underpaying staff is a criminal offence

Underpaying your staff is now a criminal offence: What this means for your business

Paying your employees the correct amount is an important part of being an employer. To tighten up this process, the Australian Government has just introduced a new Voluntary Small Business Wage Compliance Code, that makes underpaying your employees a criminal … Read More

How the federal budget 2025-26 will affect your business

Federal Budget 2025-26: what it means for your small business

The Treasurer, Jim Chalmers, delivered the Federal Budget 2025 on Tuesday 25 March. With a general election scheduled for 2025, this Budget was an important one, setting out the Albanese Labor Government’s financial plans for the future path of Australia. … Read More

overcoming business challenges in 2025

Five big business challenges for 2025

‘Uncertainty’ has been the defining phrase for the first half of the 2020s. The markets are unstable, supply chains have been wobbly and finding talent has been difficult. But as we head into 2025, and the second half of the … Read More

Liberating your business with AI

Unlocking your full potential with AI

What’s the main thing that holds you and your business back? Chances are it’s the unavoidable manual tasks and low-level administrative responsibilities that eat into your time. But in 2025, these are tasks that artificial intelligence (AI) is more than … Read More

Happy Christmas and best wishes for 2025

Happy Christmas from all of us at Ascend Solutions

Happy Christmas! We wish you a happy Christmas and very well deserved end-of-year break. We are grateful for the opportunity to work with you and be a part of your business journey. It has been another year of hard work … Read More

Paying Christmas bonuses and gifts to your staff

Christmas Festivities, Bonuses and gifts to staff – what you need to know

From Christmas cash bonuses to overtime payments, many employers make extra payments to their employees at the end of the year. As an employer, you should be aware of how these payments arerequired to be reported to the Australian Taxation … Read More

Australia - do we really want a cashless society?

Do we really want a cashless society, Australia?

Australia is fast heading towards becoming a cashless society. But there are still segments of society that rely on being able to pay in cash. With this in mind, the Federal Government is proposing new legislation that would make it … Read More

Choosing AI tools for your business

Choosing the right AI tools for your business

How do I choose the best Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools for my business? We’re living through what the World Economic Forum has called ‘The Fourth Industrial Revolution’, and artificial intelligence (AI) is one of the formative technologies of this revolution. … Read More

ATO approach to unpaid tax and superannuation

Understanding the ATO’s New Approach to Unpaid Tax and Superannuation

Understanding the ATO’s New Approach to Unpaid Tax and Super In recent months, the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has made significant changes to how it handles unpaid tax and superannuation. This shift primarily targets businesses that refuse to engage with … Read More

managing seasonal income

Planning for seasonal dips in income

Seasonal dips in income can be highly challenging when you’re a small business. But there are proactive ways to predict, plan for and overcome these dips in revenue. The key to dealing with seasonal dips is to know when they’re … Read More