Ummm… Who invited August? 🤨
Things that should be on your radar this month 👀
- Governments and activists around the world have been crying out for AI regulation, and AI companies actually agreed with them. As of last month, tech giants and the US Congress have been working together to put guardrails on AI – and we’re interested to see what comes out of these talks.
- Vox put out a fascinating podcast this month that explored the huge amount of human work driving the AI revolution, which doesn’t show signs of slowing any time soon.
- We loved this article on how direct-to-consumer startups could take a leaf out of the Barbie movie marketing playbook (don’t worry, you don’t need a $150 million marketing budget, just a playful attitude).
- Interest rates have dropped again, and the chance of another rate rise has dropped with them (🤞)
- In a hilarious turn of events, Elon Musk has pulled the trigger on a Twitter rebrand that has left many people confused (especially anyone who remembers him trying to rebrand PayPal with the same name). We’ve been sitting back with popcorn to watch the reactions – they’ve been gold.
The highs 📈 and lows 📉 of small business life
📈 We’ve got a lot of travel on the cards in the next couple of months, and we’re super keen to spend some time with our clients and fellow accounting community interstate. While we love spending time in spreadsheets, we relish the opportunity to connect with old and new friends, and look for any excuse to learn from one another.
📉 This month, we’ve found ourselves needing to set expectations. We recently onboarded loads of clients from a single sector, and while we’re excited to get stuck into the work, it can be a real challenge to negotiate high-pressure timelines. Feeling like everything is due yesterday isn’t the most productive way to work.
Tech that makes travelling a breeze
🔌 Anker 737 Power Bank will never leave you stranded with a flat laptop. Harnessing 140W two-way fast charging, Anker can charge up to three devices at once on the go. It’s universally compatible and works seven times faster than a standard portable charger.
☕ Espresso Displays are the world’s thinnest portable display. They’re ultra light but also durable, so you can set up a productive multi-screen workspace anywhere in just seconds. You can also use the espresso pen to write, draw and create, and auto-rotate your display from landscape to portrait as you go.
✈️ Tripit takes your travel plans and turns them into a single itinerary. Just forward your booking confirmations to the app’s email and it’ll give you access to your plans on the go, and keep you posted about anything from flight changes to free seat upgrades. Tripit will even tell you when to leave for the airport.
Productivity hack 👩💻
POV: You’re on a video call with a client. You’re intently listening but you’re also trying to take notes – all while typing extra soft to stop the noise interference AND thinking about your next question.
Enter: ScreenApp. This handy software records, transcribes and summarises everything you can see in your browser. It uses AI to turn your videos into searchable documents that’ll condense everything that happened in your meeting, tutorial, or presentation.
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It’s August next week – and it’s incredibly alarming. While you might have already told yourself that Christmas is only four months away, please do yourself a favour and book a break between now and then.
We know it can be super tempting to knuckle down for the final stretch of the year, particularly when it’s your own business. But you’ll get way more out of yourself (and your team) if you take regular breaks that go for longer than just a weekend.
Pick a destination, pick a month, and lock it in before the rest of the year escapes you.
That's just our two pennies' worth.
– Liam and Amy, co-founders of Project Alfred
(changing the way people think about accounting)
Recent issues
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As their public dispute goes nuclear, we’re diving into the fistfight between Employment Hero and Hostplus. We'll also examine the trials and tribulations of Australian SMES grappling with payroll errors, uncover the truth behind cashback rewards, celebrate Australia’s first tech unicorn in two years, and examine some of the latest startups that have raised money this month.
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We look at Hatch, a Gen Z jobs marketplace that has secured $7 million in seed funding to expand nationally, using AI to match candidates with roles based on skills and values. Plus, discover how Taylor Swift's concert at the MCG broke Melbourne's internet, insights on gender pay gaps from the Workplace Gender Equality Agency, and the latest advancements in AI with OpenAI's new system, Sora, generating short videos from text prompts.
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We’ve started the year at break-neck speed, onboarding two exciting new clients, growing the Project Alfred team, getting frustrated at the Australian government’s proposed changes to sophisticated investors, reading about Atlassian’s WFH 1000 days progress and exploring new startup blogs.
In our final 2023 newsletter we look at when to pay attention to your brand, the resurgence of startup funding, rebates for Sydney startups looking for office space and some potential relief on the cost of living.
Liam is participating in Movember and raising money for Beyond Blue to support their efforts in mental health awareness and support. Every donation made on Liam’s fundraising page will be matched by Project Alfred - so if you can afford it, we’d love you to contribute. … And a reminder: every donation is tax deductible!
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Christmas is around the corner, so notify your staff about leave requirements if you’re shutting down. We dive into the Australian funding scene with Employment Hero's impressive cap raise, making them a double unicorn. Learn from a costly lesson about keeping receipts, discover the inspiring journey of Vegemite and find out why work created by AI can't be copyrighted.
How one business has monetised ‘the meeting that could’ve been an email’, a business that has pivoted its offering as a result of the higher cost of living, a significant payroll underpayment issue making the news and the first ‘real’ holiday Liam has taken since starting Project Alfred.
How Barbie & the Matilda's have sparked equal pay discussions, small business grants in QLD, how Australia harnesses students' entrepreneurial spirits, marketing tech we're using, and our August highlights as we celebrate our 2nd birthday.
What direct-to-consumer startups can learn from Barbie, the Twitter rebrand that’s left question marks over our heads, tech to make travelling for work a breeze, our tip for surviving the second half of the year, and much more.
Some good economic news (finally), the hot new website everyone is talking about (ours, obviously), tried and tested website tech we swear by, a list of 20 small business EOFY tax tips, and much more.
An excellent opinion piece about why work from home is a good thing for society (despite what Elon Musk thinks), a desk setup that’ll make your colleagues green with envy, the TLDR on the PwC tax scandal, some EOFY spending advice we know some people need to hear, and much more.
There’s been a spike in company insolvencies that the AFR is describing as a “zombie apocalypse”, advice from HR experts on how to promote work-life balance in your team, a Slack feature we don’t think gets enough airtime, a monitor stand we’re drooling over, and much more.
The TLDR on the banking drama and how it could affect your business, exciting AI tools to keep your eye on this year, the businesses where the UK’s four-day workweek trial didn’t work, our non-negotiables when flying for work, and more.
Apps to boost your sleep skills (these do more than just fix dark circles under your eyes), mindset shifts to stop you feeling like you’re burning both cash and energy, and how to get excited about the next quarter.
An important reminder about what AI can and can’t do for your business, more reasons you should go paperless (and a stack of great resources to show you how), a workday lunch tip to get you away from your desk, advice on setting effective goals for business growth, and much more.
Our thoughts on work-life balance, projections for the tech industry in 2023, some AI tools (or toys) to play with over the break, highs and lows of the year that was, and more.
Tips for making the most of December (T-minus 21 working days ‘til Christmas 🤯), a step-by-step guide to registering for your company director ID, one of our favourite tech recs of 2022, an important cause close to our hearts that we’d love you to support (scroll to the end to find out how), and more.
How to protect your business from cybercrime, apps to build a connection with your colleagues and customers, the science behind the perfect productivity playlist, and more
Three tech recs that’ll make your life 10x easier, the impact of late invoices on your cash flow, the pros and cons of going to a conference, a massive shout out to our community, and more.
The technology shaping Australia’s future, Slack shortcuts we can’t live without, and tech recs to help you share your knowledge online.
Tips for hiring in a tough labour market, an ominous shift in pricing strategy for subscription models, and tech recs to help you grow your team.
Some new economic policies coming in on July 1, tech recs to help you celebrate (or survive) EOFY, and some tips for cultivating a growth mindset next financial year.
Some tips to help you focus, proposed policies on the horizon after the election, the crash of a not-so-stable stablecoin, a big debate we had on LinkedIn, and some tech recs that anyone who’s into design will love.
Did ASIC actually just kill off 'finfluencing’, ideas for designing your perfect work week, tech recs to level up virtual meetings and a sneak peek into the tech stack we use here at Project Alfred!
Tech recs and productivity hacks to help hybrid workplaces get the best of both worlds, our thoughts on the latest Federal Budget hot off the press and an audio book we’re loving right now.
High Court rulings around being an employee or an independent contractor, funding for Covid-affected businesses, great news about mental health support for small business owners, some new favourite tech finds, the Super Bowl…and we’re hiring!
22 things you should do to help your business in 2022, what records you need to keep and what you can let go of in the new year, why eating a frog is the best way to start your day, and some of our highs and lows from the last month.
How to stay on the ATO’s nice list this Christmas, our how-to guide for director IDs, small business trends for 2022, how to work smarter not harder, and some of our own recent business highs and lows.