The Software Stack Every New Australian Business Needs

Most new Australian businesses end up with the same core stack — but assemble it piecemeal over months, paying full retail for each piece.

The core four

1. Accounting software (e.g. Xero) — bank feeds, invoicing and GST tracking from day one. Retrofitting your books at tax time costs far more than the subscription.
2. Payments (e.g. Square) — take cards in person and online; settlement goes straight to your business bank account.
3. Industry tools — booking platforms for salons, job management for tradies. These pay for themselves in recovered admin hours.
4. Insurance — public liability at minimum; professional indemnity if you give advice.

Why bundling matters

Buying each subscription separately means separate onboarding forms (entering your ABN, BSB and business details over and over), separate invoices, and retail pricing. Aggregated platforms negotiate wholesale rates and pass part of the saving on — and you fill in your details once.

Setup order

Get your ABN → business bank account → accounting software → payments → industry tools → insurance. Everything downstream needs the ABN and bank account, so do those first.