Blog & Article Categories
Revenue Up, Margin Down: What to Do About It in 2026
Your revenue is growing, but your profit margins are shrinking. With Australian small business costs rising 24.6% since 2020, discover what's driving the squeeze and the practical steps to protect your margins, manage costs and build a more profitable business.
How to Raise Prices Without Losing Your Best Customers
Raising your prices doesn't have to mean losing your best customers. Even a small price increase can make a significant difference to your bottom line without adding more work, staff or expenses. Learn how to raise prices confidently, communicate changes to customers and protect your profitability.
Revenue Is Up but Profit Is Down: Why More Sales Can Leave You With Less Money
More sales don't always mean more profit. A business can grow from $1.5 million to $1.65 million in revenue while net profit falls by $24,000. Discover why rising labour costs, shrinking margins, discounting and increasing overheads can leave business owners working harder but earning less, and which numbers to check to understand where the profit is going.
Profitable on Paper, Nothing in the Bank
Your business can be profitable on paper and still be running out of cash. Here’s where profit and cash come apart, why growth can make the gap worse, and the two numbers every business owner should know.
How to Stop Being the Bottleneck in Your Business
If work, decisions and problems regularly stop until you become involved, the business is too dependent on you. The answer is not simply to delegate more. It is to work out which decisions genuinely need you and build clarity around everything else.
Busy But Not Profitable: Where the Money Actually Goes in a $1.5M Business
Your business is busier than ever, but where is the profit going? Discover six common places profit hides in a $1.5M business, plus a simple 60-minute exercise to uncover what could be costing you thousands each year.
Take a Day Off. Make More Money.
Think you can’t afford a day off? Stepping away from your business could be exactly what it needs. Learn how time off can improve your decisions, reveal what needs fixing, and help your team step up.
The Most Important Person in Your Business Is Not You
The most important person in your business might not be you. Discover why the people quietly keeping everything running are your real competitive advantage.
Is a Business Analysis Worth It for a $1.5M Business?
Is a business analysis worth the cost for a $1.5M business? Here’s the maths on improving your profit margin, what the research says, when an analysis can pay for itself, and the situations where you should not bother.
Business Coach, Accountant or Consultant: Who Fixes What
Not sure whether your business needs a bookkeeper, accountant, business coach or consultant? Here’s what each professional actually does, what they typically cost a $1.5M business, and how to work out who you need first.
How Much Does a Business Consultant Cost in Australia?
Wondering how much a business consultant costs in Australia? Here are the real 2026 rates for hourly, monthly and project-based consulting, what drives the price difference, and what you should expect to get for your money.
Every business has a number it is not looking at
More sales do not always mean more profit. Sarah Colgate explains how understanding your profit per customer, pricing and work mix can uncover money already sitting inside your business.
What Is a Business Analysis and How Long Does It Take?
A Business Analysis is a structured review of your operations, finances, sales, marketing, and customer feedback to uncover what's driving performance and where profit is leaking. Discover what the process involves, why it typically takes two to six weeks, and how it helps businesses prioritise the changes that deliver the biggest financial impact.
When Should a Business Owner Hire Their First Operations Manager?
Knowing when to hire your first operations manager can determine whether your business scales or stalls. Learn the warning signs you've become the bottleneck, why your first operations hire may need to be a doer rather than a manager, and how the right operational support frees you to focus on strategy, growth and profitability.
How to Calculate Your Customer Lifetime Value
Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) helps you understand what a customer is truly worth to your business, not just in revenue, but in profit. Learn the formula, see a worked example, and discover why referrals and retention are the real drivers of long-term growth, especially for businesses where customers only buy once.
What Is a Healthy Net Profit Margin for a $1.5M Business?
A healthy net profit margin for most established businesses sits between 10% and 20%, but the right target depends on your industry. In this guide, Sarah Colgate explains what a good net margin looks like, using real benchmark data and practical examples for a $1.5 million business. You'll learn why revenue alone doesn't measure success, how different industries compare, and the key drivers that improve profitability. If you're busy but wondering where the money is going, understanding your net profit margin is one of the fastest ways to assess the true health of your business.
What a Veteran Broadcaster Taught Me About Owning Your Mistakes
Mistakes happen in every business. What matters is what you do next. Inspired by veteran broadcaster Virginia Trioli and lessons from running Aquaduck on the Gold Coast, this article explores why owning mistakes, apologising quickly, and fixing the process behind them builds stronger teams, happier customers, and a more resilient tourism business.
How to Run a Weekly Team Meeting That Actually Drives Results
Most weekly team meetings waste time because they lack structure, accountability and clear outcomes. Discover a proven meeting format that keeps your team aligned, improves engagement and ensures everyone leaves knowing exactly what they need to do next.
Market Competition and Demand Pressures: What Small Business Owners Need to Know in 2026
Competition is no longer background noise for SMEs - it’s a daily pressure shaping sales, pricing, and profitability. As demand becomes more cautious in 2026, small businesses must adapt by focusing on clarity, customer loyalty, value-based pricing, and operational efficiency. This guide explores how to stay resilient and profitable in a tougher, more competitive landscape.
Why Time Management is the Foundation of Every Successful Business
Time management is really self-management. Without proper systems, business owners become overwhelmed, reactive, and stuck working in the business instead of on it, leading to stress, inefficiency, and missed growth opportunities.