Hibiscus Matters Business Feature 2013

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| Hibiscusmatters 1 March 2013 6 Perspectives Fresh SILVERDALE’S NEW LAW FIRM For smart legal solutions you need specialist help Meet our team, Barbara Wilkins,Greg Woodd, Sarah Martin and Teresa Heathcote. (Left to Right) Business law Asset protection, trusts, wills and estates Property (home buying and selling, subdivisions, refinancing, and commercial property) Litigation and dispute resolution Employment law Immigration law Relationship property Lifestyle planning For legal excellence, exceptional results and a real commitment to personalised service, don’t hesitate to contact Simpson Western. Silverdale: Cnr Millwater Parkway & Polarity Rise. Also at Takapuna and North Harbour. P: (09) 486 3058 | E: [email protected] | W: simpsonwestern.co.nz SMARTER SOLUTIONS FROM SPECIALISTS by Pauline Stockhausen Let’s face it – budgets have been tight for a lot of people the past couple of years, and these days getting the most out of every cent really matters. Budgeting doesn’t have to be a tedious and overly complicated process. In fact, today’s technology provides a multitude of ways to help individuals and families keep track of their budget and a great place to start is one of the many budgeting apps available online. If you have a smart phone, or tablet, you can download many apps for as little as $6 – and for the seriously budget conscious, there are many others available free. Budget Back in Black This is a very simple, easy to apply- to-real-life budgeting app that anyone can use. You can set income amounts, enter fixed expenses and apply a budget for all other spending. You can track your spending at a glance via the home screen. Other features include setting goals like savings or credit card debt reduction. My favourite part of this app is the visual pie graphs that help me see where my money is going. Westpac Bank has also developed a budget planner app with many of the same features. Bills There is nothing worse than getting penalised for a late payment, so Bills is a great way to keep track of when your bills are due for payment. Very easy to use, this app lets you list all your bills within the month; they can also be listed weekly or fortnightly. It sends you pre-alerts when a bill is due and rewards you when you have paid a bill on time. iallowance This app allows children to keep track of their chores and they can also see how their money grows as they save, which helps children get into the habit of saving. The app has a reward system so parents can keep track of the targets too. No more comments such as: ‘but you said I could get a treat if I did all my chores for the week’. Parents can also use this app just for the reward system; so a child can receive or lose stars, and stars translate into money. Menu planner This might not seem like a budgeting app but it is, because it allows users to track the items stocked in their pantry. The Menu Planner app then suggests different menus, making this app a great time and money saver. Each week Digital technology helps t ight budgets you can organise what you want to cook for the week and it uses the items within the pantry and writes a list of items that are needed. A lifesaver. Pauline Stockhausen runs Hibiscus Matters’ popular Facebook page and owns social media company, Social Soup NZ. BRIEFS Wifi sought for Orewa Orewa business association Destination Orewa Beach is taking steps to try and establish free Tomizone WiFi within the town centre. The organisation says that free WiFi is an expected service for businesses and tourists internationally. A request for support has been lodged with the Hibiscus & Bays Local Board. Plaza owner revealed Whangaparaoa Plaza is now in the hands of a family-owned, NZ company, Greenwhale Holdings. The company purchased the Plaza last November for $29.5 million and at the time wished to remain anonymous. The sole director of Greenwhale Holdings (which changed its name from NZ Business Consultants Ltd in November 2012) is Shahin Behrooz Kermani of Auckland, who is also director of numerous other companies, including Gemini Property Management Ltd, Westcity Enterprises Ltd and Wainuiomata Shopping Centre Ltd. The Plaza’s marketing coordinator Marjolein de Graaf says the new owners intend to undertake a review of the centre in the near future and will explore options, including community based initiatives, in order to ensure that The Plaza “remains the number one shopping destination on the peninsula”.

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Hibiscus Matters Business Feature 2013, Local news, newspaper

Transcript of Hibiscus Matters Business Feature 2013

| Hibiscusmatters 1 March 20136

B u d g e t i n g & B u s i n e s s f e at u r e

PerspectivesFresh

SILVERDALE’S NEW LAW FIRMFor smart legal solutions you need specialist help

Meet our team, Barbara Wilkins,Greg Woodd, Sarah Martin and Teresa Heathcote. (Left to Right)

• Business law

• Asset protection, trusts, wills and estates

• Property (home buying and selling, subdivisions, refinancing, and commercial property)

• Litigation and dispute resolution

• Employment law

• Immigration law

• Relationship property

• Lifestyle planning

For legal excellence, exceptional results and a real commitment to personalised service, don’t hesitate to contact Simpson Western.

Silverdale: Cnr Millwater Parkway & Polarity Rise. Also at Takapuna and North Harbour.

P: (09) 486 3058 | E: [email protected] | W: simpsonwestern.co.nz

Smarter SolutionS From SpecialiStS

by Pauline StockhausenLet’s face it – budgets have been tight for a lot of people the past couple of years, and these days getting the most out of every cent really matters. Budgeting doesn’t have to be a tedious and overly complicated process. In fact, today’s technology provides a multitude of ways to help individuals and families keep track of their budget and a great place to start is one of the many budgeting apps available online.If you have a smart phone, or tablet, you can download many apps for as little as $6 – and for the seriously budget conscious, there are many others available free.Budget Back in Black This is a very simple, easy to apply-to-real-life budgeting app that anyone can use. You can set income amounts, enter fixed expenses and apply a budget for all other spending. You can track your spending at a glance via the home screen. Other features include setting goals like savings or credit card debt reduction. My favourite part of this app is the visual pie graphs that help me see where my money is going.Westpac Bank has also developed a budget planner app with many of the same features.

Bills There is nothing worse than getting penalised for a late payment, so Bills is a great way to keep track of when your bills are due for payment. Very easy to use, this app lets you list all your bills within the month; they can also be listed weekly or fortnightly. It sends you pre-alerts when a bill is due and rewards you when you have paid a bill on time.iallowance This app allows children to keep track of their chores and they can also see how their money grows as they save, which helps children get into the habit of saving. The app has a reward system so parents can keep track of the targets too. No more comments such as: ‘but you said I could get a treat if I did all my chores for the week’.Parents can also use this app just for the reward system; so a child can receive or lose stars, and stars translate into money.Menu planner This might not seem like a budgeting app but it is, because it allows users to track the items stocked in their pantry. The Menu Planner app then suggests different menus, making this app a great time and money saver. Each week

Digital technology helps tight budgets

you can organise what you want to cook for the week and it uses the items within the pantry and writes a list of items that are needed. A lifesaver. Pauline Stockhausen runs Hibiscus Matters’ popular Facebook page and owns social media company, Social Soup NZ.

BRIEFSWifi sought for OrewaOrewa business association Destination Orewa Beach is taking steps to try and establish free Tomizone WiFi within the town centre. The organisation says that free WiFi is an expected service for businesses and tourists internationally. A request for support has been lodged with the Hibiscus & Bays Local Board.

Plaza owner revealedWhangaparaoa Plaza is now in the hands of a family-owned, NZ company, Greenwhale Holdings. The company purchased the Plaza last November for $29.5 million and at the time wished to remain anonymous. The sole director of Greenwhale Holdings (which changed its name from NZ Business Consultants Ltd in November 2012) is Shahin Behrooz Kermani of Auckland, who is also director of numerous other companies, including Gemini Property Management Ltd, Westcity Enterprises Ltd and Wainuiomata Shopping Centre Ltd. The Plaza’s marketing coordinator Marjolein de Graaf says the new owners intend to undertake a review of the centre in the near future and will explore options, including community based initiatives, in order to ensure that The Plaza “remains the number one shopping destination on the peninsula”.

Hibiscusmatters 1 March 2013 | 7

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Are your employees updating their Facebook page or tweeting, when they should be focused on the job at hand? These problems, and many more, can make employment law a minefield, juggling the rights and obligations of both employers and employees. Here are some tips to help employers negotiate that minefield – in a future column I’ll look at the issues from an employee’s perspective. A carefully drafted employment agreement catering to the specific employment relationship is an essential tool to prevent problems in the work place. Once an offer of employment has been accepted an employment relationship is formed regardless of whether an employment agreement has been signed. This means an employee is able to negotiate on every term in the employment agreement. To avoid this, any offer of employment should be conditional upon the employer and employee agreeing to the written terms of employment. It is also important that the employment agreement is signed prior to the employee commencing work. Here are some issues to consider: y The 90 day trial period allows an employer to have confidence when taking on a new employee. If the 90 day trial period is correctly used, an employer may dismiss an employee within the 90 day period without fear of a claim of unjustified dismissal. However, there are strict requirements and it is important to know what these are to obtain the protection.

y Restraints of trade are a feature of many employment agreements. Whether they are enforceable depends on a number of factors. A validly drafted restraint can prevent an employee leaving with confidential information, taking an employer’s clients or setting up in competition using their previous employer’s business and marketing strategies. It is important restraints are carefully drafted to ensure they can be utilised to their fullest intent.

y Unilateral changes: Changes in the workplace are common place. Is your employment agreement flexible enough to deal with these? Terms and conditions of employment cannot be unilaterally changed – agreement is required unless there is an express condition in the employment agreement allowing for such changes.

y Kiwisaver: Employees enrolled in Kiwisaver are entitled to an employer contribution of 2 percent on top of their usual salary or wage unless there is a provision in the employment agreement stating that any employer contributions are to be part of the total remuneration.

y Social media policy: Facebook, Twitter and My Space are all social media sites which are now part of every day life. What level of personal use do you allow within your workplace? What are the rules and obligations around use of these sites? What are the consequences if an employee denigrates the employer or a fellow employee on one of these sites? All these aspects should be addressed in a comprehensive internet policy.

Employment law is regularly changing and it is important to keep up to date. Having your employment agreements reviewed at least once a year helps reduce the cost of any problems that arise.Hibiscus Matters welcomes Sarah Martin to our Law Abiding column. She has taken over from Dennis Gates, who has moved out of the area. Sarah is a commercial law specialist and an Associate at Simpson Western. Her column will run every second month.

A legal minefield

| Hibiscusmatters 1 March 20138

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By Clinton SanfordMany business owners spend their time and money preparing budgets just to keep the bank happy, whereas in fact, a budget is an essential management tool even for the smallest of businesses. The preparation of a budget forces us, as business owners, to consider our past results, our current capacity and our future aspirations for the business.Once the budget has been established it becomes a tool against which we can measure our current performance and it is also a vital ‘accountability document’, containing the results that we need to know about our business. If we are over achieving our budgets it is reason for celebration, and asking the question, ‘how can we do better?’ If we are under achieving we must look at how we can rectify this.The mode of budget preparation that I prefer is the ‘bottom up’ method. Start with the profit that you require to provide you with a return on investment (call that $A). That investment includes the blood, sweat and tears that you, as owner, put into the business, along with the

money that you have invested in it. Don’t be too conservative in the way that you calculate that number: your time is valuable, just ask your family – they’ll tell you.Next, work out all the costs of operation that you envisage for the next 12 months (call it $B).This is otherwise known as the overheads of the business, such as advertising, bank fees, vehicle running, professional fees and wages.Now we add those two numbers together – $A+$B=$C.That figure represents the gross profit that you must generate from sales.Then divide that number by your historical Gross Profit percentage, which you should find this on your previous financial statements.The answer to that equation is the theoretical sales figure that you will need to achieve in order to get what you want from your business.Clinton Sanford, director of Baldry & Sanford in Orewa, has more than 30 years experience as a Chartered Accountant and five years experience as a business coach and mentor.

Business budgets explained

Fast coaches neededYou’ve heard of speed dating – now there’s speed business coaching. Auckland Tourism Events and Economic Development (ATEED) is looking for just two hours of support from local business people, in early March, to assist with this year’s Lion Foundation Young Enterprise Scheme. The scheme involves college students starting their own small business as a practical way to learn business skills and last year more than 1000 Auckland students took part, including several from local schools. Around 50 speed coaches are wanted for the E-Day, to be held at AUT’s North Shore campus in Northcote on March 5. The speed coaching sessions entail business people spending five minutes with each YES company (1–10 students) to hear their ideas and give feedback. All that’s required is the ability to take part from 12pm–2.30pm on March 5, and a willingness to offer guidance in a positive and constructive manner. For further information, or to sign up to be a speed coach, email [email protected]

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The All Star Cheerleaders are back on the Hibiscus Coast, offering locals a chance to join one of the country’s biggest cheerleading companies.Infinity All Star Cheerleaders director Sheridan Read says there has been a lot of excitement about the return of the franchise, which is based at Whangaparaoa College – the Orewa group folded at the end of 2011.As well as being the local franchise holder, Sheridan also coaches the Infinity All Stars elite team, assisted by Harry Mann and Ashleigh Best.Sheridan’s background in gymnastics, ballet and jazz dance equipped her well to coach cheerleaders, which she began doing in Christchurch in 2006.She says coaching the All Star Pride teams in Christchurch soon got her hooked on cheerleading’s mix of dancing, gymnastics and stunt work.It’s a mix that she says is attracting increasing numbers of talented, fit young people – with performances in NZ’s Got Talent helping to raise the sport’s profile.At present Infinity All Stars, which held initial trials last month, has a small, elite team, which trains once a week at Whangaparaoa College’s gym, but Sheridan expects this will soon

Dentist Bryce Cameron’s first attempt at semi-retirement proved to be short-lived and he returned to work last month, opening Cameron Dental Services in Manly Village.Bryce, who has been a dentist for more than 30 years, says when the opportunity came up to work alongside Manly Medical Centre he couldn’t turn it down, despite having left his Hibiscus Coast Dental practice in Red Beach for an attempted semi-retirement in 2010.He says that Cameron Dental Services, which he is running with his wife Julie, is a low key, friendly place for patients, and to ensure a good work/leisure balance, he is working four days a week.After graduating from Otago Dental School in the 1970s, Bryce worked in various practices in the North Island before buying Dr Vautier’s practice in Orewa in 1995.A love of boating drew Bryce and Julie and their two sons to the Coast, and remains a favourite pastime.When Bryce was growing up in rural Hawkes Bay he initially had his sights set on a career as a top dressing pilot, but turned to dentistry after becoming aware of the large number of fatalities incurred by those pilots.

Sheridan ReadJulie and Bryce Cameron

Cameron Dental Services Infinity All Star Cheerleaders

Over the years Bryce has seen many changes in the profession – in technology and materials and also in the way people look after their teeth.“Better anaesthetics and materials are becoming available all the time, and it’s exciting to keep up with those changes,” he says. “Many of these advances make things easier for patients as well as faster and more efficient for dentists.”As well as two hygienists, Rebecca Lock and Sharon Boutell, Bryce is ably assisted in the practice by Julie, who is managing the practice and taking care of reception duties.She says it’s great to be back.“Word is getting around, so the client base is growing,” she says. “It doesn’t look like retirement is on the cards for us again any time soon.”

grow, and that recreational teams will also form. Cheerleaders can join from five years of age, and there is also an adult social team.All Star Cheerleaders are competitive cheerleaders, which is different from the cheerleaders who are there to support sports teams.All Stars run three competitions annually and preparing for this is a big focus for the teams.Routines must include stunts, tumbling, jumps, a dance and the pyramid, which is the most difficult feat for the athletes.However, as well as the physical challenges offered by the sport, Sheridan, who is also a college teacher, says those who take part learn important lessons about teamwork.

 I N T R O D U C I N G  I N T R O D U C I N G