How to open a business in Australia: the first 90 days
Written by Jack Harrington and Gabriel Pozo, the founders of Urban Media, Melbourne. Updated .
Opening a business is a lot of small jobs, and the order matters more than the speed. This is a simple 90 day sequence: decide, register, build, then open. Skipping ahead is the most common way to pay twice.
General information, not legal or tax advice. The registration points were checked against business.gov.au, ASIC and IP Australia on 15 October 2026.
Weeks 1 and 2: decide
- Who you serve, what you sell and roughly what you will charge.
- Your structure, ideally after a chat with an accountant.
- A shortlist of names, each checked on the ASIC register, IP Australia's TM Checker, the domain and the social handles.
Weeks 3 and 4: register
- Get an ABN (free at the Australian Business Register).
- Register a business name with ASIC if you trade under a name other than your own, or set up the company.
- Check GST: you must register at $75,000 turnover, and can register earlier.
- Check the licences, permits and insurance your industry needs.
- Think about a trade mark for the name before you spend on the brand.
Weeks 5 to 8: build
- Brand: logo, colours, fonts, voice and a one-page style guide.
- Website with an enquiry form that you have tested end to end.
- Domain email, a Google Business Profile and matching social profiles.
- A launch shoot, so there is real content to post.
Weeks 9 to 13: open
- Go live, post three times a week and ask your first customers for reviews.
- Start small paid ads only once the website takes enquiries properly.
- Answer every enquiry fast and follow up the ones that go quiet.
- Review what is working at day 90 and change one thing at a time.
Where Urban Launch fits
Weeks 5 to 13 are what Urban Launch builds: brand, website, content and systems in order, with a 45 day promise to be live and generating enquiries or we keep working at no extra cost until you are. The registrations stay with you and your accountant.
Official sources
This guide was checked against these official pages on 15 October 2026. Rules change, so confirm on the source before you rely on a detail.
More guides for new businesses
- Logo or website first for a new business
- What to do after registering an ABN
- New business launch checklist, Melbourne
- How to name a business in Australia
- Business name vs company name in Australia
- Do I need a website for a small business
- What is a brand identity for a small business
- Brand guidelines for a small business
- How to get your first customers as a new business
- Google Business Profile for a new business
- How much a new business should spend on ads
- Website checklist before you launch a small business site
- What photos a new business needs
- Landing page or website for ads
- Social media profiles for a new business
- How to start a business in Melbourne
- How to start a clothing brand in Australia
- How to register a brand name in Australia
- Do I need an ABN to start a business in Australia
- Sole trader or company in Australia
- Do I need to register for GST
- How to choose a .com.au domain name
- How to get a logo for a new business
- Business email for a new business
- Privacy policy for a small business website in Australia
- What to post on social media when you start a business
- Setting up a business in Victoria
- How to launch a startup in Australia
- Marketing plan for a new business
- Brand voice for a small business
All of them are on the guides page.
Who is behind this
Urban Launch is built and run by Urban Media (ABN 28 169 446 902), a Melbourne studio founded by Jack Harrington and Gabriel Pozo. Urban Media makes video, design and websites for clients including Box Hill United, Brighton Grammar and Porsche Club Victoria.
If you want to talk to the people doing the work, call 0456 785 904. More about who we are, and how to check us, is on the About page.
Common questions
- What should I do first when opening a business in Australia?
- Decide who you serve and what you sell, choose a structure, then check your business name before registering anything.
- Do I register before I build the website?
- Yes. Settle the name and the registrations first so the brand and website are built on a name you know is safe.
- When should I start paid ads?
- Once the website takes enquiries properly and you have tested the form end to end, so the first ad clicks are not wasted.
- How long does it take to open a business?
- The registrations can be quick, but the brand, website and content usually take weeks. Urban Launch promises you are live and generating enquiries within 45 days, or we keep working at no extra cost until you are, subject to the conditions on the site.
Start with a Launch Call
Live and generating enquiries within 45 days, or we keep working at no extra cost until you are. The Launch Call is where we check it is the right fit before we book anything in. For a real example, read the Airwize case study (12 conversions, meaning leads that became sales, in the first month of Google Ads from $70 of ad spend, our figures). You can also read how a launch package compares with hiring separately, or go to the packages and prices on the homepage. If you are setting up from scratch, see the business start-up package.
More: Brand and website package, Melbourne, Startup package for a new business, Melbourne, Branding, website and photography package, Melbourne.