Advice for running operations abroad in Australia

There are many great reasons for doing business in Australia, with one of the chief being that this large and wealthy nation shares several similarities with our own – despite being over 9000 miles away.

Not only do we share a common language, the attitudes, lifestyles and business styles are pretty much identical to the ones we have in the UK. That being said, there are still a number of aspects you need to consider to make sure your Australian business ventures are a success.

Here is a selection:

The Demographic is Right

Firstly, you need to remember that Australia is a huge country, but overall it is quite sparsely populated. There are higher concentrations of people in the coastal areas to the west where many major cities are found, each being home to different demographics. The simple thing to do here is research these first and find somewhere which has a need for your product or your service offering.

Your Imports/Exports are Appropriate

Whether you’re looking to send parcels to Australia or you need a supply chain in place for your Australia-based business, there are strict rules and regulations you need to follow in relation to imports and exports.

On the whole, the shipping laws are the same as sending or receiving goods from non-EU nations, however Australia does other specific laws to which your goods must adhere.

You Consider the Time Difference

If you plan on having your main base of operations in the UK and your subsidiary ones in Australia, then you have the time difference to contend with. The continent covers three time zones so can be between 7 and 11 hours ahead, which can make doing live business problematic.

You either need to hire people you can trust to run your business for you, or set up reminders or have processes in place to make sure your overseas deadlines are met. After all, it can be a 24hr journey to get to parts of Australia, so handling immediate issues in person isn’t always viable.

You Consider the Exchange Rates

Lastly, the finance markets are an ever-changing scenario and the Australian dollar is no exception. A sudden rise or fall can impact on your business significantly, so make sure your finance team are on top of the situation at all times.

While these problems can vary in severity depending on your niche or sector, the smart move is just to be as prepared as possible to make sure you put your company in good stead to begin working in Australia without any issues.