Happy New Year

1 July marks a "clean slate" for the large majority of businesses with the commencement of a new financial year in Australia. The ball is about to bounce and the score card reads Nil/Nil. What better time to reflect on where you are at and make some personal and business goals for the coming 12 months.

It's interesting to revisit predictions made by financial commentators on where the $AUD, ASX200, interest rates etc will end up. It's fair to say that most expected the AUD to be nearer to $1 rather than 0.90c and for the ASX200 to be nearer to 5200 rather than 4800 points. The "feel" around the traps is that if you protected the $1 you had at the start of the year and you still have it, then it has not been too bad an outcome.

Take time to fast forward to 30 June 2014. What does your "score" need to be? Do you have the capital, team and professional support to get you there? Has your risk profile changed and have you implemented strategies to reflect your appetite for risk?

The time you spend right now "off the tools" documenting your plan of attack for 2013/2014 will be time very well spent. Make sure it's a Happy New Year.

By Adam Tims