Startup Sherpa

Most new businesses
don't make it to year three.
We're here to make sure yours does.

Startup Sherpa combines expert accounting, real-time bookkeeping, and monthly business coaching — so you have the structure, the numbers, and the knowledge to build a business that lasts.

Our goal for every client — your first $1,000,000 in annual revenue.

Take the quiz — find out where you are View our packages

Takes 3 minutes · No obligation · Helps us help you

The reality of starting a business

Over 400,000 Australians will start a business this year.¹

20%

fail in their very first year of operation

60%

are gone before the end of year three

50%

of those who fail were actually profitable when they closed

The idea wasn't the problem. The market wasn't the problem.
Three gaps kill more businesses than anything else.

The structure gap

Being set up correctly from day one so the tax system works for you, not against you. The wrong structure costs you in tax, exposes your personal assets, and limits how the business can grow. Most people don't discover the mistake until they're already paying for it.

The knowledge gap

Understanding your numbers well enough to make good decisions before it's too late. Cash flow, margins, breakeven — these aren't just accounting terms. They're the signals that tell you whether your business is actually working. Most owners find out too late that their gut feel was wrong.

The skills gap

Moving from technician to business owner. Knowing your trade doesn't prepare you for managing cash flow, leading people, or scaling a business. This is what Michael Gerber called the

What is the E-Myth?

The E-Myth — short for the Entrepreneurial Myth — is the idea that most people who start businesses aren't entrepreneurs. They're technicians who are great at their craft — a plumber, a chef, a designer — who decided to start a business doing what they do best. The problem is that being great at the technical work and being great at running a business are two completely different skills. Most end up working in their business rather than on it — trapped in the day-to-day, unable to scale or step back. It's why so many skilled people build businesses that can't survive without them.

— and it kills more businesses than any bad idea ever has.

Startup Sherpa was built to close all three — at the same time.

¹ Australian Bureau of Statistics, Counts of Australian Businesses, August 2024 — 436,018 business entries recorded in the 2023–24 financial year. Business failure rate sourced from Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman research and ABS survival rate data: 60% of businesses fail within three years of starting.

What we do

Here's how we help

Whether you're starting from scratch, buying an existing business, or already trading and ready to get serious — we have a clear way to help you at every stage.

Get your structure right from day one

The decisions you make at the start have long-term tax and legal consequences. We advise on the right structure for your situation — sole trader, company, or trust — and handle the setup from end to end. ABN, TFN, GST, PAYG, and business name. Done properly, from the beginning.

One-off service

Buy a business or franchise with confidence

Already looking at an existing business or franchise? Before you sign anything, you need to know what you're really buying. We provide strategic advice and financial due diligence so you can negotiate with confidence, avoid the traps, and make a decision based on facts — not hope.

Accounting and bookkeeping that keeps you in control

From day one compliance through to full CFO-level support, our packages are built around where your business is right now — and where it's heading. We handle the books, the BAS, the tax, and the reporting so your numbers are always current, always accurate, and always telling you something useful.

Monthly live coaching — included in every package

Every Startup Sherpa client gets access to our monthly live coaching webinars. Real topics, real questions, real answers — delivered by someone who has started five businesses, sold two of them, and helped hundreds of founders do the same. This is the coaching that bridges the gap between what you're great at and what running a business actually demands.

Not sure where you fit?

Take the quiz — find out in 3 minutes → Get business structure advice →

The five paths to business ownership

Most people think "starting a business" is one thing. It isn't.

There are five distinct paths into business ownership. Some require very little capital. Others require significant investment. Some you can start this weekend. Others take years to build.

Understanding which path suits your capital, your skills, and your confidence is one of the most important decisions you'll make — and most people never think about it.

These five paths are progressive — but you don't have to start at Path 1. If you have the capital and the skills, you can enter at Path 3 or 4 today. If you're starting with limited funds and maximum energy, Path 1 or 2 is where you build your foundation.

Every path leads to the same destination — a business that generates real wealth and eventually runs without you.

Which path are you on? Take the quiz → Learn more about the paths →

Sell your skill

The lowest barrier to entry. Monetise your expertise directly — as a tradie, consultant, coach, or freelancer. Fast to start, low cost, and a great way to learn how business works. The limitation is that income stops when you do.

Buy an asset, use it to earn

Use surplus cash from your skill to buy assets that amplify what you do. A mechanic buys a hoist to do more jobs. An IT consultant buys laptops to hire out. A marketing consultant buys AI software to onsell. An Uber driver buys the car. Your skill is still central — the asset multiplies your output.

Buy a franchise

The operating manual comes with it. A franchisor provides the systems, the brand, and the support — lowering the

What is the E-Myth?

risk significantly. You're buying a licence to run a proven model. Requires capital, but the built-in support makes it a more accessible entry point than buying independently.

Buy a business

Acquire an existing operation with customers, revenue, and staff already in place. You're buying proven cash flow rather than building from scratch. Requires capital and real business acumen — and someone who knows how to look under the bonnet before you sign.

Build a scalable business

Create something not tied to your hours. A product, a brand, a SaaS, a content business. The longest runway and the most uncertainty — but the highest upside and the strongest exit multiples of any path.

Our packages

Choose your level of support

Every Startup Sherpa package is designed with one destination in mind — your first $1,000,000 in annual revenue.

The package you start on is simply where you are right now. As your business grows, your support grows with it.

Basecamp

For businesses under $250,000 in annual turnover

$395/month

or $3,950/year — 2 months free

Includes

Monthly live coaching webinars
Xero & DEXT account setup included*software charged at cost
BAS lodgement
Annual company or trust tax return
2 personal tax returns
4 support calls per year
Bookkeeping add-on — $175/month
ASIC registered agent add-on ($300/yr)

Get started with Basecamp

Ascent

For businesses $250,000 – $1,000,000 in annual turnover

$1,395/month

or $13,950/year — 2 months free

Everything in Basecamp, plus

Monthly live coaching webinars
Xero & DEXT account setup included*software charged at cost
Monthly bookkeeping included
Monthly management reports
Job profitability analysis
Quarterly CFO meetings
Annual tax planning meeting
ASIC registered agent included
Unlimited support calls

Get started with Ascent

Summit

For businesses $1,000,000 – $5,000,000 in annual turnover

$2,350/month

or $23,500/year — 2 months free

Everything in Ascent, plus

Monthly live coaching webinars
Xero & DEXT account setup included*software charged at cost
Monthly CFO meetings
Cashflow forecasting
KPI dashboard
Structure and strategy advice
Full video course included
Unlimited support calls

Get started with Summit

How the tiers work

Your package is based on your annual turnover. You move to the next tier when your turnover reaches the threshold — at your annual review, or earlier if your business grows significantly. You're welcome to move up sooner if you want a higher level of support. Businesses above $5,000,000 are quoted individually. Get in touch →

Not sure which fits?

Take the quiz and we'll point you in the right direction based on where your business is today.

Take the quiz →

Starting a new business?

Before you join a package, you need to be set up in the right structure. Our advice meeting with Craig covers your full situation and results in written advice and complete setup — company, trust, partnership, or sole trader — with all registrations handled end to end.

Advice meeting: $975 + government fees · 50% off with an annual package commitment
If sole trader is the right outcome for you, we refund $475 — you pay just $500.

Book a setup call →

Why Startup Sherpa

You don't need another accountant who files your tax return and disappears.

You need someone who's been where you're going — and knows how to carry some of the weight while you climb.

Our founder, Craig, has started five businesses of his own and sold two of them. He's advised hundreds of founders across industries — from hospitality and retail to real estate and professional services — on everything from choosing the right structure on day one to preparing a business for sale.

That experience doesn't sit in a textbook. It sits in the room with you every time you have a question, every time your numbers don't make sense, and every time you're not sure what to do next.

Most accountants are great at numbers but have never coached a business owner. Most business coaches are great at motivation but terrible at numbers. The people who actually help founders succeed are the ones who can do both. That's what we've built here.

An accounting team that understands business, not just tax
A coach who has actually started, run, and sold businesses — not just studied them
Monthly live sessions where real questions get real answers
Numbers that are current, accurate, and explained in plain language
A guide who has climbed this mountain before and knows where the hard parts are

Hear it from Craig directly

businesses started personally

businesses sold — real exit experience

100s

of founders advised across every industry

$1M

the goal we set for every single client

What our clients say

Don't take our word for it.

Something I would do, if I started a new business, is take a business coach from day one. Craig gave us a clear goal and helped us by developing a strategy to reach that goal. Since working with Craig, we have improved our profit and turnover. We have moved into a nicer kitchen, and I work in a better environment. My work is more structured, and mentally speaking, it's more peaceful.

Louis B. Louis Boeglin Patisserie

Coaching & strategy

We first started working with Craig as our accountant in 2014. Craig has been a great help to us over the years, from setting up the correct structure for our business, helping us better understand the numbers, ways in which we could improve our business, and also create a better work/life balance. He is very thorough, efficient, knowledgeable and a pleasure to work with.

Karen L. InterFire Agencies

Structure · numbers · growth

Craig was an invaluable source of help and information in our early adventures as a new real estate company. His advice was always accurate and his insights informative and constructive. Professional and ethical — moving forward I believe Craig will be of significant assistance to his clients, whether private or business.

Dave H. HKY Real Estate

New business · trusted advisor

Startup Sherpa works with founders across every industry

Trades Hospitality Professional services Retail Real estate Construction Health & wellness Technology Creative services And many more

Most new businessesdon't make it to year three.We're here to make sure yours does.

Over 400,000 Australians will start a business this year.1