Have you ever thought of starting a business? The Australian Bureau of Statistics say there is over 2.2 million actively trading businesses in Australia. Phew! That is a lot.

Who can you turn to when starting a business? What things to you need to consider?

Here’s a checklist of some simple things to start off with;

• Have you applied for an Australian Business Number (ABN)
• What structure are you going to trade under?
• Have you considered whether you will register a business name?
• Do you need to apply for a Tax File Number and or GST?
• Do you need any licences or permits to trade?
• Have you considered registering a domain name?
• Do you need to consider trademarking or IP?
• What sort of insurance do you need?
• How are you going to keep your records?
• Are you eligible for any small business rebates or tax offsets?

If this has left you feeling overwhelmed, don’t stress. There is help at hand.

Every area has a local Business Enterprise Centre which runs lots of small business courses, and a business advisory program. This gives you the opportunity to sit with an adviser for free and discuss all your options and plans.

As well as this, it’s a great idea to have a consult with an accountant to discuss the compliance options and needs for your new business.

Start Fresh Accounting offer a free business consult if you are a new client. This gives you 30-40 minutes to sit with us and discuss things.

This blog is brought to you by Amy Woodley, owner and founder of Start Fresh Accounting.