Business By Design Part 4: Why you do it, not how you do it!

Clear Vision • November 29, 2016

Ever wondered why some businesses seem to inspire loyalty, achieve amazing results and grow exponentially while others lanquish, have trouble selling their products and ultimately disappear?

In recent blogs we’ve discussed some of the bottom line issues for poor business performance including cashflow issues and lack of strategic direction but this time I want to talk about your “why” and how that may be impacting your success in business, in your personal life and in how you lead others.

According to Simon Sinek, the fundamental difference between high flying companies like Apple and pretty much everyone else is that they start with “why.”

To explain this concept Sinek has developed what he calls the “Golden Circle”.  The golden circle has three layers:

  • Why: This is the core belief of a business.  It’s why the business exists.
  • How: This is how the business fulfils that core belief
  • What: This is what the business does to fulful that core belief.

What Sinek suggests, and what you’re probably starting to realise, is that most companies spend all their time focussing on the How and the What and no time on the Why.

The success of many of the world’s most outstanding companies is that they understand their Why and they are successful in communicating it to their target market and customers.

It seems the average consumer connects far better when making a buying choice with a company that demonstrates a passion for Why the provide a particular service or product than a company that only communicates its What or How.

Sinek also suggests that the same principle can be applied to our personal lives and our work.  If you don’t know Why you do what you do you may never love what you do and be great at doing it.

You can find Sinek’s original TedTalk outlining the idea here.  I strongly encourage you to take the time to watch it.

And if you’d like someone to talk to about developing the Why in your business please give me a call.

Don’t be on the ATO’s naughty list in 2026

By Caroline Gillies • December 11, 2025
The ATO is cracking down on people who claim too many tax deductions for properties that they use both personally and as rentals — especially holiday homes. A new draft ruling says that if you use a property for both personal use and renting it out, you must split (apportion) the expenses in a fair and reasonable way. You can only claim deductions for the portion of time or space used to earn rental income. If the ATO thinks your property is really a holiday home — for example, you block out peak times for your own use and only rent it occasionally — they can classify it as a “leisure facility.” If that happens, you cannot claim big expenses like mortgage interest, council rates, land tax or maintenance. You’ll only be allowed to claim small costs like cleaning, advertising and platform/agent fees. The ATO says many owners of holiday homes have been claiming too much by showing “rental losses” every year. They are now looking more closely at cases where the owner keeps the property unavailable for rent during busy periods.  How do I stay off the ATO naughty list? If you mix personal use with rental use, be careful. Only claim the rental part of your expenses, or the ATO may deny most of your deductions.

ATO Small Business Superannuation Clearing House (SBSCH) Closure

By Caroline Gillies • October 17, 2025
From 1 October 2025, the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) officially closed the Small Business Superannuation Clearing House (SBSCH) to new users. Thanks to the efficiencies of Xero, this change does not impact Xero clients, as Xero includes its own built-in auto-super functionality. This means employers can make superannuation payments directly through Xero—without needing to access the ATO’s separate clearing house service. Key Dates and Details No new users: From 1 October 2025, the SBSCH stopped accepting new registrations. Full closure: The SBSCH will be fully decommissioned on 1 July 2026. Existing users: Businesses currently using the SBSCH can continue until 30 June 2026 but are encouraged to transition to an alternative solution before this date. At Clear Vision Accountancy Group, we highly recommend Xero as an efficient, streamlined, and ATO-compliant payroll and superannuation solution. If you’d like to discuss transitioning your business to Xero, call our team today on (07) 4688 2500 — we’re happy to help.

What Records to Keep for Your Rental Property

By Caroline Gillies • August 3, 2025
If you own a rental property or holiday home, keeping the right records is key to maximising your tax deductions and staying ATO-compliant. This week, we’re highlighting what the ATO expects you to keep when it comes to residential rental properties. Here’s a quick checklist of the documents you should hold onto: Purchase & Sale Documents – Contracts, settlement statements, and legal documents. Loan & Ownership Records – Loan statements, refinancing documents, land tax assessments. Rental Income – If you don’t have a rental statement you will need to document all rental income received, including bond money retained, insurance payouts, and any other reimbursements. Expenses & Repairs – Keep receipts and invoices for expenses like advertising for tenants, property agent fees, council rates, strata levies, repairs, maintenance, insurance, and interest on loans. Depreciation & Capital Works – Receipts for assets over $300, depreciation reports, and capital improvement records. Before and after photos of any capital works. Holiday Home Use – If your property is rented out part-time, you’ll need evidence of when it was genuinely available for rent (e.g. booking requests, advertising, availability calendars). How long to keep records: You’ll need to keep most records for at least 5 years after lodging your tax return, or longer if claiming capital works or carrying forward losses. Keeping detailed records ensures you claim everything you're entitled to—and makes things much easier in the event of an ATO audit.  Need help getting your documentation in order? Reach out to our team at Clear Vision Accountancy Group—we’re here to help. To read a more detailed list of items you need to keep for your rental property visit: Records for rental properties and holiday homes | Australian Taxation Office