Importing MYOB data into Xero – opportunity?

I’m trying to convince my mother to switch to Xero from MYOB. The unfortunate problem is that all of her history is stored in MYOB, and so switching requires re-keying of invoices and the like. The solution to this is to commence using Xero at the start of a financial year, which leads to a …

Wear your safety equipment – black Gloves are cool

Following on from an earlier post on dorky safety Glasses – the next easiest piece of safety protection to wear is a decent pair of gloves. They can even make your live easier when working. Indeed it is this that has led me to wear gloves a lot recently, and while the gloves can make …

The New Zealand iPhone 3G network debacle

The iPhone will dominate the top end of phone sales Even if you are a fan of other platforms, we can all appreciate that Apple has bought new levels of usability to the phone. It’s most obvious in the seamless connection with the App store on iTunes – a system that  makes building, selling and …

How to twitter if you are a corporation

Twitter, for members of my family and those other 4 people that read blogs and have not yet discovered it, is a microblogging service that has just hit the main stream media. By definition it is therefore passé, but in the meantime we may as well use it well. Examples: How not to twitter. @NZStuff …

Amazon is failing to be the iTunes of book world – so far

I’m warming on the idea of the Kindle – Amazon’s ebook reader. I like it for mass reduction, especially when travelling – it sharply reduces mass that you need to cart around on an airplane or  motorcycle. I like it for convenience – You’ll get books that you purchase instantly, rather than waiting for days …

ANZ’s tragic teller system

First you dub an application as “Platinum” – critical to your business. That’s a good idea, so you now know you need to get the system and support absolutely right. You choose to run a trial before rolling it out to all branches – another good idea. However that’s where things started going wrong for …

Dick Smith sale still three times more expensive

It’s nice that Dick Smith have a 15% off everything sale, however I am simply not interested in shopping there any more. Dick Smith are meant to be a cheap place to get electrical and electronic kit, but they seemingly abandoned that cause a while ago, and are now selling products to unsuspecting consumers at …

Xero’s capital raising

Staggering. While I still believe that Xero’s IPO was expensive, I also believe in the business opportunity and how Xero is going about pursuing it. While the latest round of share issues at $0.90 is dillutive to the original $1.00 IPO,  it is an excellent price nonetheless: The IPO was expensive – and that was …

Getting the basics right makes money – Ascent

Yesterday I went shopping for a laser printer. I went to Pricespy and Trade Me, along with Ascent where I have successfully purchased before. Pricespy sent me to a few stores, including Ascent, but I will pick on Computer Direct who came back  as the cheapest. They have a good url, but they are not …

Getting the details right – ACC’s ActiveSmart doesn’t

Years ago I had a boss at Mobil Oil who had a mantra – “Retail is Detail”. He was all about getting the little things right, and right every time, in order to maximise sales. It was pretty smart, though it helped to have the big stuff right first! Web sites are the same. The …

Vodafone 3G Coverage misses the money

I really should have checked the SSC Broadband Map before signing up to Vodafone 3G coverage. It appears that Roseneath, one of NZ’s wealthier suburbs, and where I live, is barely covered by Vodafone’s 3G service. Actually there are plenty of gaps across Wellington – including Karaka Bay, Worser Bay and Seatoun, where many of …

We are being watched now

Via the NBR I hear that ISPs can snoop on us from April the 5th. S92 was nothing. The Telecommunications (Intercept Capability) Act, coming into full force on April 5, will let the Police, SIS and the GCSB (Government Communications Security Bureau) execute search warrants on internet service providers to grab users’ data Right now …

Where I live, What I do

I’ve always struggled to describe where I live and what I do. Here is some clarity. Where I live After almost two years of attempting to live in both Fremantle and Wellington (and largely failing at either), I am now back in New Zealand for the foreseeable future. I’m based in Wellington, and will commute …