A Real CFO https://arealcfo.com.au/ Helping Business Owners survive and thrive in these uncertain times Thu, 23 Apr 2026 06:34:19 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://arealcfo.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/cropped-a-real-cfo-site-logo-512x512-32x32.png A Real CFO https://arealcfo.com.au/ 32 32 194901461 FY27 Business Planning: Why Smart Businesses Start Before the New Financial Year https://arealcfo.com.au/fy27-business-planning/ https://arealcfo.com.au/fy27-business-planning/#respond Thu, 23 Apr 2026 06:34:12 +0000 https://arealcfo.com.au/?p=19951 Most businesses are still focused on FY26. Learn why smart businesses are already planning FY27 & how to build a clear, numbers-backed strategy

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FY27 Business Planning: Why Smart Businesses Start Before the New Financial Year

FY27 Business Planning: Why Smart Businesses Start Before the New Financial Year

I’m already talking to clients about FY27.
Most businesses haven’t locked in FY26 yet.

It sounds early.

But it isn’t.

While most businesses are still trying to land FY26, I am already having conversations with clients about FY27.
This is where effective FY27 business planning actually starts.

Not because we like planning for the sake of it.
Because good decisions need time to work.

The gap most businesses don’t see

Right now, a lot of business owners are:

  • Trying to finish FY26 strong
  • Starting to think about FY27
  • Hoping next year looks better

But the reality is this:

The decisions that shape FY26 are already largely behind you.

Pricing changes
Hiring
New service or product lines
Positioning

These are not last-minute decisions. They are decisions made months earlier that show up in the numbers later.

Why we are already looking at FY27

Because strategy without time is just theory.

If you want FY27 to look different, you need to start now.

If you want to:

  • Lift pricing without losing clients
  • Reshape your client base
  • Improve margins
  • Build team capacity

You cannot decide that in June and expect it to show up in July.

You need:

  • Time to test
  • Time to adjust
  • Time for the numbers to catch up

That is why the conversation moves forward.

FY26 should already be clear

At this point in the year, you should know:

  • What your FY26 target is
  • Where the pressure points are

If you are still “working it out,” you are already reacting, not planning.

The shift that actually matters

This is not about planning further into the future.

It is about operating differently.

Reactive businesses:

  • Set targets late
  • Explain results after the fact

Deliberate businesses:

  • Make decisions early
  • Track the right numbers
  • Adjust before problems show up

One hopes FY27 improves things.
The other is already building it.

What you should be doing right now

Finish FY26 with intent:

  • Know your numbers
  • Understand what is working and what is not
  • Be honest about the gaps

Then start shaping FY27:

  • Set direction
  • Identify the changes required
  • Give yourself time to execute properly

The advantage doesn’t come from better goals.
It comes from starting earlier.

Planning Session: Build FY27 Before It Starts

If you want FY27 to look different, don’t wait for July.

I’m running a limited number of FY27 business planning sessions with business owners who want a clear, numbers-backed plan going into the new financial year.

In this paid working session, we will:

  • Break down your FY27 revenue target into real drivers
  • Identify where margin and cash are being lost
  • Map the key changes needed across pricing, clients, and capacity
  • Build a simple monthly structure you can actually execute

You will leave with a clear plan, not just ideas.

If you are serious about making FY27 different, message me for details and current availability.

 

email: Wayne@aRealCFO.com.au      Phone: 0412 227 052

 

Wayne Wanders is an experienced Business Advisor and Outsourced CFO who can help to scale and grow your business profitably. 

Contact Wayne on wayne@arealcfo.com.au or 0412 227 052.

Click on the below buttons to access other free Resources developed by Wayne Wanders, A Real CFO to help your business scale and grow profitably

And Wayne is always posting about new grants, funding options and other resources on LinkedIn that can help your business scale and grow profitably.  Click on the below links and connect with Wayne or follow A Real CFO on LinkedIn.

Want a confidential discussion on your business situation, help with your grant application or to learn more about my Outsourced CFO Services, simply email me at wayne@aRealCFO.com.au or call me on 0412 227 052

A Real CFO

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A Better Way to Access Grants https://arealcfo.com.au/a-better-way-to-access-grants/ https://arealcfo.com.au/a-better-way-to-access-grants/#respond Wed, 22 Apr 2026 23:12:16 +0000 https://arealcfo.com.au/?p=19944 Stop applying for grants you won’t win. Discover how to access funding by partnering with organisations that already qualify.

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A Better Way to Access Grants

The Grant You’re Chasing Might Not Be Yours

Most businesses approach grants the same way.
They look for programs they can apply for.

They search for:

  • Grants they are eligible for
  • Funding they can win

And when they don’t qualify, they stop.

That is where most opportunity gets missed.

The Better Way to Access Funding

Instead of asking:
What grants can I apply for?

Ask:
Who already receives funding that I can work with?

Because often it is your customers or potential customers, not you, who qualify.

This is the shift most businesses never make.

Where the Funding Actually Flows

There is significantly more funding flowing into the not for profit and community sector than directly into businesses.

Take two programs in NSW:

MVP Ventures Program:
• Around $3 million per year
• Centralised
• Competitive
• You apply and hope to win

ClubGRANTS program in NSW:
• Tens of millions distributed annually, often referenced around $100 million per year
• Spread across hundreds of clubs
• Funded to community organisations, not businesses

The Only Comparison That Matters

This is not about which grant is better.

It is about how you access it:

  • MVP Ventures → you apply
    • ClubGRANTS → your customer or potential customer applies

That is the shift.

What Most Businesses Miss

When your customer or potential customer is the one eligible:

  • You do not need to qualify
    • You do not need to compete directly
    • You do not need to rely on one application

You need to partner.

Where the Real Opportunity Sits

Not for profits and community organisations are very good at:

  • Understanding community needs
  • Meeting eligibility criteria

But many do not apply for funding at all.

Not because the opportunity is not there
but because they do not have confidence in delivery.

They ask themselves:

“If we get the funding, can we actually deliver what we promised?”

If the answer is unclear, they often do not proceed.

This Is Where the Strategy Changes

This is the better way to access grants.

Your role is not:

  • Filling out applications

Your role is to:

  • Shape the project
  • Bring structure to the idea
  • Define how it will be delivered
  • Stand behind execution

You are not chasing funding.
You are enabling it.

Why This Approach Works

When you bring delivery capability:

  • Applications become stronger
  • Organisations become more confident
  • Funding becomes more accessible

They are no longer applying with an idea.

They are applying with a deliverable outcome.

The Win for Everyone

When this is done properly, everyone benefits.

The community organisation wins
They secure funding they may not have pursued and deliver real impact.

The funder wins
They receive stronger applications and see better outcomes from the money distributed.

The community wins
Projects are delivered, not just approved.

Your business wins
You are not chasing grants.
You are getting paid to deliver funded outcomes.

Final Thought

The better way to access grants is not to apply for them.

It is to align yourself with organisations that already qualify and help them deliver.

Many organisations do not miss funding because they are ineligible.
They miss it because they cannot clearly show how it will get done.

If you can bring that:

You are not just supporting an application.
You are unlocking funding and positioning your business inside a system where everyone wins.

Wayne Wanders is an experienced Business Advisor and Outsourced CFO who can help to scale and grow your business profitably. 

Contact Wayne on wayne@arealcfo.com.au or 0412 227 052.

Click on the below buttons to access other free Resources developed by Wayne Wanders, A Real CFO to help your business scale and grow profitably

And Wayne is always posting about new grants, funding options and other resources on LinkedIn that can help your business scale and grow profitably.  Click on the below links and connect with Wayne or follow A Real CFO on LinkedIn.

Want a confidential discussion on your business situation, help with your grant application or to learn more about my Outsourced CFO Services, simply email me at wayne@aRealCFO.com.au or call me on 0412 227 052

A Real CFO

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Instant Asset Write-Off Ending 30 June 2026: What It Means for Your Business https://arealcfo.com.au/instant-asset-write-off-ending-30-june-2026/ https://arealcfo.com.au/instant-asset-write-off-ending-30-june-2026/#respond Thu, 16 Apr 2026 07:45:15 +0000 https://arealcfo.com.au/?p=19828 The $20,000 instant asset write-off ends 30 June 2026. Learn what changes, common mistakes, and how to plan asset purchases strategically

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Instant Asset Write-Off Ending 30 June 2026: What It Means for Your Business

Instant Asset Write-Off

The current $20,000 instant asset write-off is set to end on 30 June 2026.

If no extension is announced, it is expected to drop back to just $1,000 per asset.

That’s not a minor adjustment.
It fundamentally changes how and when businesses invest.

What the Instant Asset Write-Off Actually Allows

Under the current rules, eligible small businesses can:

  • Immediately deduct assets costing less than $20,000
  • Apply the threshold per asset, not in total
  • Claim multiple purchases
  • Access the deduction in the year the asset is installed and ready for use

That final point is critical.

It’s not about when you buy the asset.
It’s about when it is operational.

Where Businesses Get This Wrong

A common mistake is assuming that purchasing before 30 June is enough.

It isn’t.

If the asset is not installed and ready for use by 30 June 2026, the deduction may not apply under the current threshold.

This is where timing becomes more important than intention.

Why This Matters More Than Tax

The instant asset write-off is often seen as a tax benefit.

In reality, it is a cash flow timing tool.

Bringing forward a deduction means:

  • Lower taxable income now
  • Improved short-term cash flow
  • Faster recovery of investment cost

After June 2026, that same asset may need to be depreciated over several years.

Same purchase.
Very different financial impact.

What Smart Businesses Are Doing Now

The businesses getting value from this are not rushing out to spend.

They are reviewing planned investments and asking:

  • What were we already going to invest in?
  • Does bringing this forward improve our position?
  • Will this asset actually drive efficiency or growth?

This is not about buying for tax.

It is about aligning timing with strategy.

The Right Question to Ask

The wrong question is:

“What can I buy before 30 June?”

The better question is:

“What were we planning to invest in over the next 12–18 months, and does it make sense to act earlier?”

Final Thought

Decisions like this sit at the intersection of tax, cash flow, and strategy.

Handled well, they can improve your position.

Handled poorly, they simply accelerate spending without improving outcomes.

Need Help Modelling This Properly?

If you are considering bringing forward asset purchases, it is worth modelling the impact properly.

Not just the tax outcome, but the cash flow and business impact as a whole.

Wayne Wanders is an experienced Business Advisor and Outsourced CFO who can help to scale and grow your business profitably. 

Contact Wayne on wayne@arealcfo.com.au or 0412 227 052.

Click on the below buttons to access other free Resources developed by Wayne Wanders, A Real CFO to help your business scale and grow profitably

And Wayne is always posting about new grants, funding options and other resources on LinkedIn that can help your business scale and grow profitably.  Click on the below links and connect with Wayne or follow A Real CFO on LinkedIn.

Want a confidential discussion on your business situation, help with your grant application or to learn more about my Outsourced CFO Services, simply email me at wayne@aRealCFO.com.au or call me on 0412 227 052

A Real CFO

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The Growth Equation Most Businesses Ignore (Until It Hurts) https://arealcfo.com.au/the-growth-equation-most-businesses-ignore-until-it-hurts/ https://arealcfo.com.au/the-growth-equation-most-businesses-ignore-until-it-hurts/#respond Thu, 09 Apr 2026 23:02:45 +0000 https://arealcfo.com.au/?p=19802 Learn how balancing customer acquisition cost and lifetime value drives sustainable growth, & where most businesses get it wrong

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The Growth Equation Most Businesses Ignore (Until It Hurts)

The Growth Equation Most Businesses Ignore (Until It Hurts)

There’s a simple truth at the centre of every successful business:

If it costs you more to acquire a customer than the value you get from them, growth will eventually break you.

It sounds obvious.

But in practice, it’s one of the most commonly ignored principles in business.

The Illusion of Growth

Revenue going up feels like success.

More customers, more sales, more activity.

But revenue alone doesn’t tell you if your business is actually getting stronger.

Because growth without the right economics is just amplified inefficiency.

You can be busier than ever and still be heading in the wrong direction.

What It Really Costs to Win a Customer

Most businesses underestimate what they spend to acquire a customer.

They look at marketing costs and stop there.

But the real cost is broader:

  • Time spent chasing and converting leads
  • Founder involvement in sales
  • Discounts used to close deals
  • Onboarding and setup effort
  • Early-stage servicing intensity

When you add it all up, the number is often higher than expected.

And if you’re not measuring it properly, you’re making decisions without seeing the full picture.

What a Customer Is Actually Worth

On the flip side, many businesses undervalue their customers.

They focus on the first transaction.

Maybe the first year.

But real value builds over time:

  • Repeat business
  • Upsells and additional services
  • Referrals to new customers
  • Price increases as trust grows
  • Efficiency gains in servicing

The gap between what you think a customer is worth and what they actually deliver can be significant.

And that gap matters.

Where It Breaks Down

Problems don’t usually come from one bad decision.

They come from small misalignments across the business:

  • Marketing focused on volume instead of quality
  • Sales rewarded for closing, not for profitability
  • Pricing set by competitors instead of economics
  • Delivery teams absorbing inefficiencies to retain clients

Each choice makes sense in isolation.

Together, they erode margins and strain cash flow.

The Businesses That Get It Right

Sustainable growth comes from discipline.

Businesses that scale successfully keep coming back to one question:

Are we making more from a customer than it costs us to win them?

And they don’t just answer it once.

They build systems around it.

They:

  • Track acquisition costs properly
  • Understand customer lifetime value
  • Adjust pricing when needed
  • Focus on the right customers, not just more customers
  • Make decisions based on data, not assumptions

Most importantly, they act on what they find.

Why This Matters More Than Ever

In tighter economic conditions, this equation becomes critical.

Margins get squeezed.

Costs rise.

Customers become more selective.

If your acquisition cost is too high, or your customer value too low, the cracks show quickly.

The Bottom Line

Growth isn’t just about getting more customers.

It’s about getting the right customers, at the right cost, with the right value over time.

Get that balance right, and growth becomes sustainable.

Get it wrong, and growth becomes expensive.

If you’re not completely clear on your numbers, this is where to start.

Ask yourself:

  • Do I know my true cost to acquire a customer?
  • Do I understand the full value that customer delivers over time?
  • Are we growing profitably, or just getting busier?

If the answers aren’t clear, it’s worth fixing.

Because this isn’t just a finance metric.

It’s the foundation of whether your business scales, or stalls.

If you want help breaking down your acquisition costs and customer value, reach out. A short conversation can often uncover where the real opportunity (or risk) sits.

Wayne Wanders is an experienced Business Advisor and Outsourced CFO who can help to scale and grow your business profitably. 

Contact Wayne on wayne@arealcfo.com.au or 0412 227 052.

Click on the below buttons to access other free Resources developed by Wayne Wanders, A Real CFO to help your business scale and grow profitably

And Wayne is always posting about new grants, funding options and other resources on LinkedIn that can help your business scale and grow profitably.  Click on the below links and connect with Wayne or follow A Real CFO on LinkedIn.

Want a confidential discussion on your business situation, help with your grant application or to learn more about my Outsourced CFO Services, simply email me at wayne@aRealCFO.com.au or call me on 0412 227 052

A Real CFO

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No One Else Is Thinking About Your Business Like You Are https://arealcfo.com.au/no-one-else-is-thinking-about-your-business-like-you-are/ https://arealcfo.com.au/no-one-else-is-thinking-about-your-business-like-you-are/#respond Thu, 09 Apr 2026 22:40:28 +0000 https://arealcfo.com.au/?p=19795 No one else gets up in the morning dedicated to your business’s financial future. You need to be that person

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No One Else Is Thinking About Your Business Like You Are

No One Else Is Thinking About Your Business Like You Are

“No one else gets up in the morning dedicated to your business’s financial future. You need to be that person.”

I saw this play out in real time.

A business owner had built a strong flagship location.

It worked.
Good revenue.
Healthy margins.
Cash flow under control.

They knew the numbers because they were in it every day. Watching. Questioning. Adjusting.

So when the opportunity came up to acquire two similar businesses in different locations, it made sense.

Same model. Same industry. Proven playbook.

They bought both.

And on day one, nothing looked wrong.

The reports came in.
Revenue was there.
Operations were running.

But their attention stayed anchored to the original site.

That’s where they still spent most of their time.
That’s where decisions were made quickly.
That’s where the numbers were reviewed properly.

The two new locations?

They were left to run.

Not ignored. Just… not owned.

Each week, the numbers would come through.

They’d get glanced at. Maybe a quick check.

But no deep dive.
No pressure on performance.
No consistent questioning of what was actually happening underneath.

And because nothing looked urgent, nothing felt urgent.

That’s how it starts.

Costs moved a little.
Margins tightened slightly.
Revenue softened in ways that were easy to explain away.

Individually, none of it justified attention.

So attention stayed where it always had been, the original business.

Months passed.

The gap widened.

The flagship kept performing because it had someone waking up every day thinking about its financial future.

The other two didn’t.

By the time the owner properly re-engaged, the shift was obvious.

The numbers weren’t just off.
The value had eroded.

What they had purchased, the profitability, the strength, the upside, had largely disappeared.

Not because the businesses couldn’t work.

But because no one was showing up to make sure they did.

That’s the part most people miss.

There was a bookkeeper.
There were reports.
There was external support.

But no one was waking up in the morning thinking:

Are these businesses financially doing what they should be doing?

Except the one person who could have.

And they were focused somewhere else.

You can outsource the work.
You can outsource the reporting.
You can even outsource advice.

But you cannot outsource that moment, the daily ownership of where the business is heading financially.

Because the business that gets attention improves.

The one that doesn’t… drifts.

And drift is expensive.

“No one else gets up in the morning dedicated to your business’s financial future.”

In this case, that was all it took.

Wayne Wanders is an experienced Business Advisor and Outsourced CFO who can help to scale and grow your business profitably. 

Contact Wayne on wayne@arealcfo.com.au or 0412 227 052.

Click on the below buttons to access other free Resources developed by Wayne Wanders, A Real CFO to help your business scale and grow profitably

And Wayne is always posting about new grants, funding options and other resources on LinkedIn that can help your business scale and grow profitably.  Click on the below links and connect with Wayne or follow A Real CFO on LinkedIn.

Want a confidential discussion on your business situation, help with your grant application or to learn more about my Outsourced CFO Services, simply email me at wayne@aRealCFO.com.au or call me on 0412 227 052

A Real CFO

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Outsourced CFO: Turning Numbers Into Decisions https://arealcfo.com.au/outsourced-cfo-turning-numbers-into-decisions/ https://arealcfo.com.au/outsourced-cfo-turning-numbers-into-decisions/#respond Thu, 09 Apr 2026 08:09:16 +0000 https://arealcfo.com.au/?p=19785 An outsourced CFO turns financial data into clear, actionable insights so founders can make faster, better decisions and grow with confidence.

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Outsourced CFO: Turning Numbers Into Decisions

Outsourced CFO: Turning Numbers Into Decisions

My CFO superpower is simple: translation.

I can build the models.
I can produce the reports.

But that’s not where the real value sits.

It’s making finance make sense.

Most founders aren’t short on numbers.
They’re short on clarity.

That’s where an outsourced CFO comes in.

Not to add more reports, but to turn financial data into something clear, usable, and actionable.

Because when the numbers are understood:

  • decisions happen faster
  • teams stay aligned
  • businesses move with confidence

A good CFO reports the numbers.
An outsourced CFO makes sure you know what to do with them.

That’s my superpower.
Turning dollars into sense.

Wayne Wanders is an experienced Business Advisor and Outsourced CFO who can help to scale and grow your business profitably. 

Contact Wayne on wayne@arealcfo.com.au or 0412 227 052.

Click on the below buttons to access other free Resources developed by Wayne Wanders, A Real CFO to help your business scale and grow profitably

And Wayne is always posting about new grants, funding options and other resources on LinkedIn that can help your business scale and grow profitably.  Click on the below links and connect with Wayne or follow A Real CFO on LinkedIn.

Want a confidential discussion on your business situation, help with your grant application or to learn more about my Outsourced CFO Services, simply email me at wayne@aRealCFO.com.au or call me on 0412 227 052

A Real CFO

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Don’t Miss the Deadline: R&DTI Applications Close 30 April 2026 https://arealcfo.com.au/dont-miss-the-deadline-rdti-applications-close-30-april-2026/ https://arealcfo.com.au/dont-miss-the-deadline-rdti-applications-close-30-april-2026/#respond Wed, 08 Apr 2026 23:13:26 +0000 https://arealcfo.com.au/?p=19776 R&DTI deadline reminder: Businesses must register 24–25 R&D activities with AusIndustry before 30 April 2026 or risk missing out

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Don’t Miss the Deadline: R&DTI Applications Close 30 April 2026

RDTI 2026 Deadline

If your business has been investing in innovation, building new products, or solving technical challenges, this is your reminder.

The deadline to register for the Research and Development Tax Incentive (R&DTI) for the 2024–2025 financial year is fast approaching.

You must lodge your application with AusIndustry before 30 April 2026.

Miss that, and you miss access to one of the most valuable funding mechanisms available to Australian businesses.

What is the R&DTI?

The Research and Development Tax Incentive is a government program designed to encourage companies to invest in innovation.

It provides a tax offset for eligible R&D activities, helping to reduce the cost of experimentation, product development, and technical problem-solving.

For many businesses, it’s not just a rebate.  It’s a way to reinvest back into growth.

The Deadline That Catches People Out

Before you can claim for the R&DTI through your tax return, you must first register your R&D activities with AusIndustry.

And that registration must be completed within 10 months of the end of the financial year.

For the 2024–2025 year, that means:

👉 Final deadline: 30 April 2026

There are very limited circumstances where extensions are granted. Most businesses that miss the deadline simply miss out.

Are You Eligible?

You don’t need to be running a lab or wearing a white coat to qualify.

Many eligible activities look like:

  • Developing new software or platforms
  • Building or testing prototypes
  • Experimenting to solve technical uncertainty
  • Improving existing products in a non-obvious way

If your team is trying to answer questions where the outcome isn’t known in advance, you may be doing eligible R&D.

Why This Matters

One of the biggest mistakes businesses make is assuming R&D is about what they built.

In reality, eligibility is about how decisions were made under uncertainty.

It’s not about perfection.
It’s about experimentation, iteration, and evidence.

And importantly, it’s not something you want to try and reconstruct months after the fact.

What You Should Do Now

If you think you may be eligible:

  • Review what your team worked on during FY2025
  • Identify where technical uncertainty existed
  • Gather documentation while it’s still fresh
  • Start the registration process with AusIndustry

Even if you’re unsure, it’s worth getting clarity now rather than leaving it too late.

Want to learn more about the R&DTI, click here.

Final Thought

Too many businesses don’t miss out on the R&DTI because they weren’t eligible.

They miss out because they didn’t act in time.

30 April 2026 is a hard deadline.

If R&D has been part of your business over the 2024-2025 year, now is the time to decide whether you’re going to capture the benefit, or leave it on the table.

Wayne Wanders is an experienced Business Advisor and Outsourced CFO who can help to scale and grow your business profitably. 

Contact Wayne on wayne@arealcfo.com.au or 0412 227 052.

Click on the below buttons to access other free Resources developed by Wayne Wanders, A Real CFO to help your business scale and grow profitably

And Wayne is always posting about new grants, funding options and other resources on LinkedIn that can help your business scale and grow profitably.  Click on the below links and connect with Wayne or follow A Real CFO on LinkedIn.

Want a confidential discussion on your business situation, help with your grant application or to learn more about my Outsourced CFO Services, simply email me at wayne@aRealCFO.com.au or call me on 0412 227 052

A Real CFO

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RBA Card Fee Changes Explained: Why Lower Merchant Fees Could Hurt Your Margins https://arealcfo.com.au/rba-card-fee-changes-2026-merchant-fees-australia/ https://arealcfo.com.au/rba-card-fee-changes-2026-merchant-fees-australia/#respond Mon, 06 Apr 2026 22:19:38 +0000 https://arealcfo.com.au/?p=19763 The RBA is cutting card fees and banning surcharges from October 2026. Here’s what it means for your merchant fees, pricing, and margins.

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RBA Card Fee Changes Explained: Why Lower Merchant Fees Could Hurt Your Margins

RBA Card Fee Changes Explained: Why Lower Merchant Fees Could Hurt Your Margins

The Reserve Bank of Australia is cutting interchange fees and banning surcharges, but the real impact on business margins is often misunderstood.

The End of “Pass-Through” Card Fees

For years, many Australian businesses have treated card fees as a pass-through cost.

Customer pays by card → fee gets added → business stays whole.
Simple.

But recent changes from the Reserve Bank of Australia are about to fundamentally reset that model.

From 1 October 2026, two things happen at once:

  • Interchange fees are cut significantly, with the interchange component dropping from around 0.8% → 0.3%
  • Card surcharges are banned

This changes how many businesses manage pricing, margins, and profitability.

What Are Merchant Fees in Australia?

Breaking Down the Typical 1.8% Merchant Fee

Let’s start with the headline number most businesses recognise:

“I pay about 1.8% in merchant or card fees in Australia.”

That 1.8% isn’t one fee, it’s a bundle:

  • ~0.8% interchange fees (set within the payments system)
  • ~1.0% made up of card network fees (e.g. Visa, Mastercard) and your provider’s margin

How the RBA Interchange Fee Changes Impact Your Costs

In simple terms, your total cost does fall.

Using the example above:
1.8% → ~1.3% (if interchange savings are fully passed through)

So yes, your costs reduce by around 0.5%.

But that’s only half the story.

The Hidden Impact of the Credit Card Surcharge Ban

Why Lower Fees Don’t Always Mean Higher Profit

If you were already absorbing merchant fees:
👉 Good outcome, your costs fall and your margin improves.

But if you were passing on credit card surcharges:

  • 👉 Your costs drop 0.5%
  • 👉 Your revenue drops 1.8%

That’s a net negative impact on margin.

Example: How the Surcharge Ban Affects a $100 Sale

Old vs New Payment Economics

Let’s say you sell something for $100.

Old world (with surcharge):

  • Customer pays: $101.80
  • You receive: $100

New world (no surcharge):

You now have two choices.

Option 1: Absorb the cost

  • Customer pays: $100
  • You receive: ~$98.60–$98.80

Option 2: Adjust pricing

  • Customer pays: ~$101–$102
  • You maintain your margin

How to Reduce Merchant Fees in Australia

If you’re currently passing on merchant fees, you need to act, not drift.

1. Review Your Payment Provider

Many businesses haven’t focused on their merchant rate because:

“It was always passed on anyway.”

That mindset no longer works.

2. Reduce Your Underlying Payment Costs

Start with:

  • Least-cost routing (debit over credit)
  • Lower-cost providers
  • Alternative payment methods like PayID and Osko

3. Rethink Your Pricing Strategy

You have two options:

  • Do nothing → your margins fall
  • Adjust pricing → recover some or all of the cost

But make it a conscious decision.

What Businesses Should Do Before October 2026

  • Review your merchant fee structure
  • Understand your payment mix (debit vs credit)
  • Model the impact on margins
  • Decide how you will adjust pricing

The Bottom Line on RBA Card Fee Changes

Yes, merchant fees in Australia are coming down.

But the bigger shift is this:

You’re losing the ability to pass them on.

What was once a neutral cost is now a direct margin decision.

Ignore it, and you will feel it.
Manage it, and you can come out ahead.

Next Steps

If you want to review your current merchant costs, speak to a provider like Shabaas Pay (full disclosure: a business I work with).

If you want help working through what this means for your pricing and margins, feel free to reach out.

Wayne Wanders is an experienced Business Advisor and Outsourced CFO who can help to scale and grow your business profitably. 

Contact Wayne on wayne@arealcfo.com.au or 0412 227 052.

Click on the below buttons to access other free Resources developed by Wayne Wanders, A Real CFO to help your business scale and grow profitably

And Wayne is always posting about new grants, funding options and other resources on LinkedIn that can help your business scale and grow profitably.  Click on the below links and connect with Wayne or follow A Real CFO on LinkedIn.

Want a confidential discussion on your business situation, help with your grant application or to learn more about my Outsourced CFO Services, simply email me at wayne@aRealCFO.com.au or call me on 0412 227 052

A Real CFO

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How a Cash Flow Forecast saved this CEO https://arealcfo.com.au/how-a-cash-flow-forecast-saved-this-ceo/ https://arealcfo.com.au/how-a-cash-flow-forecast-saved-this-ceo/#respond Sun, 05 Apr 2026 06:23:33 +0000 https://arealcfo.com.au/?p=19672 How a Cash Flow Forecast saved this CEO. Allowed them to anticipate risk, manage timing & raise capital before hitting a critical cash buffer

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How a Cash Flow Forecast saved this CEO

How a Cash Flow Forecast saved this CEO

A chairman brought me into a business for one reason:

The CEO knew the product inside out…
But had very little cash flow management experience.

So we built a simple cloud-based cash flow forecast the whole leadership team could see and use.

And everything changed.

Now:
💰 He knew exactly when he could pay people
⚠️ He knew when pressure was coming
⏱️ He knew when to move early instead of react late

🔍 It even picked up when the bookkeeper hadn’t billed some clients

No guesswork. No surprises.

He ran the business off the model.

Even more importantly, it changed how they made decisions.

When their cash buffer approached ~$200k:
🚀 They didn’t wait
💡 They raised capital early

When projections showed it happening again:
📊 They were already preparing the next raise

That was the difference.

Cash flow forecasting wasn’t about the numbers.
It was about timing decisions before they became problems.

Most businesses didn’t fail because they ran out of cash.

They failed because they saw it too late.

If you don’t have this level of visibility, you’re guessing.

If you want help building a model like this → reach out.

Wayne Wanders is an experienced Business Advisor and Outsourced CFO who can help to scale and grow your business profitably. 

Contact Wayne on wayne@arealcfo.com.au or 0412 227 052.

Click on the below buttons to access other free Resources developed by Wayne Wanders, A Real CFO to help your business scale and grow profitably

And Wayne is always posting about new grants, funding options and other resources on LinkedIn that can help your business scale and grow profitably.  Click on the below links and connect with Wayne or follow A Real CFO on LinkedIn.

Want a confidential discussion on your business situation, help with your grant application or to learn more about my Outsourced CFO Services, simply email me at wayne@aRealCFO.com.au or call me on 0412 227 052

A Real CFO

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Can You Afford to Hire an Employee Without Hurting Cash Flow? https://arealcfo.com.au/can-you-afford-to-hire-an-employee-without-hurting-cash-flow/ https://arealcfo.com.au/can-you-afford-to-hire-an-employee-without-hurting-cash-flow/#respond Wed, 01 Apr 2026 14:05:08 +0000 https://arealcfo.com.au/?p=19680 Can you afford to hire an employee? Understand the cash flow impact, real costs, and when a new hire will actually pay for itself

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Can You Afford to Hire an Employee Without Hurting Cash Flow?

Can You Afford to Hire an Employee Without Hurting Cash Flow?

Most hiring decisions don’t fail because the role was wrong.

They fail because the timing and expectations were wrong.

On paper, it often looks fine.
Revenue is growing. The team is stretched. There is enough cash in the bank.

So, the hire feels justified.

But two questions matter more than anything.

📍 Can your business actually afford to hire this employee from a cash flow perspective
📍 What does success look like for this hire

What Does It Really Cost to Hire an Employee?

It is never just salary.

A $100k employee is usually closer to $120k to $140k once you include superannuation, payroll tax, tools, systems, and the reality that productivity is lower in the early months.

Most of that cost hits before you see the return.

This is where many hiring decisions create pressure on cash flow.

Define What Success Looks Like Before You Hire

Before hiring a new employee, you need to define what success actually looks like.

Not “help the team” or “support growth”.

Clear outcomes.

📍 What is this person responsible for
📍 What do they need to deliver
📍 When should you start seeing results

That might mean generating a defined amount of revenue within six months, freeing up time to focus on sales, or removing a bottleneck that is slowing the business down.

If you cannot define success clearly, you cannot measure whether the hire is working.

When Will the New Employee Pay for Themselves?

This is the question most businesses skip.

You need to understand how long it will take for the hire to generate or support cash coming into the business.

In many cases, the timeline looks like this.

📍 Hire starts today
📍 Productive in 2 months
📍 Work invoiced in month 3
📍 Cash lands in month 4 or 5

That creates a gap of several months where the business is funding the cost before seeing any return.

This is where cash flow pressure builds.

How Hiring Impacts Your Cash Flow

Hiring a new employee affects cash flow immediately.

Costs increase from day one, while revenue or efficiency gains take time.

Before making a decision, you need to map your expected cash flow over the next 90 to 180 days.

Look at what cash is currently available, what payments are already committed, and when income is realistically expected to come in.

Then add the impact of the new hire.

If cash becomes tight at any point, not just overall, the business is exposed.

Because most businesses do not fail due to lack of profit.

They fail because they run out of cash at a specific point in time.

Final Thought

Hiring an employee is not just a growth decision.

It is a cash flow decision.

If your business can support the timing gap and you are clear on what success looks like, hiring can accelerate growth.

If not, it can create pressure very quickly.

If you are thinking about hiring and are unsure how it will impact your cash flow, this is usually where we start with clients, mapping the numbers and defining what success needs to look like before the decision is made.

Wayne Wanders is an experienced Business Advisor and Outsourced CFO who can help to scale and grow your business profitably. 

Contact Wayne on wayne@arealcfo.com.au or 0412 227 052.

Click on the below buttons to access other free Resources developed by Wayne Wanders, A Real CFO to help your business scale and grow profitably

And Wayne is always posting about new grants, funding options and other resources on LinkedIn that can help your business scale and grow profitably.  Click on the below links and connect with Wayne or follow A Real CFO on LinkedIn.

Want a confidential discussion on your business situation, help with your grant application or to learn more about my Outsourced CFO Services, simply email me at wayne@aRealCFO.com.au or call me on 0412 227 052

A Real CFO

The post Can You Afford to Hire an Employee Without Hurting Cash Flow? appeared first on A Real CFO.

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