There are many reasons to starting a business in Australia. As long as you follow the rights steps for setting up your business, then you will set yourself up for success. There are three main types of businesses you can start in Australia and certain benefits to each. I have seen many new business fail miserably, and I have seen some start-up Aussie businesses become very successful. The thing that the successful Australian businesses have in common is that the founders were passionate and, therefore, motivated. Don’t start a business out of the sole desire to make money. Donald Trump and Warren Buffet have both said do what you love and the money will follow. If you love to cook, then open a restaurant. If you’re a lawyer, then don’t open an online store. Got it? Get it? Good!

First, think long and hard about what you love to do. Later on you can figure out how to make money from the one thing you are truly passionate about. If you’re an artist, then paint or practice whatever medium of self expression you love. If you’re smart enough to follow your dreams, then you will be smart enough to figure out how to make money from it.

A good place start looking around for business ideas is in your own house. Go ahead, look around the room you’re in and find an area that has a problem that needs to be fixed or causes irritation or frustration. That unorganized stack of business cards in the corner, CD’s everywhere (itunes, ipod, etc.), dirty window, shelves that are too high, pile of laundry in the middle of the floor, etc. Everything has potential for the next great thing.

Next, you will want to decide which type of business to open in Australia. You can chose from sole trader, partnership, and company. These are the three ways to start up a business in Australia and here are the tax benefits of each.

A sole trader is the least expensive and easiest business to start in Australia. A “sole trader” status business is not a separate entity for tax purposes. Therefore, you are taxed at the same rate as your personal income tax. This may be good or bad, depending on how much you earn with your business. In Australia the business tax is a flat rate of 30%, while personal income tax is a progressive rate system. The highest rate for personal income tax in Australia is 45%. If you would be in a higher tax bracket, then it makes sense to form your own company, but if you don’t plan on making much money the first year then register your business as a sole trader so you pay less taxes.

If you register as a company in Australia, then you have a completely separate entity that is able to acquire property, invest and pay taxes on its own. Another huge benefit of registering a company is that it separates your personal assets from that of the company for liability reasons. In other words, if you get sued they can’t get your personal house, car, or anything else that is under your name (as opposed to the company name).

You can also register a partnership in Australia with at least one other individual or company. With this, the tax benefits can vary and you may end up splitting the taxes. It all just depends on the individual situation.

Australia is one of the best countries in the world, according to the World Bank, for the total ease of doing business. It is very easy to start a new business, hire employees, and quick to process paperwork and licenses. These are all reasons Australia is a top destination for business excellence.

After you have your business idea, then you will need to register your business and get an ABN (Australian Business Number). Register the business on the state level. Search Google for “your state” business registration.

The next step is to open a business bank account and a merchant account. These will allow you to receive payments under your business name. This is only not required if you are planning on getting paid with cash or cheques made out to “Your Name” (substitute your actual name for “your name”, mate). If you will be building a website, then go register a domain name, but never use GoDaddy ever! I would recommend NameCheap.com. Hire someone to build your website (especially if this is important to your business) and focus on running your business.

The final and never-ending step is to promote, promote, promote, then you should probably focus some time on marketing, and then maybe a little bit of time and money on PR. Seriously, everything should be focussed on promoting and marketing your business however you can.

As immigration trends have shown, living in Australia continues to grow in popularity worldwide. In contrast to following popularity, using a list of “pros and cons” has always been an effective method of decision making, especially when deciding on where one will live. The following is a list of some of the most common positive and negative reasons associated with living in Australia. It is based on a recent survey of Australia citizens.

Pros of living in Australia:

1. Great weather – This is always a popular factor when weighing places to live. When contemplating a move people seem to be giving the climate more importance than ever before.
2. Good schools – Another common factor cited when considering living in Australia, especially given the concerns of family oriented communities. Australia is known for highly regarding family values and the education system reflects this.
3. Friendly, funny people – Everyday life seems to grow more stressful as time goes on and people are valuing their day to day interactions with friends and peers more than ever. Living in Australia is known to perk up even the most depressed among us with the help of some of the most friendly and good natured people around.
4. Outdoor lifestyle – As previously noted the weather in Australia is consistently pleasant and, combined with the great amounts of open space, such activities as camping, biking and swimming are popular leisure activities for a vast majority of people living in Australia.
5. Beautiful scenery – Not only is the climate tropical and the outdoor activities plentiful, but the physical beauty of Australia also ranks among the most magnificent in the world. Over 11,000 beautiful beaches and nearly 37,000 km of picture perfect coastline complement Australia’s other physical marvels.

Cons of living in Australia:

1. Very suburban – This is definitely true. However, unlike most suburban lands throughout the world, there is plenty of city and night life available so the negative impact is minimal.
2. High rate of skin cancer – Along with the warm, tropical weather and strong sun come the very real threat of diseases such as skin cancer. Yet there are plenty of ways to combat this such as not being out in the sun too long and staying extremely protected with strong sun screen when you do. This is a common problem in warm weather climates throughout the world and, if necessary, Australia boasts some of the most highly trained dermatologists in the world.
3. Dangerous wildlife – Certainly a legitimate concern but, again, using a little common sense and taking proper precautions when venturing outside, any potential safety concerns should be minimized.
4. Heavily populated with cockroaches (this was a particularly common complaint among Queensland residents) – While these unwelcome guests have been known to make their presence felt throughout the Land Down Under, staying meticulous in regards to cleanliness and having the phone number of a local exterminator handy should help you avoid any major problems.

Even if one were to say that there is some biases shining through in the above list, there would still be a compelling argument for living in Australia. The proof is by watching the number add up. Immigrants continue to pour in to the beautiful country and the pros of living in Australia seem to be wiping the floor with the cons.