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How to start a business in Melbourne

Written by Jack Harrington and Gabriel Pozo, the founders of Urban Media, Melbourne. Updated .

Starting a business in Melbourne comes down to two jobs. The first is the paperwork that makes it legal: structure, ABN, name, tax, licences and insurance. The second is everything a customer sees before they trust you: your brand, photos, website and Google profile. Most guides stop after the first. This one does both, in the order that wastes the least money.

It is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice, and it was checked against business.gov.au and business.vic.gov.au on 7 October 2026. Rules and fees change, so each step names the official page to confirm on.

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1. Check it is a business, and that you are ready

Before you register anything, be clear that you are running a business and not a hobby, and that nothing stops you trading (for example visa conditions or your current employment agreement).

  • Write one sentence: who you help, with what, and roughly what they pay.
  • Check your visa conditions or employment contract if either could limit you.
  • Work out how many months you can cover costs with no income.

2. Choose a business structure

The main options in Australia are sole trader, partnership, company and trust. They differ in tax, personal liability, cost and paperwork, and changing later is possible but not free.

This is the one step where an accountant is worth paying for before you start.

3. Plan it on one page

  • Who your customers are and what they do today instead of hiring you.
  • Who your competitors are and how you are different in a way a customer would notice.
  • Your start-up costs and a month-by-month cash forecast.
  • The main risks, and what you will do if the first three months are slow.

4. Register: ABN, name, tax and your domain

  • ABN: most businesses need an Australian Business Number. It is free from the Australian Business Register (abr.gov.au). Be wary of sites that charge you to apply.
  • Tax file number: every business needs one.
  • GST: you must register once your GST turnover reaches $75,000, within 21 days of becoming aware you will go over. You can register earlier if you choose. Confirm the current rules on business.gov.au or ato.gov.au.
  • Business name: if you trade under a name other than your own, register it with ASIC, and check it is free first.
  • Company: if you set one up, directors need a director ID.
  • Trade mark and domain: check IP Australia for clashes, and secure the .com.au and the social handles before you build a brand on the name.

5. Licences and permits in Victoria

Use ABLIS, the Australian Business Licence and Information Service, to list the federal, state and council licences, registrations and permits your type of business needs.

If you are setting up premises, you may need planning or building permits from your local council, for example for signage, a shopfront change, a fit-out, a food premises or outdoor seating. Councils differ, so ask yours before you sign a lease.

6. Money and protection

  • A separate business bank account.
  • Simple bookkeeping from day one, so tax time is not a rescue job.
  • Insurance that matches your risk, such as public liability, professional indemnity or equipment cover. Ask a broker what your industry needs.

7. Brand: a name, a logo, a palette and a voice

Do this before the website, not after. A site built before the brand gets rebuilt. You need a logo, colours, fonts and a short guide to how you write, so everything you publish looks like one business.

8. Photos and video of the real thing

Real photos of you, your work, your space or your product beat stock. Get vertical and horizontal versions and enough for the first few months, so you are not scrambling for content after launch.

9. Website and Google Business Profile

  • A website that says what you do, who it is for and a starting price before anyone scrolls, with one obvious way to enquire.
  • Built for phones first, and fast.
  • A Google Business Profile. A business with no shopfront can set a service area instead of a public address.
  • The same name, phone number and email everywhere you appear.

10. Your first customers

  • Tell everyone you know what you do, in the one sentence from step 1.
  • Ask each early customer for a Google review as the job finishes.
  • Only run ads once there is a page that matches the ad and takes an enquiry, and answer every enquiry the same day.

Where Urban Launch fits

Steps 1 to 6 are yours, with an accountant and the official sites. Steps 7 to 10 are what Urban Launch builds, done for you, in order, by one Melbourne team: brand, then website, then content, then systems. If that is what you need, see how a launch works and what it costs.

Official sources

This guide was checked against these official pages on 7 October 2026. Rules change, so confirm on the source before you rely on a detail.

More guides for new businesses

All of them are on the guides page.

Who is behind this

Jack Harrington and Gabriel Pozo, the founders of Urban Media, on a shoot in Melbourne

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.

Jack Harrington, co-founder of Urban Media, on how Urban Launch works. Captions are on screen.

Common questions

Do I need an ABN to start a business in Australia?
Most businesses need one. An Australian Business Number is free to apply for through the Australian Business Register at abr.gov.au. Check on business.gov.au whether your situation needs one.
When do I have to register for GST?
Once your GST turnover reaches $75,000, within 21 days of becoming aware you will go over it. You can register earlier by choice, but then you must charge GST and lodge activity statements. Confirm the current rules with the ATO.
Do I need a licence to start a business in Melbourne?
It depends on the business. Use ABLIS, the Australian Business Licence and Information Service, to list the federal, state and council licences and permits yours needs, and ask your local council about planning or building permits if you have premises.
What order should I start a business in?
Structure and registrations first, then licences and insurance, then your brand, photos, website and Google Business Profile, and ads last. The small checks come before the money you spend on brand and website.

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.

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More: Brand and website package, Melbourne, Startup package for a new business, Melbourne, Branding, website and photography package, Melbourne.