Thank you to our accounting software partner Xero for this great content.

There is a bit of paperwork and people who need to know about your new business. Here are a few fundamentals you need to know.

How to register a business with the government.

There are a few government departments that need to know about your business:

  • Register a business name: Unless you’re trading under your personal name, you’ll need to register a business name. You can do this through the Business Registration Service
  • Get an Australian Business Number (ABN): An ABN is a quick way to identify your business to the government and the tax office. Put it on your invoices to ensure customers don’t withhold pay-as-you-go tax from the amount they pay you. You can apply for an ABN through the Business Registration Service. Find out more about what an ABN is and how to get one.
  • Apply for licences and permits: You may need special authority for certain business activities, such as running a business from home or employing people. Some industries have very specific requirements. Find out what you need from the Australian Business Licence and Information Service.
How do I register a company?

If you’re setting up as a company, you’ll need to choose and register a name and get set up with the Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC). You’ll need to submit documents explaining how your company will operate and identify who the decision-makers will be. You can start the process through the Business Registration Service.

Do I need to tell any other regulators?

There may be some more to do if you’re entering a regulated industry. A caterer, for example, needs to be registered and have a food control plan – and possibly a liquor license. Speak to friends in the industry, or your industry representative body to find out if there are special requirements.

Should I trademark a business name?

You can legally protect a business name and logo to prevent others from mimicking your identity. This can be a valuable step for businesses that plan to invest a lot in making their brand widely known.

This area of the law can get complicated – especially if you expand into overseas markets and find there’s a business there with a similar name. Ask for advice from a legal professional with experience in this area.

At the very least, use trademark registries (and search engines) to check that no one already has your business name. It’s an easy way to save yourself a lot of hassle.

Make sure your business is protected.

Ensuring you have documentation such as Terms and Conditions of Trade in place is really important for a new business.

They will help you mitigate risk, and ensure you have a robust onboarding system in place to protect your cash flow.

We can tailor your contracts to your operation with our end-to-end solution.

Disclaimer:  EC Credit Control does not provide accounting, tax, business or legal advice. This guide has been provided for information purposes only. You should consult your own professional advisors for advice directly relating to your business or before taking action in relation to any of the content provided.

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Azwar Zubair profile picture
Azwar Zubair
28 September 2026
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We had a great experience with EC Credit Control and would definitely recommend their services. We engaged the team to review our Terms of Trade and help ensure that all the necessary documentation and protections were in place for our business. From our initial discussion, Peter was fantastic to deal with. He took the time to understand exactly what we needed and provided clear and practical guidance throughout the process. Peter was very responsive, professional and always happy to answer our questions and explain things in detail. He made what could have been a complicated process very straightforward, and we received all the required documents and files as expected. The whole process was smooth and professional, and we now have much more confidence in our Terms of Trade and credit control process. A big thank you to Peter and the EC Credit Control team for the great service and support. Highly recommended!
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Tamara Vicarey
31 August 2026
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New customer who initiated their services for Business T&Cs and found EC Credit Control to be extremely responsive and informative. They guided me through the process and answered any queries we had. We also received support with an outstanding invoice immediately to our initial enquiries.
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Peter Clarke profile picture
Peter Clarke
27 August 2026
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Efficient, once someone ignores requests for payment, handover to these guys. They get the job done.
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Oliver The kid
13 August 2026
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Excellent debt recovery highly recommend!
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Lisa Brown profile picture
Lisa Brown
5 August 2026
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Exceptional customer service from the first point of contact to the first debt collection. The staff are ready and willing to answer questions, offer support and explain further if I have an issue. Highly recommend the team at EC.
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Luke Frost profile picture
Luke Frost
29 June 2026
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Huge thanks to Terry and the EC Credit Control team. They helped us set up our terms of trade and residential contracts, but what really stands out is the support we received whenever we had questions and also with the initial setup. Always fast, always helpful, and always knowledgeable. Couldn’t ask for better — 5 stars.
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Dolan Evans profile picture
Dolan Evans
4 June 2026
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EC Credit have been amazing throughout the collection process, finding a company to handle debt collection at a reasonable cost is difficult. They proved their professionalism from day one when we first interacted with them and I would strongly recommend their services.
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Chris Bourke profile picture
Chris Bourke
19 May 2026
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I have used EC Credit Control on a number of occasions and have found their service to be extremely prompt and effective in recovering outstanding invoices for my business. Professional, efficient, and easy to deal with. Highly recommended.
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Reality Reviews
14 May 2026
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Some people haven’t even finished the work,damage property in between and then hire a company like this to hunt down money 🤣🤣🤣👌🏻👌🏻this is Gold she’s a cracker this one
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