Support for businesses in Australia

Business.gov.au is the Australian Government's central resource for business information and guidance. This collection of guides covers the foundational steps involved in starting a business, from early planning through to setting up your structure and developing a market strategy. The resources are practical and self-paced, designed for people who are new to running a business.

A good starting point is the Are you ready to start a business? page, which helps you reflect on whether you and your idea are ready before you commit. From there, the Guide to starting a business walks through the key steps in sequence, covering what to do before you launch. The Develop your business plan guide explains what a business plan includes and why having one matters, while the Choose a business structure guide outlines the different legal structures available in Australia, such as sole trader, partnership, company and trust, and what each one means in practice.

For those thinking about customers and market positioning, the Marketing plan tool provides a guided way to develop a basic marketing plan. Together, these resources give early-stage founders a clear picture of what needs to be in place before opening the doors. They are most relevant to people exploring a business idea for the first time, including social entrepreneurs who are moving from idea to implementation.