Business.sa.gov.au

You may be thinking about starting or acquiring a business. There are several ways to start a business, and each has benefits and challenges.

You can choose from several ways to own your business; creating your own business from an idea, choosing to buy an existing business or franchise, becoming a contractor or starting a cooperative.

Remember, the type of business that’s best for you will be guided by your interests and passions, skills and experiences, financial situation, goals, and timing.

Each business option has its own benefits and challenges and the below information will help with what you need to do so you can start operating your business.

Resources and downloads

Business licences

Creating a business

Creating your business from scratch can be exciting and rewarding, but it can also be incredibly challenging.

Buying a business

Buying an existing business? You may find many advantages – being already established, it will have existing customers and suppliers.

Buying a franchise

If you buy a franchise, you operate a business under the trading name of another business’s established brand and sell its products or services for a specified period.

Becoming a contractor

As an independent contractor you are self-employed and provide services to clients by “contracting” or “sub-contracting”.

Cooperatives

Joining or starting a cooperative? You become part of a voluntary trading organisation owned and managed by its members for a common benefit.

Ways to start

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