Six Smart Ways to Optimise Your Small Business (Even in Uncertain Times)

Let’s face it—running a business hasn’t been a walk in the park lately. But instead of waiting for the “perfect” conditions to come back around, there’s never been a better time to take a fresh look at your operations and find smart, practical ways to improve.

Whether your original plan was to scale, sell or simply survive, optimising key parts of your business can help you build a more valuable, profitable, and enjoyable business—right now.

Here are six simple but effective areas to focus on:

1. Embrace Digital & Automation Tools

If you’re still relying on spreadsheets and sticky notes, it’s time to bring in the tech cavalry. Cloud accounting software, automation tools, AI assistants, and digital marketing platforms can save you hours and streamline everything from bookkeeping to customer follow-up. You might even find new income streams via eCommerce or online booking tools.

2. Take Control of Your Finances

A profitable business starts with good financial habits. Switching to cloud-based accounting can give you live cashflow insights, better control of your spending, and faster reporting. Many systems also plug into tools like inventory, invoicing, or point-of-sale platforms—helping you work smarter, not harder.

3. Build Stronger Customer Relationships

Your best marketing tool? Happy customers. Check in on what they really value, ask for feedback, and be ready to adapt. A little personalisation goes a long way—and showing you’re listening builds the kind of loyalty that turns customers into long-term fans.

4. Explore New Products, Services or Audiences

It’s easy to stick to what you know—but growth often lives just outside your comfort zone. Consider branching into a new product line, targeting a new client group, or packaging your services in a new way. Even small tweaks can uncover new revenue or lead to bigger opportunities.

5. Invest in Your Team

Your business is only as strong as the people behind it. Offering development opportunities, building a positive workplace culture, and celebrating wins can go a long way. When hiring, aim for diversity—in skills, backgrounds and perspectives. Great teams innovate, adapt, and help you grow.

6. Collaborate Through Strategic Partnerships

Who says you have to go it alone? Partnering with other businesses—especially ones with similar values or overlapping audiences—can extend your reach, reduce your costs and open new doors. Think joint events, bundled services, cross-promotion, or even shared workspace.

Let’s Talk About What’s Possible

There’s no magic switch that guarantees success—but these six areas offer tangible ways to strengthen your business from the inside out.

If you’re ready to explore how you could optimise your business model, systems or team, contact BusinessSpark. We’ll help you assess where you’re at now—and what small changes could make a big difference.

 

Reach out today to book a review of your business strategy and systems. Your future self will thank you.

Keeping Your Small Construction Business on Track in 2025

2025 continues to challenge the Australian construction industry. With stubbornly high material costs, ongoing labour shortages, and tighter lending conditions, small construction businesses are feeling the pressure. In fact, ASIC reported that over 1,700 construction-related companies entered external administration in the year to March 2025, making it one of the most affected sectors in Australia.

And it’s not just about the money. The physical demands of the job, the paperwork mountain, and the mental load of running a business are pushing many sole traders and small operators to the edge.

But here’s the good news—there are practical steps you can take to stabilise and future-proof your construction business. Here are seven strategies that could make all the difference:

1. Spread Your Risk

Relying on one major client might feel secure—but it’s a risk you can’t afford. If that client pauses or cancels work, your income stops cold. Aim to work with a mix of clients, even smaller ones, to smooth out the peaks and troughs.

2. Diversify Your Income

Offering just one type of service—like renovations or new builds—can limit your earning potential. Consider complementary services like maintenance, project management, or energy-efficient upgrades to add extra income streams.

3. Take Control of Costs

With steel, timber, and fuel prices still elevated, now’s the time to scrutinise your outgoings. Can you negotiate better supplier deals? Buy in bulk? Improve scheduling to reduce downtime? Even small savings can protect your cashflow.

4. Build Strong Relationships

Long-term success in construction hinges on relationships—both with clients and your suppliers. Reliable trades, consistent delivery, and proactive communication help you win repeat business and secure better terms.

5. Use Tech to Save Time

There’s no shortage of tools to help you ditch the admin grind. Automate quote follow-ups, track timesheets, manage jobs, and chase invoices using apps like ServiceM8, Tradify, or Xero Projects. Less admin = more building = more money.

6. Tap into Government Support

There are grants and tax concessions available for small construction firms, including the Instant Asset Write-Off (up to $20,000 for eligible assets) and apprentice wage subsidies. Not sure what you qualify for? Ask us—we’ll help you apply.

7. Don’t Burn Out

The long hours and relentless pressure can take a toll. Remember: a profitable business isn’t worth it if it costs you your health. Schedule downtime, seek support, and set boundaries to protect your wellbeing.

Let’s Build a Stronger Business Together

We know construction is tough right now. But you’re not in this alone.

At BusinessSpark, we work closely with trades and construction clients to improve cashflow, streamline systems, and grow profits—without burning out in the process.

Whether you’re a sole trader or a small team, let’s talk about building a more resilient business. Book a chat with our friendly team today.

Contact us on hello@businesssparkca.com.au

Motor Vehicles & FBT: What Small Business Owners Need to Know

If you run a small business and provide a car or vehicle to yourself, a staff member, or even a working director, you may be entering into Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT) territory—whether you realise it or not.

FBT on cars and other vehicles is one of the most common (and commonly misunderstood) areas for small business owners. It’s also a regular focus area for the ATO. The good news? With the right records and understanding, you can stay compliant and even reduce your FBT exposure.

When Does FBT Apply to Vehicles?

FBT generally applies when a business-owned vehicle is made available for private use by an employee (including directors and family members). This includes even small amounts of private travel, like stopping at the shops on the way home.

 

“But it’s a ute—aren’t they exempt?”

A common myth is that certain utes, vans or dual cabs are automatically exempt from FBT. In reality, the exemption for “eligible vehicles” only applies if private use is strictly limited to minor, infrequent, and irregular travel.

If an employee uses the vehicle for regular private purposes—like weekend camping or the daily school run—the exemption likely doesn’t apply. To rely on it, you must show:

  • The vehicle is not principally designed to carry passengers (e.g. has a payload of more than one tonne)

  • Private use is limited and documented

A signed employee declaration and records of the vehicle’s use are essential here.

Logbooks: A Small Effort for Big Savings

One of the best tools for reducing FBT is a 12-week logbook. This helps calculate the business use percentage of a vehicle under the operating cost method.

A valid logbook must:

  • Cover 12 continuous weeks

  • Be updated every five years (or when usage changes)

  • Include trip dates, reasons, start/finish odometer readings, and distance travelled

You’ll also need odometer readings at the start and end of each FBT year (1 April to 31 March), and potentially employee declarations depending on your calculation method.

Electric Vehicles & the FBT Exemption

Thinking of going electric? There’s a valuable incentive: eligible electric vehicles can be exempt from FBT.

To qualify:

  • The EV must be a zero or low emissions vehicle

  • It must have been first held and used on or after 1 July 2022

  • The value must be under the luxury car tax threshold for fuel-efficient vehicles

Even when exempt, employers still need to do the usual paperwork—especially if there’s a reportable fringe benefit amount to be included on employee income statements.

Employee Contributions: Another Way to Reduce FBT

If you’d rather avoid or reduce your FBT liability without relying solely on logbooks, you can use an employee contribution.

This is where the employee reimburses the business for part (or all) of the private use value of the car. For example:

  • If the taxable value of the car benefit is $4,000, and the employee reimburses $4,000, your FBT liability is reduced to nil.

  • The reimbursement must be paid (not just journaled) by 31 March of the FBT year.

  • It is included as income for the business and may attract GST if you’re registered.

This method is beneficial for owner-operators, provided that proper payments are made and documentation is retained.

Should You Lodge an FBT Return?

Even if your FBT liability is nil, lodging a return can cap the ATO’s audit window to three years. Without it, the ATO can review your records indefinitely. It’s often a smart protective step.

Need Help?

If you’re unsure whether your vehicles attract FBT, whether a logbook or employee contribution would suit you better, or how to apply the EV exemption—chat with your accountant or tax adviser early. The right approach can save a lot of time, tax, and stress later on.

Let’s take the guesswork out of FBT. Reach out if you’d like help reviewing your vehicle policies or records this year.

 

How Smart Businesses Use Data to Keep Their Cashflow Healthy

When it comes to running a busy veterinary practice, recruitment agency, or construction business, cashflow is the lifeblood that keeps everything ticking over. Yet for many small business owners, managing it can feel more like crossing a creek in gumboots after a storm—messy, unpredictable, and a bit of a gamble.

The good news? Your own business data holds the key to making better financial decisions and keeping your cash position strong, no matter the season.

Here’s how data-driven decisions can help you stay in control.

1. Smarter Cashflow Forecasting

Using forecasting tools like Reach, Spotlight, Float, Calxa or Fathom, you can turn your historical accounting data into powerful projections. Whether you’re planning for the next hire, ordering materials for a big job, or covering school holiday gaps in clinic staff, a visual forecast gives you clarity about what’s coming in—and what’s going out.

💡 For recruiters, this might mean planning around slow invoice payment cycles. For vets, it’s about anticipating when pet insurance payouts lag. For tradies, it could mean bridging the gap between progress payments.

2. Inventory Insights that Free Up Cash

Data analytics helps you spot trends in your stock usage or consumables. Instead of over-ordering or running short, you can find your ‘sweet spot’—keeping enough stock on hand without tying up precious cash.

💡 Vets can monitor pet food and medication sales. Construction firms can track material usage across jobs. Recruiters might spot trends in candidate placement times or advertising ROI.

3. Understand Your Most Valuable Customers

Drilling into sales or project data can highlight your best-performing clients and sectors. This helps you focus marketing and service efforts where they’ll deliver the best return.

💡 Is a particular client or industry giving you consistent, profitable work? Double down. Are some always slow to pay or high-maintenance? Time to reassess.

4. Confident, Competitive Pricing

Want to raise your prices but unsure how it’ll land? Data can give you evidence-based confidence. Reviewing your margins, market rates, and conversion data helps you price your services profitably—without pricing yourself out of the game.

💡 Recruiters can analyse placement fees vs time-to-fill. Vets can assess consultation fees vs overheads. Builders can price labour and materials dynamically based on project type.

5. Pinpoint Cost Savings

A good review of your business costs can uncover savings you didn’t know were hiding. From software subscriptions to overtime blowouts, data tells the real story.

💡 Are you paying for job ad platforms you barely use? Are fleet running costs creeping up? Are your team costs aligned with your billables?

Let’s Make Your Numbers Work Harder

The right data doesn’t just give you a snapshot of where you are—it helps you steer the ship towards where you want to go. If you’d like help setting up cashflow forecasts, spotting opportunities in your numbers, or simplifying your financial reports, we’re here.