Blog

As we have an outpouring of heartfelt sympathy to the bush fire victims and all those businesses impacted by this catastrophe, so many people have dug deep to contribute to various charities. It seems incredible to hear that some unscrupulous people have decided to take advantage of people’s generosity...

Are you back to work, full of energy, passion and 2020 Vision? Whilst it is early in the new year (and decade!) and it is still quiet in the office, you are taking the time to set yourself up for a big year. It is a great time to...

 Is this you when it comes to financial jargon? I think every profession has its own jargon, but I think we do particularly well in keeping non accountants in the dark! Some of my fellow accountants are also extremely good at keeping the complex – complex! At FTA it...

How do you rate your financial smarts? Would you like to feel more confident in this area? Over many years of working with managers, they often confide in me that they have been in meetings, terrified someone is going to ask them questions about their financial reports. Others have...

Over the last year, I have reached out to connect on LinkedIn and asked if the services which we provide are of interest. Naturally I have received a variety of responses but 2 have intrigued me and prompted me to write this blog. The first response that I have...

Around the world there are different forms of greetings and according to one article ‘How’s it going?’ is the most typical Australian way of saying hello.  This is closely followed by ‘How you going?’ ‘How are you going?’ ‘How you doing?’ ‘How are you doing?’ ‘How’s it hanging?’ (not sure...

All managers want to value add to their organisation – after all it makes you stand out from the crowd for all the right reasons. You have spotted an opportunity for the business or maybe it is as simple as a piece of equipment keeps breaking down and needs...

I came across an HBR article from 2002 entitled ‘What Makes Great Boards Great?’ and it opens with the following –“ In the wake of the meltdowns of such once great companies as Adelphia, Enron, Tyco, and WorldCom, enormous attention has been focused on the companies’ boards. Were the...

I have been reading a great booklet published last year by my institute on Communication Skills and I loved one of the quotes it contained. “The spreadsheet gives us dots, but we always need to join them into a picture and apply some paint”. Mike Sergeant, a former BBC...

2019 has been challenging for many businesses. Business confidence in Australia is low and whilst interest rates are at record lows, global uncertainty and depressed consumer spending have resulted in a stagnant economy. Now whilst every industry is fairing differently, if your business is challenged, then you may find...