Start, register and grow your business in Australia.
Search a name, lock in your ABN and domain, set up email and a website — the practical steps, explained in plain English and built for Australian rules.
Free Australian guides · 6,654+ explainers across 280 industries
- Choose your business nameCompare name, company & ABN options
- Understand ABN & GSTPlain-English, no jargon
- Secure your .com.auEligibility explained
- Set up professional email[email protected]
- Publish a simple websiteThe pages customers expect
Start, get online and stay compliant — explained.
Pick a single topic or follow the full setup. Cockatoo brings registrations, domains, email, websites and admin into one place, so you are not stitching five tools' worth of advice together.
Business name & registration
How to register a business name, company, ABN and GST — without the guesswork.
Read the guideDomains (.com.au)
Eligibility, choosing the right Australian domain, and securing it for your brand.
Read the guideProfessional email
Set up [email protected] so you look the part from day one.
Read the guideInstant website
Launch a simple, trusted site with the pages customers expect to find.
Read the guideLogo & brand
A clean logo, business card and the brand basics to look established.
Read the guideBookkeeping & tax
Keep quoting, invoicing, BAS and tax under control all year round.
Read the guideInsurance
Understand the cover that actually fits your trade or industry.
Read the guideCompliance
Stay on top of renewals, ABN status and ASIC obligations.
Read the guideThree steps, no spreadsheets full of half-finished admin.
Pick the topic
Business setup, getting online, finance, insurance or an industry page — start with one and add the rest when you are ready.
Compare the steps
Plain-English guides aligned to Australian rules. We flag what is required, the documents you need, and the common risks.
Keep a record
Use each guide as a calm checklist before you commit time, money or paperwork — and come back as the business grows.
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Questions Australian founders actually ask.
Most businesses do. An ABN identifies your business to the ATO, customers and other businesses, and you'll generally need one to invoice, register for GST, or claim GST credits. Our guides walk you through whether you need one and how to apply.
A business name is simply the name you trade under — it doesn't create a separate legal entity. A company (Pty Ltd) is a separate legal entity registered with ASIC, with its own obligations and protections. We explain the trade-offs in plain English so you can pick the right structure before lodging anything.
Generally once your business turns over $75,000 or more a year (or $150,000 for non-profits), with some exceptions like rideshare. Our guides explain the threshold and how registering for GST fits alongside your ABN.
Yes. To hold a .com.au you need an Australian presence — typically a valid ABN, ACN or registered business name. Our domain guide explains the eligibility rules before you commit.
No — Cockatoo is an independent, Australian-owned site that brings the guides and explainers for starting and running a business into one place. Official registrations are always handled with ASIC and the ATO, and government fees are set by those agencies.
Find the right guide for your next step.
Browse by industry, compare the setup steps, and get the next practical explainer when new pages go live.