AI is no longer just a buzzword – it’s becoming a practical tool for business. One standout is Microsoft Copilot, which integrates directly with familiar apps like Word, Excel, Outlook, and Teams to provide real-time support.

Whether you’re managing finances, leading teams, or making strategic decisions, Copilot can help streamline your workflow and free up time for what matters most.

Here’s how business owners are using Copilot:

1. Save Time on Admin

Copilot can help write emails, summarise meeting notes, and draft documents – all in seconds. It reduces time spent on routine communication so you can focus on running your business.

2. Gain Insights from Your Data

In Excel, Copilot allows you to ask questions in plain English, like “What are our top-selling products this quarter?” or “Where did expenses increase the most last month?” No formulas or pivot tables needed.

3. Improve Financial Reporting

Copilot can assist with generating reports, analysing trends, and formatting presentations – helping you better understand your numbers and communicate them clearly with your team or stakeholders.

4. Stay Organised and Informed

In Outlook and Teams, Copilot can summarise long email threads, suggest replies, and keep track of action items from meetings – ensuring you don’t miss a beat.

5. Support Decision-Making

With Copilot helping to surface patterns and insights, you can make faster, more informed business decisions – whether it’s adjusting your budget, planning for growth, or managing staff resources.

Why It Matters

Copilot is not about replacing people – it’s about enhancing productivity and reducing mental load. Used wisely, it allows business owners to work smarter, not harder, and respond more quickly to changing conditions.

You don’t need to be tech-savvy to get started – just curious and open to experimenting with the tools you already use.

Disclaimer: This article provides general information about emerging AI tools and is not tailored advice. Microsoft Copilot is evolving, and results may vary. We recommend discussing implementation with a professional to ensure it fits your business needs.

Do you know what it takes to elevate your capabilities, traits, behaviours, and strategies to reach your full potential as a business leader?

Take charge of your professional growth with a tailored, actionable roadmap designed to help you achieve higher leadership performance. By completing the Business Leader Performance Diagnostic, you will:

• Understand your Now and Where across the five phases of leadership high-performance.
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Your preservation age is the age at which you can access your super if you’re retired (or start a transition to a retirement income stream).

Your preservation age is not the same as your pension age.  Age Pension age is 67 years or older.

Your preservation age depends on when you were born, as set out in this table.

5 June 2025

• Lodge tax returns due for individuals and trusts with a lodgment due date of 15 May 2025 provided they also pay any liability due by this date.
• Lodge tax return for companies and super funds with a lodgment due date of 15 May 2025 provided both the prior year and current year return will be non-taxable or result in a refund.

21 June 2025

• Lodge and pay May 2025 monthly business activity statement.

25 June 2025

• Lodge and pay 2025 Fringe benefits tax annual return for tax agents if lodging electronically.

30 June 2025

• End of Financial Year

It has been a long time coming, but the Government finally passed legislation increasing the instant asset write-off threshold for the year ending 30 June 2025 to $20,000.

This was announced back in the 2024-25 Federal Budget but the Government faced a number of hurdles in terms of passing the legislation.

This basically means that individuals and entities who carry on a business with turnover of less than $10m can often claim an immediate deduction for the cost of depreciating assets (eg, plant and equipment) that are acquired during the 2025 financial year as long as the cost of the asset, ignoring GST credits that can be claimed, is less than $20,000.

If you are thinking about purchasing an asset before 30 June 2025 with the hope of claiming an immediate deduction, then please reach out to us to confirm the position. The rules contain a number of tricks and traps which we can help you to navigate.

The threshold is due to drop back to $1,000 from 1 July 2025 unless further legislation is passed to provide another temporary increase to the threshold or a permanent modification.

In today’s rapidly changing business landscape, the concept of a VUCA world (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, Ambiguity) has evolved into a BANI world (Brittle, Anxious, Nonlinear, Incomprehensible). This shift reflects the increasing fragility and unpredictability of our environment, where traditional strategies often fall short.

BRITTLE systems can break under pressure, anxiety permeates decision-making, nonlinear events disrupt plans, and incomprehensible situations challenge our understanding. If you are operating a business in this world, having a clear vision that acts as a lighthouse will guide your team through these uncertain times.

A well-defined vision provides direction and purpose, enabling leaders and their teams to make agile decisions amidst chaos. It serves as a constant reference point, helping to align actions with long-term goals even when immediate circumstances are unpredictable.

To thrive in the BANI world, organisations must:

1.Embrace Flexibility: Adapt quickly to changes and be open to new approaches.

2.Foster Resilience: Build systems and teams that can withstand shocks and recover swiftly.

3.Encourage Innovation: Promote creative problem-solving to navigate complex challenges.

4.Maintain Clarity: Ensure that the vision is communicated clearly and consistently to all team members.

By anchoring your strategy in a strong vision, you can steer your organisation through the uncertainties of the BANI world, making informed and agile decisions that drive success.  Do you have a clear, written Vision that all employees are aware of? Harris Black has a proven process for developing your Vision, please contact your Harris Black team member if you would like to explore this further.