63 - Licensing and Permits - What does your business actually need?
ABN Isn’t Enough: Navigating Licences, Permits and Council Approvals for Australian Small Businesses
Melissa Bush explains that registering an ABN and business name is only the start and many Australian businesses need approvals across three tiers of government Commonwealth (e.g., tax, employment, ACL, ASIC licences), state/territory (e.g., trade and building licences, insurance, certification), and local council (e.g., development consent, building approvals, food premises registration, outdoor dining, signage, noise). She outlines typical approval needs for food and hospitality (Food Standards Code, food authority registration, food safety supervisor, council inspections, liquor licensing), trades and construction, health practices (AHPRA registration, premises consent, accessibility, medicines approvals), and retail/e-commerce (product licences, ACL, privacy, ASIC where relevant). She recommends using ABLIS to identify obligations, confirming premises suitability with council, and auditing/renewing licences, noting serious risks of illegal trading, shutdown orders, prosecution, contract breaches, and invalidated insurance.
00:00 The Costly Approval Trap
01:41 Show Overview and Disclaimer
03:59 ABN Is Only Step One
04:35 Three Government Tiers
06:29 Council Approvals Matter
08:26 Food Business Requirements
11:39 Trades and Construction Licences
13:00 Health Practice Compliance
14:30 Retail and Online Rules
15:59 Using ABLIS to Check
19:14 ABLIS Limits and Myths
20:58 Penalties and Insurance Risks
23:47 When Licences Get Suspended
25:15 Practical Approval Checklist
28:14 Wrap Up and Next Steps
