Sidekick Queenstown

20/10/2026

We enjoyed a delicious lunch at Billy's at Ayrburn last week to welcome Thijs to the team, catch up with our CEO Ric Thorpe Skca and acknowledge amazing work over the last 6 months!

19/10/2026

Please share this post or tag your Southland friends & family.

Cameron is a straight shooter. He’ll tell you what you should be taking note of in this economy… and what noise you can cut out.

And with the election looming, we’re sure he’ll have a lot to say about the impacts of various campaign promises too!

Click the post below to grab your tickets to Jandal-nomics this Thursday in Invercargill.

16/10/2026

We spend a big chunk of our lives at work, so it’d be pretty rubbish if you didn’t feel like you belonged there.

It’s Mental Health Awareness Week, and this year’s theme is ‘belonging matters’.

Belonging comes from connection… and that just happens to be one of our brand values.

So here’s a taste of how we connect across our group and within our local teams.

From our annual conference, Sidekick Squads and director catch-ups to office outings, industry events, sports, birthdays and morning teas… We make time to connect, celebrate wins and get to know each other beyond the day job.

Because People Driven Accounting starts with our own people.

And when people feel like they belong, their mental health improves, they’re more likely to stick around, work well together and genuinely care about the people they work with.

Business owners, you don’t need a special week to check in with your team. But if it’s been a while, make today the day.

05/10/2026

We’re stoked to welcome Thijs Hubber as the new Associate Director at Sidekick Queenstown!

Thijs brings 15 years’ accounting experience and a calm, practical way of helping business owners make sense of the numbers, work through big decisions and plan what comes next.

He’s also well and truly part of the local scene, co-running RunZQN and working with The Mill in Frankton on its marathon programme. Outside work, you’ll usually find him running, biking, hiking, climbing or making the most of the mountains.

Safe to say, he’ll fit right in.
Welcome to Sidekick Queenstown, Thijs.

05/10/2026

Who can benefit from tax pooling?
Short answer: pretty much everyone.

Whether you’re looking to reduce the cost of paying tax late, or just want more flexibility around when and how you pay your tax, tax pooling can be a useful tool for managing your business cashflow.

Sidekick CEO Ric caught up with Harry from TMNZ to dig into how it works, who can use it and where it could fit into your tax strategy.

Watch the full conversation with TMNZ here: https://youtu.be/_nkKYKnZr-U

If you’re interested in learning more about tax pooling and how it could work for your business, reach out to us, we'd love to help.

30/09/2026

Please join us in welcoming Sidekick Flintoffs, Invercargill to Sidekick.

Flintoffs has been part of the Southland business community since 1994, and we’re stoked to have Jo Thomson, Jackie Palmer and their team joining the Sidekick family.

They’re still proudly local, still independently owned and operated, and now have the backing of the Sidekick group behind them.

Welcome to the group, Sidekick Flintoffs.

Read the full story and watch our interview with Jo and Jackie. 👇

Sidekick is growing and is now in Southland. Welcome to Sidekick Flintoffs, with Jo Thomson and Jackie Palmer joining Sidekick.

22/09/2026

Have you received this letter? IRD is cracking down on PAYE payments, so this one’s worth checking.

Employers whose annual PAYE and ESCT is $500,000 or more, are being sent letters reminding them that PAYE needs to be paid twice a month from 1 October 2026.

This rule isn't new, but IRD is cracking down on compliance, so now’s a good time to make sure your payroll and payment process are set up correctly.

We've broken down who this affects, the payment dates and what you need to do in our latest blog.

If your business is over the $500K threshold, have a read and talk to us if you're unsure what you need to change.

Read the blog here:

If your annual PAYE and ESCT is $500,000 or more, you need to pay PAYE twice a month. Here's what NZ businesses need to know from 1 October 2026.

17/09/2026

If you're using a standard markup across your products & services, you might be making less than you think.

Markup and margin aren't the same thing, and getting them confused can have a serious impact on your profit.

Here’s Ali, one of our Selwyn based advisors (and a dedicated Metallica fan 🤘🏽), to explain the difference.

We've also put together a free Markup vs Margin Calculator so you can plug in your purchase price, adjust the markup and see exactly what margin you're actually making.

Have a play with it, then if you're ready to define your numbers further, talk to your Sidekick advisor about building a pricing strategy that works for your business and the lifestyle you want from it.

Try the free calculator here: https://www.sidekickca.co.nz/markup-vs-margin/

10/09/2026

Xero is putting its prices up from 1 October 2026, so this is the perfect time to check that you’re getting the most value from it.

The new standard monthly prices excluding GST are:
• Ignite: $37
• Grow: $89
• Comprehensive: $117
• Ultimate: $135

There are plenty of features and automations that can save you time and your Xero work harder for you.

We can help you identify where you could automate some of the repetitive stuff you're still doing manually.

And while you're reviewing your Xero use, it's not a bad time to look at your own pricing too.

When did you last check whether your prices still cover your costs, give you the margin you need and reflect the value you're providing?

We've covered the Xero price increase, getting more from Xero and reviewing your own pricing in our latest blog.

Take a look ⬇️

Xero prices are increasing from 1 October 2026. See the new NZ prices and find out how to get more value from Xero with automations and Sidekick support.