Care

The Handshake or hug and the 21^st Century

When I started in business I met with prospective and new clients got to know them and collectively we decided to collaborate with each other. This is a lot of trust in my core business which I pride with honesty. I shake the guy’s hand or hugged the lady and our collaboration was sealed. I knew their business and they knew mine. These days of the 21^st century I am increasing not seeing the clients and have developed means of getting that handshake. I ask a lot more questions not because I am noisy but because I need to know my customer in the terms of legislation as well as peace of mind. I have secure portals for documents and records, electronic signatures, identity standards as well as 2-factor identification available. This creates problems initially for clients in two areas:

• The cost… All of this costs they see me ramping up fees just to make more money this breeds contempt
• Knowledge gaps The client has a mindset block to adopting these technologies and pushes back against change

The Cost

AS the transition to a hybrid cloud server business in conjunction with my collaboration with Microsoft, MYOB, and local IT at Work allows me offsite back up as well as up to date software for secure communication and storage. Multiple backups and redundancy allow me to offer the services of my competitors while still being in business. Without it the tech back office I would not be able to operate with the constant change. This comes at a cost. I have to let go of clients who do not see this as necessary as it is now the way to do business.

Knowledge Gaps

I am a patient guy who has coached thousands of people over the years. In 99.9% of the cases, there is a solution to there training. Initial blocks are related to their mindset. The clients I have found don’t like change.  Change management is slowly giving them the right information at the right time. I have to be aware that some do not take in lots of information  The client has a cycle of learning and it may take in a couple of years to get them there but eventually I do. I try and standardize the training however it is not unknown for me to bespoke solutions.

Above my screen in my office is a framed statement:

Just for Today, I will

Not Worry

Not be angry

Do my work honestly

Give thanks for my many blessings

Be kind to every living thing

When dealing with people I recognize them as people. While the hugs and handshakes sometimes aren’t there enough these days I still appreciate my clients exactly the same way there were when I first collaborated with them. That hasn’t changed only the delivery.

As I develop the business advisory services of Anywhere Business Network Ltd I am carrying thru the traditions of The Tax Man Limited. I truly believe that the digital skills that are on offer thru the collaborative partners that the new company has will make businesses shine in the 21^st century.

Onward and upward!

Andrew

Half of the Anywhere Business Network

Insatiable Need For Yang

Yang

Controlling the yang and keeping it in check is important! Having balance in my daily life is a must.

I see many driven people come into my life they show aggressiveness in the pursuit of their goals. Their goal is their chief motivation however in that pursuit they manifest health and relationship issues. The goal blanks out each day as they move forward. When the goal has reached the feeling is a bit like an anti-climax.

Definition of yang

the masculine active principle in nature that in Chinese cosmology is exhibited in light, heat, or dryness and that combines with yin to produce all that comes to be

To take it further ego tends to drive Yang. It is something of the mind. When ego takes over the mind goes out of balance with the body and soul. Feelings and emotions are parked.

The body being full of energy is just as important as the mind. Yin while being in constant contact with the mind tends to manifest its self in feelings.

Definition of yin

The feminine passive principle in nature that in Chinese cosmology is exhibited in darkness, cold, or wetness and that combines with yang to produce all that comes to be

As you can see being driven my Yin could be described as being left in a cold wet mess!

The importance of what I am saying here is to remain in balance give equal balance to the mind and body. Allow joy and happiness to you in your day and the positive feelings of well being by exercise and good nutrition. Listen and act with relationships. Set time aside to appreciate your surroundings. Laugh smile and cry. By all means, pursue goals but enjoy the journey!

The cement of Yin and Yang is the soul. Being in touch with your inner being/ higher power is a good start to balance. It is all about mindset!

Andrew

Half of Anywhere Business Network

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Peace Now and the Spy that Came in from the Cold

Peace now and always is a better state of mind! Fear is a state of mind. Looking back the external stimuli dictated my reactions for what seemed an eternity.

Growing Up

As a child of the 60’s and 70’s at the forefront of my mind from the media was the cold war. The nightly images from Vietnam were chilling and perverse as anything on the internet today. The movies of the day carried thru these themes and as a child in Wellington, I would always go to the flicks on a Saturday afternoon matinee to see the latest blockbuster. The Spy thrillers with the suspense they carried always intrigued me! The images of the spy drop at Checkpoint Charlie with the slow walk, the nod of acknowledgment of spies, as they walked past each other made me sit on the edge of my seat.

The cold wall was still in still going when I joined the NZ Army in 1986. We learned of soviet doctrine the makeup of opposing sections, platoon’s, companies and battalions there weapons and tactics. Then one day it was over or so we all thought!

Work

While working at Inland Revenue I investigated people and learned to understand their makeup, what to expect, there habits and routines. All with the objective of ensuing they had returned the right amount of income.

When I went out on my own in 1997 I wanted to specialise in forensic accounting but alas it did not take me long to realise that the market that I had to project myself into was too small. Instead, I concentrated on small and microbusinesses. I also started to realise with the conversations I had with people how much the hated the Government and the way it operated in the tax field with its passive aggressive use of fear! I had to be very careful that as the messenger I was not tainted by this!

4 or 5 times a year I would have different people coming into my office with the same problem in that they had never furnished anything thing to Inland Revenue and wanted to put it right! Yup the spies were coming in from the cold. Huge amounts of work would be done, and the information passed via tax returns to Inland Revenue. I did a lot of reconstruction involved and developing systems was done to achieve the results. The client kept out of jail, I made some money and the revenues insatiable lust for money was satisfied.

The Mind

I soon found that something in my makeup always wanted that edge that next big moment of suspense. I had to start dealing with it as I knew that you can’t live on the edge. I started yoga and meditation as well as developing digital systems to assist me to produce financial statements quickly and efficiently as well as communicate with clients no matter where they were. I also took up Toastmasters to improve the quality of that communication. All of this was to reduce the risk of miscommunication as well as the stress of not getting it right.

Awareness

I started to see the person behind the client and be more self-aware, because of the changes I had made to myself. I saw their stress, a few suicides, a few busted marriages, the anguish, and sometimes relief as their fears were allayed. I do a lot of sign posting to assist people to get their options right. Fear can mean two things F@@k everything and Run or Face everything and rise. I try to coach people into rising always looking for the positive rather than the cynical darkness they see in the Government. I found that people coming to see me just wanted peace. I found it was a matter of there own perception in that peace begins with themselves and while possessions might have to be sold to pay to the government that in the end, if they have food warmth shelter and love they will have peace.

Andrew

Half of Anywhere Business Network

Leadership

It’s not about me

Leadership is instilling the belief in someone that they can do it. It is not about taking control and dictating to people what they shouldn’t do. We are all big enough to make up our own minds, and a good leader is supportive of your needs and offers empathy, listening skills, and opinion when asked. A good leader encourages your self-confidence and goes thru your choices of action towards your journey. A good leader does not offer threats, intimidation or ridicule.  A good leader uses right speech to motivate and steer on your chosen path. Take yoga for example. A good leader will allow you to focus on what you want. There are no comparisons as it is just you and the yoga. The changes you make to your daily practice are based on your incremental improvement and the leader leads by example.

In the end, it boils down to being supportive, being trusted as well as being honest!

It is the same in business. You seek mentors to support you. They don’t take over they over advise. The offer leadership and are supportive. They don’t ridicule but offer alternatives to your course of action. They add value to your decisions. That is why I have mentors and it is especially important to me as those mentors are also teachers and coaches for me in that big digital world. In another blog, I have discussed this and if you are reading our blog for the first time you might want to look up that link.

My growth by listening to leaders has been outstanding. My collaborators are also leaders, my peers are also leaders and my friends are also leaders. You just have to pick up on those traits of leadership too!

I have concluded that I lead too just by writing these blogs!

Andrew

One Half of Anywhere Business Network

Dealing  Stress

Stress can be good and bad. It is how you deal with it. When I worked for the government in a compliance role stress was an everyday occurrence. There wasn’t much help to deal with it and frankly, a lot of the people I worked with on reflection exhibited signs of stress! It took me years to develop my own strategies for dealing with it! Stress can manifest itself into health problems that can become long-term issues. A way of dealing with it that I have found useful are:

1. Exercise particularly yoga
2. Meditation A clearing of the headspace
3. Collaboration and Networking Sharing the pain points and celebrating the wins
4. Learning about the warning signs and using counter strategies
5. Seeking mentors (the link to some good mentors here) to check in with and above all listen too
6. Develop a daily routine that allows the time for counter stress activities

My secret is striving for the balance of mind body and soul, be present in the moment and make sure the activities that I choose to undertake can have joy and happiness as an objective.

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Andrew

One half of the Anywhere Business Network

Love

Quite a few years ago I went thru a rough patch of trying to understand an ex-partner and her drinking and narcotics use. To me, I did not let it rule my life and tried as I could to show another way. In the end, we parted, however, I still carried feelings of resentment and fear. I did not want to turn to anger and the situation annoyed me. I sought help and joined a group of like-minded individuals and rather than bitched and moaned we made our way thru a program that we mutually supported each other. One of the affirmations that were used was let go and let god. God could be interchanged with whatever your higher power was. I loved that saying, however, I never really fully realized that God is love and love is the god. So nowadays Love is the key to me. It is the all-encompassing feeling of warmth the dwells up thru the body from the gut and envelopes that warm perfect feeling. You know the thing, there are many examples. I am mature enough to know this does not come from someone else it has to begin with me. That peace does begin with me! I started to use love to experience it and it opened up serenity like a butterfly opening its wings!

What it boils down to is mastering the mindset and becoming more mindful of the present.

Andrew

One Half of Anywhere Business Network

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Quality Assurance is defined as the maintenance of a desired level of quality in a service or product, especially by means of attention to every stage of the process of delivery or production.
The Japanese have a term “Kaizen”, also known as continuous improvement, is a long-term approach to work that systematically seeks to achieve small, incremental changes in processes in order to improve efficiency and quality.
In my own business, I review my work and say to myself how can I make an improvement. I strive to look at the way it is done and the output to the client. I ask for feedback and incorporate it into the service.

I carry this over to my own life. I try and improve what I am doing.

While the changes I make might not seem like much, incrementally the add up to large changes. Here is an example!  I plan, then do, check what I have done and then act to make the change. This is continuous! When I check I look at the problems, display where it is happening, be clear about what the problem is and acknowledge the problem.
An element of humility is required to not state I am wrong but to acknowledge that I need to make the change!

Mentoring from peers and those who have been there and done that. That is why I partner myself with others. They have a free 30 day trial at present!

Andrew
Half of Anywhere Business Network

Eprofessional Collaboration

The eprofessional is someone who telecommutes using information and communication technologies. It is also known as a telecommuter! Collaboration with the small business owners is normal. The flexibility to outsource problems and in turn accept work within their practice allows the person maximize their output.In order to work there needs to be inherent flexibility and a willingness to be cooperative.

The tools of collaboration are:

1. Video conferencing such as zoom
2. Application sharing such as office 365 suite
3. Document management and storage such as Dropbox and Adobe services
4. Blogging and social media pages which ideas can be exchanged

The Eprofessional

Inherent skills used by the business are mandatory when it comes to the above. The communicative skills required allow the sharing of information.

In my own main business, I have a backbone cloud shared accounting with MYOB essentials. This allows me to share reports and data with the client in real time. I am more a collaborator in their business now more than ever. It seems also that cloud-based message systems are being used more and more by clients as real-time is where the clients want results. Being familiar with the systems allows me to operate with ease!

How long will it be before your business will require these skills! Click to start learning!

Andrew Elphick

One Half of the Anywhere  Business Network

Collaboration

The internet is full of video of content where people are freely giving you ideas to assist you in your business. Some of the ideas are good, some not so good! In my search for collaborative partners, I looked far and wide! If I was going to take my business to the next level and effectively transport myself into the cyber array, I clearly needed help! I wanted information that was here and now, not something handed down three years ago by some academic when they were learning about business. I had to collaborate with people who were actually doing! I studied not only how they were doing it but also their motivation! The reason for this is that to achieve what I had to do I had to put in some hard work that was going to create some serious stress! I also had to maintain work-life balance! So I started my collaborative journey here! The more I collaborated the more I saw my life needs to change. I started to look at mind body and soul balance and let the stress melt away with meditation and yoga. I started to understand what I was doing and that in itself brought a smile to my face!

I began to understand the differences in peoples offering I learned that hard sell and bullying had no place and did not lead to that joy and happiness on the journey. I learned that content was king! I learned in order to be congruent I needed to walk the walk, not talk the talk!

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I am now in a much better position with my digital skills, however still need constant collaboration!

Andrew Elphick

One half of the Anywhere Business Network

Surveys

Today I completed a survey basically it was asking about business confidence and needs.

It was a bit like doing the recent census it was all about my needs. Now don’t get me wrong I like assistance. However, the objectives of the survey don’t generate the macro drivers in a local economy such as tourist numbers, value-added dairy produce, mining, fishing, and forestry. It does not help me develop servicing internal demand for my services.

The Minister in Charge of the West Coast Eugenie Sage prefers the company of other than human beings so as a result of that is adverse to Mining and sustainable native forestry. As mining applications grind to a halt and those existing are enveloped in red tape the Coast needs to develop other strategies.

Our local milk company is expanding but alas it is processing off the coast more and more and while that increase the payout for farmers, does like for additional jobs.

While the accommodation sector talks of new hotels it has no new projects currently, being undertaken. While Greymouth will have a new Hospital, there is little other major construction.

The star in the crown as far as Tourism is the Trans Alpine a rail service that delivers 300 tourists a day.

Another gem is the tour buses that stop in Greymouth each night, as well as the brief stop by Stray and Kiwi experience. Those buses number up to 15 buses a day averaging another 300 tourists. Self-driving campervans and rental cars make an overwhelming majority of visitors with 400 to 500 movements thru Greymouth a day.

I asked a Contiki driver one day why they did not stop in Greymouth. He replied if you had something for the tourists to do they would come. Currently we have Shantytown and this is on the stopping point for some of the buses, however, the attractions do not appeal to the 18-35-year-old market.

Some would say Greymouth has plenty of cafes and restaurants, perhaps so, however they need to be within a short walking distance of railway station or easy parking.

In addition, Air links are woefully inadequate on the West Coast, you cannot go to Auckland and back in a day for meetings unless you are prepared to drive 6 hours in total before and after the trip! Tourists are not currently being supported by air travel.

So what do you do, to drive more money from Tourism? You give them an experience that they will take home, you make that human connection, you give them something to spend there time here!

A start with that would be to focus on service to Tourists that stands out, i.e. going that extra mile. Accommodation cafes restaurants service stations supermarkets need to be fully on board with going that extra mile. Only then we will increase the numbers spending more time here in Greymouth. Then attractions, new capital investment in accommodation and more cafes and restaurants will become more viable.

Andrew

One Half of Anywhere Business Network

Abilities

We all have abilities that we nurture over the years.

Mine is taxation!

Hey, I know that it appears boring to a lot of people, however, it has held my interest since 1980! After being with Inland Revenue (read IRS/ATO) I branched out my own in 1997 and joined a group of peers for support. As with any organization you participate and as such, I served on its controlling body for six years as well as being a member active in supporting it! So my peers recognized that by making me a fellow of my peer group! I was quite pleased! I am also pleased that it recognizes my ethics!

Andrew Elphick receiving recognition for ethical abilities

My success in this field all goes down to being a member who is part of a community. Now Anywhere Business Network is also part of a community! The digital marketing part of our company is an active member of the digital expert’s academy and as such has access to what happened last week in digital marketing! This differs from traditional learning in that the members are all actively marketing their business online and the mentors within the community have incredible ability. You too can experience the power of digital learning and currently, there is a 30-day free trial! Worth a look!

Andrew
One Half of Anywhere Business Network

Why I Blog

I blog because I believe passionately in the content that we put out!

The tagline of the business is mindset collaboration and learning and this has been canvassed in each the blogs that Kerri and I have authored! Our website has access to books, learning systems, contact and snippets from social media. The over 1000 videos on Instagram also are there to support that tagline. I believe that we have helped and assisted people by inspiring them to action. I know that my own digital skills have exploded out of sight because I carried out the daily routine of the creation of the posts and content. Specifically;

1. MY HTML skills and SEO writing are 1000% better now than when I started
2. My mindset has changed where I am a lot more mindful of balancing my mind body and spiritual needs
3. The creation, editing, packaging, and placement of anything up to 17 track video is a new skill.
4. My awareness of the big wide world out there means I am communicating daily with people here and on the other side of the world as well as forming real friendships
5. My own business has morphed from just coasting along to a cloud business with systems in place that allow me to have a far greater choice.
6. My mentors are and can be anyone I choose and not be limited to those just in my community, some of whom have a severely limited mindset and outlook to the world.

So over the years while I have been on this journey I have received lots of feedback. People generally like the content and it rings a bell with them. I have shared the secret many times!

Are you ready to embark on a journey? Are you ready to change your mindset?

The first step, join with our mentors and sign up free for 30 days!

Andrew

One half of the Anywhere Business Network