Opening a business in Australia?

Hello, Poms in Oz forum!

First off I just want to say it's great to be here and thank you for the add. Now my family and I are thinking of making a move over to Oz because I have had a job opening on the railway. But I'm here more for my wife, at the moment my wife has a fashion shop in the UK where she sells all of her own very fashionable clothing that she designs herself.

What I'm here for as you can already guess, is opening a business in Oz being an English national. I have done a little reading online already but some sites contradict other sites which started becoming confusing, so where better to get some information than here? I literally need as much information as possible guys, all the licenses, laws, pros and cons Of owning a business in Oz being from the UK etc.

This will be a huge move for my family so I want to make sure we have all the grounds covered first to make the move as smooth as possible. Moving is a hassle when you're just going over to the next town, let alone the other side of the world... I am really looking forward to speaking with you guys and getting as much information as possible!!

Thanks

Which state will you be moving to? Many of the licences and regulations are determined by state laws, so they vary.

Also what visa you will hold can make a difference.

Otherwise just speak to an accountant to get you set up. It really isn't very different from the UK but different enough to need some advice.

Also think long and hard about hidden costs, rent and rates can be very expensive depending on your location and what street you desire. Also other similar businesses in the area see how they are performing can that area support two or three similar styled businesses, is the demand great enough? I am sure you have though along these lines already just thought i would bring them back to mind and within this thread for others interested in doing a start up.

Visa is the key. Unless you are eligible for a visa then the rest is irrelevant.

A skilled visa is likely to be the easier option if you qualify, business visas are possible, but complex and you would need professional help from the start from a good registered migration agent. What is your occupation?

Well, this is a good start. As of location, rent and hidden costs business wise, my lovely wife will be taking care of all that, she really is the business smart one out of the two of us. I knew the Visa's would be an important part, Mine should be fine because the company will get that all sorted but my wife, we will have to arrange her visa. Looks like this is the most important first step making sure we get the right visa's and then get onto an accountant to get a bigger picture/price. thanks for the great start guys! I will do a little extra research and get back toy you.

No your wife will be on your visa. What visa are they offering?

Well, this is a good start. As of location, rent and hidden costs business wise, my lovely wife will be taking care of all that, she really is the business smart one out of the two of us. I knew the Visa's would be an important part, Mine should be fine because the company will get that all sorted but my wife, we will have to arrange her visa. Looks like this is the most important first step making sure we get the right visa's and then get onto an accountant to get a bigger picture/price. thanks for the great start guys! I will do a little extra research and get back toy you.

First thing you need to be aware of is that if a company are sponsoring then this will almost certainly be a 457 visa.

This is a temporary visa and comes with a lot of conditions. The most important of which is that you understand this is NOT a permanent move - the point of the visa is that you return at the end.

If you wish to set up a business during your time in Australia, you would also need foreign investment approval.

I'm not too sure of the visa details just yet the opportunity was just handed to me the other day, thought I would jump in and get researching. Thanks for the heads-up on the foreign investment approval. Do a little google research on that now to see what it's all about and add that to the list of nightmares haha.

Thanks guys

Assuming all is well visa wise, she'll need an ABN (Australian business number). She'll also need to register the business name. If she's making the clothing herself then there are labelling laws, which probably are not much different to the uk. She'll have to decide just how she wants to set up her business which might depend on if she has staff etc. If it's just her then she could be a sole trader which is pretty simple for tax etc. If the turn over is more than $70k a year then she'd need to register for gst too which makes things a bit more complicated. The Australian taxation office has lots of great info about business structures for tax etc on their website.

Im sure there's much more you'd need to know, but it's a starting point.

I'm not too sure of the visa details just yet the opportunity was just handed to me the other day, thought I would jump in and get researching. Thanks for the heads-up on the foreign investment approval. Do a little google research on that now to see what it's all about and add that to the list of nightmares haha.

 

Thanks guys

just to clarify FIRB is only required if you are on a temp visa it will apply to the business and any property you buy.

Hello, Poms in Oz forum!

 

First off I just want to say it's great to be here and thank you for the add. Now my family and I are thinking of making a move over to Oz because I have had a job opening on the railway. But I'm here more for my wife, at the moment my wife has a fashion shop in the UK where she sells all of her own very affordable fashionable clothing that she designs herself.

 

What I'm here for as you can already guess, is opening a business in Oz being an English national. I have done a little reading online already but some sites contradict other sites which started becoming confusing, so where better to get some information than here? I literally need as much information as possible guys, all the licenses, laws, pros and cons Of owning a business in Oz being from the UK etc.

 

This will be a huge move for my family so I want to make sure we have all the grounds covered first to make the move as smooth as possible. Moving is a hassle when you're just going over to the next town, let alone the other side of the world... I am really looking forward to speaking with you guys and getting as much information as possible!!

 

Thanks

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"Assuming all is well visa wise, she'll need an ABN (Australian business number). She'll also need to register the business name. If she's making the clothing herself then there are labelling laws, which probably are not much different to the uk. She'll have to decide just how she wants to set up her business which might depend on if she has staff etc. If it's just her then she could be a sole trader which is pretty simple for tax etc. If the turn over is more than $70k a year then she'd need to register for gst too which makes things a bit more complicated. The Australian taxation office has lots of great info about business structures for tax etc on their website.

Im sure there's much more you'd need to know, but it's a starting point."

Thanks for the information above! I started to do a little research from that and I have found how much of a nightmare this will be but, I have also found that some things are going to be a lot easier than expected.

I Will be entering and living there on some kind of work permit/visa. Is it possible to get my wife a visa seperatly? she won't have the freedom needed on my visa.

She would need to either be on your visa, or qualify for a visa in her own right. A business visa may be an option, but these are complex and not easy and I would recommend you speak to a good migration agent.

If she ends up on your visa, I personally would not buy a business. A 457 is a temporary visa with an assumption you will be leaving at the end. It is also tied to the employer and if you were to lose your job, you would only have 60 days to find another company willing and able to sponsor, or you all have to leave. Note, not every company can or will sponsor. In these circumstances, 60!days is not long to sell a business.

My wife runs a business and yes there are some hoops to jump through, but honestly 99% of the information is very openly available on the government websites such as registration or taxation. The big differences from the UK are the extra red tape and licensing requirements for many trades, professions or service industries. But nothing is hidden, it's all open and if you put together a basic business plan you will be able to figure it all out.