Starting Out

The step-by-step setup for a new tradie sole trader — TFN, ABN, GST and PAYG, business bank and bookkeeping, licences, public liability and the Certificate of Currency, tax and super — plus the first-year mistakes that cost the most.

How Australian construction apprenticeships work — the AASN/Apprentice Connect training contract, MA000020 apprentice pay, the incentives (the $10,000 housing apprentice payment, DAAWS, state schemes), employer obligations, and cancelling a contract by state.

The White Card explained — it's the CPCCWHS1001 unit (not the old CPCCOHS2001A), nationally recognised and non-expiring, why Victoria is face-to-face only, how it differs from a site induction, and the penalties for working without one.

How to register an ABN, when you must register for GST (the $75,000 threshold and 21-day rule), what a tax invoice must show, why having an ABN does not make you a contractor, and how long to keep records.

Sole trader vs partnership vs Pty Ltd vs trust for a tradie — setup cost, tax (the 25% base-rate company rate), asset protection, Division 7A, and the profit level (around $120k-200k) where a company starts to pay off.

The first-job checklist for a new tradie — what a written quote must cover, when a contract becomes mandatory by state, cooling-off rights, the Certificate of Currency and $10M public liability, and keeping deposits within the legal caps.

The first 12 months of a trade business — where first-year work really comes from (referrals, subbing, local Facebook, Google Business Profile), and the five first-customer mistakes (under-pricing, no scope, wrong jobs, weak deposits, ignoring repeat work) that sink new tradies.

How to kit out a new trade business without overspending — which tools to buy new, which big plant to hire (with indicative 2025 day rates), and the high-ticket tools worth buying second-hand, plus a buy/hire/second-hand decision framework.

How to buy your first work ute or van — getting the payload and body right, new vs used vs lease, how chattel mortgage / novated lease / operating lease differ, and how GST, depreciation and the $20,000 instant asset write-off (to 30 June 2026) actually interact. Guidance only.

Fitting out a ute or van for the trade — staying under GVM with your racking and gear, load-restraint and Chain of Responsibility, signage that meets the ACL and licence-display rules, registration class and mods, and what's tax-deductible. Guidance only.

Running a side business on an ABN while employed — how the two feed one tax return, why Australia has no side-hustle tax allowance (declare it all), super on side income, the moonlighting and conflict-of-interest traps in your contract, insurance, and scaling toward full-time. Guidance only.