Before starting a business in Australia, a founder should confirm they hold a visa that allows them to run a business, choose a structure, and register an ABN, any business name and company where relevant. Official government pages cover each step, and there is language support for Chinese speakers, including interpreting services. This article is an orientation checklist, not legal, tax or migration advice, and each step should be confirmed on the official page.
Start with the official map
The Australian Government’s guide to starting a business organises the process into eight steps: before you start, define your business, plan, register, organise finances, get customers, hire staff and protect your business. Use it as your master checklist. The sections below follow its logic and add practical notes for founders working across Chinese and English.
Step 1: Check you are allowed to operate
The guide says that if you are not a citizen or permanent resident, you will need a visa that allows you to run a business. This is the first gate, and it is a migration question rather than a business one. Do not begin trading, signing leases or taking customer payments until you have confirmed your status. A registered migration agent or lawyer can advise on your circumstances.
Step 2: Choose a business structure
The same guide lists the common structures as sole trader, company, partnership and trust, and says your choice affects which registrations you need and your legal and tax obligations. Austrade’s investor guide says each structure has its own tax and legal implications.
If you are expanding an existing business from overseas, Austrade lists four routes: registering a foreign company, establishing a new Australian company, setting up a subsidiary that operates as an Australian company, or buying an existing Australian company. Foreign companies operating in Australia must register with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC). If you buy an existing company, the proposal may need formal review by the Foreign Investment Review Board. Speak to an Australian accountant and lawyer before choosing, since the right structure depends on your plans.
Step 3: Register what you need
business.gov.au’s guide covers the registration group:
- ABN: most businesses need an Australian Business Number, which identifies your business to government, other businesses and the public. The guide says it is free to register.
- Business name: you need to register a name if it differs from your own name, and you cannot use a name someone else has registered.
- Company: registering a company gives you an Australian Company Number (ACN), which is separate from the ABN, and directors also need a director ID.
- Taxes, licences and permits: depending on your activity. The guide also suggests considering a trade mark.
Fees and forms change, so confirm costs on the official pages when you apply rather than relying on a figure from an article.
Step 4: Use the Chinese-language support
business.gov.au has dedicated help pages for Chinese speakers, including Simplified Chinese. That page points to:
- TIS National, the Translating and Interpreting Service, which offers phone interpreting 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on 13 14 50 from anywhere in Australia, charged at local rates.
- NAATI, where you can find certified translators and interpreters through its online directory.
- Services Australia multilingual publications, including Chinese versions covering several topics.
- Australian Taxation Office online publications about Australian tax in Chinese, among other languages.
The page also lists some older agency names, so treat its links as a starting point and check current contact details. For anything binding, such as a contract, lease or tax lodgement, use a certified translator or an adviser fluent in both languages rather than informal translation.
Practical checklist
- Confirm your visa and work or business rights.
- Decide on structure with an accountant and lawyer.
- Register an ABN, then your business name and company if needed.
- Check licences, permits and insurance for your industry.
- Set up a business bank account and bookkeeping, and understand your tax obligations.
- Draft customer contracts and terms in English, and have them reviewed. Our article on international legal basics for contracts and IP outlines the concepts.
- Plan how customers will find you: website, search and social. The business.gov.au guide lists marketing, a website and social media as part of getting customers.
- Decide what you will hire for and how, using the guide’s hiring step as a starting point.
Working in two languages
Many founders serve both Chinese-speaking and English-speaking customers. That is an asset, but it creates a content decision: translating word for word rarely reads naturally. Our guide to localisation versus translation explains the difference, and the wider question of how to approach a market is covered in international market entry modes. If your goal is to sell abroad from Australia rather than start up locally, see Austrade and export support.
What this article does not cover
It does not cover tax rates, visa categories, foreign investment thresholds or industry-specific licensing, because those depend on your circumstances and change over time. Use the official pages and qualified advisers for each.
Where Radiance Impact fits
Radiance Impact works in English and Chinese. Its Global division supports Australian market entry for overseas businesses, including content and localisation. If you are preparing to enter the market, contact us or see the market entry page.
Sources
- Guide to starting a business, business.gov.au
- Setting up a business, Austrade
- Need help understanding business.gov.au in Simplified Chinese, business.gov.au
