has embedded Google+ into its core search engine product in three key ways:

Personal results

Google’s search results are tailored more specifically to you (they already were to a certain extent by using your location and web history, but this now goes further). Relevant content shared by you and your connections on Google+ will get a ranking boost, appearing higher in search results than they normally would.

Profiles in search

Google+ profiles and pages will appear in the Search Auto-complete and in search results.

As in the screenshot below, a search for photography blogger Trey Ratcliff brings up his G+ profile as an Autocomplete suggestion…

And if you then click on that suggestion, his profile appears, including a button allowing you to immediately follow him on Google+

Suggested people and pages

On the right hand side of the Search Results page, Google will now show suggested G+ profiles and pages for some high level topic searches. For example, the following may appear in a search for “music”…

These changes are a major overhaul of Google’s search engine and there’ve been many calls in the blogosphere that Google has abandoned its objectivity and is unfairly favouring its own social network over rivals Facebook and Twitter. Excellent analysis of the issue was made by my favourite search blogger Danny Sullivan. Check it out here.

So what does this mean for small business?

Regardless of whether or not Google is being unfair, it’s obvious that having a Google+ page is a very important weapon in your arsenal. Here’s why:

Content you have shared on G+ will appear highly in relevant searches made by not just your followers, but also those your followers are connected to. If you generate as many followers as possible and then share content, you’ll enhance your reputation and brand!
Appearing in the People & Pages suggestions for relevant search keywords could create invaluable exposure even if you don’t appear on the first page of normal search results. I would be over the moon if we got the Xero+ page to appear here whenever people did a search for “accounting software”!

For marketers there are some additional features – but I’ll leave that for another blog post.

Finally, you might think having yet another social media profile to maintain is a time waster, but for those businesses that rely heavily on the web, Google has made G+ almost impossible to ignore.

By the way, don’t forget to follow Xero on Google+!

How to get started on G+

If you don’t already have a G+ profile, follow these steps…

Navigate to plus.google.com
If you have a Google Account, hit the Sign in Button. If not, click the Create an Account link
Follow the instructions to create a public profile
On the Add people you know screen, search for Xero and click ‘Add to Circles’. Repeat for anybody else you know or want to follow
Complete your G+ profile to reflect who you are
Start sharing!

Posted on the Xero blog on18 January 2012 by Darrin Lim

Morgan sells to Kiwibank

2012-01-19T08:18:00.001+13:00

Economist and commentator Gareth Morgan has sold his funds management company Gareth Morgan Investments to Kiwibank.

The announcement was made in Wellington a short time ago.

Morgan says he will remain a director of the company which runs Gareth Morgan KiwiSaver, and a key member of the investment strategy team.

Gareth Morgan Investments was established by Morgan and fellow economist Andrew Gawith. It manages NZ$1.5 billion, making it one of New Zealand's largest fund managers.

Gareth Morgan KiwiSaver Scheme has total funds under management of $646 million and 57,004 members as at December 2011.

Kiwibank would not disclose the purchase price but said GMI would run as a stand alone operation and become its wealth management division.

Morgan said he initiated the sales process having grown weary of a company which had grown to have 50 staff. ''I don't want top run 50 people _ I can handle 10,'' he said.

He referred to the divesting of that responsibility as getting a monkey off his back.

Kiwibank is to retain the GMI brand and Morgan will focus on his ''passion in this space _ investment portfolio management''.

''The backing by Kiwibank ensures that the business has a strong and credible succession plan,'' Morgan said. ''In short, it will be business as usual.''

Kiwibank said both Morgan and Gawith will remain directors of GMI alongside two Kiwibank-appointed directors.

Kiwibank chief executive Paul Brock described the purchase as a unique opportunity for the bank to rapidly grow its Wealth and KiwiSaver businesses.

''We started our own KiwiSaver scheme just over a year ago and while the growth has been impressive we were aware of the need to extend our investment management capability. Our plan to do this looked very much like what GMI has developed,'' Brock said.

Kiwibank was launched in 2002 and has about 800,000 customers. Kiwibank launched its KiwiSaver scheme in 2010 and currently has 15,000 customers.

Posted on Stuff.co.nz 18/01/2012

One day to go!!

2012-01-19T07:39:00.001+13:00

Heres what the Challenge Wanaka clock says....one day to go!! Eat up everyone, get some rest, enjoy our town!

Fun at Puzzling World Junior Challenge

2012-01-17T15:26:00.008+13:00

Over 270 children from throughout New Zealand marked the opening of the Challenge Wanaka Triathlon Festival with the Puzzling World Junior Challenge Wanaka.

The children, aged between six and 15, swam, biked and ran through Lake Wanaka and around Pembroke with not only personal pride at stake but also a spot as a balloon kid, running down the finish chute behind the winners of Challenge Wanaka next Saturday.

“Wow, those kids were tough today,” said Challenge Wanaka director, Victoria Murray-Orr. “I can’t believe we woke to snow on the hills this morning but that wasn’t going to stop these guys – it was awesome to see so many youngsters having so much fun.”

The Challenge Wanaka Triathlon Festival continues tomorrow (Monday) with the Radio Wanaka 5km Charity Fun Run followed by Swim the Course on Wednesday morning. Some of the world’s top short course athletes will race in Tri NZ’s Contact Cup on Friday night before the flag ship iron distance triathlon, Challenge Wanaka on Saturday 21^st, along with the Lake Wanaka Half. For further information, visit www.challengewanaka.com.

The results from the event are as follows:

Boys – 6-7 years
1^st Sam Idiens (7) – Christchurch
2^nd Ian Pugh (6) - Tauranga
3^rd Caleb Dixon (7) – Cromwell

Girls – 6-7 years
1^st Ella Landreth (7) – Landreth
2^nd Grace Creighton (7) – Wanaka
3^rd Olive-Coco Verkerk (7) – Oamarau

Winning team – 6-7 years
The Rock Stars – Georgia Bailey, Rachel Scovey and Goergia Thomson all six from Queenstown

Boys – 8-9 years
1^st Jack Keen (9) – Hokonui
2^nd James Suddaby (9) – Wanaka
3^rd Jack Findlay (8) – Wanaka

Girls – 8-9 years
1^st Jessica Ekroyd (9) – Wanaka
2^nd Jaide Dixon (9) – Cromwell
3^rd Anneke Philip (8) – Balclutha

Winning team – 8-9 years
WOW – the Women of Wanaka – Ruby Burke, Meg Harroway both 9

Boys – 10-12 years
1^st Gregor Findlay (11) – Wanaka
2^nd Callum Hancock (10) – Wellington
3^rd Roger Kerbus (10) – Wellington

Girls – 10-12 years
1^st Mia Pugh (10) – Wanaka
2^nd Petra Hartley (11) – Winton
3^rd Ellesse Andrews (12) – Wanaka

Winning team – 10-12 years
Zarifah – Kate Zarifah (9), Harry Zarifah (10) Charlie Murray (10) – Wanaka

Boys – 13-15 years
1^st Matthew Adams (15) – Rangiora

Girls – 13-15 years
1^st Molly Wheeley (12) – Winton

Winning Team – 13-15 years
The Muzzarifs – Jackson Murray (12), Jack Zarifah (13), Samuel Murray (10) – Sumner and Wanaka

For full results, please click here: Junior Challenge Results 2012. This post from Challenege Wanaka on January 16th, 2012

Revealing Lake Wanaka - Tony Dodds

2012-01-09T13:44:00.000+13:00

Challenge Wanaka Countdown!!!

2012-01-09T13:13:00.003+13:00

Eleven days to go and team Findlay family are ready to go! Phillippa, Scott and their daughter Kenzie will be competing as a team in the half Challenge on the big day!

Kenzie pictured above in the pink hat and goggles will be tackling the swim leg, Scott on the bike and Phils handling the run. We wish them lots of luck and heaps of fun on the big day!

Picture courtesy of Marjorie Cook from the Wanaka Lake Swimmers blog!

Five Things You Should Stop Doing in 2012

2012-01-09T13:07:00.000+13:00

I recently got back from a month's vacation — the longest I've ever taken, and a shocking indulgence for an American. (Earlier this summer, I was still fretting about how to pull off two weeks unplugged.) The distance, though, helped me hone in on what's actually important to my professional career — and which make-work activities merely provide the illusion of progress. Inspired by HBR blogger Peter Bregman's idea of creating a "to ignore" list , here are the activities I'm going to stop cold turkey in 2012 — and perhaps you should, too.

Responding Like a Trained Monkey. Every productivity expert in the world will tell you to check email at periodic intervals — say, every 90 minutes — rather than clicking "refresh" like a Pavlovian mutt. Of course, almost no one listens, because studies have shown email's "variable interval reinforcement schedule" is basically a slot machine for your brain. But spending a month away — and only checking email weekly — showed me how little really requires immediate response. In fact, nothing. A 90 minute wait won't kill anyone, and will allow you to accomplish something substantive during your workday.
Mindless Traditions. I recently invited a friend to a prime networking event. "Can I play it by ear?" she asked. "This is my last weekend to get holiday cards out and I haven't mailed a single one. It is causing stress!" In the moment, not fulfilling an "obligation" (like sending holiday cards) can make you feel guilty. But if you're in search of professional advancement, is a holiday card (buried among the deluge) going to make a difference? If you want to connect, do something unusual — get in touch at a different time of year, or give your contacts a personal call, or even better, meet up face-to-face. You have to ask if your business traditions are generating the results you want.
Reading Annoying Things. I have nearly a dozen newspaper and magazine subscriptions, the result of alluring specials ($10 for an entire year!) and the compulsion not to miss out on crucial information. But after detoxing for a month, I was able to reflect on which publications actually refreshed me — and which felt like a duty. The New Yorker , even though it's not a business publication, broadens my perspective and is a genuine pleasure to read. The pretentious tech publication with crazy layouts and too-small print? Not so much. I'm weeding out and paring down to literary essentials. What subscriptions can you get rid of?
Work That's Not Worth It. Early in my career, I was thrilled to win a five-year, quarter-million dollar contract. That is, until the reality set in that it was a government contract, filled with ridiculous reporting mechanisms, low reimbursement rates and administrative complexities that sucked the joy and profit out of the work. When budget cuts rolled around and my contract got whacked, it turned out to be a blessing. These days, I'm eschewing any engagement, public or private, that looks like more trouble than it's worth.
Making Things More Complicated Than They Should Be. A while back, a colleague approached me with an idea. She wanted me to be a part of a professional development event she was organizing in her city, featuring several speakers and consultants. She recommended biweekly check-in calls for the next eight months, leading up to the event. "Have you organized an event like this before?" I asked. "Can you actually get the participants? Why don't you test the demand first?" When none materialized, I realized I'd saved myself nearly half a week's work — in futile conference calls — by insisting the event had to be "real" before we invested in it. As Eric Ries points out in his new book The Lean Startup , developing the best code or building the best product in the world is meaningless if your customers don't end up wanting it. Instead, test early and often to ensure you're not wasting your time. What ideas should you test before you've gone too far?

Eliminating these five activities is likely to save me hundreds of hours next year — time I can spend expanding my business and doing things that matter. What are you going to stop doing? And how are you going to leverage all that extra time?

2:55 PM Thursday December 15, 2011
by Dorie Clark | Harvard Business Review

GOAL SETTING: THE KEY TO SUCCESS

2012-01-09T12:53:00.006+13:00

We thought a nice way to start the year would be to talk about goals, we found this article that said all we wanted to say! Happy New Year!

“Without goals, and plans to reach them, you are like a ship that has set sail with no destination.” -Fitzhugh Dodson

Did you know that less than 3 percent of Americans have written goals, and of those who do less than 1 percent review and rewrite their goals on a regular basis?

This means that as soon as you start setting goals and reviewing them regularly you’ll be ahead of 99% of the population in terms of the potential to become successful.

If you want to accomplish something in life, financial independence for example, and you don’t establish clear and specific goals it’s more like day dreaming than goal setting.

KEEPING APART GOALS AND DAY DREAMING

Ask yourself the following four questions to discern if your goals qualify as goals or if they can be considered as day dreaming. In the examples below I use becoming rich as a goal, but these questions can be applied no matter what kind of goal you want to achieve.

Is this goal specific? Becoming rich is a dream, and to turn this dream into a goal you need to put numbers on it. Instead of having the goal to become rich, which really isn’t a goal, your goal can be specified as building a net worth of $1 million.
Is this goal actionable? Hoping to become rich by winning the lottery is a dream. A goal needs to be something that you can take action on, preferably right now. Becoming wealthy through starting a business is actionable.
Does this goal have a time limit? ”I am going to be worth $1 million one day”, or ”Some day I will go to France”, or ”Some day I will change career”, all of those are goals, but they can be improved. When you set a deadline, that’s when the magic really begins to happen. ”I am going to be worth $1 million in seven years”, or ”I will go to France within three years”, now those are better examples of correct goal setting.
Is this goal realistic? Building a $1 million net worth in seven years is totally reasonable, but setting the goal of building $1 million net worth in three months is just not realistic. It is possible, but not realistic. While it’s important to not set the bar too high, it’s just as important not to set the bar too low. If you feel scared by your goal but still feel that you can accomplish it, that’s when you know you have set the bar at an appropriate level..

BREAKING DOWN GOALS

When setting goals people often start with the big goals, goals that may be spanning several years into the future. To translate your big goal into a managable plan you need to break the goal down though. Let’s say your goal is to be worth $1 million within 7 years. Then what?

You Break The Goal Down

Breaking down your goal into smaller sub goals or objectives makes goal setting more managable, and this is an important strategy in how to set goals the right way. For example, if you want to write a book within a year the goal to ”write a book in one year” can feel massive. It’s easier to break that goal down into monthly and weekly goals, so your monthly goal might be to finish chapter one, while your daily goal might be to write one page per day. All of a sudden it feels a lot more managable.

KEEPING A DAILY TASK LIST

A secret to successful goal setting is to have a clear picture of what needs to be done each and every day to move one step closer towards achieving your goal. A recurring habit among very successful people is that they know exactly what needs to be done when they get up in the morning, i.e. they plan their days ahead of time so they can get to work on the most important tasks immediately in the morning.

GOAL SETTING ARTICLES

This article goes more into how you can successfully create a daily task list. If you want to be the captain of your soul and the master of your future read this article.

More about Using A Daily Task Lists to Accomplish Your Goals

Staying focused is one of the biggest challenges related to goal setting, and if you can’t focus on doing it won’t matter how many hours you spend on planning. Here’s five easy steps that you can take to stay focused.

5 Simple Steps to Staying Focused on Your Goals

Writing down your goals is a great start, but to really take it to the next level and increase your chances of accomplishing your goals you should regularly review them.

Reviewing Your Goals

This article was posted on the Early to Rose website

Steve Jobs: The Exclusive Biography by Walter Isaacson – review

2012-01-04T12:31:00.002+13:00

A life of the late Steve Jobs catches the great man's many contradictions with unerring skill.

Technology begets the future and, thanks to Steve Jobs, it sketched the next phase in the evolution of lame-brained Homo sapiens. The headquarters of Apple in Silicon Valley are located in a galactic street called Infinite Loop and Jobs felt at home in such an abstract location. His preferred non-colour was white and the transparent buildings he helped design had spiral staircases of glass shaped like coils of DNA. He was, he believed, "enlightened", a luminary to be ranked with Gandhi or Einstein.

Steve Jobs: The Exclusive Biography
by Walter Isaacson

As Walter Isaacson says in this incisive biography, Jobs behaved like a Nietzschean superman, using his will – transmitted through an unblinking stare – as a remote-control device that compelled others to do his bidding. As a child, he made his parents sell their house and buy another one that was beyond their means so he could qualify to enrol in a better school. As an adult, he drove his silver Mercedes at the speed of thought and parked it straddling spaces reserved for disabled drivers: the normal rules were for ordinary mortals. When first diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, he refused surgery and thought he could zap the malignancy by applying mental force, backed up – since this was ditzy, faddish California – by a regime of "organic herbs, juice fasts and frequent bowel cleansings".

At his best, Jobs mimicked the serene demeanour of a Buddhist priest, just as the white or silver gadgets he sold exemplified a style that Isaacson calls "techno-Zen". He negotiated multimillion dollar deals while walking barefoot through the countryside and bought himself a mansion in which he had to sit cross-legged on the floor because he disapproved of possessions and had theoretical objections to furniture.

But at his worst, as a colleague said, he resembled Rasputin. He screamed that underlings were "bleep, bleep bleep" before abruptly firing them, and his vindictive temper worked like a guided missile. During a dispute with Google, he declared that he intended "to go to thermonuclear war on this".

Jobs attended Apple's first Halloween party dressed as Jesus Christ, while his most devout admirers cast him in the role of God the Father, the creator of new worlds. Product launches were staged as re-enactments of Genesis, unveiling inventions that looked, as Jobs said about the 1988 Macintosh, like visitors "from another planet. A good planet. A planet with better designers".

Customers believed in his wares with a cultish fervour. The iPhone was soon nicknamed "the Jesus phone" and when Jobs turned up at his local Apple store as it went on sale he was greeted, according to Isaacson, as Moses might have been "if he had walked in to buy the Bible". The iPad's arrival provoked a journalist to refurbish the metaphor by remarking: "The last time there was this much excitement about a tablet, it had some commandments written on it."

Yet the saviour stank, physically and sometimes morally. The young Jobs abhorred deodorants and seldom showered, confident that his vegan or fruitarian diet laundered him from within. Despite his preachy claim that paying for music downloads disseminated "good karma", he sometimes lied to colleagues and competitors and stole the credit for ideas that belonged to others. He was a man of the media age, inept at unmediated human relations – an adopted son who resented his abandonment by his birth parents but abandoned a daughter of his own born out of wedlock; a disengaged and narcissistic lover, who during his affair with Joan Baez insisted that she should have a particular Ralph Lauren dress, took her to the mall to see it and then after scooping up a few shirts for himself left her to buy the dress using her credit card (which she declined to do). Revealingly, he importuned Isaacson to write this biography because, he said, "I want my kids to know me". Did he think that a book was a proper substitute for parental attention and care?

Isaacson catches these contradictions with unerring skill and partly justifies them by placing Jobs at the awkward intersection between two generations with opposing creeds. Born in 1955, he belonged to the bratty clan of baby-boomers who rebelled against the suburban conformity of their parents. He dropped out of college and simultaneously dropped acid, visited Indian gurus and idolised Bob Dylan. But although he emerged from the counterculture, he became an emblem of corporate culture and even commissioned Issey Miyake to design a uniform for Apple employees.

He may have disdained material encumbrances, but his business relied on inciting consumerist desires in others. The revolution he dreamed of in the days of flower power turned out to be electronic, not political. The former hippie sold his iPods and iPhones to hipsters who have no interest in changing the world but simply want to enjoy it as they groove to their pocket library of iTunes and loll on digital clouds cyber-chatting with friends they have never actually met. Isaacson almost blasphemously calls into question the purpose of the gadgetry that is now compulsory if you want to be young, stylish and hyperlinked: iPad apps, he says, place the world at your fingertips, and in doing so allow you to "waste glorious amounts of time".

The biography is honest and therefore often harsh, but it confers on Jobs a kind of tragic desperation when, with the onset of cancer, he discovers that his infinitely looped and ingenious mind is housed in a fallible body. So cerebral that he disliked eating and preferred to starve himself, he was eventually eaten alive by his greedy tumour.

Isaacson laments Jobs's infantile tantrums, while recognising that this childishness – exemplified by his Pixar blockbuster Toy Story – turned his products from tools into delightfully frisky playthings. When you remove the cover from the iPad 2, as Isaacson puts it, the screen "pops to life like the face of a tickled baby". That beautiful phrase sums up Jobs's bequest: he did redesign the universe and he reminded us to be amazed by it.

Peter Conrad
The Observer, Sunday 30 October 2011

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T12:35:00.000+13:00

The Findlay and Co crew wish you all a Happy and safe New Year!

Things to do around Wanaka - Summerdaze events!

2011-12-28T08:43:00.004+13:00

Paper Plus Wanaka brings you Yoga at the Lakefront

Come and enjoy an outdoor yoga class with Stella Senior.

When: 7.30 am Wed 4 January, Mon 9 January and Wed 11 January
Where: On the lawn outside Ardmore Street cafe
Cost: Free of charge
Contact: Stella Senior, 021 065 5259

Kite making workshop – Wanaka

Get creative and design your own colourful kite under the guidance of a professional kite maker. Bring along your creation to the Summerdaze Grand Kite Display. The workshops are 90-minutes and numbers are limited, bookings recommended.

When: 10am, 12.30pm and 3pm Friday 6 January
Where: Lake Wanaka Centre
Cost: $5, materials provided
Contact: events@summerdaze.co.nz or 03 443 2700

The Summerdaze Grand Kite Display in association with Q92 More FM

Watch the spectacular display of dozens of kites swooping and swimming in the air, all sizes, shapes and formations from the world-renowned Peter Lynn Team. Bring your own kite and join in the fun.

When:from midday Saturday 7 January
Where: Pembroke Park, Wanaka (wind permitting!)
Cost: Free
Contact: events@summerdaze.co.nz or 03 443 2700

Wanaka Farmers and Gardeners Market

Fresh local foods from fab local foodies! Every Thursday is Market Day in Wanaka. Stop by the lakefront and enjoy the most beautiful farmers market in the world. Organic produce, free-range eggs, Merino lamb, breads, pastries, award-winning sausages, fruits, flowers, sauces, seedlings, sweets, treats and homestyle goodies.

When: Thursdays from 4:30pm
Where: Pembroke Park at the corner of Ardmore and Dungarvon Streets.
Cost: Free
Contact: wanakafarmersmarket@gmail.com, www.wanakafarmersmarket.org.nz

Wanaka Teddy Bears’ Picnic in association with Q92-MORE FM

An entertaining event for the young ones with games, story-telling, a bouncy castle, face painting, singing and much more. Don’t forget your teddies and sun hats.

Where: Wanaka Dinosaur Park
When: 11am – 1pm Saturday 28 January
Cost: Free, bring your picnic or bring some money to buy food/drink
Contact: events@summerdaze.co.nz or 03 443 2700

Tea Dance Wanaka

Come along to the Elmslie House Residential Home to enjoy an afternoon of pianist music, get the toes tapping or sing along. A light afternoon tea will be served, everyone is welcome!

Where: Elmslie House Residential Home, 81 Stone St, Wanaka
When: 2pm to 3pm Wednesday 25 January
Cost: Free
Contact: events@summerdaze.co.nz or 03 443 2700

Lake Wanaka Half

All the beauty of the legendary Challenge Wanaka course but at half the distance. The course follows the same spectacular route as Challenge Wanaka with a 1.9km swim, 90km cycle and 21.1km run. For teams and individuals.

Where: Lake Wanaka and surrounds
When: 7.35am race start Saturday 21 January
Cost: Free to watch
Contact: www.lakewanakahalf.co.nz

Wanaka Craft Market

The Wanaka Sunday Craft Market features handmade arts and crafts direct from the artists. Pottery, paintings, wood, wool, carving and jewellery are just a few of the crafts available at Market Corner every Sunday over January.

Where: Pembroke Park, Market Corner
When: Sunday 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 January from 10am
Cost: Free
Contact: Susan Manson phone 03 443 7906, sundaymarkets@hotmail.com

‘KAHU YOUTH’S little DAY OUT’ in association with The Edge

Come on down for Wanaka’s very own little day out – A day full of fun and entertainment for young people and their families; brought to you by Kahu Youth.

There will be skate and BMX competitions on the skate park, DJs all day, awesome activities, bouncy castles, giant air bag, food stalls, face painting, ball games, competitions, spot prizes and much, much more.

When: 12:30pm - 5pm Sunday 29 January
Where: Pembroke Park
Cost: Free
Contact: 04 443 5880 or 0275 709268, Kahu.youth@xtra.co.nz

Puzzling World Junior Challenge Wanaka

For new and budding triathletes aged between 6 and 15, take on the Puzzling World Junior Challenge Wanaka. Different courses tailored for each age group, based around the lake and Pembroke Park. Heaps of fun for individuals and teams

Where: Pembroke Park, Wanaka
When: Registration from 8.30am Sunday 15 January, racing starts at 10.00am
Cost: $18 for an individual ($25 on day), $38 for a team ($48 on day)
Contact: Challenge Wanaka, enter on-line at www.challenge-wanaka.com/junior.html

Wanaka Holiday Gala sponsored by the Upper Clutha Presbyterian Parish

An event for all the family. Stalls of homemade produce, cakes, preserves, pavlova & raspberries, barbecues, pies, sandwiches, sweets & treats, silent auctions & white elephant stalls. Sideshows, face painting, bouncy castle, rides, multiple activities and live entertainment.

When: 11:00am to 2pm Saturday 7 January
Where: Wanaka Show Grounds, Corner of Aspiring Rd and McDougal St
Cost: Free entry
Contact: Tracey Mayhew 03 443 7887, u.c.pres.church@xtra.co.nz

Cinema Paradiso Drive-in & Outdoor Movies

Wanaka’s legendary movie theatre moves outdoors presenting free outdoor and drive-in movies for the whole family to enjoy. Bring a blanket, bean bag or couch and enjoy an evening under the stars or tune into your car radio and enjoy the ol’ favourites.

Choose you sit outside on a bean bag or enjoy the comfort of the car.

Where: Wanaka Showgrounds, access from McDougall Street
When: on dark 9.30pm (ish) 7, 14, 27 and 28 January
Cost: Gold Coin Donation. Drinks & snacks available to purchase.
Contact: events@summerdaze.co.nz or 03 443 2700

Screenings are weather permitting.

PROGRAMME:
Friday 7th: tbc
Saturday 14th: tbc
Friday 27th: tbc
Saturday 28th: tbc

New Year’s Eve Celebration – Wanaka

Join friends and family to celebrate the New Year with live music and a stunning firework display. Enjoy the sounds from locals The Station Agents and upbeat group Mercury Crowe from Wellington.

Where: Ardmore Street waterfront, Wanaka CBD
When: 8.30pm – 1.00 am Saturday 31 December
Cost: Free
Contact: events@summerdaze.co.nz or 03 443 2700

Road Closures and Liquor bans:
Road Closures: Ardmore Street from Dungarvon Street to the Lakeside Road/Ardmore Street intersection. Helwick Street from Ardmore Street to Dunmore Street.
Period of Closure: 5.30 pm Saturday 31st December 2011 to 2.00 am Sunday 1st January 2012.
Extended Liquor Ban: From 06.00am on Monday 26th of December 2011 to 06.00am Thursday 5th January 2012 there will be a liquor ban enforced within the areas specified by the QLDC, including the following:

(i)The whole of the Lake Wanaka foreshore area from Sunrise Bay/ Edgewater to Penrith Park; and

(ii) The area from the foreshore to an outer boundary formed by and including the following streets and road reserves: Meadowstone Drive, Stone St, Golf Course Road, Macpherson St, State Highway 84, Ardmore St.

Licensed Premises
Closing times on New Year’s Eve will remain as usual unless the District Licensing Agency has granted the premises a Special License. Also note that to comply with the Sales of Liquor Act patrons must not leave licensed premises with glass receptacles and drinks.

Off License Sales
Licensees within the liquor ban area need to notify their customers that any liquor purchased from them must be immediately taken out of the liquor ban area without being opened.

The BIG EASY

Big Easy Mountain Bike and Mountain Marathon starts at the Snow Farm (1500m above sea level) rides over Mt Pisa (1900m) through Lake McKay Station finishing at the Albert Town Tavern (300m). Lil’ Easy family option also available.

Where: Pisa range
When: Saturday 28th January
Cost: $85 Adult/$50 Junior or $90 full family (2 adults + kids)
Contact: 027 445 1091 – Ed, www.highlandevents.co.nz

Challenge Wanaka

The world’s most scenic iron distance triathlon. Thousands of spectators will watch the swim, bike and run sections, cheering on over 1,200 remarkable athletes on their 226km journey. Join the finish line party in the heart of Lake Wanaka with music and fireworks. Be a part of the action; cheer on the athletes or get involved as a volunteer

Where: Lake Wanaka and surrounds
When: 6:30am race start Saturday 21 January
Cost: Free to watch
Contact: www.challenge-wanaka.com

Tri NZ Contact Tri Series

Experience the excitement of cycling and running around downtown Wanaka after a dip in the Lake, as you are cheered on by the holiday crowds. For the kids a new event the 1:2:1; for beginners the 3:9:3; for the more experienced triathlete the Trophy Sprint and the Cup Sprint for the super-star elites. Participate in your event then cheer on local boy Tony Dodds as he looks to claim his first ever elite title in Wanaka.

Where: Lake Wanaka CBD
When: 2.30pm start Friday 20 Januar
Contact: Triathlon New Zealand, www.triseries.co.nz

Radio Wanaka 5km Charity Fun Run/Walk

Dress up and get active during the Challenge Wanaka Triathlon Festival with an easy 5km run along the lakefront and through the spectacular Rippon Vineyard with proceeds going to the Upper Clutha Children’s Medical Trust. Prizes for best fancy dress.

Where: Lake Wanaka foreshore, opposite the show grounds
When: Registration 5:30pm, run starts at 6:30pm Monday 16 January.
Cost: $10 for non-Challenge Wanaka athletes
Contact: www.challenge-wanaka.com

The Frontrunner Sky Run & Outside Sports Sky Ride

The race is held on the Snow Farm’s cross country trails. There will be a 5km, 10km and half marathon run as well as a 21km and 30km mountain bike races for everyone to participate and have fun – also thousands of dollars’ worth of prizes to be won. What better way to start the New Year!!!

Where: Snow Farm, Cardrona Valley
When: 3 January
Contact: Adrian Bailey 021 991 899 or www.activeqt.co.nz

Wanaka Rodeo

Enjoy the best in rodeo action, good food and a great atmosphere. Great family day out.

Where: Wanaka Rodeo Club Grounds, SH6 (Lake Hawea – Albert Town Road) on the Hawea side of the Albert Town Bridge
When: January 2nd, 11am onwards
Contact: www.wanakarodeo.co.nz

Unwanted presents emerge on Trade Me

2011-12-28T08:40:00.000+13:00

Thousands of items have appeared on Trade Me in the past 24 hours as Kiwis seek to sell items that missed the mark on Christmas Day.

More than 18,000 items had been added to Trade Me since lunchtime yesterday, and Trade Me spokesman Paul Ford said there had been a surge in listings between 7pm and 11pm last night.

“Lots of New Zealanders kicked back at the end of the day and worked out what they had two or three of, what didn’t fit, what they didn’t like, then spent some time listing these items online before they went to bed,” he said.

He said gift items most likely to be on-sold included linen, stationery, electric shavers, DVDs, ties, chocolates and kitchen appliances. “Items intended as thoughtful gifts for women are also regular contenders, and this year we’re seeing plenty of clothing, sunglasses and handbags that were off the mark.”

He said “clearing the decks” of unwanted gifts is something many people would not talk about openly. “People don’t want to offend the giver, but selling on Trade Me reduces that awkwardness factor as you’re getting it in front of a much wider national audience, not just the handful of people in your social sphere.”

Earlier this month, a poll by research house TNS found that 29% of New Zealanders thought it was acceptable to regift a Christmas present.

“Our take on that is it seems pretty low,” Mr Ford said. “We did a poll online in 2009 and 65% of people said it was OK to sell unwanted gifts. Maybe wrapping it up and passing it along to someone else is less acceptable than simply selling it?”

People listing unwanted presents should make it easy for buyers who were looking for a post-Christmas bargain. “Last December, ‘unwanted gift’ ended up being one of the most popular searches on Trade Me so consider adding those words into the text of your listing.”

Regifting: 3 hot tips

1. Only sell new items, accompanied by as much of the undamaged original packaging as you can muster.
2. Remove the Christmas card.
3. Don't sell items with inscriptions or personal messages.

Monday, 26 December 2011, 10:36 am
Press Release: Trademe

A year in New Zealand business resilience

2011-12-21T08:45:00.000+13:00

A year ago our nation was reeling following the Pike River Mine disaster and the first earthquake in Christchurch. One year on Christchurch has suffered another devastating quake with tragic loss of life and major property damage; the Hawke’s Bay has been hit by a huge storm that washed out large areas of productive farm land; across NZ gold kiwifruit crops have been decimated by the Psa virus (with infection confirmed to green crops also). Most recently the Bay of Plenty’s beaches were polluted by oil and debris from the Rena grounded on Astrolabe Reef.

These critical events apart, businesses have to cope with localised crises, such as losing a contract, a major bad debt or a key staff member leaving. How to cope when adversity strikes? Dr Sven Hansen of the Resilience Institute succinctly advises ‘be calm, advance steadily, prevail.’ We expand on this approach.

Be calm, a clear head will deliver decisive, thoughtful action. Mayor Bob Parker’s calm strength in the aftermath of the Christchurch earthquakes is a classic example. When a business crisis hits don’t be afraid to communicate with your staff, customers, suppliers, advisors, and bank manager! The load gets shared and a solution may come from any quarter.

Advance Steadily, focus on the basics and mobilise the resources you need to plan your recovery. Plant and Food Research are doing just that in developing Psa resistant strains of kiwifruit and when oil spilled from the Rena, thousands of volunteers were marshalled in the clean-up.

Look for innovative bounce back solutions to stem the loss. The newly opened Cashel Street ‘pop-up’ Mall has bought retailing back to central Christchurch in a vibrant way.

Prevail, recovery from business crises can be slow and frustrating but a relentless approach will get you there…

Our isolation has made us a resilient nation. When the chips are down we’re generous and supportive towards each other. As 2011 comes to a close, be uplifted by our amazing 2011 Rugby World Cup win (24 years in the making) - when an All Black team troubled by injury, securing scraps of possession and facing an impassioned French Les Bleus, stoically won the final. They remained calm, advanced steadily and prevailed.

Wanaka Food Bank Drive!!

2011-12-19T09:56:00.002+13:00

Tuesday 20th December......tomorrow everybody!!!

The annual Wanaka Sun Food Bank Drive is happening on Tuesday night. Sirens will start to be heard between 6pm and 6.30pm around the district – Wanaka, Luggate and Hawea.

When you hear the sirens don’t panic just head out to your gate with your contribution.

Along with food supplies for the food bank people are also urged to contribute festive Christmas food, tasty treats and even small gifts.

If you’re not going to be home then maybe leave your contribution with your neighbours or put it out before you go out.

Xero Snipers

2011-12-19T09:45:00.002+13:00

Sniper release

Published in Xero Business on 19 December 2011 by Andrew Tokeley

Over the last few months we’ve formed a new team that we’ve called the Sniper Team – and today’s release is a great example of their work.

Left to right: Vicky, Ming, Simon, Hannah (Uli was on assignment and missed photo shoot)

While the rest of the team work on larger headline features, the Sniper team are focused on taking aim at smaller enhancements and fixes.

And it’s amazing how big the impact can be. Take a look at what the team’s been up to.

Xero will now remember the sort order on the accounts receivables/payables screens
The total amount due/owed of selected invoices will now display
Two new reports – customer and supplier invoice summaries
Budget manager updates – fixed column headings, row totals and full screen support
Bank rules allow matching on any field
There’s the option to register an asset and add another one immediately after

And the rest of the team worked on a couple of things too:

Two new partner feeds for CRT Co-operative and Bartercard (NZ)
Report Pack updates for New Zealand accountants

Now we know that one man’s sniper rifle is another man’s bazooka, but if you’ve got a small feature you’d love to see, let us know. Check it out here

Holiday Survival Advice

2011-12-19T09:19:00.002+13:00

1. Stock up!

On everything, the best way to stay sane is to avoid the shops, get double everything in this next shop. Check you have enough gas in BBQ, gas in tank and gas for the house. Buy more champagne than you think you'll need, buy heaps of beers and 20 bags of potato chips.

2. Taxi!

Store the local taxi cabs number in your phone and don't drink and drive, ever!

3. Pre-empt a hangover!

Get a survival kit together, panadol, sachet rehydrate packets, easy freezer food and apparently, pickle juice!

4. Slip, slop, slap.

Wear sunscreen, chapstick, zinc, sun hat, sunglasses and get in the shade.

5. Exercise

See if you can fit in a couple more runs than usual this week, ready to blob out post Christmas Turkey

5. Library

Get books and magazines at the ready, read the reviews or check out the recommended reads at the library....get ready to lie around.

6. Games and fun

Get fun things for the kids to do ready for the odd rainy day. Plan some activities, walks, visits to the park, fishing or bike rides.

7. Be careful in the water

Swim between the flags, be sensible and look after your mates.

8. Drive safe

Be patient and drive below the speed limit, be in mantrol

9. Have fun, rest and relax

Most of all have fun, shake off 2011, see your friends, eat, drink, be safe and merry!

Merry Christmas everybody!

Book out your bach, avoid a tax headache!

2011-12-19T08:42:00.000+13:00

Recent years have seen a surge in popularity in the short-stay rental of holiday homes. The internet has made it easier to list, book and review baches and cribs which are available when owners aren’t in residence.

Inland Revenue have recently issued a paper proposing new rules on mixed-use assets (including holiday homes) where there is a mixture of business and personal use, with revised criteria that should be adhered to when booking out the bach. But until the rules are formally changed, the current policies still apply.

Firstly, it’s vital that your intentions are bona fide. You must market the holiday home in a commercial manner such as setting up and using a website for the property, registering the property with a reputable holiday home website or listing the property for short stay rental with local real estate agencies. These efforts cannot be seen to be ‘token’, you should be accepting offers from suitable renters.

Secondly, your own (plus family and friends’) use of the property must be diarised so you can determine the days in a year that the property was available for renting out.
If the property is owned by an individual or a family trust the expenses relating to the property including the utilities (power, rates, insurance), maintenance and interest on debt will be apportioned according to the number of days in a year the house was available for rent.

There are GST issues too. Short stay accommodation is a taxable supply for GST purposes so if the annual rent you are receiving exceeds $60,000, the owning entity (individual, partnership, company or trust) is required to register for GST and return GST on the outputs (rent) and inputs (expenses and improvements) made and received. This threshold may seem high but some do have more than one holiday home in the same entity! This threshold includes the market value of free or cheap use of the bach by persons associated to the owner.

The value of the property becomes a taxable supply when registration occurs and when the property is sold or the entity de-registered. Both the income tax and GST issues can be quite tricky so we recommend consulting us to make sure all the tax bases are covered correctly.

Sponsor a child in NZ

2011-12-18T09:59:00.000+13:00

Would you believe that one in six children in New Zealand are living in poverty? An amazing programme set up by Kids Can means that you can sponsor a NZ child for $15 a month. This will ensure that they have shoes, a raincoat and enough food to eat. With this basic set up these kids can get to school and be ready to learn- Kids Can believes that with education comes opportunity.

Kids Can is a registered Charitable Trust that was set up in 2005 with support from Guardian Trust, they receive help with their ‘Food for Kids’ programme from the government but rely on individual givers, community trusts, key partners and foundations to run this amazing programme in NZ.

It is easy, jump online at www.kidscan.org.nz and set up an automatic payment of $15 per week. This is good, get on board!

Christmas Hours

2011-12-15T13:49:00.003+13:00

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from the team at Findlay & Co
Our offices will be closed from 5pm on Friday 23 December 2011, reopening Monday 16 January 2012

Challenge Wanaka, coming to a town near you, if you live in Wanaka!

2011-12-14T08:50:00.000+13:00

What gifts are tax deductible?

2011-12-14T08:37:00.000+13:00

Let’s look at the tax treatment of saying thanks to customers and staff typically with gifts, wining and dining.
Inland Revenue’s IR268 guide gives the following examples of where entertainment expenses are 50% deductible:

• Taking customers, suppliers and business associates out for dinner or putting on a function for them
• The traditional Christmas party for staff
• Shouting customers, suppliers and staff to an event, e.g. a rugby game or a show
• Taking them on a jaunt in your launch (running/hireage costs and food and alcohol)
• Giving them the use of your bach or time share apartment as a thank you gesture (the occupancy costs)

We’ve been asked ‘why only 50% deductible?’ Apparently it’s because we get some personal enjoyment or benefit from quaffing a wine and tucking into a steak (too right!).

In lieu of a Christmas party you may give your employees restaurant vouchers to use at their discretion. This cost is fully deductible but is subject to fringe benefit tax (FBT), although there is an exemption of $300 per employee per quarter (a maximum exemption can apply). The same treatment applies to staff gifts, again fully deductible but subject to FBT under the ‘other benefits’ category.

As a thank you gesture many firms give their customers gifts during the festive season. The cost of the gifts is fully tax deductible as marketing and promotion expenditure.

Many firms pay their staff a Christmas cash bonus. These payments are classed as ‘extra emoluments’ and are fully deductible but have PAYE deducted at the employee’s marginal tax rate e.g. 33% if earning over $70,000 per annum.

If in doubt about where you stand tax deductibility-wise with your generosity to customers and staff, check with us and we’ll help you get it right.

Calculating Annual Holiday Pay

2011-12-12T08:25:00.002+13:00

Kiwi businesses, especially those involved in contracting and service industries, often close for annual holidays just prior to Christmas and re-open in the New Year. Many businesses encourage their staff to take leave over the festive season ‘when things are quiet’. Staff employment agreements will include provision for staff to take at least part of their annual leave during this close-down period. The calculation of holiday pay is an integral part of employees’ final pay for the calendar year. Employees are entitled to receive their pay for annual leave before they commence their leave. This provision provides an employee with money to pay for travel and accommodation.

The employer and employee can agree to leave the normal pay cycle undisturbed by the time off work. If so, it’s recommended that the employees’ employment agreements reflect this.

Calculating annual holiday pay

Whichever of the following is the larger becomes the rate of the weekly holiday pay.

1. ‘Average weekly earnings’: Calculate ‘total gross earnings’ for the 12 months before the end of the last pay period before the annual holiday and divide this figure by 52.

2. ‘Ordinary weekly pay’: Multiply the ordinary hourly rate of the employee’s pay as at the start of the holiday by the number of hours worked in a ‘normal’ week.

Calculating pay for statutory (public) holidays

1. ‘Relevant daily pay’: Find the amount of pay that the employee would have received if he or she had worked on the day concerned.

2. ‘Average daily pay’ is used when using relevant daily pay is not possible or practicable or there is variation in the daily pay during the pay period when the holiday occurs. Calculate gross earnings for the 52 weeks before the end of the immediately preceding pay period and divide by the number of whole or part days during which the employee earned those earnings including days of paid holiday or leave.

In the case of employees who have commenced employment during the year, their average weekly earnings are calculated by taking the amount of their gross earnings from starting work until the last pay period before the holiday and dividing that amount by the number of weeks worked. For examples on holiday pay please visit the Department of Labour’s website: http://www.dol.govt.nz/

Pay calculations can be complex especially when employees receive allowances, (e.g. travel) and have deductions made (e.g. KiwiSaver, student loan) so contact us if you need assistance in getting these important calculations right.

RBNZ hold at 2.5%

2011-12-08T09:15:00.001+13:00

LATEST: The Reserve Bank is holding official interest rates at 2.5 per cent, as the global economy worsens in the face of the European debt crisis.

"There is a risk that conditions weaken further," Reserve Bank Governor Alan Bollard warned this morning.

Given the current "unusual degree of uncertainty around global conditions and the moderate pace of domestic demand, it remains prudent to keep the official cash rate on hold at 2.5 per cent," Bollard said this morning.

Monetary policy was expected to remain "supportive for some time" with the Reserve Bank's expected track for ninety day interest rates now lower for longer than expected in the September statement.

There were "continued difficulties" related to country and bank debt in a growing number of European economies, and financial markets were highly volatile.

International activity had softened including the Asia-Pacific region.

The global slowdown was hitting New Zealand, but the impact so far was limited, Bollard said.

While the central projection was for a "moderate downturn in global activity" risks around that outlook had intensified significantly, the Reserve Bank said in its December Monetary Policy Statement.

That was mainly because of the concerns about the strength of Europe, where activity had worsened faster than expected in recent months.

A sharper than expected slowdown in Europe would "materially reduce activity in other regions including Asia and Australia".

If things turned out worse than now expected, global trade and commodity prices would fall and global activity could remain weak for an extended period the bank said.

Growth in New Zealand would also be weaker than assumed in the central projection of the bank which suggests growth picking up to about 3 per cent in the year to March 2013.

If that happened monetary conditions would need to remain supportive for an extended period, even as the Christchurch rebuild boosted demand.

Meanwhile the Reserve Bank said that business confidence had fallen this year and investment spending was likely to remain weak for some time.

Tight international financial markets meant that it would cost more for New Zealand banks to borrow overseas to some degree in the coming year.

"There remains a high degree of uncertainty around the global outlook and there is a risk that conditions weaken further," Bollard said.

In New Zealand domestic activity was still expanding, but modestly.

Export commodity prices remained high, though off recent peaks.

The fall in the Kiwi dollar had provided some support for the export sector.

However, the Reserve Bank's projections for economic growth were modest, with quarterly growth of 0.6 per cent in the last quarter of this year, rising to 0.8 per cent by the end of 2012."Over time repairs and reconstruction in Canterbury will also provide a significant boost to demand for an extended period," he said.
The rebuild was expected to cost about $20 billion over a number of years, but widespread work would only start in earnest in the second half of next year, peaking in early 2014. The outlook for rebuilding in Christchurch also remained highly uncertain, but eventually it would provide a boost like the mid 2000s building boom.

Annual GDP was projected to be 2 per cent in the year to March 2012, rising to about 3 per cent in the following March year, despite the expected pick up from rebuilding in Christchurch.

Unemployment is projected to trend down slowly from 6.6 per cent now to 5.6 per cent by March 2013.

Annual inflation was estimated to have returned to the central bank's target band of 1 per cent to 3 per cent in the December quarter, with underlying annual inflation about 2 per cent.

- BusinessDay.co.nz JAMES WEIR Last updated 09:11 08/12/2011

How to exit a business and win!

2011-12-05T16:55:00.000+13:00

Xero's guest blogger Claire Cilliers looks at why the term ‘succession and exit’ is now a lot more relevant as Baby Boomers start to age.

Google ‘Baby Boomers’ and you’ll soon realise that this is the largest economically active cohort across the globe. In the USA, Baby Boomers make up half the spending power across the country. With greater spending power, and having worked for most of their lives, this group have their sights set on retirement as their reward for a life spent building their asset base. In short they’re looking to slow down and take time to smell the roses.

The broader challenge is the sheer number of Baby Boomers. With improved health and lifestyle the average lifespan of an individual in the developed world has increased dramatically. Undoubtedly a longer life is a positive consequence, though an unintended consequence of more people living longer is that more people want to do the same thing! For example, when more people want to sell their business, the market is flooded, prices come down and the buyer dictates.

Also consider the situation the potential buyers are in. The next generation – Generation X – are fewer in number and on average juggling a mortgage, car payments, credit cards, children etc. So with fewer people, who have less capital, and the current global economic environment, the chances of being able to access any real equity (when selling a business) are slimmer than most would anticipate.

Thinking ahead

Succession and exit are very real threats to any business. Left unchecked, business owners may very well find themselves owning something into which they have invested their blood, sweat and tears but there aren’t many options to release their equity. This is why the same level of planning and consideration that goes into starting, growing and building a business, needs to go into figuring out the best possible way to exit. The analogy of emergency rescuers comes to mind, “Know your way in, but also know your way out!”

There is no one simple answer to the succession and exit strategy or plan. As diverse as businesses are, so too can the plans for exit be. But there is one similarity though: it takes time… and when I say time, I mean a few years to ensure the right people, processes, technology and capital are in place.

It also takes a team to support you through the process. As the one who is exiting, you need to ensure your accountant, lawyer and insurance broker are all working to the same plan. It may mean having frank and honest discussions with your business advisors – if possible, get them into the same room at the same time. This way your money will be well spent, with all actions aligned and geared towards the end goal.

Here’s what you need to consider:

1. Do you have a current, documented business plan? Yes, you need one again! Consider this, if you were going to purchase a business, wouldn’t you want to know where it was going… when, where and how?

2. When do you want to be “free” of your business? Is it in two years, five years, ten years? Ensuring the right people are in place and/or selling your business can take far longer than you anticipate and the transaction itself may take place over a few years.

3. Do you want to leave some equity in your business? Are you prepared to do this if this would aid the sale or transition to new owners… and how much would you leave in?

4. Have you noted down all the jobs/roles that you play? You may not realise this, but you fulfill a number of roles and replacing you may take more than one person.

5. What do you believe the value of your business to be? Like a house, your perception and what the market is willing to pay can be considerably different. Have you even got an idea? Start making a note of what other similar businesses have sold for – why were they sold at that specific value and how does your business differ.

Note that while you may want to release your equity, those taking on the business will want to realise and justify how they will grow their wealth.

We’re keen to hear your thoughts on preparing to exit a business, be it a lifestyle change or something completely different.

Claire Cilliers is a Principle Consultant with Hipah Consulting where she specialises in Succession and Exit Strategy and Planning. She has consulted internationally, dealing with small and medium enterprises through to corporates with multiple listings.

Published on Xero Blog in Business on 25 November 2011 by Claire Cilliers

Payroll Giving

2011-11-29T08:43:00.000+13:00

Did you know that a nice little addition to the payroll system means that you can make direct donations to charities and community organisations, cool huh! The scheme administered through the PAYE tax system can be set up by an employer and employees can choose whether they would like to donate to support the cause. By donating via the payroll giving method, givers may be able to claim back money more easily therefore may be encouraged to donate more. The organisations that you can donate to have been preapproved by the IRD and the support for the system is growing as businesses learn about it, go on sign up!

Some business tips

2011-11-28T08:46:00.004+13:00

Its that time of year when our enthusiasm, excitement and energy levels may be wavering as we start to think about G and Ts in the garden, long summer days on the lake and a well deserved break being just around the corner. We decided to throw you some encouraging business tips to help spark some different thinking into you business approach, try these ideas on for size:

Ask someone on a date

Think about your existing network of clients, suppliers, staff and colleagues. Consider whom you don’t know that you’d like to get to know? Business is about relationships and relationships are about communication – pick up the phone and take someone on a business date!

A little thank you goes a long way

Start to think about some sincere ways to thank your staff for their hard work this year. Typically you’d be looking to give them the Christmas ham or a bottle of wine. Ramp up this year’s appreciation session with a hand written note singling out a memorable contribution they have made and deliver this with a ‘look ‘em in the eye’ expression of gratitude. It’ll work wonders!

Ask for feedback and listen

This is an easy one to pitch as people like to be asked their opinions. Illustrating that you aim for constant improvement and inviting others to have input is a two birds/one stone scenario. Basically if you ask in the right way not only are you getting valuable information about your business performance but as the ‘feedbackee’ you are also strengthening the business relationship by validating the opinion of the ‘feedbacker’. Simple!

Practice your pitch

Yep, the elevator pitch is an oldie but a goody! Yeah you wanna be able to tell people what it is you do in a precise but compelling way. Yep, you probably need some practice right!

Know what you don’t know

A useful consideration to make is to understand what you are good at and where you should get others in to help. Essentially this means if you are better off on the tools than balancing the books weigh up the option of getting a bookkeeper. It’s in the math! Does it make sense for example to have an administration task take you away from being the ‘technician’ in your business for twice as long as it would take to get a paperwork guru in? Yeah, nah…..

Key to manage record number of MPs

2011-11-28T08:36:00.003+13:00

Prime Minister elect John Key is expected to formalise his coalition plans with the Maori Party, Act Party and United Future today, but he will also face managing a record number of MPs in his caucus.

Key is wasting no time in getting his team to run the country for the next three years together.

The National Party won the election with an overwhelming result at the polls on Saturday, but Key will still need the support of coalition partners to have a majority in Parliament.

"We've currently got 60. We need one further vote to be able to have a majority in the Parliament," National MP Steven Joyce said on TVNZ's Q+A programme yesterday.

Key met with senior ministers at his Auckland home yesterday, and will hold coalition talks in Wellington today.

And the message is: "We want them all [United Future, Act and Maori Party] involved," Key told ONE News.

Key was guaranteed a second three-year term with the return of current coalition partners, Act and United Future each winning one electorate seat.

"It's a small majority when you think about it in the context of the Parliament, but it's a very rock solid majority," Key said.

Key also expressed interest in including the Maori Party to ensure National has support on the left and right.

"We'd like to keep working with them (Maori Party). We think they got real gains being in government, we believe it did advance the causes of their people and we think it gave a balance."

And there are two cases where the Maori Party could be crucial - the sale of a 49% stake in five state owned companies and also the policy of welfare reform - both cases were very controversial in the election campaign.

Joyce said on Q+A that the Maori Party "will be an additional buffer" but Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia said she was not prepared to show her support for National just yet.

However, she did hint that they were in favour of becoming a partner with National.

"You can't make gains unless you're sitting at the table of the Government," she said.

Michelle Boag, former National Party president, told TVNZ's Q+A it was clear Key wanted to have the Maori Party involved and it is going to be a "critical negotiation".

"The Maori Party also has to think about its transition to a new generation."

Joyce said it depends on numbers in terms of whether they can credibly lead a Government without the Maori Party being involved as ministers on confidence and supply.

"I think the Maori Party, United Future and Act are all crucial... and in that respect, it's not that much different to last time," Joyce told TVNZ's Q+A.

"With a 48% party vote, it's a pretty strong endorsement of where the Government sits, and we're confident we'll be able to build the relationships needed to go ahead with the programme."

At the 2008 election the Maori Party sat down with National and came up with a confidence and supply agreement.

"They didn't agree with everything that we proposed to do, and they didn't vote for some of it, but they voted for confidence and supply. So that's the sort of relationship we'd be looking to form, but those discussions have to take place," said Key.

Where the numbers do fall nicely for National is that it has the ability to pass legislation by teaming up with just Act and United Future or by just adding National and the Maori Party votes together - so Key does have flexibility there.

He also said he would "sit down and have a talk" with the Green Party, who have won 13 seats, about signing a memorandum of understanding - similar to 2008. It is a less formal deal but will allow them to work on particular projects like home insulation.

Key has not ruled out ministerial positions for Act's John Banks, United Future leader Peter Dunne and members of the Maori Party.

The other thing to watch out for is more cuts in government spending as they are pushing hard to get the books back into surplus and that will mean money will be tight.

Celebrations

Key made a late arrival to National's celebratory party in Auckland on Saturday, saying he was "delighted".

"What a fabulous night to be supporting the New Zealand National Party," he told the National faithful.

"New Zealand has voted for a brighter future, and there will be a brighter future," Key, draped in blue and white streamers, told ecstatic supporters.

National campaigned on promises to build on policies of the past three years with an emphasis on sparking economic growth by cutting debt, curbing spending, selling state assets and returning to a budget surplus by 2014/15.

"The government will be focused on building a more competitive economy, with less debt, more jobs, and higher incomes," added Key, 52, flanked by his wife Bronagh and son Max.

He said he expected the election would be tight and that he was proud to be Prime Minister.

"More people voted National today than three years ago and I want to thank each and every one of you," he said.

He said he was not "entirely surprised" that Winston Peters had been returned to Parliament.

The final tally of seats may change when tens of thousands of absentee votes are counted over the next two weeks.

Christchurch Central has ended in a dead heat with Labour's Brendan Burns and National's Nicky Wagner ending the night with exactly the same number of votes, 10,493.

Labour's poor result

Labour suffered a dismal election, and will have just 34 MPs in Parliament on preliminary results compared with National's 60.

Nine Labour seats were lost.

National took 48% of the party vote, compared with Labour's lowly 27.1%. Although voter turnout was low with just under 74%.

Goff has vowed Labour will continue to fight and he celebrated the few wins Labour managed - Te Tai Tonga, West Coast-Tasman and some new MPs.

"It wasn't our time, but we are members of a great political party ... our time will come again, and we will be ready to take New Zealand forward at that time. We are a bit bloodied, but we're not defeated."

Goff is expected to make an announcement on his future tomorrow.

Published: 5:19AM Monday November 28, 2011 Source: ONE News

Mo-vember

2011-11-26T08:31:00.001+13:00

This solid campaign has rolled around again in an effort to raise awareness for men’s health, specifically prostate cancer and depression. Participants are invited to register their clean-shaven faces on the nz.movember.com website then seek sponsorship for the growing efforts for the month of November. This is a global movement and in 2010, over 9,500 kiwis raised one million NZ dollars, choice!

Why you should vote

2011-11-23T10:32:00.007+13:00

Voting is an expression of an opinion, however you actually need to form that opinion by trying to be somewhat informed. This election campaign timeframe is short and sweet (bless you RWC) and it's worth putting aside wishy washy media driven information to get to the facts you need to make an educated decision about where your votes land.

Voting is a privilege, not everyone everywhere gets to have their input counted. Imagine a country where you had no say?

Voting upholds and supports the democratic system, if no-one voted the democratic system would fail and we would be replaced by another form of government, eeek?

Voting sets an example

Voting for the lesser of what you consider to be two evils (or ninnies, or fruitcakes, or ding dongs however you like to refer to your politicians) is still a valued vote?

Voting is important because the elections.org.nz website says:

"When the Governor, Lord Glasgow, signed the Electoral Act into law on 19 September 1893, New Zealand became the first country in the world to grant women the right to vote in parliamentary elections.

As most other democracies - notably Britain and the United States - did not enfranchise women until after the First World War, women's suffrage quickly became a central element in New Zealand's image as a trail-blazing, progressive 'social laboratory' of the South Pacific."

There is still time to register, get out and vote!

Thanks to this wee article for the ideas http://www.essortment.com/should-vote-60856.html

The Outlook for Thursday.....

2011-11-21T12:30:00.002+13:00

Some pretty hefty snow flakes falling on the crown range right now, sweet this will rain itself out in time for summer!

Xero has gone Gangbusters!

2011-11-18T11:38:00.002+13:00

Online accounting software provider Xero has announced a $3.7 million loss for the six months to September, an improvement on its $4.7m loss in the same period last year.

The company says its operating revenue is up significantly to $7.9m, compared with $3.7m in the first half of 2010.

This was due to rapid customer acquisition, it said. Customer numbers more than doubled to 51,000 in the period.

More than 40 per cent of Xero's revenue now comes from offshore and it expects this to grow as the brand becomes established in large overseas markets, it told the NZX.

It has opened an office in San Francisco with key staff relocating there. It has also opened a second office in Canberra, with others planned for Sydney and the UK.

The New Zealand market remains its greatest source of revenue at $4.6m for the period, followed by Australia at $1.8m and the UK at $1.1m.

Xero continued to invest in product innovation, and in August it received a technology and development grant from the Ministry and Science and Innovation of $4m over three years.

The improvement in its revenue validated its ability to deliver a scalable SaaS (software as a service) business, Xero said. Large competitors such as Intuit, Sage and MYOB were still grappling with this, while smaller competitors lacked the scale.

MARIA SLADE www.stuff.co.nz 18/11/2011

Referendumb?

2011-11-15T14:44:00.004+13:00

Don't know your MMP from your FPP? Here is the official word off the referendum NZ website, we hope it helps:

You will be asked two questions on the Referendum voting paper.

The first question asks whether you want to keep MMP (which is the voting system we use at the moment) or whether you want to change to another voting system.

The second question asks which of four other voting systems you would choose if New Zealand decides to change from MMP.

You can read a bit about MMP and each of the four alternative voting systems below or you can find detailed information by clicking on the links to the left side.

Read about each system below or you can find detailed information about MMP and the four alternative voting systems by clicking on the links above or the buttons to the left side.

THE MMP VOTING SYSTEM – MIXED MEMBER PROPORTIONAL

This is the system we currently use to elect our Parliament.

There are 120 Members of Parliament (MPs). There are 70 electorates, including the Maori electorates. Each elects one MP, called an Electorate MP. The other 50 MPs are elected from political party lists and are called List MPs.

Each voter gets two votes.

The first vote is for the political party the voter chooses. This is called the party voteand largely decides the total number of seats each political party gets in Parliament.

The second vote is to choose the MP the voter wants to represent the electorate they live in. This is called the electorate vote. The candidate who gets the most votes wins. They do not have to get more than half the votes.

Under current MMP rules, a political party that wins at least one electorate seat OR 5% of the party vote gets a share of the seats in Parliament that is about the same as its share of the party vote. For example, if a party gets 30% of the party vote it will get roughly 36 MPs in Parliament (being 30% of 120 seats). So if that party wins 20 electorate seats it will have 16 List MPs in addition to its 20 Electorate MPs.

Coalitions or agreements between political parties are usually needed before Governments can be formed.

THE FPP VOTING SYSTEM - FIRST PAST THE POST

There are 120 Members of Parliament. Each of the 120 electorates, including the Maori electorates, elects one MP.

Each voter has one vote to choose the MP they want to represent the electorate they live in. The candidate who gets the most votes wins. They do not have to get more than half the votes.

Large parties – and in particular the winning party – usually win a share of the seats in Parliament larger than their share of all the votes across the country. Smaller parties usually receive a smaller share of seats than their share of all the votes.

A government can usually be formed without the need for coalitions or agreements between parties.

THE PV VOTING SYSTEM - PREFERENTIAL VOTING

There are 120 Members of Parliament. Each of the 120 electorates, including the Maori electorates, elects one MP.

Each voter ranks the candidates – 1, 2, 3, etc – in the order they prefer them.

A candidate who gets more than half of all the first preference votes (that is votes marked “1”) wins.

If no candidate gets more than half the first preference votes, the candidate with the fewest number “1” votes is eliminated and their votes go to the candidates each voter ranked next.

This process is repeated until one candidate has more than half the votes.

Large parties – and in particular the winning party – usually win a share of the seats in Parliament larger than their nationwide share of the first preference votes. It is hard for smaller parties to win seats in Parliament, but votes for smaller party candidates may influence who wins the seat because of second, third, etc preferences.

A government can usually be formed without the need for coalitions or agreements between parties.

THE STV VOTING SYSTEM - SINGLE TRANSFERABLE VOTING

There are 120 Members of Parliament. Each electorate has more than one MP. This includes the Maori electorates. It is likely the 120 MPs would be divided between 24 and 30 electorates, each with 3 to 7 MPs.

Each voter has a single vote that is transferable. Voters either rank the individual candidates – 1, 2, 3, etc – in the order they prefer from all the candidates, OR they may vote for the order of preference published in advance by the political party of their choice.

MPs are elected by receiving a minimum number of votes. This is known as the quota and is based on the number of votes in each electorate and the number of MPs to be elected.

Candidates who reach the quota from first preference votes are elected.

If there are still electorate seats to fill after first preference votes are counted, a two-step process follows.

First, votes the elected candidates received beyond the quota are transferred to the candidates ranked next on those votes. Candidates who then reach the quota are elected.

Second, if there are still electorate seats to fill, the lowest polling candidate is eliminated and their votes are transferred to the unelected candidates ranked next on those votes.

This two-step process is repeated until all the seats are filled.

The number of MPs elected from each political party is about the same as the party’s share of all the first preference votes across the country.

Coalitions or agreements between political parties are usually needed before governments can be formed.

THE SM VOTING SYSTEM - SUPPLEMENTARY MEMBER

There are 120 Members of Parliament. There are 90 electorates, including the Maori electorates. Each elects one MP, called an Electorate MP. The other 30 seats are called supplementary seats. MPs are elected to these seats from political party lists published in advance and are likely to be called List MPs.

Each voter gets two votes.

The first vote is to choose the MP the voter wants to represent the electorate they live in. This is called the electorate vote. The candidate who gets the most votes wins. They do not have to get more than half the votes.

The second vote is for the political party the voter chooses. This is called the party vote. The share of the 30 supplementary seats each party gets is about the same as its share of the party vote.

For example, if a party gets 30% of the party vote, it will get about 9 List MPs in Parliament (being 30% of the 30 supplementary seats) no matter how many electorate seats it wins.

This makes SM different from MMP where a party’s share of all 120 seats mirrors its share of the party vote.

Under SM, one or other of the major parties would usually have enough seats to govern alone, but coalitions or agreements between parties may sometimes be needed.

Clear as mud right, still confused, view some clips online at referendum.org.nz that explains it sweet as! Good luck and don't forget to vote!

2011-11-09T06:28:00.000+13:00

Warbirds Over Wanaka International Airshow is held at Easter every two years. The next show is from Friday the 6th to Sunday the 8th of April 2012. In addition, there are a wide variety of ground displays, aviation trade stands and market stalls, which complement the air displays and offer a wide selection of goods and memorabilia to purchase.

The air show includes formation flying, acrobatics, and displays of planes, helicopters and military vehicles.

Highlights of the 2010 show included:

Four F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets from the Royal Australian Airforce
A rare Japanese A6M3 Zero, one of only three still flightworthy worldwide
Jurgis Kairys, multiple-time world aerobatics champion
"Wing-walking" display by German stunt-woman Peggy Krainz
40% scale model (3 metre wingspan) aircraft flight display
Flight and parachute showcase by the Royal New Zealand Airforce

In total, over 60 aircraft attended Warbirds Over Wanaka 2010, performing in a range of scenarios designed to entertain and thrill, including wartime skirmish re-enactments just metres from the crowd.

The backdrop of the Wanaka hills makes a beautiful setting for this event. If you are in the region for Easter 2012, make it a "must do" activity.

Wanaka Girls Top in Business

2011-11-07T06:35:00.001+13:00

A Mount Aspiring College all-girl business group was named top company at the Young Enterprise Scheme's southern regional awards in Invercargill this week.

Back Black Enterprise - comprised of year 13 pupils Elle Scurr (18), Abbi Ayre (18), Sina Schaal (19) and Ashley Campbell (17) - have sold thousands of their roll-on black and white face-paint sticks throughout New Zealand, capitalising on the popularity of the Rugby World Cup.

Back Black is one of 20 New Zealand secondary school companies to vie for the Lion Foundation Young Enterprise Scheme company of the year award at a national competition in Wellington on December 1.

The company is also the recipient of more than one excellence award, with which it will be presented at the December awards dinner.

Young Enterprise Trust spokeswoman Robin Borne said Back Black developed a "stand-out" product and demonstrated a "steadfast focus" on maximising sales by securing national distribution through major retailers.

"They've been very passionate about their goal and they've seen an opportunity and they've got very busy and active straight away at marketing and promoting ... " Ms Borne said.

By Lucy Ibbotson on Thu, 3 Nov 2011

Growing your business

2011-11-07T06:22:00.001+13:00

The debate on whether the recession is on the way out continues, mainly it seems outside Hawkes Bay as local business owners are still not bullish about the future. Whatever the situation with the economy nationally, the time for sitting around waiting for the upturn has long since passed. We business owners have to learn how to cope with (and even thrive and grow during) extended recessionary periods as our future and prosperity is in our hands, and our hands alone – blaming others and this and that won’t help us in the slightest. So what are the keys things we can do to get on and take control of our businesses?

Set Goals. Having an attainable goal in life or business can be more important to success than almost anything that you do. Heard the saying that if you aim for nothing you’ll hit it with remarkable accuracy every time? Would you set out on a journey without knowing your destination?

Writing down your goals has been proven to be the best way to achieve success. At Harvard University in the US a survey discovered that in one particular class 3% of the students had written goals. 10 years later it was found that the net wealth of the 3% was greater than that of the other 97% combined.
It’s the difference between drifting and being reactive and taking control and making things happen. They say that millionaires look at their written goals every day but billionaires write down their goals three times a day.

What goals do you have? To retire early? To grow and sell your business? To have every Friday off? To live free of financial pressures? They’re all possible early if you set goals!

Planning. International research reveals that, on average, businesses with a working business plan achieve 63% higher revenue growth and 58% higher profit growth yet the average small businessperson spends more time planning their annual holidays than they do in their business.

Why did you go into business? More money? More time off? Be your own boss? Some people never attain their full potential in business, they just swop one job for another which often requires more hours and sometimes with less money! If you don’t plan & spend time looking at and working on your business you won’t maximise the potential and profits in your business.

The three questions you need ask yourself to plan are:

Where I am now?
Where would I like to be?
How am I going to get there?

Don’t just write a long business plan based on a borrowed boring template for its own sake – it will end up in the desk draw or gathering dust. My preferred business plan is one with short and succinct one pagers for each area of the business – operations, marketing, HR, management control and Key Perfomance Indicators, each with their objectives and accountability.

Accountability. What would make it easier for business owners to take action? More time, more resources, or more of a willingness to embrace change? One sure fire thing that works is accountability to another, which is something one gets when working for someone else. Unfortunately, when you start your own business, you lose the benefit of accountability – as you only have yourself to answer to.

Accountability has been defined as the obligation of an individual to account for his or her activities, accept responsibility for them, and to disclose the results in a transparent manner.

There is nothing so motivating than knowing one is going to be embarrassed, be out on a limb or otherwise in trouble for not completing a task – business partners are good, spouses can be OK, even your older kids can turn out to be good sounding boards, but the most efficient accountability tools of all in a business scenario are Business Mentors or Coaches. This is because you are normally paying for their services and thus would be wasting your money if you didn’t do anything as a result, they are skilled in business and can therefore come up with ideas you didn’t have, they can immediately see things you can’t objectively, and importantly, they can help you see the bigger picture, set goals and help you reach them, getting you away from the day-to-day minutiae.

Written by: Nick Roberts | Posted on 28 October 2011.

Time Management

2011-11-05T06:25:00.001+13:00

People that are self-employed often have a difficult time organizing their daily tasks, which is probably the single biggest thing that creates frustration and regrets for these professionals. That’s why it is important to talk a bit about time management and how to time management properly.

The work process is easily interrupted by unnecessary meetings, phone calls or other technological innovations, designed to ‘save’ you time. Even the highest-paid business owners or professionals experience difficulties in time management. Fortunately, all of this can be quickly eliminated, by following some very simple principles.

Here is a list of the six things that will influence your time management the most and enable you to quickly get your goals done, without any frustration or interruptions.

Go over your schedule
What are you actually doing with your time? You should constantly be aware of what you are doing through your work day. Otherwise, it is easy to get sucked into tasks that do not matter and forgetting about time management. By being conscious of where you spend your time, you will quickly notice the times when you are being the most productive and the times where you seem to do things that do not matter and only dilute your work hours. You will also notice which the most important projects are and you will be able to spend the majority of your time on them.
Schedule your breaks
Once you notice all the unnecessary things you do in order to distract yourself, simply schedule a time to do them in advance. By doing that you are creating ‘breaks’, which are necessary for you to replenish your energy and stay sharp. Also, notice when you are the most productive and when you do not really feel like working. For some people the mornings are the most suitable for work, for others it is evenings.
Check your email once per day
For some people that is not possible, but for the majority of professionals spending a large amount of time checking and responding to mail is unnecessary. Set a time aside when you check and respond to mail and do not do it while you are working on other tasks. This will also reduce stress and anxiety that is often created by problem customers.
Focus on one thing at a time
Most people cannot focus on what is actually important while they are talking on the phone or checking mail. Everyone who does that simply does not know how to time management effectively. Another common issue is trying to get two projects finished at the same time. The result is almost often the same – none of the projects get done.
Ignore what distracts you
Do not be afraid to temporarily avoid or ignore colleagues or close your office door to avoid distractions. People will understand that you are busy, especially the ones that know how to time management themselves.
Give yourself rewards
Getting anything done takes discipline and focus, no matter how good your schedule is. You should feel proud of yourself for completing the important tasks and being productive. Also, do not be hard on yourself if once in a while you slip up and you have an unproductive day – you’re only human and you cannot constantly think about time management. Most people underestimate the amount of commitment and hard work it requires to properly schedule your tasks and make an effective use of your time. However, in the long run it pays off.

If you do not learn to properly manage your time, the to-do tasks tend to pile up and you will quickly start feeling overwhelmed. This is especially true if you are dealing with tasks that do not ‘go away’ and which only you can complete.

Written by: Alex Wong | Posted on 21 October 2011.

NZ’s Southern Lakes named one of the world’s must-visit destinations for 2012

2011-11-02T08:21:00.000+13:00

SOUTHERN LAKES, New Zealand (31 October, 2011) - Influential travel authority, Lonely Planet, has chosen New Zealand’s Southern Lakes region as one of the world’s Top 10 Regions to visit in 2012.
The Southern Lakes region of Queenstown, Lake Wanaka and Fiordland is the only New Zealand region to feature in the new book, Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2012 – the best trends, destinations, journeys and experiences for the upcoming year.

Queenstown and Southern Lakes is ranked eighth in the book’s list of Top 10 Regions for its year-round activities and spectacular scenery. An excerpt from the book reads, “There isn’t a bad time to turn up in the world’s top adventure playground. There’re nonstop outdoor activities year-round in the resort towns of Queenstown, Wanaka and Te Anau, as well as the surrounding mountains, lakes and parks… Where else can you ski in the morning and golf or water ski in the afternoon? Add excellent wineries and superb restaurants and what more is there to say?”

The Southern Lakes region is renowned as one of the most diverse and spectacular regions in the world, encompassing the tranquil beauty of Lake Wanaka, the international four-season resort of Queenstown and Fiordland’s dramatic landscapes, all surrounded by the breathtaking scenery of the Te Wahipounamu World Heritage Area.

Lonely Planet New Zealand spokesperson Sarah Bennett said, “This news is hardly the shock of the century. Anyone who lives in or has visited the Queenstown region will back up this accolade. Words like breathtaking, jaw-dropping, exhilarating and stunning are grossly overused in the tourism industry but the Southern Lakes region has a right to them all.”

Tony Everitt, CEO of Destination Queenstown, said featuring in Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2012 would bring significant benefits for the region’s profile.
“To receive this kind of endorsement by Lonely Planet is priceless for Queenstown and the Southern Lakes as well as New Zealand,” he said. “Lonely Planet is a giant of the travel industry so making it onto their Top 10 must-visit regions for 2012 will give our region global recognition and provide inspiration for their readers to visit.”

Lisa Sadler, manager of Destination Fiordland, said the power of Lonely Planet could not be underestimated, “We are aware of the power of Lonely Planet in influencing the travelling community about where the best experiences are to be found, so the news that Fiordland has been acknowledged, along with our Southern Lakes neighbours as amongst the world’s top 10 leading regions is superb.”

Lake Wanaka Tourism general manager James Helmore said Lonely Planet communicates to a core audience that enjoys what the region has to offer. “With its diversity of activities, striking landforms and freedom to do your own thing in the ultimate alpine playground, Wanaka and the Southern Lakes is the perfect fit for the Lonely Planet reader. Appearing in Best in Travel 2012 will considerably enhance our profile and allow more international travellers to discover what everyone who lives here is so passionate about.”
Queenstown and the Southern Lakes shares the Top 10 Regions list with destinations such as Borneo, Sicily, Northern Kenya and Coastal Wales which tops the 2012 list.
Best in Travel’s recommendations are drawn from hundreds of ideas submitted by Lonely Planet’s staff, authors and community of travellers, bloggers and tweeters. Their suggestions are then refined by a panel of in-house travel experts, based on topicality, excitement, value and that special X-factor.

Posted by Jen Andrews 31st October 2011 QueenstownNZ.co.nz

Why you need to train your brand to be social

2011-10-26T07:59:00.000+13:00

Brands are like people. They are conceived, born, maybe not all equally, and become the responsibility of the brand manager or the parent.

They learn, adapt, develop and mature. Most importantly, they interact with their external environment and develop relationships. Like people, they become social beings – they look for friends and people look to become friends with them. All easier said than done.

Brands appear on TV and in newspapers. They compete for space on supermarket and retail shelves. They adorn billboards and the back of buses. The point is, like the popular kids, they spread themselves around. But has this approach become too impersonal? Good friends want to socialise. And so do consumers.

Check out these stats:

• 91 percent say consumer reviews are the #1 aid to making buying decisions. (JC Williams Group)
• 87 percent trust a friend’s recommendation over a critic’s review. (Marketing Sherpa)
• Consumers are three times more likely to trust peer opinion, over advertising messages when making purchasing decisions. (Jupiter Research)
• One word-of-mouth conversation has the impact of 200 TV ads. (BuzzAgent)

Consumers want to do their socialising with brands online away from the glare and anonymity of media chatter. Spitting out one-way messages betweenFriends reruns won’t cut it in the digital space.

Sadly, too many brands don’t have the skills to hold online conversations. They’re awkward and ill at ease.

If brands are to venture online they’re expected to engage and take part in meaningful, two-way conversations. This means listening first and responding last.

According to Nielsen, nearly two million Kiwis have looked to their fellow internet users for opinions and information about products, services and brands, and almost half have published their own opinions specifically about products, services and brands.

Social media isn’t just about chat. It’s a channel that can also provide important brand insights.

Remember, people information is power:

• Market segmentation: generate better understanding by listening to who is talking about your brand and what they are saying. Divide the conversations up by demographic: age, gender, location and so on.
• Competitor analysis: learn what people are saying about your competitors. Use these insights to respond.
• Reputation management: understand what your market really thinks so you can refine your brand messages and create meaningful content, respond immediately to unhappy customers and reward the happy ones.
• Online research: learn about new trends in your industry.
• R&D: find gaps in the market and develop new ideas.
• Internal engagement: If your staff don’t love what they do, they won’t love the brand. Empower them to speak for the brand online and they’ll become your best brand ambassadors.

But whatever social media strategy is adopted, it doesn’t replace a brand strategy. And while successful branding has always been about storytelling, social media has given consumers the vehicle to become storytellers as well. They are telling stories in real time – and you'd better make sure you’re reading from the same page.

By Kaleb Mearns, October 27, 2011 @ 9:59 pm Idealog

We did it!

2011-10-24T05:42:00.001+13:00

After 24 long year wait and a nail biting 80 minutes, the cup is ours! On Sunday night the nation watched on the edge, of the edge of their seats the most nerve wracking game of the tournament (quite possibly that we have ever watched).

The match started with a scintillating haka that was challenged by the French team with a hand- holding walk-up type arrangement (not that scary really).

Fifteen minutes in Woodcock scored with a well executed line-out move which I imagine had the nation in pubs, lounges and the Cloud on their feet....Weepu missed the conversion.

The crowd got quieter and quieter as Weepu missed a penalty and Aaron Cruden wass hauled off and on comes Stephen Donald, ahem...our fourth choice first five eight. A comedy tank top jersey eased the tension of the spectators and the poor fella tugged and pulled on what we later find out to be last years size. FYI -Donald was plucked from the throws of a whitebaiting trip with the boys in Hamilton to come and play, not an intensive training regime of an All Black camp.

Just inside the second half the French are caught with their hands in a ruck and Donald nails a penalty....phew.

In the second half the French score and convert a try and put New Zealand into cardiac arrest and begin what was to become a very uncomfortable nauseous last 25 minutes.

The last 15 minutes were excruciating to watch and an overwhelming sense of relief showed on the faces of the team as the final whistle blew leaving the final score at 8-7 to NZ.

So exciting and NZ will been bask in the glory of this win for 4 years. The All Blacks played their heart out and were backed by 4 million kiwis who loved every minute of it.

The aftermath begins.....