April 13, 2023

April Update from Fiscal Artisans

We hope this update finds you well and in high spirits!

We’ve been working hard behind the scenes to make sure our clients are always on top of their financial game. With tax season approaching, it’s the perfect time to reflect on the goals we set at the beginning of the year and assess how we’ve progressed.

Our Team Members – get to know the people behind Fiscal Artisans.

At Fiscal Artisans, we believe that our team members are our most valuable asset. That’s why we’re excited to introduce you to the people behind our financial services. They’re diverse, each bringing their unique skills, experiences, and personalities to the table. From our friendly customer service reps to our highly skilled accountants, every team member is dedicated to providing excellent service and helping our clients achieve their financial goals. We take pride in the fact that our team is not only highly competent but also warm and approachable. So the next time you call or visit our offices, you can feel confident that you’re in good hands with our team of Fiscal Artisans.

Kate Boden – VA

We are excited to introduce Kate Boden, our new VA extraordinaire! With her extensive experience in both administrative and customer service roles, we are certain that Kate will be an invaluable asset to our team. Her attention to detail, strong organisational skills, and ability to multitask will ensure our operations run smoothly and efficiently. Not only does Kate bring valuable skills to the table, but her positive attitude and friendly demeanour make her a pleasure to work with. We are thrilled to have her on board and can’t wait to see all she will accomplish in her new role. Welcome to the team, Kate!

To email Kate for any of your requirements from us, click below

email Kate at Fiscal Artisans

Manish Kalani – Client Manager.

G’day everyone! It’s great to have Manish Kalani back in Oz after a decade away. Manish is returning with his family and embarking on a new chapter, Down Under. For those who don’t know, Manish has been an integral part of Fiscal Artisans since the beginning, churning out the financial nitty-gritty that keeps our operation ticking. But it’s not just about crunching numbers for Manish – he’s excited to get acquainted with everyone and get to know everyone on a more personal level. So welcome back, Manish, and all the best for this exciting new phase in your Aussie adventure!

Email Manish

Tax Planning sessions in April, May, & June

Are you looking to stay ahead of your taxes this year? Look no further than our Tax Planning sessions, held throughout April, May, and June. Our professional team of experts will guide you through the latest tax laws and regulations, providing you with the tools and knowledge needed to minimise your tax bill and maximise your returns. From individual tax planning to corporate tax strategies, our sessions cover it all. Don’t wait until the last minute; book your spot today and make tax season a breeze.

We will be contacting our business clients with a suggested date for our tax planning meeting, but you can also contact Kate at admin@fiscalartisans.com.au or 0400 338 501 to book an appointment. Or go to our appointment booking page for more information and to book in.

Events & Activities – Property Investment Seminar May 3, at 6:30 pm

Are you interested in investing in property and expanding your financial portfolio? Look no further than our upcoming Property Investment Seminar! Hosted by industry experts and seasoned investors, our seminar will equip you with the knowledge and skills necessary to make informed decisions and achieve financial success. We believe that anyone can achieve financial freedom through property investment, and our warm and supportive community will be with you every step of the way. Don’t miss this opportunity to grow your wealth and build a brighter future. Join us at the Property Investment Seminar and take the first step towards securing your financial future.

For more information, please go to: Property Investment Seminar.

We are looking at recording the session for our interstate clients and will have the video available to watch in the forthcoming weeks.

Walking & working with you

Managing finances can be overwhelming in the current economic climate – but having the right team of professionals to help you create a plan and prioritize your objectives is invaluable.

With Fiscal Artisans’ team of experts, you can rest assured that your finances are being managed with utmost care and precision throughout every step of the process. We understand our clients come from different backgrounds – whether you are looking to establish investments or reduce your debt – we will work with you to create an effective action plan!

Be sure to reach out for help so we can provide you with comprehensive solutions for your financial well-being. Take the initiative now – pick up the phone and call us for an appointment: let us help you truly make a difference in these economically trying times.

by Fiscal Artisans

July 28, 2021

If your Business Feels like you are scaling Everest,

It’s Time to Go Beyond The Numbers.

You have done more in the last financial year than just survive, but it has been hard!

This is the time that we turn our attention to our year-end obligations – namely, preparing financial statements and preparing tax returns, and looking at how well (or otherwise) we have done for the year.

For many, the financial statements and tax returns that we prepare are a ‘historical document’. It is a look at the numbers ‘in the past’. But what it can be, is a roadmap to the future – the starting point to your next trek.

What do you have your sights set on for 2021/2022? How can we Go Beyond The Numbers to help you achieve it?

With another financial year over, and one which for so many will have been one of the hardest ever faced, it is beneficial to look at your current situation and reflecting on your successes, not just what has or has not happened.

For many, being in business is a bit like trying to climb Mount Everest.

It is tough!

The air is thin up there, and it seems like something many dream about, but few succeed at actually doing. And no matter how hard you try, you feel like it is all uphill, all the time. And if you fall, the crash will be hard, and deadly.

Let’s look at The Numbers

Many people know that Mt Everest is over 29,000 feet, or over 8,800 meters tall. To scale the mountain, people usually start at one of the two base camps, which are over 5,000 meters above sea level.

To many, it seems an insurmountable task.

But let’s look at this differently, and Go Beyond The Numbers

One of the things that I have been doing for a while is checking in regularly with my business coach. Michael has been a client, friend, confidant, and business coach for some time now. He has helped me look at many aspects of the business, my processes, and, more importantly, the values and ethics inherent within my organisation.

In one of our recent meetings, we looked at the last year or so and set the targets for the year ahead (his and mine). As part of this discussion, we acknowledged that we had done more than just ‘survive’ with what we have been doing over the last few years.

He described it as ‘being at Mt Everest base camp’, having got there under our own power.

Let’s unpack that and how this relates to what you do.

To get to base camp, there are a few options.

You can fly in;

You can drive in most of the way;

Or you can walk up to the base camp from sea level.

For many people, ‘just getting to base camp’ is a success. It means that they have gone from ‘zero’ – sea level, starting with nothing but their personal skills and knowledge – to scale a height few people achieve. They can stay there and ‘live’ quite successfully.

In business terms, it means you are running your own business, paying your way, covering your living expenses, and providing for yourself and your family, without having to ‘go back downhill’ and ‘work for wages’ (or get financial support from family or friends to survive). You have ‘got the combination right’, and you are not staying awake at night, wondering how the gas bill will be paid next week.

Having ‘walked up to base camp’, you have developed the strength, the skills, and the resilience to maintain your position at a high altitude. This is something that you need to both acknowledge and celebrate.

In some cases, people have ‘flown’ into base camp without acclimatising to the rarefied air. For most of these people, being at base camp is simply a ‘holiday’, and they cannot stay for very long.

It is much like their business ventures. The ‘fly-ins’ may have had a business purchased for them, or ‘inherited’ the ownership or a partnership arrangement. They get in, make some cash, and get out again. They have not developed their business skills through ability and have probably achieved their success as a result of other peoples ability to ‘get them there’.

That is not what you have done – you have ‘walked to base camp’ yourself. You may have had a group of people with you on the trek, but you got there using your efforts and ability. You walked your talk.

And you are not just surviving. You are thriving.

Think of it this way. The Everest base camp is over 5,000 meters above sea level. Everest is under 9,000 meters. So, if you have ‘achieved base camp’, you are more than halfway there already. Going further is not ‘starting from the bottom’ at all.

But what about scaling Everest? Isn’t that the goal? And how do I get there?

For some, yes, that is the goal, but it is not the ‘only’ goal.

When you get to base camp, it is not hard to look around and see that there are a wide range of mountains that can be climbed. You don’t have to choose ‘Everest’ and be done with it.

Your choice can be completely different to anyone else, or you can simply stay at base camp.

In a business context, that choice could be:

Staying as is, managing and maintaining the business as it stands now, and managing it profitably without aiming for growth and expansion; “Keeping it ticking over and under control”; Perhaps achieving ‘the same result’ from less time, and less effort, and using the spare time for other chosen pursuits;
Doing ‘more of the same’ duplicating the business or expanding the volume of work done (without expanding services, products etc.) “Same but bigger”;
Doing something new within the business; “Do we climb Everest, or K2?”
Using the profits from the business to build an investment portfolio, pay down debts, etc.; “Let’s go climb Mont Blanc in Europe instead”;
Learn new skills (personal or professional) that are unrelated to the business activity; “I’m done climbing. Let’s learn to fly instead.”
Or you can work with others and help them build their careers. “Having done it myself, I will show you how to climb”.

The choice is yours. But it is not a choice that means you need to ‘start again’, nor is it something that you need to do ‘alone’.

At base camp, to climb the heights, the first thing you need to do is:

Hire the Sherpas!

The Sherpas are the experienced, local climbers who ‘know the mountain’. They carry the loads needed to support you on your mission, and the local knowledge and guide and support you to achieve your goal of summiting the peak.

In a business context, the Sherpas come in several forms. It is the team of advisers – accountants, lawyers, bank and finance support, coaches and mentors who work with you.

It is also the ‘tools of the trade’ (in the business and finance context) that we use to help you keep on track – and helping to ensure you don’t fall down a crevasse. Tools such as Xero, and add ons like Dext (for data collection) and cashflow tools to keep you on top of your financial information are part of this. Your systems and processes, the way you do the things you do. Your marketing, social media, etc.

And the setup and structure that you ‘wrap’ around your business – with all the statutory and regulatory requirements in place to keep your trek in line.

This is what we mean by ‘Go Beyond The Numbers’. We look at the results, ask questions, and work with you to achieve your next peak. We ‘assemble the sherpas’ and come on the trek with you. We help you mount the summit, and take pride as you stake your claim on the peak.

As an example, amongst the projects we are assisting clients with are the following:

a) Redevelopment of a regional property into a multi-unit dwelling, to retain one and use the others to build an investment portfolio;

b) Analysis of a business for sale (and undertake stocktakes and financial lending arrangements) to enable a client to expand their existing business beyond its current regional spread;

c) Convert a client business from ‘sole trader’ to a corporate structure, to both reduce total tax payable and expand their opportunities to grow their business;

d) Rent or buy? A client wants to look at whether to buy a small property to run their business out of, compared to renting a facility; And assist with the bank’s information needs for this.

e) Using property investment to reduce the tax a client pays this year and build an investment portfolio for retirement for their future. (or to ensure that their kids have somewhere they can move into in the future!)

f) Manage my portfolio! Would you please help me keep track of my share purchases, sales, dividends etc.? Even Crypto if you can (and, yes, we can)

In all of the above cases, we are working with our clients, helping them to ‘lead the trek’. We “assemble the Sherpas”, be it professional advisers (finance brokers, share traders, lawyers, etc.) and tools of the trade – software, data, reports etc., to help to make things happen. The only limitations (besides legal issues!) are your imagination and desire to make things happen.

So, having got to base camp and realising you are breathing the clean, thin air of achievement, where do you want to go next?

What is your Everest?

Name your peak, and let’s go! We can make 2021/22 the time of your next achievement, plan, take action, and make it happen.

What is it going to be? Call or email me, and let’s talk about it.

Onwards and upwards – and let’s Go Beyond The Numbers.

Stuart Smith

Director (and Head Guide)

Fiscal Artisans

Teamwork – Fiscal Artisans