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 Calculator: Margin, Markup and Selling Price
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.
ATO credit card ban 2026: dates, alternatives and what to do
Understand the ATO credit card cutoff, how Pay.com.au and Sniip fit, and how to compare fees, rewards, repayment dates and payment processing time.
Pay.com.au review: ATO payments, fees and business rewards
Understand Pay.com.au fees, PayRewards, ATO payments and accounting features, with a $10,000 bill example and checks before using your credit card.
Pay.com.au vs Sniip: ATO Payments, Fees and Rewards Compared
Compare Pay.com.au and Sniip for ATO and business bills, with GST-inclusive fee examples, rewards costs, payment timing and practical reasons to choose each.
Sniip review: ATO payments, fees and business benefits
Understand Sniip for ATO and business bills: credit-card fees, Amex rules, rewards, payment timing, payroll and when the extra cost makes sense.
Adjustment notes when a sale changes: the GST paper trail
Connect an original invoice, later price change, adjustment note and customer credit, with a worked example and checks for the GST reporting period.
Allocate GST credits across taxable and input-taxed sales
Work through a shared-cost GST allocation, document the evidence behind the split and identify financial-supply exceptions or changes that need review.
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