Back to Blog

What you need to know when building your own website!

DIY'ing your website? With so many small businesses building their own websites on the likes of Rocketspark, Squarespace, WIX and other DIY website build software, it really helps to know the important things to look out for when building a website. Design, Content & SEO are the three main things that make up a website. See our notes below for some things you will want to think about when DIY'ing your own website build.  Design (everything that makes it beautiful) Check the softwa...

Managing Payroll so farmers can do what they do best!

When you're asked to picture farmers, what comes to mind?Dirty gumboots, tired-looking from being up before dawn and out in the paddocks until after the sun has set? Now picture that same farmer, working those long hours, in those tiresome conditions, and then picture him going home to go do the paperwork that still needs to be done Tons and tons of paperwork.  Workers need to be paid, bills need to be checked, jobs need to be thoroughly considered and planned for. Add on top of that accide...

Work from ANYWHERE - Get your office online

We consider ourselves the Pros at working online, it's what we've been doing the last five years and every day we learn new and better ways to work with our clients. We wanted to offer some tips to businesses that are only just getting used to working online and at the moment might feel like they are fumbling through. So, here is our thoughts and some of the software we rate highly.  Look to change from running a paper-based filing system to an online one. When Chantelle started V...

The time-saving secret of busy bosses

It’s a weeknight, and you’re working late at the office again. If you’ve got other staff, they’ve gone home already, but as the boss you can’t just walk away and switch off. There are invoices to send, emails to respond to, accounts to manage.You’d love to get home to the kids, but this work won’t do itself. Or could it?What you need is a supporter in your corner, someone to take the administrative load off your shoulders and proactively help your business become more efficient &md...

A List of Opportunities

We wanted to give freely to business owners who right now are going to be struggling. While it's great to keep optimism going and look at the positive side of this. There is a dark side. The one which will have families in tears, wondering how they will pay for food, their mortgages and even how they will pay their staff. I feel their pain. I too, have had to make a very quick Pandemic Plan and forecast our Cash-flow to see if we can make it.  So many of our clients will be affected from th...

What do you think Joe should do?

The Cost Difference - Varntige versus an employeeToday I've created a fictional business called 'The Plumbing Store', owned by Joe so that I can provide you with an example of the value we often add over employing staff.  'Joe' from 'The Plumbing Store' has an Office Manager working in his office 30 hours a week. Joe's Office Manager has decided to leave, and he has been looking to replace her but is finding it difficult to find the right person. Not just that but Joe doesn't even have the ...

Having a Paperless Office to create efficiency

Paperless, can you even imagine?Do you work in an office that feels like it's covered in paper? Maybe it's not that bad, but you have thought about making the change to paperless and wondered how to go about it? What are the real benefits? Continue reading to find out our thoughts. At Varntige we have been paperless since we opened almost five years ago. We never started with 'client files' or piles of paper. In fact, when we look back at our stationery costs it would seem we barely go thro...

Why do we choose Rocketspark?

Rocketspark provides a website you can update We only build websites in the Rocketspark platform because they were the solution to our problem - as a business we struggled to find website build software that was beautiful, easy to use, google friendly and most importantly that we could easily update ourselves. Then we found Rocketspark and just like that our problem was fixed.  Rocketspark websites provide the following: Beautiful templates that we edit to fit your businessDI...

The FAQs of hiring us as your VA - the answers to your questions!

How does this VA thing work?So, you've been thinking about getting a VA (Virtual Assistant). To get started we offer a FREE 1-hour meeting to work out if we're the right VA for your business. We want to learn all about you and your business and what's important to you! After this if you want to get started, we send a Plan Document for the Packages/work we have discussed. You fill out our New Client Form and get given a VA (who manages all your work) and we get right to work. In that first meetin...

Why RocketSpark is the perfect website platform for 80% of NZ Businesses

We've been building RocketSpark websites since 2016. We started doing so when I realised how UGLY the website I'd built for Varntige really was. I'd built it in an NZ based hideous template build software. I was so proud of myself at the time too - and had every reason to be, however after looking back I think Oh no... So, when I found out about RocketSpark, saw the designs and how easy it was I jumped at the chance to hire a Graphic Designer and build these websites for our clients. It was the ...

Why would I need a Bookkeeper?

Is this a question you've asked yourself recently?Or you're asking now? Why would you need a bookkeeper?  As a business owner keeping your accounts tidy is so important. We see first-hand the problems that can be caused when not looking after your accounts - owing suppliers, owing staff, owing the IRD and finally your business failing. All things we are sure no one wants to have to deal with. These problems usually occur when someone without the skills and knowledge has been managing the ac...

Why Varntige is 100% Xero for their Bookkeeping Services

When Varntige started in 2015 they serviced both MYOB and Xero Accounting Software clients. However, Chantelle quickly came to realise that time is a limited resource and she wanted The Varntige team to be the very best at what they do. So, she decided to Niche and offer bookkeeping services in only Xero. This meant staff could spend their training time each month keeping up to date with only the one Software. Allowing them to have the time to keep up with all the updates and fully understand ho...

What are your thoughts on the 4 day working week?

I have been thinking a lot lately about a 4-day working week. For myself as a business owner I really want the team to have an enjoyable time at work. I want them to come and work at Varntige and feel inspired to live better lives. Not saying that any of the team don't live good lives but we can always improve, can't we? Be healthier, have a better balance between work and our personal lives. I want our team to enjoy their families and friends and by doing so be happier at work. I'm calling...

4 SEO’s Tips that EVERY Business can do for FREE!!!

You read that right – FREE SEO help. It’s been well over 3 years since we started building websites for our clients. In this time, we’ve had the pleasure of working with Website Software Builder RocketSpark – and we’ve been lucky enough to learn on our journey some FREE ways to improve your ‘ability to get to #1 on google’.We use these to help our clients and we often give them out to our clients – now we’re helping you!P.S – Don’t think this is a miracle, if the business y...

Chantelle good - A path of resilience, positivity and growth.

Most of us can’t reference major health crises like kidney failure as the tipping point for a business launch, but Chantelle’s path to building a life she loves has never been a conventional one. From teenage dreams of following in her father's footsteps as a business owner to a health struggle that started in her twenties and saw her land in hospital on dialysis treatment - Chantelle credits her health struggles as the catalyst for taking the leap into building her own business. â...

Case Study from Andrew Palmer of Advice Financial

Andrew Palmer has a passion for helping his clients to achieve their own financial objectives by providing a personalised financial advice service to them.A registered financial advisor, Andrew’s business was thriving which meant that he was often snowed under with his workload. So, in August 2016, Andrew enlisted the help of virtual assistants The Good P.A to take on the administration tasks of his business.“The primary objective of engaging with The Good P.A was to delegate the administrat...

DryGutts Testimonial

Rebecca pays attention to DryGutts needs and details like it was her own. It is of great comfort knowing that Rebecca is covering these jobs with the highest quality and integrity which allows me and Mitchell to focus on what we're good at. The companys Rebecca works with are no doubt very blessed with her time and talent. Josh KingManaging Director...

Identimark Tesimonial

We love having Rebecca part of our team, great culture fit and simply gets stuff done! ðŸ˜ŠNothing is a problem and always follows through things to make sure everything gets sorted.Chloe BeatsonClient Success Specialist...

The Costume Truck Company Testimonial

Working with Leah was great, she is so professional and helpful. Could not have completed this without her, so appreciate all the extra work she had to do. Would recommend this Company to anybody.Ann PlasThe Costume Truck CompanyMarch 2023...

Agtrac Contractors

Varntige was essential to starting with Xero due to my lack of computer literacy. They were available at any time to assist with startup issues. Couldn't have got going without Chantelle and her team.Rob KingAgtrac ContractorsApril 2022...

Rocketspark Partner Site of the Month March 2023

"We are pleased to announce The Costume Truck Company by Varntige as our partner website of the month for March.When the page ‌first loads, you are greeted with an informative background video in the feature stack that gives the viewer a clear first impression of what the company does. The video showcases the company's unique services and is supported with a clear heading and call to action.The clear hierarchy of the text throughout the site makes it easy to read and follow. The text content i...

Last Pass

Recently, we posted about Last Pass on our Facebook page. Has anyone actually heard of Last Pass? Does anyone use it? We just celebrated our first anniversary with them, and what we can say is we LOVE it! Last Pass is a secure account with one master password that only you know that keep the rest of your passwords locked up in an easy to find vault. It is easy to use with great security that uses bank level encryption to scramble your data for secure transfer and storage. Last Pass is also ...

Preventing Theft/Fraud In The Workplace

Chantelle and I recently attended the NZ Bookkeepers Association Annual Conference for 2017. We had some amazing speakers but one that stood out to me the most was Lynda Smart from Rogers Reidy Chartered Accountants. She spoke to us about preventing fraud and theft in the workplace. It stood out to me because a lot of business owners I know don’t have any prevention of theft in their workplace and most owners just go with trusting their employees. The scary thing is it IS happening out there i...

Lightbulb Moment - How To Keep Staff Happy

I had a lightbulb moment in the shower the other weekI have lately been trying to think of ways to keep my staff happy and fulfilled in their jobs. Not because they are not already happy but simply because we can always improve and it's a big value for me. Happy employees = happy business (I am SO passionate about treating employee's right, and see so many businesses not truly valuing what employees can do for their businesses).I got up early on this Lightbulb morning moment to finish ...

Xero Payroll - End of Financial Year

The end of the financial year is coming in hot and fast, with less than a month left! Payroll in Xero makes sure your end of year tasks are as easy to manage as possible.Upcoming ChangesThere are some upcoming changes in the 2017 year that you need to be aware of:The minimum wage will be increasing by 50c – from $15.25 to $15.75 on the 1 April 2017. The starting out and training minimum wage rates will increase from $12.20 to $12.60 per hour. To see how to update this in your system please vis...