Pain Points – Part 2
This may sting a little...
Part 1 covered the top eight ‘pain points’ (as ranked by SMEs in MYOB’s Business Monitor).
Here are the lower eight, again with my comments.
9. Doing monthly accounts including tax
I hate bookkeeping so much, I put all my papers in a box and spend one agonising day per quarter sorting them out.
I like words, not numbers!
10. Keeping business books up to date
See above. Hate it.
11. Preparing quarterly BAS
See above. Hate it. Hate it! HATE IT!!! 
12. Networking with similar businesses
See Point 3. Thanks to social media, I’ve never been better connected.
13. Finding information relevant to your business
As above. Adam, Malcolm, Joanna, Sonia, the Stephens … this amazing list goes on!
14. eCommerce or eMarketing on your website
Bit of a fizzer. I had naively high hopes for my online shop, but I’ve only sold a few eBooks.
I need to improve my offer, reduce the price and add zing.
Google AdWords drove me nuts for six months. Forget it!
15. Managing your business website
With Andrew Hurl in my corner, I can’t lose.
In my next life, I’d like to learn a bit of back end stuff so I can tinker with my content.
For now, I’ll just send Andrew emails at 3 am.
16. Managing existing staff performance
I’m a twitchy minion and a merciless boss. But we get on OK.
Most days I spend around ten hours at my desk (occasionally head-butting it).
Alas, no Christmas bonus for me.
Well, I’m jolly glad to have all that out of my system!
As always, I warmly welcome your comments, stories, segues and diatribes.
And your jump cuts, maiden speeches, shameless plugs and dissertations.
Just tell us where it hurts.
Paul Hassing, Founder & Senior Writer, The Feisty Empire
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Put me down for points 9, 10, 11 and 12. That said, once you start, it’s never that bad, which goes for most things. I live down the coast, and insist on swimming in most weather. It’s often cold, blowy, unappealing … yet I’ve never once had a swim whereby afterward I said, ‘That wasn’t worth it.’ The trick is simply to get in. Let the idea of short-term unpleasantness (the cold shock of the water in this case) build up, and you’ll never get in.
Jolly good points, Ad. I am rather a ruminator. Maybe it’s time to chuck the cud.
Fitzroy pool during a school swimming carnival is similarly daunting to me.
I’d take sharks and killer rips over 200 screaming snot machines any time. Many thanks for your views.
Hi Paul,
This is not a plug but having used MYOB from day 1 means 9, 10, 11 are so easy to take care of. Getting ready to launch 14 so that will be sorted out as well. No other real pain points
Fair enough, Susan. Having read about your foray into 14, I’m very keen to hear how you get on. Sure looks like a slick system you’ve bought. Keep us posted, won’t you?
As Gordon Gekko says:
Greed is good. Greed is right. Greed Works. I’m talking about liquid. Rich enough to have your own jet. Rich enough not to waste time. Fifty, a hundred million dollars, buddy. A player. Or nothing. What’s worth doing is worth doing for money. Money never sleeps pal.
So get rich and have someone else look after all the admin rubbish!
Damn I miss the 80’s.
Ze best sinks in life are free.
Bet you can gif zem to ze berds und biz!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AutxFgxTshM&feature=fvst
Re: #14 – I’ve said it before Paul, but perhaps the answer isn’t reducing the price of your e-Book, but instead raising it…? That said, absolutely add some zing and improve your offer.
You may well be right, Stephen. When I get enough steam up for another shot at this tricky affair, I’ll try every jolly price permutation in the book!