http://www.shadowadministration.co.nz/blog/ The latest Blog feeds from www.shadowadministration.co.nz en-us Sun, 14 Jun 2026 09:35:49 +1200 Rocketspark http://www.shadowadministration.co.nz/blog/post/165390/the-systems-tradie-businesses-need-as-they-get-busier/ When a tradie business starts out, most things are fairly easy to keep track of.Jobs come in, you book them, get the work done, and send the invoice. A lot of it is handled as you go, and that's usually enough to keep things running well.As the business gets busier, that way of working becomes harder to stay on top of.There are more jobs booked in, more customers to stay in touch with, more suppliers to deal with, and more quotes to get out. The work on site and keeping customers happy remains t... Mon, 25 May 2026 14:26:57 +1200 http://www.shadowadministration.co.nz/blog/#post165390 http://www.shadowadministration.co.nz/blog/post/163882/where-tradies-are-losing-time-in-their-business/ For a lot of tradie business owners, the day doesn't stop at 5 pm. Once the work is done on site, you head home and often jump straight into family life. Helping with bath time, bedtime stories, and finally finding time to eat dinner.Then the paperwork starts.Quotes need to be sent, invoices need to go out, suppliers need confirming, and job details need to be updated. When you first start a trade business, this side of things usually feels manageable. But as you get busier and more jobs come in... Tue, 28 Apr 2026 13:43:26 +1200 http://www.shadowadministration.co.nz/blog/#post163882 http://www.shadowadministration.co.nz/blog/post/161475/what-nz-tradies-need-sorted-before-31-march/ For a lot of tradies, the Christmas and summer break is a chance to slow down and spend time with whānau and friends after a busy year. It's also when you probably had good intentions to get your tax and GST up to date before the end of the financial year. Then you're straight back into the day-to-day work, and before you know it, the end of the financial year is just around the corner. Receipts still need to be entered, invoices haven't all gone out, and you start worrying that you won't have ... Fri, 06 Mar 2026 10:14:50 +1300 http://www.shadowadministration.co.nz/blog/#post161475 http://www.shadowadministration.co.nz/blog/post/158365/wtf-was-that-survive-or-thrive-in-2025/ I like to think of this year in two very different stages: pre-Bali and post-Bali.Before Bali, life felt pretty bloody good. Shadow was growing, things felt exciting, and I was living my best life. We were building the business, working with amazing clients, and the team was finding its rhythm. It felt like everything was moving in the right direction.Then came Bali.           I’d gone over for a business retreat with other VAs, a chance t... Wed, 24 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +1300 http://www.shadowadministration.co.nz/blog/#post158365 http://www.shadowadministration.co.nz/blog/post/156984/why-tradies-need-to-be-on-social-media-and-3-easy-ways-to-start/ Let's face it. When you're flat out on the tools, keeping your social media pages up to date probably isn't top of the list. But these days, people want to see who they're hiring, not just read about them. Whether you're a builder, plumber or sparkie, being online helps you get noticed, build trust and stay front of mind when people need your services.Here are five reasons why every tradie should use social media and three simple ways to make it work for you.... Fri, 28 Nov 2025 07:57:05 +1300 http://www.shadowadministration.co.nz/blog/#post156984 http://www.shadowadministration.co.nz/blog/post/152448/gst-invoicing-cash-flow-a-simple-guide-for-tradies-in-nz/ Running a trades business isn’t just about the work on-site. You’ve also got to deal with the money side, like GST, invoices, and making sure there’s enough in the bank to pay the bills, cover suppliers, and sort tax when it’s due.It’s easy to let it slide when you’re busy, but that’s when the pressure builds. With a few simple steps, tradies in NZ can stay on top of it without spending hours sorting through all your invoices and receipts.... Thu, 18 Sep 2025 08:50:34 +1200 http://www.shadowadministration.co.nz/blog/#post152448 http://www.shadowadministration.co.nz/blog/post/150342/8-smart-ways-for-tradies-in-nz-to-get-more-leads-online/ When you’re flat out quoting, running jobs, and keeping clients happy, the last thing you want to think about is marketing. But if people can’t find you online, you’re missing out on work. Even when you’re the right person for the job. You don’t need a big budget or a fancy plan. Just a few simple things done well. Here’s how tradies across New Zealand can bring in more leads online, without spending a fortune.... Tue, 12 Aug 2025 12:54:36 +1200 http://www.shadowadministration.co.nz/blog/#post150342 http://www.shadowadministration.co.nz/blog/post/146338/from-flat-out-to-sorted-why-every-trades-business-needs-a-virtual-office-manager/ If you’re a tradie running your own business, you know how full-on it can get.You’re either on the tools or running jobs, then spending your evenings trying to stay across what’s happening, dealing with people stuff, sorting issues and keeping everything moving.Sound like you?What if it didn’t have to be so hard and exhausting?A Virtual Office Manager can take the pressure off by helping run the business properly. They can set up systems, keep jobs, communication and teams organised, and... Wed, 28 May 2025 14:31:54 +1200 http://www.shadowadministration.co.nz/blog/#post146338 http://www.shadowadministration.co.nz/blog/post/144293/work-smarter-not-harder-spend-less-time-on-admin-and-more-on-the-tools/ ... Tue, 15 Apr 2025 16:14:13 +1200 http://www.shadowadministration.co.nz/blog/#post144293 http://www.shadowadministration.co.nz/blog/post/142917/home-office-claims-for-business-owners/ If you are a business owner and work from home, you may be able to claim a portion of your house costs as a business expense!This article will let you know a bit about what expenses you can include in your home office claim along with how your home office claim is calculated.... Thu, 13 Mar 2025 16:31:13 +1300 http://www.shadowadministration.co.nz/blog/#post142917