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From starting a new business to growing your existing one, we’re here to help with expert tips and tools at every stage of your journey.

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Ready to start your own small business?

From writing a business plan to applying for a business name, our business banking experts share their tips to support you starting your own small business.

Starting a new business and don’t know what your next move should be? Taking the plunge to start a small business can be both exhilarating and terrifying – especially given the challenges you need to overcome as a start-up.

Whether you are setting up a business, looking to buy an existing business or planning to grow or franchise an existing small business, writing a business plan is an important step towards achieving your business goals.

So, you are thinking about starting your own business and you’ve come up with a great name for it. But before you hang your new business name above your door, there’s some important things you need to know about registering a business name in Australia.

When you are setting up a new business, there are so many things to think about that it can become overwhelming. That’s why we put together this checklist of the most important things you need to do when you are starting a new business in Australia.

Cashflow problems, financial mismanagement, a lack of business funding and a general misunderstanding of the costs associated with running a small business are just some of the most common reasons for start-up businesses to fail.

To help give your start-up business the best chance of survival, we’ve asked BOQ’s business banking experts for their insights into the top reasons why small businesses fail and how to avoid becoming one of them.

When you are setting up a small business, finding the right location for your new business’ ‘home’ can be a time-consuming and costly process.

Understanding digital marketing can be confusing for many small business owners. But the reality is that having a digital marketing plan can be one of most effective ways for you to attract new customers and grow your business.

Tips for running your small business

From setting business goals to doing your business tax return, getting a business loan, understanding business insurance, social media for business and more, our business banking experts share their tips to support you running your business.

When you are operating as a sole trader business, you‘re not only responsible for ensuring it is successful, but you’re also in charge of making sure you are well looked after in retirement.

Developing good cash flow management habits is crucial to the success of any business – whether it’s a start-up, established small business or big business.

From a pandemic to bushfires and floods, COVID-19 restrictions and lockdowns, it goes without saying that the past 12-18 months have been challenging for many Australian small business owners.

It goes without saying that running a small business can be challenging – even at the best of times. And as the impact of events such as the COVID-19 pandemic, Australian bushfires and recent floods have demonstrated, it pays to be prepared.

At BOQ, our people know small business – it’s who we work with every day. We also know that finding the right balance at work and home isn’t always easy, which is why we’ve gathered the best business-to-business support tips for small business owners just like you.

It’s no secret that setting up a small business and overcoming the hurdles it takes to turn an idea into reality comes with challenges. Knowing how to identify potential obstacles before you come across them, and even better, knowing the best way to overcome them when you do is important to the success of your business.

Whether you are a start-up business or a flourishing SME business, it’s important to remember that every successful business makes a point of setting business goals.

Struggling to know which business expenses you can claim as a tax deduction for your small business? When it comes to doing your business tax return, it can be tricky to understand which deductions you can claim for.

One of the biggest challenges that small business owners face is hiring, managing and retaining staff. On top of finding the right people to help run your business, you also need to have strategies in place to build and maintain employee morale, retain staff and ensure productivity remains high.

According to business accounting software platform, Xero, poor financial management is the downfall of many small businesses in Australia.

Scheduling an out of office email and hanging up a “closed” sign won’t cut it. By communicating with stakeholders and reinforcing capital decisions, you can go into the New Year full steam ahead.

Whether you need to hire seasonal workers or prepare for increased demand, you should expect the unexpected for holiday seasons. By planning out your finances and making a roadmap for your team, you will be much better prepared for whatever comes your way.

Looking to grow your business?

From marketing your small business on a budget to streamlining your small business finances our business banking experts share their tips to support your business growth.

Business growth is the holy grail of success for many small business owners. However, unless you plan carefully and establish realistic business goals, the expansion of your SME business could turn into a runaway train putting your business at risk of incurring expenses that outweigh the returns.

If the impact of COVID-19 on small business owners and communities across Australia taught us anything, it’s the reminder of just how important it is to help each other

When you are running a small business, money can be tight – even when you are out of the start-up business phase. However, marketing doesn't have to cost the earth with these low cost marketing tips.

When you are trying to grow your small business, finding ways to streamline your finances can be the difference between achieving your business goals or not.

Talk to any successful small business owner about how to start a small business, and they will tell you it takes time, planning, commitment and a lot of help and support from others along the way.

It’s no secret that hiring the right people is a big challenge for small business owners. However, recent statistics show that employee turnover and staff retention rates have been falling dramatically in recent years and are an even bigger problem within the small business sector.

Franziska Iseli is an entrepreneur and the co-founder of Basic Bananas, The Business Hood, The Data People and Oceanlovers. A renowned marketing and brand strategist, adventurer, author and speaker, she shares her experience and advice for other women in business.

As Head of Commercial Broker, BOQ Business and BOQ Specialist, Karen fosters our relationship model proposition that allows brokers and their clients to have two points of contact – the Business Development Manager and Relationship Manager.

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