Welcome to 2012! How fitting that the latest issue of Beyond the Numbers puts the spotlight on reinvention. Two Hayes Knight clients in particular had the courage to reinvent themselves and their organisations in response to changing market conditions – and the results speak for themselves.

Over the wet Christmas break I had time to contemplate what the year ahead might bring, as well as reflect on 2011 and the challenges that tested us. Since returning to work, I’ve had discussions with friends in business, banks and community leaders and gained a cross section of opinions on what is coming up.

Congratulations to Pat Tucker who was announced runner-up for the Annual Accounts Receivable Awards, sponsored by feeSmart. The awards recognise those that have shown an outstanding ability to collect professional fees.

Construction cost consultants Kwanto didn’t cool their jets during the recession – and now they’re ramping up to take advantage of new opportunities. By implementing a robust business strategy, Hayes Knight helped Kwanto mark out its growth trajectory and then provided the thrust to propel them along it.

This Christmas Auckland Chartered Accountancy firm Hayes Knight did something very special for their team. Unknown to them, Hayes Knight’s 13 Directors decided to give something back to the team through a novel and innovative idea.

No one likes to lose business, especially if you don’t know why a customer has gone to your competitor. Customer Monitor is a valuable new client-retention tool with some powerful advantages. Chris Pescott, CEO of market research company Perceptive, talks about how it could help you...

On 14 September 2011 the Minister of Commerce, Simon Power, announced proposed reforms to New Zealand’s financial reporting requirements for annual financial statements. The Government sees a theoretical annual saving of up to $90 million in compliance costs from the proposed changes.

In life nothing is certain but death and taxes, a saying that was recently reinforced by the Supreme Court ruling of the landmark case of Ian Penny and Gary Hooper. The Commissioner alleged that the Christchurch orthopaedic surgeons used corporate and family trust structures as a means of tax avoidance.

New Zealand SMEs have often discounted corporate governance as expensive or complex without fully understanding the benefits this leadership discipline brings. But, as Aaron Wallace reports, governance is now becoming a pillar of market-leading organisations.

Being an advocate of triple bottom line reporting we think it's time to embrace a new approach to how we measure and monitor performance, starting with the incorporation of environmental measures.