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.
Authorised, captured and settled: understand card payment statuses
Understand what authorised, captured, settled and paid out mean for a card sale. Follow a fictional payment and check the evidence before taking action.
Card chargeback evidence pack: respond to the reason given
Build a factual chargeback response around the dispute reason, deadline and supporting documents. Use a printable evidence matrix and keep submission proof.
Card payout missing: trace the batch before contacting support
Trace a missing merchant payout from completed payments to the provider transfer and bank account. Build a clear support request with redacted evidence.
Customer sees two card charges: investigate a possible duplicate
Check whether two card entries are completed charges or a pending authorisation beside one payment. Compare transaction IDs and give the customer a clear reply.
Do processing fees come back after a refund? Check your statement
Check retained card-processing fees after full and partial refunds. Compare the original fee, refund entries and provider terms with a practical cost worksheet.
Merchant reserves and payout holds: reconcile funds not yet released
Track merchant funds held in reserve separately from fees and ordinary payout delays. Reconcile additions, releases and a cautious cash-flow forecast.
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