How to set up your trade business in Australia

Decide your structure (talk to an accountant first)

Sole trader or company? Register for GST now or later? This decision affects your tax, your risk and your paperwork for years, and it's licensed advice, so get it from a registered accountant, not a website and not us. Most new solo tradies start as sole traders, but let the accountant say so for your situation.

Don't have an accountant? We'll introduce you to one in Canberra who works with trades. No commission changes hands, we just know good ones.

Get your ABN

Your Australian Business Number is free through the Australian Business Register. Takes about 15 minutes online once you know your structure. Watch out for lookalike websites that charge for it, the real one is free.

Official link: abr.gov.au

In our setup we handle the form with you on the first call, so it's done in the background while we talk.

Register your business name

If you're trading under anything other than your own name ("Smith Electrical" rather than "John Smith"), register the name with ASIC. About $45 a year. Check it's free first, and check the matching website domain at the same time so they line up.

Official links: asic.gov.au · check domains at any .au registrar

Sort your trade licence for the ACT

Your trade qualification is yours, but going out on your own can change what licence class you need, especially for electrical, plumbing and gas. Check your class with Access Canberra before you take your first solo job, and keep a copy of everything.

Official link: accesscanberra.act.gov.au

Get insured before the first job

At minimum: public liability (most builders and body corporates want to see $10-20 million) and cover for your tools. Depending on your trade and whether you hire, you may also need income protection and workers compensation. Insurance advice is licensed, so use a broker, ideally one who does trades all day.

We don't sell insurance and never will, it would put a commission between us and honest advice. We'll connect you with a broker who knows trades.

Open a business bank account

Keep business money separate from day one, your accountant and your future self will thank you. Any of the majors is fine to start. Bring your ABN and business name registration. While you're there, ask about a card for materials so the receipts stay separate too.

Website, email and Google Business Profile

Your customers check two things before they call: your Google reviews and whether your website looks legit. A domain, a business email (quotes from a gmail address cost you jobs), a simple sharp website and a claimed Google Business Profile. This is the part people burn weekends on, and it's the core of what we do.

DIY route: buy the domain at any .au registrar, claim your profile at business.google.com

Quoting, invoicing, jobs and payments

The difference between a busy tradie and a profitable one is usually admin: quotes going out same-day, invoices the minute the job's done, card payment on the spot, and every job tracked in one system. Tools like ServiceM8 and Tradify are excellent, the hard part is setting them up properly and wiring them to your accounting. That's our week of work.

Supplier accounts

A Bunnings PowerPass and accounts with your trade suppliers get you trade pricing and proper invoices, and receipts can flow into your job costs automatically so you know what every job actually made you.

Official link: trade.bunnings.com.au

Tax, BAS and super, set up the habit

Put a percentage of every invoice aside from day one (your accountant will give you the number), understand when BAS is due if you're GST registered, and don't forget your own super, nobody pays it for you now. This is the single most common way first-year tradies get in trouble, and it's completely avoidable with one conversation.