Your business gateway to government information and services
business.gov.au is the Australian Government's award-winning business website which gives you access to a vast range of business information and resources.
Through business.gov.au you can find essential information from all levels of government including:
- online or e-business
- employing people
- fair trading
- grants & assistance
- home-based business
- importing & exporting
- insurance
- intellectual property
- market research & statistics
- occupational health & safety
- registration & licences
- taxation
- tenders & contracts
and so much more.
How-to-guides
If you're thinking of starting a business, setting up a business, or exiting a business then you'll find business.gov.au's How-to-guides full of practical and helpful information.
In the Thinking of starting a business guide, you'll find:
- are you ready checklists
- advice & support information
- planning tools to get started
- business planning guides & templates
- marketing plan guides.
In the Starting a business guide, there is information on:
- starting a home-based business
- buying an established business
- buying a franchise
- setting up your business
- applying for licences & permits
- making your business more innovative
- managing your finances
- complying with taxation obligations
- complying with legal requirements
- promoting your business.
In the Exiting a business guide, you will find information on:
- succession planning
- selling your business
- closing your business
- bankruptcy & insolvency
- deregistering or winding up
- cancelling your business name
- transferring ownership
- taxation issues.
Checklists
The success of your business may depend on having correct and up-to-date information.
At business.gov.au you'll find the New to business checklist and the more recent Growing your business checklist, two invaluable business resources, designed to help you find the relevant information you want to start or grow your business.
The checklists contains a series of questions to guide you through the various stages of your business including before you start, when you start, when you buy and when you run your business. A federal, state and territory government agency index at the back of each checklist also allows you to easily find a list of key contacts for further information.
Download your free copy of the checklists at business.gov.au/checklist.
Government & business associations directory
Connect with over 1500 government, business and industry association, using the business.gov.au Government & business associations directory. You can search for contact details by agency name, key words or by alphabetical listing.
Events calendar
Find business-related government training and networking opportunities on the business.gov.au Events calendar.
Events are sourced around the country, from all three levels of government and cover a vast range of business topics including planning, marketing, employing and managing staff, taxation and exporting.
You can search for workshops, seminars and events by date, state and topic category.
Online services
In addition to providing you with a wealth of business information, business.gov.au also provides businesses with some very useful business tools using Online services. For example:
ABN Lookup
business.gov.au's ABN Lookup is a fast way to look up all publicly available information on any registered Australian business.
With ABN Lookup you can check the registration details of other businesses, including their legal and trading names, and ABN and GST status for ordering and invoicing purposes.
Business Consultation
The Business Consultation website allows you to register your interest to be consulted on your views about changes to proposed or existing government regulations.
It also allows you to view details of current and archived Australian Government public consultations.
Content Syndication
Publish business.gov.au content onto your website for free using business.gov.au's Content syndication.
The information available through Content Syndication is designed to complement the services you already provide. Using Content syndication, visitors to your site will be able to access up-to-date and relevant government information on starting, running and improving their businesses, without having to spend time searching numerous other websites.
GovForms
Using business.gov.au's GovForms, you can search for and access more than 5,500 government forms.
GovForms is an online service that provides tools for you to find, manage and complete the forms and transactions you regularly submit to all levels of government – from registering for an ABN, applying for licences, to paying your rates.
SmartForms are a new technology available through GovForms. They make if easier for you to deal with government and reduce the time you spend filling out forms. SmartForms enable government agencies to replace static forms with a streamlined, automated process that offers significant benefits to business users.
Contact us
If you can not find the business information that you're searching for or need help using one of business.gov.au's products, or are looking for a form or business contact, then Contact us.
You will receive a reply to your business enquiries within 24 hours, directing you to the most appropriate websites and agencies.
Whether you're starting a business or seeking information on improving a business, business.gov.au has all the information and tools you need to make running a business easier.
With such a comprehensive resource containing so many valuable services it makes sense to visit business.gov.au today.