Running a business
Hiring and leading your team, websites and technology, contracts, suppliers and the day-to-day running of a business.
Your team
Hiring your first employee
How to tell when it's time to hire, the alternatives (contractors, outsourcing and AI agents), how to plan the cost, define the role, find the right person and get their first weeks right.
Leadership for small business owners
Practical leadership for small business owners - setting direction, making decisions, communicating, building trust, delegating, and leading through tough times, without corporate jargon.
Recruitment: finding and choosing good staff
A practical recruitment process for small businesses - defining the role, writing a job ad that attracts the right people, where to advertise, shortlisting, interviewing, checking references and making an offer.
Workplace health and safety
A practical introduction to workplace health and safety for small businesses - your general duty, managing risks (physical and psychosocial), consulting workers, handling incidents, and where to get state-specific help.
Outsourcing and working with freelancers
How a small business can outsource work and hire freelancers well - deciding what to outsource, finding and checking contractors, writing a clear brief and agreement, managing the work, protecting data, and the difference between contractors and employees.
Productivity, stress and avoiding burnout
Practical ways small business owners and their teams can get more done without burning out - planning the week, protecting focus time, delegating, managing workload, spotting stress early, and where to get free support.
Team building and staff morale
Practical ways a small business can keep good people engaged - clear roles, regular conversations, recognition, team activities that work, and spotting the signs of low morale before people leave.
Training and developing staff
How a small business can train and develop staff - induction, safety training, job skills, development plans, mentoring and coaching, choosing external courses and nationally recognised training, and measuring whether training works.
Why being right can still be the wrong business decision
A leadership coach's lesson from swapping fresh milk for long-life milk to save $15,000 a year, with five questions small business owners can ask before digging in on a decision that meets resistance.
Online & technology
Building a small business website
How to get a small business website that brings in customers - the pages you need, the ways to build it (builders, WordPress, a designer, or AI "vibe coding" with GitHub and Cloudflare), costs, and keeping it secure.
Cyber security and backups for small business
The practical steps that protect a small business from the most common online attacks - and get you back on your feet fast if something goes wrong.
Selling online: setting up an online store
How to start selling online in Australia - choosing a platform, product pages, payments, shipping and returns, consumer law obligations, and getting your first customers.
Using AI tools in a small business
Practical ways Australian small businesses use AI tools, how to start safely, the risks to manage (accuracy, privacy, customer trust), and a simple AI policy for your team.
Business phone systems and VoIP
How to choose a phone setup for a small Australian business - mobiles, VoIP and cloud phone systems, 1300 and virtual numbers, call handling and answering services, keeping your number, and making sure Triple Zero calls work.
Choosing business software
How a small business can choose software - working out what you need, office and email suites, accounting, payroll, project, booking and industry software, comparing total cost, security, getting staff on board, and avoiding too many subscriptions.
Domain names and web hosting
How to choose and register a domain name for an Australian business, the .au rules, keeping your domain safe and renewed, choosing reliable web hosting, and avoiding domain scams.
Finding wholesale suppliers and dropshipping
How to source products to sell in Australia - finding and checking wholesale suppliers, buying stock versus dropshipping, the consumer law and product safety rules that apply to you, importing basics, margins, and avoiding supplier scams.
Online business models that are legitimate
The real ways small businesses earn money online - services, digital products, online stores, memberships and affiliate income - with honest pros and cons, the rules that apply, and how to spot a scam.
Online communities, directories and job boards
How to build and run an online community, business directory or job board in Australia - choosing a niche and platform, getting your first members, moderation, making money, and your responsibilities for content, privacy and scams.
Professional email for your business
Why a professional email address on your own domain matters, how to choose an email service, and how to set it up so it's protected from day one.
Selling on eBay, Amazon and other marketplaces
How a small Australian business can sell through online marketplaces - choosing a marketplace, working out fees and margins, listings that sell, fulfilment, ratings, and the consumer and product safety rules that still apply.
Video calls and remote meetings
How small businesses can run better video calls and remote meetings - choosing a platform, equipment and setup, running effective meetings, security settings, recording and privacy, and etiquette.
Operations
Contracts and legal basics
Contract basics for small businesses - what makes a contract, the key terms to get right, customer terms and conditions, supplier agreements, unfair contract terms, and when to get a lawyer.
ESG and sustainability for small business
What ESG means for a small business, why big customers increasingly ask about it, practical steps to run a greener and fairer business, and how to build resilience against disruptions.
5 work vehicle setup mistakes that cost Australian tradies time and money
Five common work vehicle setup mistakes for tradies and mobile service businesses - carrying too much, buying storage before planning the layout, forgetting accessory weight and load restraint, awkward loading and unloading, and no restocking system.
How to create an effective workplace cleaning schedule
How a small business can set up a practical workplace cleaning schedule - assessing your premises, daily, weekly and monthly tasks, high-touch surfaces, responsibilities, a sample checklist, safe products and regular reviews.
Privacy Act, SMB1001 and cyber insurance
General information on cyber security compliance for Australian small businesses - whether the Privacy Act applies to you, data breach notification, the 1 July 2026 AML/CTF changes for accountants, lawyers and real estate agents, the Essential Eight and SMB1001 certification, what insurers ask, and a practical checklist.
Project management basics
Simple project management for small businesses - defining scope, planning tasks and timelines, budgets, managing risks and changes, keeping clients and teams informed, and choosing tools.
Purchasing, suppliers and supply chain
How a small business can buy well and manage suppliers - choosing and checking suppliers, negotiating, managing stock, supplier agreements, a simple supplier code of conduct, and the ESG and modern slavery questions larger customers now ask.
Retail security and loss prevention
Practical ways for small retailers to reduce theft and stock loss - store layout, staff practices, CCTV and privacy rules, handling cash and refunds, dealing with shoplifters safely, and protecting staff from aggression.
Setting up an office: space, furniture and equipment
How a small business can choose and set up workspace - coworking, serviced offices and leases compared, what to check before signing, ergonomic furniture, equipment and a fit-out checklist.
Shipping, couriers and freight
How a small business can choose carriers, pack and price shipping, handle dangerous goods and international orders, and deal with late, lost or damaged deliveries in Australia.
Ute canopy vs service body: which is better for Australian tradies?
How to choose between a ute canopy and a service body - the actual difference, matching storage to your work, access, open space, weight and load restraint, security and weather protection, which suits different trades, cost, and five things to check before deciding.