Using Social Media for Businesses - Part 2

Social media has grown tremendously popular over the decade. Its reach is enormous that almost every single man of the world’s population has an account on Facebook, Twitter, Flicker, and MySpace. And why not? The advantages of having such accounts cannot be underestimated. People are able to reach old friends from several years back and friends who are at the other end of the globe. Individuals are able to connect with families and relatives that they have not even met. People, in fact, use the social media to start up their small online business. And with this last statement, why not business owners acknowledge the fact that the social media can also be used for their transactions?


Here are important tips to consider when using social media for one’s small business.

1. Before anyone signs up their business for a social media account, it is important for the owner to assess the type of product that is being sold or promoted. And chances are, there will be a greater market that can be targeted since there are millions who have such accounts.

2. Now is the time to sign up for an account. Facebook is the site that allows the business owner to create a business page. In fact, this can be done through the personal account of the owner. And when this is the case, the owner can more conveniently manage the account and not miss out on notifications and other updates.

3. Engage a social media manager. When one signs up for a number of social media sites, keeping up with all the notifications can be a daunting task. So before inviting friends and “likers”, it would be better to sign up for free to HootSuite and Ping.fm as these allow the user to manage all accounts in a single site. Messages are scheduled for deployment so that the user can still do other things while still getting advertised. And when the page has already reached greater transactions, then SproutSocial.com, which charges $49, may be contacted.

4. Next thing to do is to post updates. No user will follow a site that is empty and has nothing to show or sell. Updates would have to include profile of the company, situation of the industry, and some pictures and blogs for the guests to see and read.

5. Finding friends and followers comes next. Friends can be found by simply typing in some keywords. For example, if the target followers are pilots, then “pilot” has to be entered. The word “flying” can also be searched.

6. Engage followers and friends. It is important to remember to make friends and connections a primary priority. When inviting friends and followers, establishing rapport is very important. For example, when requesting to be a friend or follower, write a simple message introducing oneself.

7. Provide support. When client has a complaint or some comment, it is best and proper to answer that issue. This would make the customer or follower feel comfortable and valued.

8. Notice feedbacks. The customers are the owner’s patrons so value each feedback they have and base improvements on these.

Every business will grow when engaged in social media sites. And when this happens, there would now be the need for bookkeeping accounting. And when thinking about accounting software, think Shoebooks, Australia’s leading provider of accounting and invoicing software.

Business Conditions Continue Worsen Ever Since 1990's

The trading conditions have already been at their worst levels for about 14 years now. And this has led the business owners in believing that the economy is desperately in need of more interest rate reductions.

An appalling result in the latest survey of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) on investor confidence showed that most businesses are stabilizing at low levels while some others are “sinking to contractionary territory”.

According to the ACCI Director of Economics and Industry Policy, Greg Evans, "Overall the survey shows that mainstream Australian business is under significant pressure."


It was during the December quarter that the sales and profitability sank. To add to that, employment and investment intentions proved poor especially in the coming months.

"Businesses' view of their own conditions are at their lowest level since the survey began some 14 years ago, in 1998. Clearly this economy needs the benefit from further reductions in interest rates, and we would expect to see that in the first half of this year," added Mr. Evans.

The next meeting of the board of the Reserve Bank of Australia has been set on February 7 wherein the financial markets are expecting them to cut rates. However, the increasing “tug of war” between businesses and Australian banks remain a major concern of businesses. This war is over the two entities’ willingness to pass on the rate reduction’s full impacts.

"It underlines the lack of real competitive pressures in the Australian banking system," continued Mr. Evans.

The same survey also revealed that the largest constraint on investment remains to be taxes and government charges. This is followed by insufficient demand in Australia.

With these difficulties being experienced by businesses in Australia, there is a need for them to utilize accounting software for businesses and engage the services of online accounting to ensure that the processes and transactions are accurate. And in today’s time, there is no more place for assumptions in the business world.

Using Social Media for Businesses - Part 1

Do you have a small bookkeeping accounting business online?

With social media sites reporting users in billions of numbers, one cannot be wrong to presume that social media sites have gone viral.

Nowadays, with these billions of social media users, having no social media presence could now mean a slow death to your site. If you have a small business accounting software and you haven’t brought it into the social media craze, this would not do anymore.

Now, having no online social media presence even for those big accounting on line businesses is no longer an option as having a website and online presence is not anymore enough in this competitive world of internet marketing.


So here are some tips or ways on how to use social media for businesses:

1. Review and Identify Your Assets. Before engaging in online marketing or social media marketing and engagement, the first thing you should do is try to identify and assess what is your asset. What are you trying to promote? In this way, you can determine who your target audience would be.

2. Proactively Post and Tweet. Proactively post or tweet questions that ask for customers’ thoughts on specific product ideas, marketing strategies, or anything else that is relevant. And when you get a response, dig deeper. Make any initial feedback when you get into a conversation and try to create something real from the dialogue. In this way you will get conversation that may go on for some time which will make your conversation active and be noticed not only by other users but also by search engine crawlers.

3. Proactively Post Updates. Provide valuable relevant information about your business or people enjoying your business. This can be in the form of pictures or videos. On YouTube, you can post videos of your business, customer experiences, and encourage customers to make their own. You can also ‘favorite’ other YouTube users’ videos and they will end up on your page. Remember to keep your updates relevant, interesting and attractive. In this way, other people will like and follow your page.

4. Post Fun Contests, Polls, And Questions. You should try to post interesting and fun contests, polls of questions that would let your customers know you value their opinion, and that they have a personality.

5. Leverage your Website’s Content. In order to draw more traffic to your website, put your website's content to work. Spread the word by encouraging visitors to share content they enjoy. Install a widget, such as AddThis, that automates linking to popular sites, in order to promote the sharing of your site's content.

6. Look for Friends And Followers. Search keywords to find followers and friends. Search your town and surrounding areas as well to find key influencers, news outlets, bloggers, and city officials. Also, search for large players in your market. Join in their conversation. If they share your posts, you have the potential to reach thousands. On Google+, post a comment on one of their posts immediately. On Twitter, mention them in a post immediately. You can also make a comment on one of their posts or simply say that you look forward to following their great content. Try to make them trust you.

7. Post relevantly. If you want a more useful feedback, you should post and tweet questions that are relevant to specific areas the business explores. Feedback in response to the question “What new online accounting should we offer?” will be more valuable than compliments on how nice your bookkeeping accounting is already are.

8. Provide Discounts. Offer discounts. In this way, people will follow you then and they also will buy.

9. Build Brand Loyalty. By providing quality and dependable goods and services or provide something for free, be it information or community, you can enable people to like your brand and then buy from it in the future again.

10. Offer Support. Provide customer support. Immediately answer questions that are posted on your Twitter or Facebook accounts.

11. Engage Friends and Followers. Build a relationship with people, not pitching your service or product. Provide them with story ideas and leads that have nothing to do with your business. Engage them in conversations and if possible give them a personal comment or responses. In this way, you can gather more friends and followers.

12. Interact With Visitors. Have a conversation with your visitors. Even though they are not your customers and just posting comments or questions, engage them and have a real conversation. Maybe in the future they will become your customers.

13. Monitor Trends. Find out more on social media. Use tools that allow you to watch trends unfold. In this way, you can determine what’s cool and where the demand is almost instantly by scanning Facebook and Twitter with simple tools like Topsy.

14. Reach Out.Reach out to people who you know that like you. Contact them, simply express your gratitude, invite them to your next product presentation or send them your products for testing purposes.

15. Harness your expertise. Share the knowledge you've gathered through your trade. This could go a long way toward boosting your brand.

SMEs target on Increasing Client and Revenue Growth this 2012

A recent survey reflects that among the top priorities of small and medium business this 2012 are customer relationships and increasing business activity in the markets.

This was according to the Business Monitor Survey which was released recently by MYOB, a management service provider. And yes, the customers remain the main focus of small and medium businesses.

"Customers will understandably remain the core focus for Australian SMEs in maintaining and strengthening their business health in 2012, with our research finding more than one third of businesses are set to increase activity around attracting customers' attention and building their loyalty,” said Tim Reed, Executive Chief of MYOB.


"It makes sense for today's business owners, many of whom face increasingly financially conservative consumers, to foster a 'stickier' customer by providing more products or services to whet their appetite," he added. "For many it will be the key to their survival in a two-speed economy,” Reed continued.
It was also seen that about 24 percent of businesses are intending to enter online sales this year.
According to the survey, about a third of the more than 1000 Australian small and medium businesses include in their key strategies for this year attracting and retaining customers, as well as diversifying businesses into new areas or fields.

It is interesting to note that the Australian accounting software, cloud computing, has been seen to have played a vital role in the expansion of businesses offshore. It is said that those firms that have their own website were able to increase their revenue by six percent in the past 12 months. This is in comparison to those who did not have it or used accounting software for business.

According to Mr. Reed, "The key is getting online, being found, communicating well to your online audience and in doing so getting solid access to the digital economy.”

Australian Share Market Up 0.4 percent

A two percent rise was seen in the Australian shares as it closed this week. This was after the yields on government debt issues by Italy and Spain had fallen to their lowest. A total of 10 billion euros in bond were sold by Spain while Italy sold 12 billion euros of bills.

"Spain’s auction was met with strong demand at resulting yields lower than the same maturities late last year, while the Italian auction also saw yields on one-year maturities falling to their lowest levels since June 2011. Obviously investors welcomed these developments,” said Cameron Peacock at IG Markets.


Also, the European Central Bank (ECB) had kept interest rates unmoving in the early part of 2012.

Most sectors ended positively but miners, industrials, and energy had it higher. The retail sector also kept up as it added 0.1 percent.

BHP Billiton shares went up by 0.6 percent while Fortescue Metals Group raised it shares at 1.9 percent.

“Commodity prices overall remain robust...however, mining equities face sentiment headwinds. The market continues to price in further downside, which also creates an opportunity as equity prices aren’t challenging.” This is according to mining-sector strategists at Japanese bank Nomura Securities.

Energy firms, on the other hand, also performed well. A rise of 1.5 percent in the shares of Woodside Petroleum was seen while a 17.7 percent increase in shares was experienced by Linc Energy.

JP Morgan, US banking giant, released its earnings report Friday night. A profit downgrade was experienced by QBE, an insurer, which dragged the Australian market lower. Its shares went down by 3.1 percent at $11.

"With a company like QBE, it could take them nine months before they crawl back up again," said Ord Minnett Equities Consultant, Ian Merrick.

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Shoebooks is a premium provider of accounting on line solutions for SME businesses in Australia. Check out Shoebooks Australian accounting software services and experience the advantages of our accounting online software solutions. Shoebooks is located at Unit 12, 118 Church Street, Hawthorn Victoria 3122, Australia. Call Shoebooks at +613-9818-1515

Cloud Computing Benefits to your Business

Cloud computing has been increasingly becoming very popular today. As forecasted, it will even grow bigger this year. And why should it not? Cloud computing, an accounting on line, has numerous benefits for its users.

Here are among the Cloud Computing benefits:

1. The cloud saves time. Software programs that are used by businesses will demand time to set up and operate. The cloud, on the other hand, is simple as it needs only a computer and an internet connection to access the accounts.

2. Updates are minimal. What is even better than this is that updates are taken care of by the IT people of this software for accounting. Unlike using software programs, updates are not necessary all the time.

3. Energy is saved because only 10 to 20 percent of the PC will be used. And when we put together all these PCs that are idle, a great amount of energy is saved.

4. Accessibility and Mobility are among the benefits of this software for bookkeeping. A business owner can check his account and transactions from any part of the world using a computer with internet connection.

5. Services are offered by the cloud itself. These include emails and collaboration.

6. There is no need to spend on support and administrative overhead which are necessary when a business buys servers and needs services in running an IT shop. More than that, the business owner can rely on the cloud anytime, even during holidays, to perform transactions and processes.

7. Pricing is dependent on the needs of the user. The user only has to pay for as much as what is being used by the business. In time, this can increase as the needs of the business also increase. Therefore, scalability is also an advantage.

8. Better and speedier responses are delivered by cloud computing.

With these, cloud computing can really help every business with its operations.

5 Surprising Cloud Computing Statistics

The year 2011 has seen many businesses turning to the clouds for their software for accounting computing. Topics and issues on accounting software online and Cloud Computing have become one of the favored topics of discussions and debates among the IT community.

In recent months, countless polls and surveys have been conducted, with the focus of making improvements on the people’s understanding of the cloud computing market and industry trends.




Here are the 5 key Cloud Computing statistics from 2011:

1. The size of the Cloud Computing Market by 2013 will $150 Billion. With more and more businesses just recently starting to turn to the clouds as they feel the pressure to move into cloud computing, it is no longer a surprise that experts like Merrill Lynch’s research predicts that the cloud computing market will be worth $160 billion by the 2013, the same with other experts who has predicted that market will grow at such a high rate in the next few years.

2. The Amount Amazon.com’s AWS expects to earn Million in 2011 was $750. Since it started, Amazon’s Web Services have been providing businesses with an infrastructure web services platform based in the cloud. Their offering, which started in 2006, has hit a revenue of around $500 Million in 2010, which is an estimate based on research done by analysts at UBS, a financial analyst firm based in Switzerland.

3. 7 out of 10 companies are using cloud services that will move new applications to the cloud. According to statistic based on a study conducted by Mimecast, a company that offers Software as a Service enterprise e-mail, many companies have started their transition into the cloud with a small “trial;” testing it with only some of their infrastructure, applications, or data. It is then expected that a large portion of the industry growth in the next few years will be from the companies who are happy with their “trial period” and are ready to make the transition to the cloud.

4. 54% of respondents have citied security as their top concern for transitioning to the cloud. According to a recent survey conducted by LinkedIn with 7052 respondents, security has been the top deterrent for many businesses looking to use cloud computing in their company. This is especially true for those industries that make use and store sensitive data such as the financial and healthcare industries.

5. 60% of server workloads will be virtualized by 2014. According to a research conducted by Gartner, the research revealed that many companies are now feeling pressure to go to the clouds for their computing as consumers and businesses alike are now realizing that the cloud offers a variety of solutions to problems that plague computer-users daily.

Australian Share Market Positive Start to 2012

Attention businesses using Australia accounting software!

The Australian share market has seen a rise on the first day of trading in 2012, with more than one per cent rise on the back of positive leads in the local bourse, boosted by the European stock markets and the rallying in commodity prices during the long weekend in Australia.

For the first time in a week, the Australian shares have risen as the materials sector led broad-based gains after the official positive manufacturing PMI data out of China for December beat market expectations, helping boost risk appetite, helping resources, and energy stocks.


Gains on shares were posted across the market after the better-than-expected German manufacturing data helped European markets spread more holiday cheer, though the volumes remained low.

Also cited as positive factors by traders were the hopes of policy easing in China and a slight calming of European jitters  although in the week ahead, the market is expected to face several major events.

A rise of 1.1 per cent to 3.7 per cent was seen on shares of BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto, Newcrest Mining, and Fortescue Metals after China's PMI rose to 50.3 against the 49.0 expected by economists.

Moreover, an increase of 0.8 per cent to1.7 per cent was seen on major banks, which is said to have been helped by an improved risk appetite after Europe's STOXX 600 has increased by 1.1 per cent and Germany's DAX advanced 3 per cent.

According to Dow Jones Newswires technical analysis, the S&P/ASX 200 index looks poised to rally to the 4200-4270 area this week.

The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index closed up 1.1 per cent at 4101.2 after hitting a three-day high of 4108.1 intraday.

Meanwhile, the Australian dollar has made a positive start to 2012 as it posted a record high against the euro and touching a one-month peak against the US dollar as positive manufacturing data from China boosted investor sentiment.

At 5.00pm AEST, the Australian dollar was seen trading at 102.90 US cents, which is up 1.3 per cent from Friday's local close of 101.62 US cents.

According to Iress data, during the day, there was a currency movement between 102.17 US cents and 102.99 US cents.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Buying Accounting Software

It is not anymore uncommon for business owners to adopt the use of accounting software to make the business’s transactions easier, more free-flowing, and hassle-free. Its benefits are insurmountable. However, they are also being warned to not commit common accounting software mistakes.

Of the many accounting mistakes that owners commit, there is one that stands out among others. According to the Executive Vice-President of K2e.com, Randolph Johnston, this mistake is the decision of business owners to skip training their staff fully on the use of the software for accounting.


"This is an item that should be budgeted and not cut. Even though technology vendors will portray software as being easy to use, set up and integrate - it rarely is," said Mr. Johnston.

And so here is a rundown of these mistakes and the things that can be done to avoid them.

1. Many business owners immediately jump into researching for the best accounting software small business they can find without actually trying to assess if the company ever needs one. As a result, the needs of the business are not being delivered. So, it is best that business must first try to understand if there is ever a need for such software.

2. Business owners get to excited to get software for accounting on line in order to get rid of headaches and much paperwork. In the end, they are not able to get the software that is scalable. Scalable means that the software can cope to the changes and demands of the business’s accounting even if it triples or doubles its size. So before, getting that software, make sure this feature is present.

3. Business owners also neglect the fact that they need software that can be integrated with other software applications. This is necessary especially when there are applications which are necessary for the operations of the business.

These mistakes have to be taken into consideration so as not to commit them. Accounting is a very crucial aspect of a business to keep itself afloat in these times’ tough and fierce competition.

Mobile Cloud Computing Market to Grow by 2016

Cloud computing is off on a good start and it does not end there. And in the coming years, it will increase and get larger even more as it penetrates the mobile world.

Mobile cloud computing, still an accounting software, is expected to generate an income of $45 billion by 2016. This is according to the prediction of Visiongain, an independent information provider. This will be made possible with the enormous popularity of smartphones.

A “rapid growth stage” is being predicted for mobile cloud computing as invoicing software.

The development of cloud-based mobile applications will be encouraged by BONDI, OneAPI, and HTML5, which are all technology enhancements. This is seen to happen in 2014.

Many companies and small businesses are seen to join in the trend of adopting this software for accounting despite issues of feasibility, security, privacy, and accessibility.

In five years’ time, cloud computing is expected to be valued at $240 billion. This is a great rise from its current value of only $77 billion. And of course, it is the mobile market that will drive this much income.

With all cloud computing can do, it will surely change the way a desktop looks forever. This is according to Dr. Mick Grierson who is a computer lecturer at Goldsmiths, University of London.

Accounting Software Inflates Profits and Close Loopholes

Now, more than ever, there is a need to adopt accounting software by every business. This is after reports revealed that banks are actually making use of loopholes in accounting regulations to their advantage where they could alter results like profit levels and staff bonuses.

The Adam Smith Institute says banks utilize complex financial products that may conclude a profit value that is different from the actual one.

The blame can be put on the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) according to Gordon Kerr, a former banker who authored the report. The IFRS allows banks to include in their current profits certain expected future income.


"The accounting regulation system needs radical reform so that banks are not encouraged to invest in risky assets to make themselves seem more profitable than they really are. Honest balance sheets are the cornerstone of a healthy financial system – right now, we don't have the transparency we desperately need to avoid a repeat of 2008," he said.

An example of this action is when banks buy CDS or Credit Default Swap. The CDS allows the banks to declare cash flow certainty despite the possibly of uncertainty.

"Accurate accounting is at the root of the legal and scrutiny framework; without accurate accounts basic laws are incapable of enforcement. As this report shows, banks have been using loopholes in these rules to inflate their accounts and create false profits to pay for bonuses and short-term gains for their shareholders," said Kerr.

So in order to get accurate and fair results, businesses must use software for bookkeeping or online accounting software. Accounting software business will definitely help avoid what had recently happened to Macomb County. It incurred a financial error that resulted to a $1.7 million hole to its budget. From that experience, there is truly a need for accounting software.

Australian Stocks Hits two-week Low over Europe Recession Fears

Attention customers of Australia accounting software and accounting software providers alike!

As poor data out of Asia and the bad news of the growing outlook of a recession in Europe are sending investors running for cover, the Australian stocks dropped to a two-week low.

Stocks have been closing lower for the fifth day out of six after more dismal news comes from Europe overnight which saw an increase of Italian bond to a euro-era record, which then has triggered a sharp selloff in commodities as investors were rushing to the perceived safe haven of the dollar.


Data revealed that China's manufacturing sector has continued to contract in December as exports slowed compounded fears that the euro zone debt crisis is already slowing growth in Asia.

According to CMC Markets sales trader Ben Taylor, a feeling of nowhere to hide at the moment is rampant among investors. And the once promised safety of gold has been hijacked in US dollar strength. US bonds in return give you little to no real return and equity markets are quickly losing their appeal.

At the close today, the benchmark S&P/ASX200 index has dropped by 50.7 points, or 1.2 per cent, at 4,139.8, while the broader All Ordinaries index lost 52 points, also 1.2 per cent, to 4,197.8.

On the ASX (Australian Securities Exchange) 24, the March 2012 share price index futures contract cut down 48 points or 1.2 per cent to 4,116, with 37,911 contracts traded while the December share price index futures contract, which expired at midday, dropped 26 points to 4,153.

Leading the market lower are the miners and energy stocks as the resource-heavy ASX became the worst performing index in the region.

The worst performers were the gold miners, shedding 3.8 per cent.

A 2.9 per cent to $30.88 loss was attributed to Newcrest Mining while BHP Billiton has showed a drop of 64 cents, or 1.8 per cent, at $35.06. The Rio Tinto shed $1.76 to hit $61.40.

According to IG Market's market analyst Stan Shamu, the huge drop in gold over the past few days has broken several support levels on the way down and if there is a break lower, there could be assumption that the gold super-cycle is over.

In Sydney, the price of gold was at $US1,567 by 1651 AEDT; down $US72.83 from Wednesday's local close of $US72.83.

Furthermore, banks have suffered a hit as ratings agency, Fitch, downgraded major French banks Credit Agricole and Rabobank on the back of escalating problems in Europe, along with France's Banque Federative du Credit Mutuel Denmark's Danske Bank and Finland's OP Pohjola Group.

Meanwhile, on the local state, National Australia Bank chairman Michael Chaney has united with Westpac this week in giving out a warning that Europe's debt crisis is pushing up the costs of funding for banks and the problem is far from over.

The warning came as NAB closed down 38 cents, or 1.6 per cent, at $23.48.

Westpac has also showed a drop of 34 cents at $20.46, while Commonwealth Bank was down 75 cents at $48.63 and ANZ was down 19 cents at $20.78.

Why Cloud Computing is a Must for Businesses?

Cloud computing is increasingly becoming popular among business owners when it comes to their accounting software for business. In fact, Phil Wainewright, the vice president of Eurocloud, is saying that the norm now for businesses is cloud computing.

Therefore, it is necessary to adopt this accounting software for small businesses in order to get the best and maximize every company’s earnings.

Bill Claybrook who is the principal analyst of New River Marketing Research in Massachusetts says that cloud computing must be a technology that companies must explore. So why is this so?

1. Cost savings is a primary advantage. When a company buys data servers, coolers, and other equipment to save data, it spends too much compared to using cloud computing. Reviewing savings potential is also very convenient making profits even higher.

2. The business gains agility. There will be times in a company when it would need more servers and more data storage space. And only cloud computing can provide this instantly without having to spend that much.

3. Data center flexibility is another advantage. Existing data centers can be managed by cloud computing.

4. Security management of mobile devices is managed. This can involve the mobile devices that are being used by the employees.

5. Maximized time and workforce is an added advantage. While cloud computing can do a lot for a company, IT staff can be allowed to focus on new and more pressing concerns in the business.

Mr. Wainewright says "It's growing somewhere between - depending on who you talk to - 25 and 40 per cent a year. [It] is going to become mainstream very fast.” So every business owner has to use this accounting software.

Cloud Computing Will Take Over by 2016

It has been seen that cloud computing will continue taking the limelight even in the next 5 years. The conclusion was drawn after this said accounting software made it to the top 10 predictions for the IT industry. This was performed by the research body, Gartner.

By the end of 2016, more than 50 percent of Global 1000 companies will be storing their data and information in the cloud as their accounting software for business. This is a huge increase from the more than twenty percent who are already using the technology today.

However, there have been mixed reactions on this subject. According to Jignesh Shah, Vice President for Business Infrastructure Solutions of Software AG:

“In markets like North America it already accounts for 20 to 25 per cent (of IT data storage). Also, it is important to keep in mind that when talking about applications, it is not just to do with big chunky applications like Oracle, but a whole plethora of specialised apps.

“If you look at the entirety of Cloud computing infrastructure today, SaaS is the only layer that is really making money. And the margin is growing, both from an enterprise (consumer) and vendor point of view.”

Furthermore, he said that it will be difficult for companies to fully utilize cloud computing.

On the other hand, Andrew Bearsley of HP Application LifeCycle Management said:

“I look at things from an applications and transformational perspective, and the reason I strongly disagree with any suggestion that by 2016 over 50 per cent of all ISVs will be pure SaaS providers is, quite simply, the word ‘pure’.”

Today, many companies are already utilizing this cloud-based solution but are combining this with the traditional physical equipment in the office.

Survey: Small Business Owners Worried as Running Cost Rise

The soaring of running costs are driving small business owners to become more pessimistic. However, they are seen to bounce back according to a national happiness survey.

Only 48 percent of businesses are expecting an improved performance in the coming 6 months, according to Westpac Local Business Sentiment Survey. Furthermore, it said that this figure is 11 points down from the May survey. Among those that cause the biggest worries are increased costs and declining revenue.

From just 33 percent, there are already 40 percent of respondents who now believe that it is becoming more difficult to run a business.

From the survey, it has been found out that 20 percent of businesses are being affected by managing costs such as electricity. This is higher than the figure six months ago according to Westpac Victoria General Manager, Julie Rynski.

"It is being seen as one of the greatest challenges for small businesses. It has meant they are not feeling as confident as they were. The level of optimism has certainly declined but not as much as it has in other states,” said Rynski.

According to Narelle Telford, Red Parrot Café co-owner in Gippsland town of Nojee, customers are opting to share their meals or buy snacks that are a lot cheaper. As a result, his business is also going through a tough time.

"They are very nervous about spending and we don't know how long that is going to go on for, of course,'' Ms Telford said.

"We've still got customers coming in, which is lovely, but they are spending less. The bottom line is at the end of the day the till doesn't hasn't got as much money in it to pay our bills. When you are in small business you just have to make the most of it and just think of ways you can deal with any situation,'' said Ms Telford.

From ranking among the happiest businesses in the nation six months ago, Victorian businesses are now at rank 56.

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Shoebooks is a premium provider of accounting software for SME businesses in Australia. Check out Shoebooks accounting software for small business and experience the advantages of our bookkeeping accounting services for your business. Shoebooks is located at Unit 12, 118 Church Street, Hawthorn Victoria 3122, Australia. Call Shoebooks at +613-9818-1515

EU shake up Audit Market: Accounting Software users' Revamp Operations

The £600 million audit market is now under scrutiny as it faces a major shake-up.

As authorities attempt to make improvements on standards across the board, some of the audit industry's largest users of software for accounting may soon be asked to reorganize their operations.

With city firms, large companies and smaller accountants who have been using accounting software for small businesses have been expressing their concerns for several years of the "Big Four" - PwC, KPMG, Deloitte, Ernst & Young – and their stranglehold on one of the most important cogs of corporate British life. Michael Barnier, internal market commissioner at the European Union has told the “Big Four’ that splitting their European bodies could be the key to an upturn in quality and opening up of the market.


EU market commissioner Barnier will publish a draft law which, if approved, could result in the splitting of the “oligopolistic” networks of KPMG, PwC, Ernst & Young and Deloitte which check the books of nearly all blue chips in the world.

It is thought that the separation of the audit and consulting arms of each business may bring about an improvement in standards when it comes to working with accounts.

The proposal of Minister Barnier came soon after his plan of forcing the large firms to share their workload with smaller companies was shelved.

Rivals, such as Grant Thornton, BDO, Mazars, RSM and Rodl & Partner, have welcomed Barnier's aim of opening up the market.

Meanwhile, Barnier’s other idea of making it compulsory for organizations to change their auditor every six years has also been backed.

However, the Office of Fair Trading suggestion that the present state of affairs is damaging the economy was noted to be a serious accusation at a time when Britain is in danger of slipping back into recession.

Jean Stephens, chief executive of RSM International, even told newspaper that it is important that Mr Barnier does not allow his plans for improvements to the accounting market to be "watered down".

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Australian Government Surplus-Saving: 10 Key Points

With the Mid Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook statement revealing a drop in the revenue for the next four financial years amounting to a whopping $20 billion, Wayne Swan, Federal Treasurer, has been prompted to put a halt to spending in order to save the 2012-2013 budget surplus promised to the Labor.

"We are experiencing the worst bout of global instability since the global financial crisis,” said Mr. Swan.

Though the economy of Australia is seen by the Treasury to grow by 3.25 percent in the financial year 2011-12, Mr. Swan is still trying to illustrate the global economy and its impacts on Australian economy using the MYEFO report.


"Global economic and financial conditions have deteriorated markedly in recent months, and the risks to global stability from the European sovereign debt crisis have intensified. Global growth prospects have been downgraded markedly in 2012, with the euro area expected to return to recession. This has led to a weaker near-term economic and fiscal outlook for Australia since the budget and substantial reductions to government revenues,” said Swan.

Here are the MYEFO’s ten key points:

1. The Australian economy is expected growth in 2011-2012 by 3.25 percent. This same rate will be followed until the next financial year. But for 2013-2014 and 2014-2015, this growth will drop to 3 percent.

2. In 2011-2012, there has been a deficit of $37.1 billion. But in 2012-2013, this is expected to return to surplus of only about $1.5 billion.

3. Employment will not be doing much good as it is expected to grow in 2012-2013 by just 1 percent. For the succeeding years, this will be grown by $1.5 percent each year.

4. There is a big hole to fill in the tax revenue as this will have fallen over the next four years by $20 billion.

5. There is a deferral of automatic tax deductions.

6. People working away from home are receiving living-away-from-home allowance which is costing the government a dear amount of money. If changes in this area will be enacted, a good $700 million will be saved by the government in the next four years.

7. The government reducing co-contributions on superannuation will help the government save about $1 billion over the next four years.

8. Middle-class welfare has been applied by the government. Baby bonus will be frozen at $5,000.

9. A good $436 million will be raised over the next four years by adapting better data matching.

10. A 2.5 percent cut in spending by public service is called upon.

With these key points, small businesses may also have to be on their feet and be ready for changes. It would be best if they utilize an Australian accounting software or any reputable accounting software for business.

Australian SME Businesses Not Happy with Federal Government

An MYOB report reveals that about half of Australian SMEs are now dissatisfied with the federal government. The rage of these small and medium businesses has reached a three-year high. From just 31 percent during the last three months, the number of dissatisfied SME’s has soared to 56 percent recently.

Only 14 percent of the 1000 surveyed business owners in October say they are happy. This shows a decrease from the 27 percent last August.

According to Tom Reed, MYOB Chief Executive, business owners are a pragmatic group and they may be appeased if the government takes some straightforward measures.


“Business owners... go into business because they are passionate about delivering a product or service better. They don’t tend to have ideological views, but support clear policies that will strengthen the economy and remove red tape,” he added.

The state that has the highest dissatisfaction rating is Queensland at 65 pecent. Last March, this was only at 46 percent. On the other hand, Victoria has the lowest dissatisfaction rating of 41 percent which is still nine percent higher than the previous survey results.

"We call upon all political parties to stop ignoring the SME sector and start developing policies that will genuinely make business life easier," is the call of Mr. Reed.

The MYOB also found out that small business owners want some immediate action in the following:

• A good 69 percent want policies that simplify GST/BAS reporting processes

• Another 66 percent want more government investments in transport infrastructure in cities and states

• 63 percent want more funding for innovation, research, and development

• 61 percent want a “Buy Australian made” policy for procurements in the government

• And 61 percent want the carbon tax abolished.

“It needs to shore up business tax revenue shortfalls if it’s to meet its surplus promise, while at the same time stimulate non-mining sector business investment and growth,” said Reed.

“With the carbon tax legislation off the immediate agenda, the Gillard Government can take back the policy initiative and positively respond to the recent tax forum,” he added.

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Shoebooks is a premium provider of accounting software in Australia for SME businesses. Check out Shoebooks bookkeeping software and experience the advantages of our bookkeeping accounting services for your business. Shoebooks is located at Unit 12, 118 Church Street, Hawthorn Victoria 3122, Australia. Call Shoebooks at +613-9818-1515 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              +613-9818-1515     

VMware Releases New Cloud Computing Solution

The release of a new cloud computing solution has been confirmed by VMware, a leading virtualization company.

The new vCloud Connector 1.5 is aimed to make public and hybrid clouds a reality for businesses. This was stated through the company’s official blog. Among its top features is being able to transfer between cloud-based portals certain company data with such ease, efficiency, and speed.

More specifically, the vCloud Connector 1.5 features include:




1. Blocking tasks and notifications. The vCO can dynamically respond to vCloud Director tasks and notifications if the plug-in is combined with the AMQP plug-in.

2. Query service. This allows the software to collect information about numerous objects with speed.

3. 142 new actions as well as 47 new workflows allow complex automation to happen in less time.

4. From 160 objects before, there are already close 500 new objects with the support of the 1.5 API.

When businesses opt to use this vCloud 1.5, they can already do the following:

1. Efficiency through utilization and automation
IT performance can be increased with resource pooling and a dynamically optimized environment.

2. Agility with control
End-users are given the power to ensure security and preserve IT authority with the use of the vCloud. With this solution, businesses can now be able to address and respond to business concerns brought about by changing demands of time.

3. Freedom of choice
With the use of this solution, IT can still support traditional systems and still have that same flexibility.

Perhaps the best feature of this vCloud is that it is also compatible with other VMware products. This enables users to move from one solution to another in a seamless and hassle-free way.

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Shoebooks is a premium provider of accounting software in Australia for SME businesses. Check out Shoebooks bookkeeping software and experience the advantages of our online accounting programs for your business. Shoebooks is located at Unit 12, 118 Church Street, Hawthorn Victoria 3122, Australia. Call Shoebooks at +613-9818-1515

Former Dragons' Den James Caan Talks Cloud Computing

The amazement that cloud computing brings is not only felt by small and medium-sized business owners but even by celebrities and big business people alike. This time, no less than James Caan was pleasantly surprised when he was offered to invest in the online accounting software.

The businessman and entrepreneur who stars the hit BBC show, Dragon’s Den, spoke to the Ahead in the Clouds event in London where he was quoted for saying that he was won over by the cloud’s technology earlier this year.

”It (cloud computing) has changed the landscape quite significantly. Companies no longer need to have large bulky archives with all their databases written on papers. Cloud computing enables all this information to be stored online in a digital format, with little limitations on size,” he said.


“What’s also very important is that cloud computing enables infomation and data access anywhere in the world, as long as there is an internet connection. My private equity firm Hamilton Bradshaw uses cloud computing and I’m still amazed how efficient the system is.”

Caan said he was recently abroad and decided to show some large documents to his colleague. He was truly amazed to have been able to access the information with speed.

However, Caan also admits that there are risks associated with using the accounting for small businesses. But the administrators of this online accounting programs are putting at the top of their agenda the solutions to such concerns.

“Business owners are typically so swamped with everyday tasks and issues they tend to push their business security to the bottom of their priority list. However, I believe that a company’s information is one of their most valuable assets and should be at the top of every entrepreneur’s agenda,” added Caan.