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Behind every successful business lies a balance between strong strategy and stronger people. In today’s environment of constant change – economic shifts, evolving technology, and tightening labour markets – SME leaders are being asked to do more than manage numbers. They’re being asked to lead with clarity, empathy, and long‑term vision.
At Attune Advisory, we see it every day: businesses that prioritise their people and plan for leadership continuity perform better, recover faster, and sustain growth longer. Here’s how leadership wellbeing, succession planning, and communication combine to build business resilience.
It’s easy for business owners and directors to put their own wellbeing last. But when decision‑makers run on empty, clarity and confidence suffer. Leadership fatigue can lead to reactionary decisions, stalled strategy, or culture decline.
The most effective leaders schedule downtime, delegate effectively, and maintain open dialogue with their advisors. Protecting your mental bandwidth isn’t indulgent, it’s essential for good governance.
Even simple actions, such as setting realistic work hours, creating boundaries, or leaning on trusted advisors, help leaders make decisions from a place of composure rather than crisis.
Teams follow purpose, not instructions. Effective leadership means consistently communicating the ‘why’ behind business goals. When employees understand how their work connects to broader objectives, engagement and accountability increase.
During periods of change, transparent communication is your greatest stabiliser. Whether you’re restructuring, introducing new systems, or preparing for a leadership transition, regular updates create trust and reduce uncertainty.
Succession planning isn’t just for large corporations, it’s vital for every SME. Unexpected leadership changes, health events, or ownership transitions can disrupt operations overnight if there’s no clear plan. A proactive succession strategy ensures continuity and protects both business value and team stability.
Start by identifying potential successors within your business and investing in their development. Document key processes, responsibilities, and decision frameworks. Work with advisors to model the financial and legal implications of ownership transitions early, not when urgency forces your hand.
No leader succeeds in isolation. Surrounding yourself with advisors who challenge your thinking and provide perspective helps maintain objectivity. Advisory relationships work best when they’re ongoing, not just when issues arise.
Advisors can come in many shapes and forms with many skillsets, and you decide the kind of advisors will best serve you. From management advisory through to tax advisory, this kind of input can help you see around corners: identifying risks, aligning financial goals with strategy, and ensuring governance keeps pace with growth.
The most resilient businesses decentralise knowledge and responsibility. When decisions and insights sit with one person, continuity is fragile. By empowering teams to think critically and own outcomes, you reduce dependence on any single leader.
Encouraging staff to understand financial metrics, participate in goal‑setting, and contribute to process improvements strengthens both capability and confidence across the organisation.
True leadership is about creating the space for others to thrive, not just driving performance. By taking care of your wellbeing, building advisory partnerships, and preparing for the future, you create a business that endures beyond any one person.
For practical support with succession planning or leadership advisory, connect with the Attune Advisory team. We can even help you look beyond our own walls with a network of professionals you can trust to keep your business moving ahead. Give the team a call on 1300 866 113 or send us an email to start the conversation, you’ll be glad you did.
As 2025 draws to a close, small and medium‑sized businesses across Australia are preparing for a busy final quarter. Between managing pre‑holiday payroll, reconciling accounts, and staying on top of ATO obligations, this is the time when good systems truly pay off. But for many SMEs, compliance and cash flow pressures hit hardest when the year winds down.
Now is the ideal moment to get ahead of tax and cash flow management before the new year rush. A few proactive steps can help prevent cash shortfalls, late lodgements, and compliance headaches, and position your business for a smoother start to 2026 – here’s a brief overview to help out:
The December quarter is notorious for overlapping deadlines and public holidays. BAS statements, PAYG withholding, and superannuation contributions all fall due when many businesses are winding down. Submitting early can help you avoid penalties and maintain healthy relationships with the ATO.
If you use cloud‑based accounting software, set automated reminders for each lodgement date. Alternatively, work with your accountant or bookkeeper to pre‑schedule submissions so you’re not caught out during the summer slowdown.
Holiday closures and delayed client payments can quickly disrupt your cash flow. Run a forward forecast now, factoring in reduced trading days, payroll costs, and any additional seasonal expenses. The aim is to identify potential gaps early, before they affect your ability to meet obligations or seize new opportunities in January.
For SMEs with fluctuating revenue, short‑term financing or revised payment terms may be worth exploring. The key is to plan, not panic – understanding your position gives you options.
With new asset write‑off thresholds and evolving ATO rules, reviewing your tax position before year‑end can unlock savings. Work with your advisor to identify deductible expenses and evaluate whether deferring or bringing forward costs makes sense. This is particularly relevant if your income or profit margins vary significantly across quarters.
Keep an eye on upcoming federal budget updates or temporary measures that may affect SME tax incentives, depreciation, or credits.
Accurate record‑keeping remains the backbone of compliance. Beyond tax purposes, it improves your ability to claim legitimate deductions, defend against audits, and access financing. If your filing or digital record systems haven’t been reviewed recently, now is the time.
Consider digitising physical records, consolidating receipts, and implementing approval workflows to reduce risk and save time at lodgement. This also makes collaboration with your accountant or advisor seamless.
The ATO regularly updates its small business guidance, from eInvoicing requirements to superannuation guarantee rates. Staying informed ensures you avoid penalties and can adapt processes early. Subscribe to updates or lean on your advisor for quick interpretations of new policies.
For example, current discussions around Division 296 super changes and digital reporting standards may influence compliance in 2026 and beyond. Awareness today means smoother transitions later.
Waiting until June to seek advice is like checking your compass after you’re already lost. Engaging your accountant or Virtual CFO early allows for proactive rather than reactive decision‑making. Together, you can develop tax‑efficient strategies, model cash‑flow scenarios, and prepare for a changing economic landscape.
Financial readiness isn’t just about meeting ATO deadlines, it’s about giving your business the stability to grow. By tightening compliance processes, forecasting ahead, and partnering with a trusted advisor, you can end the year confident and prepared for the opportunities 2026 will bring.
Attune Advisory supports Australian SMEs with proactive tax planning, cash‑flow strategy, and compliance management. If you’d like to strengthen your financial position before year‑end, our team is here to help – call 1300 866 113 or send us an email to get in touch!
In today’s fast-changing business environment, setting and forgetting your financial goals is no longer enough. Shifts in the economy, industry conditions, or even within your own business can quickly make old targets irrelevant. Reviewing and resetting your goals regularly ensures you remain competitive, financially resilient, and focused on the future.
It’s important to note as you read what’s ahead, that the team at Attune Advisory are well equipped to help guide you through strategies to help you through setting and resetting your goals. Not only that, we’ll help with the numbers that make your goals a reality. So, let’s dive in…
The first step is to evaluate your current financial position. This includes reviewing your key performance indicators (KPIs), budgets, and forecasts. Ask yourself: are the targets you set six or twelve months ago still realistic? Have market conditions, client demand, or internal changes reshaped your priorities? By taking an honest look at where you stand, you can make more informed decisions about what needs to shift.
Once you understand your current position, the next step is to forecast how changes may affect your financials. Consider how new costs, opportunities, or risks will influence your cash flow, profit and loss, and balance sheet. These forecasts provide the foundation for updated goals.
Ambition is important, but flexibility matters just as much. Many business owners underestimate how long it will take to reach a target. Building in realistic timeframes helps ensure goals are both challenging and achievable.
Financial goals shouldn’t be set in isolation. Involving your leadership team, advisors and external experts (like your Attune Advisory team) creates a stronger process. A collaborative approach brings diverse perspectives and builds accountability. When your people understand and contribute to the targets, they’re more invested in achieving them.
The beauty of having an external team on board, brings that external lense – highlighting risks or opportunities you may not see from inside the business.
Resetting goals isn’t a once-a-year exercise. Regular reviews – quarterly or even monthly – help you stay responsive. This way, if conditions change, you’re ready to adapt rather than react. By treating goal-setting as a dynamic process, your business is better equipped to manage challenges and seize opportunities as they arise.
Regularly reviewing and resetting your financial goals is one of the smartest steps you can take to keep your business moving forward. By assessing your current position, forecasting realistically, and collaborating with your team and advisors, you’ll create goals that reflect today’s realities while preparing you for tomorrow.
Ready to reset your financial goals and build a tailored strategy to achieve them? Give the team at Attune Advisory a call on 1300 866 113 or send us an email today.
For years, Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) reporting was seen as something only large corporations worried about. But the landscape is changing. Increasingly, small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) are finding that ESG principles matter, and not just for compliance, but also for winning business, attracting talent, and building long-term resilience.
If you’re a business owner wondering whether ESG applies to you, the answer is increasingly “yes.” Here’s what it means in practice and how you can take small, intentional steps to get ahead.
ESG refers to how businesses measure and manage their impact across three key areas:
• Environmental – energy efficiency, waste management, supply chain sustainability, and your overall carbon footprint.
• Social – workplace culture, diversity and inclusion, employee wellbeing, and community engagement.
• Governance – transparency, ethical decision-making, risk management, and compliance with regulations.
For SMEs, ESG matters because clients, employees, and investors increasingly expect businesses of all sizes to show responsible practices. Even if you’re not legally required to produce formal ESG reports, demonstrating alignment with these principles can set you apart in a competitive market.
You don’t need a dedicated ESG department to make progress. Here are small but effective actions to consider:
• Start with Measurement: Track simple metrics: your energy use, recycling efforts, or employee turnover. These create a baseline you can improve on.
• Formalise Policies: Draft clear policies on workplace behaviour, diversity, and governance. Even short, practical documents show intent and can be shared with clients.
• Engage Your Team: Ask staff for input on social and environmental initiatives. Ideas like community volunteering, reducing office waste, or flexible working practices can make a big difference.
• Report Simply: You don’t need a glossy ESG report. A straightforward section in your annual report or website update can show stakeholders what you’re doing and why.
Navigating ESG can feel overwhelming, especially if you’re already managing growth, cash flow, and compliance. At Attune Advisory, we support SMEs with practical, scalable strategies that integrate ESG into broader business planning.
• Through our Business Advisory services, we help align ESG goals with financial and operational strategies.
• With Virtual CFO support, we provide reporting frameworks and governance oversight without the cost of a full-time executive.
• For day-to-day efficiency, our Business Process Outsourcing can free up your team to focus on value-driven initiatives.
Our approach is grounded in practicality, ensuring ESG supports your business goals, rather than becoming an extra layer of red tape.
Final Word
ESG isn’t just for the ASX-listed giants anymore. For SMEs, it’s fast becoming a marker of trust, professionalism, and future-readiness. By taking small, deliberate steps now, you can strengthen client relationships, attract better talent, and build a more resilient business for the long term.
Want to explore how ESG fits into your strategy? Give the Attune Advisory team a call on 1300 866 113 or send us an email – we’ll help you take the first step with confidence.
