6 things to sort before you go out on your own

Going out on your own rarely fails because someone can't do the work. It stalls because the setup turns into a second job — a pile of admin nobody warned you about. So before you take your first job under your own name, here's the short list of what actually needs to be in place.

1. The right structure

Sole trader, company or trust? This is the first decision because a lot of the others flow from it. Get it right up front and you avoid untangling it later when there's real money and real clients involved.

2. Your registrations

ABN, TFN, and GST if you'll cross the threshold. These are what let you invoice properly and get paid without tax being withheld. They're not hard — but they need to be done correctly and in the right order.

3. Any licence your industry needs

Trades, security, real estate, food — most regulated industries have their own licensing. The trap is setting everything else up, chasing work, then hitting a wall because the licensing wasn't sorted. Map it before you start, not after.

4. Insurance

Public liability at a minimum, and often more depending on your trade. It's the thing you hope you never use and can't afford to be without when a client asks for it before they'll sign.

5. A way to invoice and get paid

A simple, professional invoice with your ABN, clear payment terms and a way for clients to pay you. It sounds obvious; it's the part people scramble on in week one.

6. A website

Even a simple one. It's what makes you look established when someone Googles you before handing over a job — and increasingly, no website means no callback.

The honest bit

Miss one of these and it usually bites you later, at the worst possible moment — mid-quote, or when a big client asks for proof. The good news is none of it is hard; it's just a lot to coordinate while you're trying to actually start working.

That's the part we take off your plate — we handle the whole list as one job, with one point of contact, so you can stay on the tools. Tell us what you do and we'll sort the rest.