Welcome to this issue of Business Fitness NZ – Best Practice. We hope you enjoy reading these updates.

Grab a tea or coffee and simply follow the links below to navigate to those sections in the newsletter that are of most interest to you.

HotSpots: Electronic Workpapers                   
                   Client Development Webinars
                   GBU

Content Update Highlights

The Content Update 58 has been released and is ready for your administrator to download.

This content update is dedicated to invoicing.  We've added our recommendation for invoicing text and pricing to 318 pieces of content.  We’ve also added a Guide to Invoiceable Content to your Knowledge Base.  This contains all our recommendations and has room for you to over-write ours or enter your own.  Please have a catch up with the Administrator in your firm to let them know how you want to approach it.

NEW Guide to Invoiceable Content
Guide to invoiceable content in the firm, with recommended invoicing texts and pricing for Business Fitness NZ content and space for the firm to finalise its preferred texts and pricing

UPDATED Reports, Checklists, Guides, Letters and Forms
Please click here to see what content has had invoicing texts and pricing added to it

Our Approach
We’ve taken a middle of the road approach to pricing, based on what our Australian counterparts are charging with adjustments for the New Zealand scene.  We're sure that this won't suit everybody and you may want to make changes to suit your firm and your clients.  Great! 

What does this mean for you?

Note of Caution
If you already have the invoicing function enabled in your software but haven’t gone very far with it yet, be aware that there are now 318 pieces of content which are going to start popping up with invoicing functionality.  If you’re not quite ready for this yet and don’t want any unfortunate billing accidents, then disable invoicing for the time being.

For the rest of you, some of you aren’t using it and some of you are.  What happens now for you?

Not using invoicing and don’t want to yet?
If you're not using the invoicing function and haven't enabled that function in your Acclipse Document Manager, then there will be no change, except that you now have a Guide to Invoiceable content added to your Knowledge Base to help you to think about invoicing in the future.

Not using invoicing and want to start?
If you're not using the invoicing function but you want to start, then you need to enable the invoicing function.  If you don’t want to run with our recommendations on invoicing text and pricing you have a choice.  You can make your adjustments in advance or as you go.

In advance:

      • Work through the Guide to Invoiceable Content
      • Decide whether you want to run with our recommendations or update them with what will work best for your firm – the guide is designed to record your decisions about this
      • Ask your Administrator to enter the updated invoicing texts and pricing to the invoicing tab in the Acclipse Properties for each document
      • Enable invoicing

As you go:

      • Enable invoicing
      • When you print a piece of content for a client and the invoicing dialog box comes up, update the invoicing text and the price on the spot

Already using invoicing?
If you're already using invoicing and already have invoicing text and pricing entered into the Acclipse properties for your invoiceable content, then this content update will not over-write what you already have.  But it may add invoicing text and pricing to the content for which you have not yet specified text and pricing.  You might want to work through the guide and update the Acclipse Properties where necessary to suit your firm’s needs.  Remember to turn off invoicing on any documents that you don’t want to charge for.

Need Training?
There will be a Client Development webinar on invoicing on 30 November, 10.30a.m.  Click here  to book now. 

HotSpots:

Electronic Workpapers
We’ll be reviewing the Electronic Workpapers early next year.  If your team has feedback or suggestions we'd like to hear from you before Christmas.  Click here to email your content suggestions to us.

Business Fitness Client Development Centre - Only 12 to go for 2009
If you haven't yet experienced a Business Fitness webinar, it's time to seize the opportunity before they're all over!

For Administrators:
New Administrator training - Wednesday 18 November, 10:30am
Business Forward - Friday 20 November, 10:30am
Debtor Management - Monday 23 November, 10:30am (NB: Partners may need to attend also)
Administrator Content Overview - Wednesday 25 November, 10:30am
Template Design & Customisation - Thursday 26 November, 10:30am
Invoicing Setup - Monday 30 November, 10:30am (NB: Partners will need to attend also)

For Partners:
Value Pricing - Wednesday 11 November 10:30am
Business Needs Analysis - Tuesday 1 December, 10:30am

For the Whole Team:
Hot Content Overview - Thursday 12 November, 10:30am
Build Your Own Content - Monday 16 November, 10:30am
User Overview: Searching - Thursday 19 November, 10:30am
FAQs - Tuesday 24 November, 10:30am

For more information and to book now, click here

Download Webinar Frequently Asked Questions here

If you have any queries, please don't hesitate to call Rachael on 0800 10 58 60.

GBU Hotspot…
Are you aware that the biggest challenge currently facing the industry is productivity and efficiency? (Phew, we still have jobs!)
                                                        
The 2009 GBU Report has been completed with a record 152 contributors, making it by far the most comprehensive document of its type with detailed statistics spanning every aspect of compliance accounting - including: profit margins, increase in revenue, average client fees, write offs, and productivity.  This report also explores the current trends affecting job scheduling and capacity planning, billing efficiency, debtor management, team member remuneration and much much more. 

Once you’ve compared yourself to other firms in your revenue bracket make sure to read the chapter devoted to providing strategies to improve on all of the above.

Click here to order your copy of the 2009 GBU Report online…

Viv is also hosting a series of online webinars specifically designed for you to get the most out of your results.  Register for a webinar here.

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We are eager to hear your thoughts on future content - just contact Michele Morgan at contribute@businessfitness.co.nz or feel free to call her on 0800 10 58 60.

Regards

The Team at Business Fitness NZ Ltd
www.businessfitness.co.nz