Unlike the Taxpayer File Number (TFN) that takes a week or two before you receive it by mail, the ABN is given online immediately.
An e-mail will also be sent to confirm the details and give initial information about installing the Common-use signing interface and your digital certificate. The access code is included in the e-mail. However, you will also need the PIN and password which will be sent to you by mail.
Within a week, you will receive two letters, one containing your business registration details while the other is your PIN/password and online services set-up CD.
Transactions are usually done in the business portal and its usability can be intimidating at first. It is best to try out the web tutorial first instead of contacting them.
Record keeping is an important activity for any small business entrepreneur and you can be penalized for not doing it. They have a site that informs you on how to go through it. The resource page is comprehensive and it is best to set aside time to familiarize yourself.
If you are not using any particular software at the moment for record keeping, the ATO site also provides a free electronic record keeping tool. In order not to miss any due dates, you can also use the small business tax calendar that is customized based on the information you provide on business activities.
Note that you don't have to be an Australian citizen or permanent resident to get an ABN (like in my case - a temporary resident - as my partner has a work contract here in Australia up to 2010). Remember also that income from employment is totally separate. So should I end up working for a company here in the future, I will have to use my TFN for tax deduction purposes.
I decided to update this article to give Aussie blogger newbies an idea about Ratified Australia and reflect updates as well.
We only accept blogs to be Ratified Please note that we only link to the blog home page. If your blog is a sub-page of a website, we will only link to your blog section.
Ranking based on points system Ratified base its rankings on a point system. The more points, the higher the rank.
Here is the complete formula
(Technorati Authority x .55) + (Pagerank x 125) + (Feedburner x 3.75) + 20000000/Alexa Rank
From Technorati, we gather the number of blogs linking to your site and multiply it by .55. As Technorati can be manipulated, by multiplying it by .55, it is given less importance but still has a fair amount of weight.
Google Pagerank is also factored in. Pagerank can range from 0 to 10. In the formula, it is multiplied by 100, giving it quite a bearing. The higher the Pagerank, the higher chances for a blog to rank higher overall.
Feedburner subscribers per blog are counted. The number of feed subscribers is essential in gauging the success of a blog. We multiply it by 3.75 in the formula. Blog owners must at least activate their feeds' Awareness API in Feedburner for us to effectively pick up their subscriber numbers. In hindsight, we saw that those who enable their Awareness API get much higher ranks than those who don't. For Blogger.com and Blogspot.com users, here's a guide in transitioning your RSS feeds to Feedburner seamlessly. (or you can watch this video I prepared last year)
Ratified creator, Andrew Dela Serna, recently added Alexa in the equation as the entity announced its new scheme where rank is no longer dependent on users of the Alexa toolbar.
New blogs can be "ratified" The main basis for "ratification" is the Technorati blog links. Once a blog gets at least one link, they are immediately ratified even if the blog doesn't have Pagerank or feed subscribers.
The Ratified program records all the number of blog links and subscribers from data that are readily available through API's.
Updates When the ranks are updated, the buttons pick up the new ranks automatically.
Next year, 2009, we will be releasing a semi-annual Top 100 report that gives an update on blogs that have achieved growth on a six-months period. We are currently testing this on the main site and look forward doing it on the Australia side next year.
Earlier this afternoon, my kids found this bird peeking at our back door. They went out and find the bird willing to interact and be pet. Then they start feeding it. Whenever the door is opened, it even wants to go inside the house.
So we tried using an old nest we found in our back yard. We were surprised that it liked corn flakes. I'm not sure if this walk-in pet will just be with us for a day or more. But it was a memorable experience.
Janette Toral is the site owner of DigitalFilipino.com
She is the lead trainer of the Certified E-Commerce Specialist, Entrepreneur, Professional Program. More info at https://ecommerceuniversity.asia
She is an Executive Director, Certified Coach, Speaker, Behavioral Analysis Consultant, Youth Facilitator, and Trainer with The John Maxwell Team
She is a Certified Executive Coach and Certified TEAM Coach with Marshall Goldsmith Stakeholder Centered Coaching.
