Australian business made simple.
Practical guides, templates and checklists that help Australian small business owners understand what to do, step by step, without the confusing jargon.
Why we created The Nuffy’s Guide?
To make Australian business easier to understand through practical, plain-English guides, templates and resources.
Starting a business can be exciting, but it can also be overwhelming. There are plenty of resources available for Australian business owners. The problem isn’t the lack of information, it’s that firstly you need to know where to look and once you do, much of it can be difficult to understand, scattered across different websites or written with the assumption that you already know the basics.
Starting a business shouldn’t require a law degree or an account background. The Nuffy’s Guide is created to bridge that gap. Instead for overwhelming you with technical language, we explain the what, the why, and the how in a way that is practical and easy to follow. Whether you’re starting your first side hustle, launching a small business or simply trying to understand your obligations, we’re here to help you feel more confident, one step at a time.
Meet Nuffy
Nuffy is the friendly face of The Nuffy's Guide. Like Australia's own platypus, Nuffy is curious, practical and uniquely Australian.
You'll find Nuffy throughout our guides, sharing helpful tips, breaking down complicated topics and reminding you that no question is too small.
After all, everyone starts somewhere.
Our Approach
Everything we create is designed to be:
✔ Written in plain English
✔ Practical and easy to follow
✔ Tailored to Australian businesses
✔ Focused on helping you understand—not just tick boxes
We don't just tell you what to do.
We explain why it matters, so you can make confident decisions as your business grows.
About the Founder aka. the human behind this
Well hello! I’m Eden!
Over the last few years, I’ve experienced both sides of running a business. I’ve started my own brand, worked as a freelancer and contractor and gone through all the excitement, and confusion, that comes with figuring things out for the first time.
As a contractor, I found myself asking questions like:
How do I invoice clients properly?
How do I pay tax?
Am I entitled to Super?
What are my rights?
What’s the difference between being a contractor and an employee?
Can I pick to be a contractor simply because I may pay less tax?
Then, when I started my own business, a whole new set of questions appeared.
One of the biggest, and first, decisions was whether to register as a sole trader or a company. The advice I kept hearing was surprisingly simple: “If you want limited liability, go with company. If you don’t want the setup cost, go with sole trader”. While the advice wasn’t wrong, it also wasn’t enough.
I ended up registering as aa sole trader because it seemed like the easiest option. But after learning more about the differences and understanding what I wanted for my business to become, I realised that a company was a much better fit for me. I then spent hours changing my business structure and updating everything I had already set up. This isn’t to say a sole trader is always the wrong choice, it just wasn’t the right choice for me.
I wish someone had helped me ask the right questions, understand the pros and cons of each option and make an informed decision from the beginning. This is why I created The Nuffy’s Guide.
Every guide, template and kit is built around the questions I had while starting my own business, the questions I’ve seen countless other business owners ask, and the practical advice I’ve received from experienced accountants and professionals along the way.
My goal isn’t to tell you what to do. It is simply to give you clear, practical information in plain English so you can understand your options, make informed decisions, and feel more confident as you build your business.
Featured products
Most startup guides tell you to get an ABN and call it a day. This kit goes further a lot further.
The Australian Business Launch Kit is a complete business setup system built specifically for Australian founders. Not a single PDF. A 14-page plain-English guide plus four interactive tools that work together to take you from "I have an idea" to "I'm open for business" with nothing falling through the cracks.
It covers the things most startup guides miss entirely: checking trademark availability before you fall in love with a name, registering your social handles before you announce the business, understanding the right order to do your registrations, knowing which licences and permits might apply to your industry, and planning what happens at every key compliance date in your first year.
What's included:
📖 22-Page Plain-English Guide covering every stage of starting a business in Australia:
→ Before you start and know why you're doing this
→ Final checks before you register anything
→ Naming your business (what to check before you fall in love with a name)
→ Choosing your business structure (sole trader, company, trust, partnership compared)
→ Registrations (ABN, business name, company, GST, in the right order)
→ Build your foundation (email, domain, website, Google profile, socials)
→ Protect your business (insurance, trademarks, privacy policy, T&Cs)
→ Money (bank accounts, accounting software, invoices, tax set-aside)
→ Before your first customer (the checklist most founders skip)
→ First year timeline (what to expect and when, month by month)
→ BONUS: The Final Checklist
✅ Interactive Startup Checklist: spreadsheet with dropdown status (Done / In Progress / To Do / Not Applicable), organised into 6 sections: Foundation, Registrations, Brand, Legal, Money, Before First Customer
📝 Business Name Brainstorm Worksheet: a structured worksheet to test name ideas against real questions (Can people spell it? Does it limit growth?) plus a full availability checklist covering ASIC, IP Australia, domain, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn, and more
📅 Business Launch Timeline: from idea to first customer, broken into phases with status tracking
🗓 First Year Compliance Calendar: every BAS due date for 2025–26 and 2026–27, income tax deadlines, Payday Super from 1 July 2026, TPAR lodgement, ASIC annual review, and more. All in one place.
The things most startup guides forget and this kit doesn't:
→ Trademark availability is not the same as business name availability
→ Register your social handles before you announce the business name publicly
→ The right order to do registrations, getting this wrong creates real headaches
→ Which licences and permits might apply to your specific industry
→ Setting aside tax and GST from the very first payment you receive
→ Building a simple file structure for invoices, receipts, and contracts from day one
→ Planning what happens when the business grows and when to reconsider your structure
Who this is for:
Anyone starting a business in Australia”: sole traders, freelancers, online sellers, service businesses, or anyone who's been Googling "how to start a business in Australia" and getting overwhelmed by government websites that assume you already know the basics.
Format: Instant digital download. Includes one PDF (22-page guide) and one .xlsx spreadsheet (all four tools). Works in Excel and Google Sheets.
Please note: This kit is general information only, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Always confirm with the ATO, ASIC, a registered tax agent, or a lawyer before making decisions about your structure, registrations, or compliance obligations. Guide current as at July 2026.
Digital Product Notice: This is a digital download. No physical item will be shipped.
Refunds: Due to the nature of digital products, refunds are generally not available once a product has been downloaded, except where required under Australian Consumer Law. See our Refund Policy for details.
One of the first real decisions you'll make as an Australian founder is also one of the most consequential and most confusing. Sole trader or company? Which one is right for you, right now?
Most guides either oversimplify it ("just get an ABN!") or drown you in legal jargon. This one doesn't. The Nuffy's Guide: Sole Trader or Company? walks you through the decision in plain English with a 6-question decision tree, a side-by-side comparison, and a full breakdown of what each path actually involves, from setup to record-keeping.
Written by an Australian founder who's walked this exact path, from registering an ABN as a sole trader to later setting up a Pty Ltd, this isn't theory. It's the stuff I wish someone had explained to me before I started.
What's inside:
✓ A 6-question decision tree to find your lean (sole trader vs company)
✓ Side-by-side comparison of liability, tax, admin, and credibility
✓ Full breakdown of what to set up and what records to keep for each path
✓ Real examples of who each structure tends to suit
✓ Personal Services Income (PSI) rules explained (the #1 thing that catches solo consultants out)
✓ Trusts as a third option, explained simply
✓ Current ASIC fees, GST thresholds, and where to check for updates
✓ A "moving from sole trader to company" section for when you're ready to scale
✓ Honest things people forget (insurance, contractor vs employee, name protection, and more)
Who this is for:
Anyone starting a business in Australia who isn't sure which structure to choose, sole traders thinking about incorporating, freelancers wondering if they need a company, or anyone who's been googling "sole trader vs pty ltd" at 11pm and still isn't sure.
Format: Instant digital PDF download, 11 pages, print-friendly
Please note: This guide is general information only, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Always confirm your decision with a registered tax agent, accountant, or lawyer before registering a business structure.
Digital Product Notice: This is a digital download. No physical item will be shipped.
Refunds: Due to the nature of digital products, refunds are generally not available once a product has been downloaded, except where required under Australian Consumer Law. See our Refund Policy for details.
GST and BAS are two of the most Googled topics by Australian small business owners and two of the most confusing. What is a BAS? Do you even need to lodge one? What goes where? What happens if you're late?
This guide answers all of it. In plain English. Without assuming you already know what G1, 1A, or 1B mean.
The Nuffy's Guide: GST & BAS Prep Guide is a 24-page guide written specifically for Australian sole traders, freelancers, contractors, and small business owners who are registered for GST, or thinking about registering, and want to actually understand what they're doing, rather than just guess and hope for the best.
What's inside:
✓ What GST is (taxable sales, GST-free, and input-taxed explained clearly)
✓ Do you need to register? (the $75,000 threshold, voluntary registration, pros and cons)
✓ What a BAS is and what actually goes on it (G1, 1A, 1B, PAYG explained in plain English)
✓ How often you lodge (quarterly, monthly, and annual cycles compared)
✓ Quarterly BAS due dates (including the online lodgement bonus)
✓ How to calculate your GST
✓ How to lodge (myGov, SBR software, BAS agent, or mail)
✓ What happens if you lodge or pay late (FTL penalties and GIC explained, including the 2025 change making GIC non-deductible)
✓ Records you need to keep and for how long
✓ Cash vs accrual accounting for GST and why it matters
✓ 7 ATO-backed transaction classification tables (what goes where on your BAS, sourced directly from the ATO's Simpler BAS GST Bookkeeping Guide)
✓ Common mistakes to avoid
✓ BONUS: 10-point BAS lodgement checklist to tick off before you submit every quarter
What makes this guide different:
Most GST guides explain the concept and stop there. This one goes further. The transaction classification tables alone tell you exactly where each type of sale or purchase goes on your BAS, from utility bills and motor vehicle registration to imports and mixed-use purchases. It's the practical reference most guides skip entirely.
Who this is for:
Sole traders, freelancers, and small business owners who are registered for GST (or about to register), preparing their own BAS, or wanting to understand what their accountant or BAS agent is actually doing on their behalf.
Format: Instant PDF download, 24 pages, print-friendly. Includes bonus BAS lodgement checklist.
Please note: This guide is general information only, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Always confirm details with the ATO (ato.gov.au), a registered tax agent, or BAS agent before acting on anything in this guide. Guide current as at July 2026.
Digital Product Notice: This is a digital download. No physical item will be shipped.
Refunds: Due to the nature of digital products, refunds are generally not available once a product has been downloaded, except where required under Australian Consumer Law. See our Refund Policy for details.