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Profile | Heather Smith
Heather Smith
- Name:
- Heather Smith
- Forum profile:
- @HeatherSmithAU
- Directory listing:
- Heather Smith FCCA, B.Comm, MYOB CC
Heather Smith
Heather Smith was born with a calculator in her hand and a love of numbers.
Heather is a Chartered Certified Accountant, MYOB, XERO & SAASU Consultant, Author & Speaker. Described as engaging, entertaining, honest, funny and relevant, Heather is available to present on all matters small business at your next conference.
"Heather Smith inspired me to review our entire accounting system! And gave me some great ideas on how to run our business better! She is entertaining and educational and would be a great addition to a line up of speakers!"
~ International speaker Amanda Gore
"The support Heather has generously given the community at Flying Solo is nothing short of astonishing. She writes engaging articles brimming with tips; has presented a great session at our national conference and is regularly diving into our forums with helpful commentary and advice. The world of small business needs more people like Heather."
~ Robert Gerrish Founder; Director, Flying Solo
She is the author of the soon to be released book 'Learn MYOB in 7 Days' and is currently working on her second small business book. Heather writes regularly for Flying Solo, My Business, Fitness Network, News.com, Women's Day as well as other publications.
Heather is a twitteroholic, her twitter handle is @HeatherSmithAU.
Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country - President John F. Kennedy
Articles by Heather
Doing business Vanuatu style
13 Jan 12Heather SmithWhenever I travel I enjoy observing how other cultures approach business and wonder how I can benefit from their practices. Here are some ideas I picked up in Vanuatu. Read more
Comments: 2Choosing and using a virtual assistant
01 Dec 11Heather SmithA virtual assistant (VA) can be a godsend to your business. But how do you choose one, and what should you ask them to do? Here are some tips on using a virtual assistant. Read more
Comments: 14DIY Article Marketing
13 Oct 11Heather SmithSir Richard Branson does it. Perhaps you should? After all, article marketing is an easy way to demonstrate your expertise, build your brand and hopefully attract clients. Read more
Comments: 7An introduction to foreign currency transactions
22 Jul 11Heather SmithIf you import or export, you need to understand how currency fluctuations affect your profitability. Here’s a beginner’s guide and glossary of key foreign currency transactions terms. Read more
Comments: 8LinkedIn tips: Take the LinkedIn Challenge
06 Jul 11Heather SmithWant to grow your business in a short time? This LinkedIn challenge will take you less than an hour to complete over ten weeks. Read more
Comments: 1Developing your LinkedIn network
30 May 11Heather SmithLinkedIn is the dominant social media networking site for professionals today. Here are some pointers on how to grow and develop your LinkedIn network. Read more
Comments: 26LinkedIn 101: How to use LinkedIn effectively
30 Apr 11Heather SmithLinkedIn is the number one social media platform for white-collared professionals today, with more than 90 million registered users. Do you know how to use LinkedIn effectively? Read more
Comments: 17Financial benchmarking for small business
07 Jan 11Heather SmithUsed on an ongoing basis, benchmarks can improve your business performance and give you a competitive edge. Here’s what you need to know to get started with financial benchmarking. Read more
Comments: 0Getting started with DIY bookkeeping
19 Nov 10Heather SmithBookkeeping is a vital part of running a business, but can also be overwhelming, especially if you’ve never done it before. These DIY bookkeeping tips will point you in the right direction. Read more
Comments: 4Debt collection strategies: before it gets nasty!
08 Oct 10Heather SmithFor small business owners, debt collection can be an evil necessity; it’s something many of us would really rather not do, but must if we want our businesses to survive. Here are some helpful debt collection strategies. Read more
Comments: 11Find an accountant that is right for you
27 Aug 10Heather SmithWorking with a good tax accountant can be critical to the success of your business. So how do you find an accountant that is right for you? Read more
Comments: 12Expense management: Minimise expenditure and maximise cash flow
16 Jul 10Heather SmithMinimising expenditure is a critical component of business survival and cash flow. Follow these practical expense management guidelines to help keep your business expenses under control. Read more
Comments: 7Should you register for GST?
04 Jun 10Heather SmithOne of the first decisions to be made when starting a new business is whether you should register for GST. Here I’ll discuss the key issues you need to consider. Read more
Comments: 14Choosing accounting software
27 Apr 10Heather SmithChoosing accounting software for your business can be difficult. Consider these important questions when you’re investigating your options. Read more
Comments: 14Energising your profit and loss statements
25 Feb 10Heather SmithThoughtfully set-up profit and loss statements generate meaningful data that can inform your business decisions. Here’s how to de-clutter yours and make it more user-friendly. Read more
Comments: 8Ten questions to ask when hiring a bookkeeper
14 Jan 10Heather SmithIf you’re sick of dealing with the shoebox full of receipts it could be time you considered hiring a bookkeeper. Here are ten questions to ask before you do. Read more
Comments: 20Business procedures manual: The style guide
29 Sep 09Heather SmithWe have read about the benefits of documenting the procedures we adhere to in our business. Michael Gerber has made a lot of money telling us we need them and Flying Solo extols the virtues of a business procedures manual, but where to start? Read more
Comments: 13Contra deals: Business deals without money
18 Aug 09Heather SmithSometimes in business you help people out for free. Your five minutes may save them hours of grunt work. There’s no point raising an invoice, but can you be rewarded for contra deals in other ways? Read more
Comments: 12A family affair: Involving kids in your work
07 Jul 09Heather SmithMany a solo business has started up after a parent has found the rigid 9-5 work life does not suit the role of parenting. I’ve found a symbiotic relationship can develop between a parent and a child within the framework of these businesses. Read more
Comments: 13Nifty ideas to grow your business
26 May 09Heather SmithEvery minute counts! If you find yourself with some spare time in your diary here are some original ideas to grow your business in every direction. Read more
Comments: 28Ten ways to reduce your accounting fees
31 Mar 09Heather SmithProfessional Accountants can be critical to the ongoing success of your business. They can provide advice on company structure, financial management and legal tax avoidance. But their fees can be exorbitant! Read more
Comments: 25Using Yahoo or Google Groups to help business
24 Feb 09Heather SmithLong before the days of Twitter, Facebook and myspace there was a simpler Internet technology: groups. Yahoo! or Google Groups are formed when a community focused around a specialist topic uses email lists and forums to communicate. Read more
Comments: 612 signs you should say NO to clients
20 Jan 09Heather SmithMaking the decision to say no to clients is not made lightly. Do you know how to recognise when you should say no? No to an existing client, no to future income, no to potential new clients? Read more
Comments: 15Free software or freeware for small business
17 Oct 08Heather SmithFollowing on from my article 20 Money Saving Tips, I wanted to share free software or 'freeware' I have tried and tested. Freeware is offered by software firms on a trial basis, in the hope that you will upgrade to their subscription based product. Read more
Comments: 2920 money saving tips
11 Sep 08Heather SmithWelcome to money savers anonymous. Hi! I am Heather Smith and I love to save money. I like to find a bargain, but what excites me even more than money saving is when I get something for free. Read more
Comments: 27Mistakes made by start up micro businesses
31 Jul 08Heather SmithIn my work life, I come in contact with a lot of start up micro businesses and have discovered some of the mistakes they have made. Fortunately, we have the opportunity to learn from them, and hopefully avoid the same mistakes ourselves. Read more
Comments: 17Making money offering work experience
26 Jun 08Heather SmithInterested in making more money and doing less work? Why not get someone to do your job for you, and pay you for that privilege. Does this sound too good to be true? Read on to find out more about making money offering work experience. Read more
Comments: 8Cooperation versus competition
20 May 08Heather SmithUs soloists are busy and time poor. Unless you are outsourcing there will come a time whereby you have capped your capacity to serve your clients. When you reach that point, what are your options? This article looks at cooperation versus competition. Read more
Comments: 14Practical tips for a paperless office
17 Apr 08Heather SmithIs a paperless office for a soloists a practical reality? In my article Small business record keeping: Dealing with the shoebox Marc Fraser from Melbourne raised the possibility of maintaining financial source documents electronically. Read more
Comments: 14Business invoicing: How to create an invoice
20 Mar 08Heather SmithAfter years of working in Management Accounts, the same invoicing errors keep cropping up. So I'd encourage you to print out a copy of your business invoice and discover whether you’re guilty of delaying your own cash flow! Read more
Comments: 19A beginners guide to Podcasts
15 Feb 08Heather SmithI love my iPod - it has opened my world in ways I could not imagine. The reason for this is simple: podcasts! Before I got my iPod, I didn’t even know they existed. Read more
Comments: 4Business Management Software: Nine tips
10 Jan 08Heather SmithReconciliations wreaking havoc? Transactions disappearing? BAS adjustments giving you nightmares? Here are nine tips for using Business Management Software. Read more
Comments: 8Five tips for naming your business
30 Oct 07Heather SmithNaming your business is one of the first steps in flying solo, although it is often not an easy task and there are many factors to consider. Here are some practical tips to help you with the process of naming your business. Read more
Comments: 23Small business record keeping: Dealing with the shoebox
25 Sep 07Heather SmithAs an accountant, at this time of year people start arriving at my door with a shoe box stuffed full of receipts. Some of you may be chuckling in disbelief while others are blushing with recognition of their own small business record keeping! Read more
Comments: 28Join the community! It’s free.
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Small Business is Australia's fastest growing sector – this business community site was created for those running a small business of one to five people. Here the solo and micro business owner will find small business forums, a small business directory, free resources, help, tips and advice on: starting a small business; working smarter when working from home; effective small business marketing; small business networking; the solo psyche; staying balanced as a small business owner; small business technology advice and small business finance tips.
