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6 tips to help businesses avoid financial difficulties

Small business owners can face many challenges that impact their finances. It could be something small, like an unpaid invoice every now and then, or something bigger, like a natural disaster or an out-of-control business debt.

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Big or small, these financial pressures can build up and become something you can’t control. Financial Counselling Victoria outlines 6 tips to help businesses avoid financial difficulties.

It’s always a good idea to review your finances, even if your business is doing well.

1. Make time to check your finances

Many small business owners are financially savvy, but sometimes it’s difficult to know what to do or how to understand your finances, particularly when you’re under stress.

Prioritising time to review your business’s finances (and knowing how to do this) is a key first step for any business owner aiming to gain control of their financial wellbeing.

As well as reviewing your business’s balance sheets, if you have any loans, guarantees or other financial arrangements in place for your business, it’s important to review them.

You should also consider what payments your business is required to make, for example, payments to employees, tax, compliance payments, rent, invoices, and utilities.

Seeking financial support and advice can help you take control of your financial situation.

Joe's story

Joe (name changed) hadn’t done his tax returns and had fallen behind in his business payments when a natural disaster hit. Feeling overwhelmed, he worked with a financial counsellor to check his finances and to identify and prioritise his next steps. By working through his debts and obtaining hardship relief, he could take control of his finances and return his focus to operating his business.

2. Check your business structure

It’s always important to know how your business is structured. Are you a sole trader, a partnership, a company, or a trust? This information will help you understand your responsibilities and the options available to you.

In particular, if your business is a company and you are a director of that company, you will have significant legal responsibilities. You need to act in the company’s best interests, and your company must not trade while it’s insolvent.

For more information on business structures, visit the Australian Securities & Investments Commission’s website.

3. Act early

The most important thing you can do when dealing with a financial problem is to address it as early as possible.

While financial problems are stressful, being proactive will give you more options about what to do next.

The options available to you will depend on your situation.

4. Seek business advice from experts

Professional advice can be very useful in sorting out what to do next.

If your business has financial problems (or if you think it might), you should consider seeking professional advice from a trusted, qualified adviser, such as an accountant. You might also need to seek legal advice, depending on your situation.

Insolvency and restructuring a business are options you can take to address serious financial trouble. They are complex processes, and if you are contemplating one of these solutions, you will need help from a qualified professional.

For more information, visit the Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC) and see: Protecting your small business.

5. Seek financial counselling

You don’t have to go it alone. Financial counsellors are professionals who can help you work through your financial problems. They provide you with practical advice and support and will refer you to other supports where they can.

The Small Business Debt Helpline is a free, confidential and independent service and is available for small business owners. It has a team of qualified financial counsellors available who can help you work through your financial situation.

Contact a financial counsellor by visiting the Small Business Debt Helpline.

If you have been impacted by a natural disaster, you may also be eligible for help through the Partners in Wellbeing Helpline until Monday 30 June 2025.

For more information, visit the Partners in Wellbeing website.

Olive’s story

Olive’s (name changed) business was impacted by flooding and despite thinking she was comprehensively covered her insurance claim was denied. Olive sought help from a financial counsellor, who was able to identify the issue. Olive’s insurance broker had mistakenly told her that the policy covered floods when they were actually excluded.

The financial counsellor advocated for Olive in a claim against the insurance broker. Olive received the payout she would have been entitled to had the policy covered flooding. This allowed her to quickly reinstate her premises and open for trade.

6. Take care of yourself as well as your business

Sometimes, it’s helpful to reflect on your small business goals along with your personal aims and consider whether your business is manageable as it currently operates or whether it is right for you. Running your business in a different way or winding it up might be the best solution for your financial situation.

It can be emotionally difficult to contemplate these options if your business has been a big part of your life and identity.Advice and information are available to help you look after your mental health while you are considering your options.

Studies show that mental health and financial problems are linked. Having financial problems can impact your mental health, which in turn can impact your financial decision-making. As well as seeking help for financial problems from a financial counsellor, it’s often a good idea to get support with your mental health.

You can find more information on support available on the Business Victoria website.

 

 

 

business.vic.gov.au

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Choosing your business structure is an important decision and Milton Advisory can consult with you and suggest the best structure for your business. There are four main business structures commonly used by small businesses in Australia. They are:

Sole trader: an individual operating as the sole person legally responsible for all aspects of the business. Like other structures, as a sole trader you can employ people to help you run your business. The structure is inexpensive to set up because there are few legal and tax formalities.
Partnership: an association of people or entities running a business together, but not as a company. A partnership is relatively inexpensive to set up and operate.
Company: a legal entity separate from its shareholders. It is a complex business structure, with set-up and administrative costs that are usually higher than for other business structures.
Trust: an entity that holds property or income for the benefit of others. Trusts require a formal trust deed that outlines how the trust operates, require the trustee to undertake formal yearly administrative tasks and if you operate your business as a trust, the trustee is legally responsible for its operations. A trustee of a trust can be a company, providing some asset protection.

Companies and Trusts are more complicated business structures but they have their advantages and Milton Advisory can discuss these with you. It is important to note that you can change your business structure throughout the life of your business.

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A SMSF can have many advantages but, equally, you need to consider the reasons why a SMSF may not suit your needs. We can help you decide if this is the right option for you.

Advantages of a SMSF:

Having control of your retirement savings can lead to a deeper understanding of how your overall wealth is tracking, and gives you more confidence in your investment and lifestyle decisions.

You can have access to a broader range of investments. You can invest in the usual options such as shares, term deposits, managed funds and property but you can also hold alternative assets such as artwork, jewellery, antiques, and wine. There are though, very strict rules on holding the latter assets in your self-managed super fund.

You retain control while still being able to take advice from your advisors.

Beneficial tax planning strategies.

Greater flexibility for accessing Centrelink benefits such as the age pension.

But a SMSF is not for everyone:

If you have set up a self-managed super fund (SMSF), you are in charge and you make the investment decisions for the fund. You must also be aware that you are responsible for complying with superannuation and tax laws, maintaining records, providing financial statements, completing tax returns and organising an annual independent audit.

You also need time and expertise to run your SMSF.

Compliance is very important.

There can be up to 4 Trustees and their thoughts and ideas have to be included.

The ATO offers advice on the responsibilities of having a SMSF.

Milton Advisory offers advice on all SMSF services, including:

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