When to get business advice

Professional advice can be useful at any stage of business – whether you're starting, growing or ending a business. But it's not always practical or cost-effective to get professional advice for all business decisions.

Knowing when to pay for outside expertise is an important skill. In many cases you will be able to resolve a particular business problem yourself, but sometimes you will need outside help. When making this decision, ask yourself:

• Do I or does someone in my business have the skills to solve this problem in-house?
• Is it worth my time and money to get external advice?
• Is there a legal requirement for getting external advice?

Free sources of advice are good starting points for understanding and getting help with a range of business issues.

Sources of free business advice

Government advice and support

• The Australian Government website for business is a good starting point for many businesses, offering a range of useful fact sheets and guides.
• Business Enterprise Centres (BEC) Australia is a valuable resource for reliable, independent business advice.
• The Australian Taxation Office provides tax assistance and various fact sheets for small business owners.
• The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) provides information on small business issues concerning consumers' rights and obligations.
• The New Enterprise Incentive Scheme (NEIS) provides accredited small business training, business advice and mentoring for eligible people wanting to start a business.
• Workplace Health and Safety Queensland provide an Injury prevention and management program for all Queensland employers with a WorkCover Queensland policy.

View more useful resources for business intenders and operators.

Other advice and support

• Social media websites (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube) cover a wide range of business topics and feature well-known business personalities, case studies and noted experts in different fields.
• Banks and other financial institutions usually have a good range of online fact sheets and other resources. Check your bank's website for more information.
• Your own business networks can be useful for business advice.
• Industry associations can be reliable sources of business advice.

If these sources cannot help you, your next step will be to find a business adviser who has expertise dealing with your specific issue(s).