GoFi8ure

16/10/2026

Adult, adult, adult.

Apparently that's what New Zealand businesses need to do.

Fair enough.

Because there are businesses using IRD as an unofficial bank.

GST gets collected.

PAYE gets deducted.

Income tax becomes due.

And instead of putting that money aside, it gets used to keep the business running.

That's not sustainable.

If your business can only survive by continually not paying its tax obligations, eventually somebody has to ask whether the business itself is viable.

That's the uncomfortable bit.

But here's the other bit.

Most New Zealand businesses ARE paying their obligations.

They're doing it while dealing with rising costs, shrinking margins, difficult customers, staff shortages and an economy that has tested even very good operators.

In the March 2026 quarter, 94.8% of GST and PAYE was paid on time.

Think about that.

Behind that number are thousands of Kiwi business owners making decisions every week about wages, suppliers, tax, rent and whether there's anything left for themselves.

They're not asking for medals.

They're getting on with it.

That's what small business does.

I've worked with business owners for nearly 35 years and I've seen something governments of every colour occasionally underestimate.

Small business owners are extraordinarily resilient.

We don't always have faith in governments.

We don't always have faith in the economy.

Some days we barely have faith in tomorrow's bank balance.

But we have an extraordinary ability to persevere.

And yes, being in business means accepting responsibility.

Your GST isn't working capital.

PAYE isn't yours.

Tax obligations don't disappear because cash flow is difficult.

If you're struggling, deal with it early. Talk to IRD. Talk to your accountant. Make an arrangement. Make a decision.

Don't stick your head in the sand and hope Tuesday develops a more accommodating personality.

But let's also remember something.

The businesses doing the wrong thing are the minority.

Most Kiwi businesses are already adulting.

Quietly.

Every bloody day.

Being an adult in business isn't about never struggling.

It's about taking responsibility when you do.

15/10/2026

Half of you have tracking categories in Xero and no idea what they're for. It always catches up at tax time.

15/10/2026

15/10/2026

Everyone sees the success.

The business that's thriving.
The founder who seems to have it all figured out.

What they don't see is what came before.

The failed attempts.
The clients who didn't pay.
The year revenue halved.
The decisions that looked right at the time and weren't.

Behind every business success story is a long, unglamorous stretch of things that didn't work.

People see the outcome and assume it was always heading there - but it wasn't.

Because success in business isn't a destination you arrive at.

It's something you keep choosing.
After the setbacks, through the hard seasons, when the easy option is to stop.

Trust me on this - the grind isn't the price you pay for success.

It is, and always will be, the work.

15/10/2026

October GST is off to a FLYING START!

And can we just talk about how much I'm LOVING Xero right now?!
Its making my accounting heart do a little happy dance! 💃

💙 DOCUMENTS – I'm actually REALLY loving this feature name change from Files and where its positioned now!
Keeping everything organised, accessible and beautifully streamlined.
Less hunting, more doing! 📂✨

💙 FIND & RECODE – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ My ALL-TIME favourite Xero function!
Seriously, whoever dreamed this little beauty up deserves a medal! 🏆
A total lifesaver when it comes to tidying up transactions.

💙 GST FILING DIRECT TO MY IR – GAME CHANGER! 🙌 Being able to file GST returns straight from Xero to Inland Revenue is the kind of magic that makes an accountant's day! 🇳🇿

💙 BANK RECONCILIATION – Watching those transactions match up is ridiculously satisfying.
Yes, accountants really do get excited about this stuff! 😂

💙 AUTOMATION & SMART FEATURES – Less repetitive admin, more time to focus on what really matters: helping clients and making numbers make sense! 🤖✨

October GST is running beautifully, everything is going swimmingly, and I'm over here wondering...
Is it socially acceptable to be THIS in love with accounting software?! 😂
Because Xero, you've officially stolen my little bookkeeping heart! 💙

AI might be changing the world, but Xero is making my GST world a whole lot happier! 🤖💙

14/10/2026

Put something in the wrong category by accident? You do not need to redo the whole thing. There is a fix for that.

14/10/2026

The most expensive decision is often the one you never make.

After nearly 35 years, I've noticed something.

Some business owners make the wrong decision.

Some make the right decision.

And some...

Go around and around in circles.

Week after week.

Meeting after meeting.

Email after email.

Gathering more information.

Asking the same questions.

Waiting for certainty.

Here's the problem.

Business rarely rewards certainty.

It rewards timely decisions.

Yes, you'll make mistakes.

Every business owner does.

But indecision has a cost too.

Opportunities disappear.

Teams become frustrated.

Momentum is lost.

The market moves on.

I've learned that the businesses that thrive aren't the ones that always get it right.

They're the ones that decide, learn, adjust and keep moving.

At some point, thinking becomes avoiding.

And avoiding is simply a decision wearing a disguise.

13/10/2026

If I hear “AI is a game changer” one more time, I may need to disrupt something myself. 🤣

We're all guilty of it, but surely we need to retire a few AI phrases before they become completely meaningless.

🤖 “AI is a game changer.” Which game? Who's winning? Has anyone read the rules?

🚀 “We're at an inflection point.” Apparently we've been at one for three years. My neck hurts from all the pivoting.

💡 “AI won't replace you, but someone using AI will.” Thank you. I believe this has now appeared on 47 million LinkedIn posts.

🔥 “The future is now.” Excellent. Can it please reconcile my bank accounts?

🧠 “Unlocking the power of AI.” Is there a key? A secret password? Do I need another subscription?

⚡ “AI is transforming everything.” Except, apparently, the conference presentations about AI.

And my personal favourite:

“It's not about the technology. It's about the people.”

Usually followed by 45 PowerPoint slides about the technology.

Which brings me to my problem.

I'm delivering a keynote at the Expo in March on Authentic AI.

And I've decided that if I'm going to stand on a stage talking about the future, I'd better have something genuinely NEW to say.

Not recycled AI predictions.

Not another demonstration of a chatbot writing an email.

And definitely not a presentation that could have been delivered 12 months earlier with a different date on the opening slide.

AI is moving too fast for yesterday's insights to be tomorrow's keynote.

By March, I want to be talking about what's actually happening, what's genuinely useful, what's overhyped and what it all means for real businesses and the humans running them.

Less artificial hype. More authentic intelligence.

So tell me, which AI buzzword or phrase should be permanently banned from conference stages?

I'm compiling a list. And yes, “game changer” is already serving a life sentence. 😂

13/10/2026

Do it now.

There's a version of life where you work hard, save carefully, and finally enjoy it all when you retire.

And I understand the appeal.

But I've watched too many people reach that finish line - or not reach it at all - to believe it's a guaranteed plan.

Retirement might be wonderful.

Or you might be less able-bodied than you hoped.
Or the world might look different.
Or you might not get there.

Not to be morbid, but it's worth being honest about it.

So - what are you waiting for?

Not in a reckless, "blow all your savings" way.
But in a real way.

Is there something you're deferring until the conditions are perfect?
A trip, a decision, a change of some sort?

I promise you - those "perfect" conditions will never come.

The time you have now is the most able-bodied, clear-headed, present version of you there'll ever be.

So please - use some of it on yourself.

12/10/2026

Cashflow and profit are not the same thing. Profit on paper does not pay your bills. Here is the tool in Xero that shows what is really coming and going.