Start and register a business
Choose the structure, check the name and work through the registrations.
Start with: Questions to answer before you startFree, independent guides for Australian small business
Run your small business with confidence
Plain-English help with the things that actually trip up Australian business owners — tax and BAS, choosing software, business structures, cash flow and getting customers.
100% free to read Written for Australia No jargon, no waffle
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Find your next step
What are you working on today?
Choose the task in front of you. Each reading guide puts the useful checks and worked examples in order.
Organise the books and BAS
Build a bookkeeping routine, sort out a transaction or find registered help.
Start with: Set up an everyday bookkeeping routineGet paid and plan your cash
Remove invoice delays and check what the bank balance needs to cover.
Start with: Build a cash-flow forecastUnderstand costs and profit
Cost the sale, explain a margin change and compare the next operating decision.
Start with: Read your profit and loss statementChoose accounting software
Compare tools around the work, access and budget your business needs.
Start with: Compare accounting softwareHire and look after your team
Work through roles, pay, paperwork and the first day with a new employee.
Start with: Use the first-employee checklistWork it out
Free calculators for everyday decisions
Check GST, test a price and see how many sales will cover your costs.
Australian GST Calculator: Add or Remove 10% GST
Work out the GST-exclusive price, GST amount and total for an ordinary taxable sale in Australia. Choose whether your starting figure already includes GST.
Calculate nowBreak-Even Calculator for Small Business
Find how many sales you need each month to cover operating costs, then test a profit target. Use one product, one service or a realistic average sale.
Calculate nowProfit Margin & Markup Calculator
See what you keep from each sale before overheads. Compare margin with markup, or work backwards from the margin you want to a selling price.
Calculate nowHourly Rate Calculator for Sole Traders & Freelancers
Build a rate from the income you need and the hours you can actually invoice. Adjust time off and unpaid admin to see their effect on your pricing floor.
Calculate nowNew on the site
Recently published guides
The latest additions to our library. For a suggested reading order, choose a task above.
Bank transfer payments: confirm receipt before releasing goods
Check customer bank transfers against your own account records. Match amount, reference and order, and handle partial payments without relying on screenshots.
Cash drawer reconciliation: explain the closing difference
Balance a cash drawer using the opening float, sales, refunds, paid-outs and physical count. Includes a till-close sheet and a clear difference investigation.
Changing POS systems: export and check data before switching
Prepare a POS migration with checked product exports, sales records, customer credits and gift balances. Use a cutover worksheet before ending the old service.
Choose payment methods around how your customers buy
Match counter, mobile, remote and repeat sales to practical payment methods. Use a worksheet for confirmation, customer access, costs and fallback options.
Flat card rates vs itemised pricing: compare your payment mix
Compare flat and itemised card pricing using the same sales, transaction counts and card mix. Includes worked costs and a low-ticket sensitivity check.
Integrated EFTPOS or separate terminal: test the workflow
Compare integrated EFTPOS with a separate terminal using checkout steps, measured staff time, refund checks and outage dependencies before you commit.
Why this site
Advice that fits how Australia actually works
Our guides cover the Australian registrations, records and everyday decisions you need to work through, including the ATO, GST, ASIC, awards and super.
- Australian-specific. BAS, GST, ABNs, STP — the acronyms you actually deal with, explained without assuming prior knowledge.
- Practical first. Every guide ends with clear next steps, not theory. Checklists, comparisons and worked examples throughout.
- Dates and sources. Guides show when they were published and link to sources so you can check rules and figures before acting.
- Free and independent. No paywalls. Where we compare products we say what's good and what isn't.
New to business? Don't start with guesswork.
Get your structure, registrations and plan right the first time — it's far cheaper than fixing them later.
Read the starting-out guides