In business, we need both capacity and flexibility, but there are times when they just don’t mix.

Strategically in a serviced based business, we want to be highly productive and utilise the capacity we have available in the most efficient way possible to make the most revenue.

Whilst productivity at 75% or 80% sounds like there’s flexibility, the reality is that the other 20% to 25% is spent in admin tasks, internal meetings and a plethora of small tasks. And these aren’t considered specifically client delivery tasks.

Recently, I was asked to do some work which I knew would take me close to a day and a half. The challenge was that I already had work planned for the next day and then two full days of meetings. For me, there was no question about what to do.

The decision was simply to put off the work I’d planned for the next day and prioritise this new work. It needed to be done urgently and I would keep working until it was done, which on that particular day was close to midnig...

Look to the future with planning to ensure you are running your business successfully.

When you think of taking a holiday, you make decisions about where you want to go, what you want to see and what you’ll do during the trip. Even if you decide to go where the whim takes you, you’ll still see the signposts along the road and make decisions about which way you’re going to go.

Business is no different to planning a holiday, you need to have a plan on where you want to go and how you’re going to get there.

Firstly, you need to set financial goals, this may be a revenue target, or a profit target or capping expenses at a particular figure, it’s your choice what is important to you.

Using those goals put them into a budget projection and fill in the rest of the details with the cost of sales, expenses and other payments. You may do this initially using annual figures and then break them down into monthly figures taking into account any seasonal fluctuations that may be appropriate....

I started reading the book, Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg, and right at the very beginning she talks about how in her early life there were lots of coaches and mentors for the men in the various corporates that she worked in but not so much for the women.

It got me thinking about my life and what I've done and how that makes you a different person. I started off my accounting career, I was the only woman accountant in an office of 50. The other women on staff where in those days secretaries or the receptionist. It's like world of men, young men, the old men partners. Like it was a male dominated world.

You know what, I had no idea about mentors or coaches, that they even existed until many, many, many years later. So last year I was on a panel with American Express with Jo Burston from Rare Birds and I can't remember exactly the name of her other company. She talked about how she had a mentor right from pretty much from the get go in her business and she's in her, I'm guessing thirties ...

I recently was talking to a client about productivity and the need for being really efficient about how the work is being done. 

This is a service-based business, it's kind of a consulting business, hourly rate, day rate type exercise.They had a job, and just for the purposes of this conversation, it was a $50,000 project. The plan was for $30,000 worth of consulting fees, a certain number of days. The project was done, the delivery was done. The contractor who was doing the days was monitored, and conversations were being had to make sure that the number of days on the job were as per budget and what was planned, and get to the end of the project, and yes, confirmed whatever the number of days were. Yes, those were the number of days. Great. Client thinks project has gone really, really well, we've made the gross profit we thought, and we had a $50,000 project. We've spent 30,000 on our contractors. We've made $20,000 gross profit, which can then be used to pay some overheads.

But t...

In a product business, you've got a more complicated calculation than service businesses. You probably know that, but the starting point for everyone is knowing how much money you need to pay your personal bills.

Starting off, looking at your home budget, how much money do you need to pay or contribute to the household costs? Rent, mortgage, fire, electricity, utilities. Internet, motor vehicles if they're not in the business, holidays, entertainment, food, that's an important one, and kid school fees, kids' clothing, extra curricular activities, holidays. Everything that you would normally spend at home, you need to work out what that is. If that's split amongst different members of the family, what your contribution needs to be for that.

If you're already drawing a particular set amount out of your business as a salary wage or drawings, depending on your business structure, that's great. But just double check that you have got the right number for the purposes of your household, an...

We all know that sales are the backbone of a business, but do you know how much income you need to keep the business going? 

When you start out in business the key is to focus on sales, sales and more sales whilst at the same time there are bills, bills and more bills to pay usually requiring you to use some of your savings to pay the bills.

Over time as your business grows, there will come a time when the income is sufficient to pay the bills. Happy days. The next step at this point is to start to pay yourself a salary (or start drawing from the business if you’re a sole trader) and then as the business grows more, you’ll employ staff to support you.

KNOW THE MINIMUM INCOME YOU REQUIRE.

At each phase of your business, it’s important to know what your minimum income is. This is what accountants call break even as it is when your income equals your expenses. However, there is a trap for young players in this definition as it doesn’t take into account repayment of loans and other fin...