Closing a company is rarely just an administrative task. Even where a business has stopped trading, the company remains a separate legal entity until it is formally deregistered. That means it can still have tax, reporting, creditor and record-keeping obligations, and its directors still need to manage its affairs carefully. For Australian business [...]
Starting a business with another person can bring valuable skills, capital, industry contacts and shared momentum. It can also create uncertainty around control, profit sharing, tax, personal exposure to debts and what happens if one person wants to leave. A partnership can be a practical structure for Australian entrepreneurs, particularly where two or [...]
For many family business owners, succession planning starts as a future concern and becomes urgent only when retirement, illness, disagreement or an unexpected death forces a decision. By that point, a lack of clarity can put pressure on family relationships, business continuity and the value built over many years. A well-considered succession plan [...]
A trust can be a powerful structure for holding investments, running a business and planning for the future. But it is not a shortcut to lower tax, nor is it automatically the right structure for every family, investor or business owner. The real question is whether a trust gives you more control, flexibility [...]
Business owners often know something needs to change before they know exactly what the change should be. Sales may have stalled, cash flow may feel tight, staff may be stretched, or the business may simply have outgrown the systems that once worked well. This is where business consulting and management consulting can be [...]
When a business is growing, moving premises, bringing in a new director or changing its ownership structure, ASIC administration can easily be pushed down the to-do list. However, company and business name records are not simply a formality. They affect how regulators, customers, suppliers, lenders and other parties identify and contact your business. [...]
Choosing a business structure is one of the first major decisions a business owner makes. It affects who owns the business, who makes decisions, how profits and losses are taxed, the level of personal risk involved and the amount of ongoing administration required. There is no universally “best” structure. The right option depends [...]
Many small and medium enterprises reach a point where bookkeeping, annual accounts and occasional tax advice are no longer enough. The business may be growing, cash flow may feel unpredictable, or the owner may be making significant decisions without clear, timely financial information. An outsourced CFO can help fill that gap. Rather than [...]
Choosing a name is one of the first practical steps in starting a business. It is how customers will find you, remember you and recommend you. But in Australia, registering a business name is not the same thing as owning a brand, creating a company or receiving an ABN. Understanding the difference early [...]
Benchmarking helps answer a question many business owners face: How do we know whether our business is actually performing well? Looking only at this month’s bank balance or annual profit can be misleading. A business may be growing revenue while margins, cash flow or productivity quietly deteriorate. Used properly, benchmarking gives you a [...]
Starting a business often begins with a practical question: “Do I need an ABN, and how do I get one?” An Australian Business Number is a key identifier for many businesses, sole traders and other organisations. Getting the setup right from the start can make it easier to invoice customers, register for the [...]
Running a business involves more than making sales. You also need to know whether those sales are enough to cover the cost of keeping the business open, delivering your work and meeting ongoing commitments. That is where the break-even point becomes useful. It helps you identify the level of sales, jobs, hours or [...]
When a company has stopped trading, it can be tempting to simply close the bank account, stop lodging paperwork and move on. However, a company remains a separate legal entity until it is formally deregistered. Until then, it continues to have obligations, including ASIC annual review requirements and, where relevant, tax, BAS, payroll [...]
Whether you run a sole trader business, manage a family company or simply want clearer control over your finances, accounting can feel like a language of its own. Understanding a few core principles makes it easier to read reports, keep reliable records, meet ATO obligations and make decisions based on more than your [...]
Running a company involves more than serving customers, managing staff and keeping the books up to date. Companies also have ongoing legal and administrative obligations, and one role often connected with those obligations is the company secretary. For many small proprietary companies, appointing a company secretary is optional. That does not mean the [...]