A joint alliance of the Council of Small Business Organisations Australia (COSBOA), the Affiliation for Business Resilience and Turnaround (ABRT), the Commercial & Asset Finance Brokers Association of Australia (CAFBA), CPA Australia, the Institute of Certified Bookkeepers (ICB) and the Mortgage & Finance Association of Australia (MFAA) is urging small businesses to actively engage their trusted advisers as cost pressures intensify and key regulatory changes approach.

With more than 2.6 million small businesses operating across Australia, the sector is navigating a complex environment shaped by rising input costs, fuel volatility, high interest rates, and upcoming reforms such as Payday Super and changes to payment surcharging.

COSBOA said that while these pressures are well understood, the challenge for many small businesses is knowing how to respond, particularly when decisions around pricing, staffing, cashflow and investment are increasingly interconnected.

“Small businesses are not just dealing with one issue at a time, they are managing multiple pressures simultaneously,” said Skye Cappuccio, CEO of COSBOA.

“In this environment, the difference between a sound decision and a costly one often comes down to having access to the right advice at the right time and acting on it early.”

Engaging support

The alliance is encouraging small businesses and sole traders to engage with their accountants, bookkeepers, and finance and mortgage brokers; each playing a critical role in helping businesses manage their finances, access funding and plan ahead.

Early engagement can help businesses maintain cashflow, manage rising costs and interest rates, including identifying financing options early and avoiding reactive decisions under pressure – giving business owners greater certainty and more time to focus on running their business.

Practical ways advisers can support right now include:

• Managing rising fuel and input costs: Advisers can assess margins, identify where cost increases are impacting profitability, and support pricing decisions, including when and how to pass on costs or adjust contracts.
• Preparing for Payday Super: Bookkeepers and accountants can help businesses transition from quarterly to more frequent super payments, implement payroll system changes, and map cashflow impacts to avoid shortfalls or penalties.
• Navigating payment and surcharging changes: Advisers can break down merchant fees, model the impact of removing surcharges, and support pricing strategies to protect margins.
• Strengthening cashflow and financing: Finance and mortgage brokers can help small businesses assess their borrowing capacity, restructure existing facilities, refinance high-cost debt, and access a broader range of lenders and funding options, particularly where traditional lending pathways may be constrained.
• Reducing red tape and administrative burden: Advisers can streamline reporting, automate processes and ensure compliance requirements are met efficiently, helping to free up valuable time.
• Improving decision-making: By providing real-time financial visibility, advisers can help business owners avoid reactive decisions, such as under-pricing, over-cutting staff, or delaying necessary changes.