Jeremy Tauri: Still using cheques? Update now

Jeremy Tauri

When Inland Revenue recently announced it was going to stop accepting post-dated cheques as of next year, there was widespread surprise.

How many people still operate their business with cheques?

You might be surprised at how many people do — the IRD receives about half a million of them a year.

It pointed out there's no point post-dating a cheque — if you want to set up a payment for a later date, you can sort that in your online banking much more simply.

Here are five other habits you should give up:

Hoarding receipts.

You need to keep your receipts. But you don't need to keep big shoeboxes full of them. There are apps that allow you to photograph and file them as you go. You don't have to worry about them fading over the years.

Trekking across town to sign a document.

Get an app on your phone or tablet that allows you to add your electronic signature, no matter where you are.

Missing appointments.

Lots of people still rely on a paper diary but the big problem with this is if you leave it behind on your desk, you're stuck relying on your memory. Start using one on your phone. Some, like the Google calendar, integrate with other platforms so you can immediately add things from your emails or to-do list to your calendar, then set a reminder to make sure you get there.

Paper invoicing.

There's no need for the administrative nightmare that is invoicing with carbon paper. If you're still doing this, talk to your accountant about a better way to handle your payments.

Turning away customers who don't have cash.

There are lots of devices and apps available that allow you to turn a smartphone into a mobile eftpos or credit card machine. There's no longer any excuse for not being able to process a payment from a customer who only has a card to offer. I've seen these work really well for everyone from stallholders to beauty therapists. Talk to your bank about what they can offer.