I received a phone call from one of the companies we buy off as the admin lady was wanting my email address so she could email me the invoices. We had a discussion on it as I find receiving invoices by email less reliable than by post, however they have found the opposite and to be fair I have had complaints from customers regarding the postal service. It seems like neither system is 100% reliable.

We have been emailing invoices to some of our customers and for some it works fine and for others the only way it works is when I email the invoice to myself and then forward it which is a less than ideal. However, we have recently changed companies that host our email and we have been assured emailing will be better. One of our other concerns is security of the email and I note with interest that all the invoices we receive from Mainfreight now have the following advice.

“Note: As a security measure to combat cybercrime, if you receive any email notifying you of a change in Mainfreight’s bank account details, or an invoice/statement with a different bank account number, please contact our office on the phone number you normally contact us on, to confirm any change. We are not responsible for any loss arising from cybercrime.”

Scary stuff but we have decided to use email for invoices and the post for statements. If you would like your invoice emailed next month, please text your email address to Shona 027 689 1347. And if we have not got all your details quite correct also text Shona with the required changes.

It’s always a guessing game as to how much to spend on advertising. This year we used the Waimate Trader for our local customers and Rural Life for the central South Island. I often get requests from Business Rural to advertise in support of one our customers however we keep declining. A full page in Rural Life (which equals half page ad and half page editorial) is $300 where the equivalent in Business Rural is $2250 (their smallest ad size is $495). I trust you are not offended when we do not support your article in Business Rural.

Thank you to those of you who have been able to supply Lincoln Rotary Club with used calf meal bags, they have enough now for at least this year. On a similar vein, I am on the hunt for plastic 200 litre drums. We are about to replant an area we have cleared of pines on our hill block in native plants, the hassle we have is wallabies and I would like to use plastic drums as tree protectors, let me know if you can help.

A reminder South Canterbury Anniversary Day is Monday September 26th and we will be closed for the long weekend (away mountain biking hopefully ?)

Kind Regards
Ken Buckingham