Do I need professional help with financial matters?

Sometimes business owners get so caught up with “running the business” and “doing what they do best” that financial matters are neglected because there just isn’t enough time. If this situation is familiar to you, rest assured it is also really common to many business owners and operators. BUT if it is left unchecked it can have dire consequences. We can assist you by providing independent specialist financial assistance to help you assess your current financial position, your recent financial performance and assist you in developing forecasts and cash-flow requirements. Contact us for a no obligation and free consultation as to how we can help.

Suffered a financial loss and have a claim?

You or your company might have had the misfortune of having a customer default on payment, or you have had an investment go bad or you might have incurred a loss due to causes beyond your control. Contact us for assistance in calculating your actual financial loss to form the basis of a claim to recover your losses.

Facing financial pressure and need to know your options?

You or your company might have suffered a downturn in business and be facing severe pressure from creditors and perhaps even from your bank or other financiers. By actively seeking independent professional advice you can avoid the loss of your business and your livelihood. We can assist you to work out the state of your own or your company’s finances and provide you with realistic options for the future of your business. We can assist you to prepare cash-flow and profit forecasts and help you work through various “what-if” situations (often referred to as sensitivity analysis). And even if an insolvency appointment is unavoidable, did you know that a Personal Insolvency Agreement for individuals, and the Voluntary Administration procedure for companies allows creditors to give you and your business a second chance? This can mean you continue your business and may preserve jobs for your employees, where the underlying business is potentially sound. A financial crisis does not need to end in bankruptcy (individuals) or liquidation (companies). Contact us for assistance to accurately and realistically work out the options.

Could I be managing my company when it is ‘trading while insolvent’?

If you are managing a company, or seen to be managing a company, whether or not you have been appointed a director, you might be putting your personal assets at risk if the company goes into liquidation and the company’s creditors or the liquidator makes a claim against you personally and the company is found to have been “trading whilst insolvent”. The Corporations Act 2001 provides for insolvent trading claims to be made against “directors” (whether validly appointed or not) who allow their company to obtain goods and services on credit from suppliers when the company is insolvent, that is, when the company can no longer pay its debts when they fall due. There are also criminal offence provisions.

When is a company found to be insolvent?

Although the Courts will determine whether or not a company was insolvent at the time credit was incurred, directors need to be aware of the tests that are applied by the Courts. For example, does your company have a history of making losses? Does your company’s liabilities exceed its assets? Is the company paying Statutory creditors on time (e.g. the ATO for BAS payments for GST and PAYG, superannuation to employee funds)? Is the company paying its suppliers (trade creditors) on time or is there a very long list of unpaid creditors, with collection agencies and solicitors demanding payment? Contact us to address your concerns and obtain assistance to determine the financial position of your company and provide you with options to minimize risk.

Will my employees receive payment if my business closes?

If your company is insolvent, is placed in liquidation and does not have sufficient funds available to pay all employee entitlements it may be that “GEERS” the General Employee Entitlements and Redundancy Scheme run by the Commonweath Department of Employment and Workplace Relations will assist. The GEERS scheme will, under certain circumstances, make funds available to ensure employees are paid at least some of their entitlements for wages, leave, and redundancy payments. Contact us to discuss this further.

Telephone us on+61 8 8359 2550
Fax us on+61 8 8359 2440
Email us atmail@fergusons.com.au

Office addressSuite 4.01, Level 4, 147 Pirie Street, Adelaide SA 5000
Postal addressPO Box 120 Rundle Mall SA 5000

Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation