OMG - Summer has officially ended already!

What happened? Where did it disappear so quickly?

The majority of people living under the ‘daylight savings’ time zone really enjoy the extra time we get after work to spend outdoors, but with the change of seasons, that is now disappearing quickly as we now embrace Autumn.

Hopefully, by now, you have your plans for 2026 implemented and are working hard to achieve them. If you are still struggling to get started, please give us a call or check out January's edition of Taking Care of Your Business to see how we do it to get some ideas.

An artistic, shallow-depth-of-field shot of a person's feet walking through fallen dry leaves on a sun-drenched Australian coastal path. One side of the image shows the bright blue ocean (Summer), fading into the warm, earthy tones of fallen leaves (Autumn). Soft bokeh, vibrant but natural colors, warm Australian sunlight

Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT)

Our team will be contacting you later this month in preparation for the end of the 2026 Fringe Benefits Tax year to collect your fringe benefits data by sending you our 2026 FBT Questionnaire to complete and sign as soon as possible so that we can complete your 2026 compliance obligations. PLEASE NOTE - Speedometer readings are no longer required for motor vehicle fringe benefits!

Keep a lookout for this very important email.

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2026 Tax Planning Meetings

Your 2026 tax planning meeting will be scheduled as soon as the March 2026 BAS has been completed.

Our team will be sending you an email with the information we will require from you before that meeting, so we have time to prepare and update your tax planning data.

pt: A high-end, bright Australian meeting room with large windows overlooking a city skyline (like Brisbane or Sydney). On a polished timber table, there is a tablet showing a colorful bar graph, a professional notebook, and two glasses of chilled water. The lighting is crisp and professional. High-resolution photography, minimalist aesthetic, aspirational and organized.

Yearly Theme

Building on the foundations set in our January 2026 Newsletter, where we will be focusing on the 4 Ways to Grow a Business:

so that’s:

  1. Increase the number of customers (of the type you want);

  2. Increase the number of times they deal with you.

  3. Increase your average sale or ‘transaction value,’ and

  4. Improve the effectiveness and processes within your business

to ensure the achievement of the first 3!

We will be focusing this quarter on the 1st way:

Increase the number of customers (of the type you want)

Desktop displaying customer acquisition metrics and growth charts, printed quarterly strategy plan beside it, pen and notebook with action steps, clean modern office desk, realistic photo style, corporate strategy theme, newsletter header composition

Stop Shouting into the Void: Why Your "Ideal Avatar" is the Secret to Growth

We’ve all heard the classic mantra for growing a business: get more customers, get them to return more often, and increase the value of every sale. It sounds simple enough, right? But here is the catch - if you try to speak to everyone, you usually end up heard by no one.

Before you spend a single dollar on marketing or tweak a single internal process, there is one critical step that determines whether your business thrives or just "survives": Building your Ideal Customer Avatar.

The "Shotgun" vs. The "Laser"

You are standing in a crowded stadium.

Imagine you are standing in a crowded stadium. You have a megaphone and a life jacket to sell. If you just scream "Buy a life jacket!" at the whole crowd, most people will ignore you (and some might find you annoying).

But what if you could instantly identify the ten people in that stadium who are planning a deep-sea fishing trip tomorrow? If you speak directly to them about the specific safety and comfort of your vest, your "hit rate" goes through the roof.

That is the power of an avatar.

Why Your Avatar is the Engine of the "4 Ways to Grow"

Defining exactly who you want to serve isn't just a creative exercise; it’s a strategic necessity that fuels the four pillars of growth:

1. Getting More Customers: When you know your avatar’s pain points, you can write ads that make them feel "seen." This drastically lowers your cost-per-acquisition.

2. Increasing Frequency: If you understand their lifestyle, you know when they need you again. You aren't guessing; you're anticipating.

3. Increasing Transaction Value: People pay a premium for specialists. When you solve a specific problem for a specific person, you move from being a "commodity" to a "necessity."

4. Improving Effectiveness: Your team stops wasting time on "D-Grade" customers who drain your resources and starts focusing on the "A-Grade" clients who love what you do.

How to Build Your Avatar (The Quick Guide)

Creating avatar on your laptop please only show the hand and avatar is not a person but a cartoon

Don't just stop at "Female, aged 30-45." Dig deeper. Ask yourself:

1. What keeps them awake at 2:00 AM? (Fear of debt? Health concerns? Lack of time?)

2. Where do they hang out? (LinkedIn? Local coffee shops? Specific Facebook groups?)

3. What is their "Internal Dialogue"? Use the exact words they use to describe their problems.

Pro Tip: Give your avatar a name. Whether it’s "Savvy Sarah" or "Builder Bob," naming them makes your marketing feel like a conversation between two people rather than a broadcast to a demographic.

The Bottom Line

Marketing without an avatar is like trying to drive to a new destination without a map. You’ll burn a lot of fuel, but you might never arrive. By narrowing your focus, you actually expand your potential for growth.

Check out our calculator to see for yourself what the impact could be if you focus on these 4 areas:

The 4-Ways Calculator

Be sure to check out our daily blogs and weekly podcasts for tips, strategies and ideas to help you achieve success more quickly.

The End of the Quarterly Buffer: Getting Ready for "Payday Super"

If you’re a new business owner, you’ve likely been told that superannuation is a "quarterly" headache. Well, I hate to be the bearer of news, but the rules are about to change in a big way.

From 1 July 2026, the "quarterly buffer" many businesses use to manage their cash flow is officially retiring. Under the new Payday Super legislation (passed in November 2025), you will no longer have months to pay your team’s super.

A close-up, high-detail shot of a professional’s hands (Australian professional, mid-30s) typing on a silver laptop keyboard. The laptop screen displays a cloud-based accounting dashboard (like Xero or MYOB) showing a recurring payment schedule. A flat white coffee in a ceramic cup sits to the side. The lighting is bright and modern. High resolution, shallow depth of field, focused and contemporary business vibe.

What exactly is changing?

Right now, you can wait up to 28 days after the end of a quarter to pay super. Starting July 2026, you'll have just seven business days after each pay run to get those contributions to the fund.

  • If you pay fortnightly, Super is due within seven business days of that pay run.

  • If you pay monthly, Super is due within seven business days of the month’s end.

  • The "Qualifying Earnings" shift: Your payroll software will calculate super at 12% of "Qualifying Earnings" - a new term that largely mirrors the old "ordinary time earnings" (base pay, bonuses, and allowances).

Why the rush?

The government framed this as a worker protection measure. Billions in unpaid super currently sit in employer bank accounts instead of earning interest for employees. By syncing super with payday, the ATO aims to ensure workers get their entitlements faster.

The Sting: Penalties you can’t ignore

Missing the seven-day window isn't just a "whoopsie" - it’s expensive!

If you miss the deadline, you'll face the Superannuation Guarantee Charge (SGC), which includes:

  • The unpaid super amount.

  • Interest that compounds daily.

  • Admin penalties that can reach 60% of the shortfall.

Warning: These penalties are not tax-deductible! 

They come straight out of your pocket, not your pre-tax business expenses.

Our 4-Step Preparation Plan

a white board that says

You have roughly four months until the switch - don't wait until June to scramble.

1. Audit Your Software: Check if your Xero, MYOB, or QuickBooks plan includes "Payday Super" functionality. Some older plans might require an upgrade.

2. Clean Up Records: Ensure you have validated super fund details for every employee. For new hires, you’ll have a small 20-business-day grace period to find their details before the seven-day rule kicks in.

3. Build a Cash Buffer: Since you'll be making smaller, more frequent payments, your "rhythm" will change. Start putting aside a small percentage of your payroll now to ensure you aren't caught short in July. Your new cashflow management requirements may mean putting in place a bank overdraft, so planning early means it will be in place in time for these new changes.

4. Re-evaluate Pay Cycles: If weekly or fortnightly pay runs feel too administratively heavy under these rules, talk to us about switching to a monthly pay cycle to simplify your super obligations.

Do you like this idea to help you plan?

Reach out to the Team on 03-55612643 today.

Do you need some accountability, extra motivation and guidance in 2026?

If so, reach out, and we can make you part of our new monthly Accountability Group of like-minded business owners who want to succeed and excel. We can also show you how our business coaching program - Chasers Getting ResultsTM - works if you really want to take your business to the next level!.

REACH OUT HERE
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Looking to start a business?
Get a copy of our latest book before you do to fast-track your success.

Or looking to grow your business in these tougher economic times?

Both books are for any aspiring entrepreneur who wants to grow their business and to understand what to look out for and avoid when they start their business, too!

ORDER HERE

The next Chasers Mastermind for 2026 commences on Friday 3rd of April for those business owners who want to build a better business and be held accountable for the critical tasks that they want to implement to move forward and closer to achieving greater success.

Learn all of the essential components that make a successful business to to really takeoff!

Congratulations to Juan Pablo Sixto from Southwest Imports on successfully completing the second Mastermind of this year. Juan was a very enthusiastic participant wanting to master the key components for operating a successful business at the most recent Chasers Mastermind.

Your investment in this program will be $100 plus GST per week. You will be able to focus on specific areas for your business that need attention, collaborate on ideas and strategies in a group learning environment and share what’s working.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

If you have not yet left a review for us on our Google Reviews, then now is the chance to do this and get 12 chances of winning a luxury 3-night holiday in Tropical Mackay in North Queensland. That’s right! By simply scanning this QR Code and following the instructions we will enter you in the monthly draw to win.


The winners so far in 2025/26 were:

  • Jul - Brent Moir

  • Aug - Michael Welch

  • Sep - Maria Scott

  • Oct - Renee Lane

  • Nov - Gemma Wylie

  • Dec - Sara & Dale McDonnell

  • Jan - Jeffrey McLean

January's winner was: Linton Dumesy

If you are not successful in previous months, you will be automatically re-entered for the following month giving you up to 12 possible chances of winning this awesome holiday. As soon as you leave a review our Team will be notified and will enter your name in the draw. - Good luck!

The latest edition of our National Award-Winning Magazine – No. 22 - is now published and available for you to read. It features heaps of educational tips and ideas on how to create highly productive teams by delegating, an inspiring story about our featured Chaser’s are young entrepreneurs - Brianna Kilpatrick & Arley Fleming from Sweet Freeze Acai & Froyo and an article on the importance of focusing on using three essential tools for managing your commercial lease by Phil Chapman, a renowned expert with extensive experience in helping business owners negotiate better lease terms and conditions for their commercial lease contracts.

CLICK HERE TO READ AND SUBSCRIBE FOR FREE

Don’t forget to check out our latest podcast episodes on The Chasers Channel. The most recent episode 106 features a discussion about the closure of the ATO’s Clearing House for your employees super contributions

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN

We release a new episode every Sunday, so make sure you follow our podcast to get the latest news, tips and strategies for bringing you closer to achieving the dreams you are chasing.

LAST CHANCE:
Win a $11,500 Phuket Luxury Escape!

Our 2026/27 fundraising raffle is officially in its final week. This is your last opportunity to support our projects in Thailand and put yourself in the running for an incredible 5-night luxury wellness retreat for two.

The Prize (Valued at $11,500+):

  • 3 Nights at Anantara Layan Phuket (Deluxe Pool Villa) + "Active for Life" Wellness Retreat.

  • 2 Nights at JW Marriott Phuket (Grande Premium Pool Access Room).

HOW TO ENTER:

With only 2,000 tickets released, these are some of the best odds you'll find!

  • 1 Ticket: $20

  • 3 Tickets: $50

  • 7 Tickets: $100 (Best Value)

👉 GET YOUR TICKETS BEFORE THEY'RE GONE

YOU CAN ALSO SCAN HERE:

Key Dates in March 2026

Lodge and pay the February 2026 monthly business activity statement.


Lodge tax return for companies and super funds with total income of more than $2 million in the latest year lodged (excluding large and medium taxpayers), unless the return was due earlier.

Payment for companies and super funds in this category is also due by this date.

Lodge tax return for the head company of a consolidated group (excluding large and medium), with a member who had a total income in excess of $2 million in their latest year lodged, unless the return was due earlier.

Payment for companies in this category is also due by this date.

Lodge tax return for individuals and trusts whose latest return resulted in a tax liability of $20,000 or more, excluding large and medium trusts.

Payment for individuals and trusts in this category is due as advised on their notice of assessment.