Starting a business looks like this: you’ve got a solid idea, you’ve done some research, and then you spend the next three months drowning in paperwork, second-guessing yourself, and wondering why nobody just explained the steps in plain English.

That’s the gap Biz Bloke was built to fill.

My name is Andrew Volkman. I’m a Melbourne-based business advisor and the person behind Biz Bloke. My premium business coaching is my main project, but I also don’t want to leave smaller businesses behind.

I created this site — and the video training library that powers it — because too many good business ideas die in the setup phase. Not because the idea was bad. Because the process was confusing, and nobody was there to walk people through it.

The Background Behind Biz Bloke

My career path is not what you’d call conventional. I was born in Hobart, grew up between Australia, Germany, and the Netherlands — my father’s climate science research took the family to some unusual corners of the world — and by my early twenties I was a registered architect with awards before thirty and a growing suspicion that what I actually loved was teaching, not drafting.

That suspicion turned out to be right. I spent years tutoring maths, mentoring architecture students, and teaching English in Japan. Short charity stints in Papua New Guinea and Thailand during university confirmed something I’ve never stopped believing: expertise only matters if it reaches people in a form they can actually use.

A health crisis in Perth changed the trajectory again. I spent the better part of a decade across Asia — teaching in Japan, sailing through Thailand, studying Mandarin on a full government scholarship in Taiwan, and eventually running a multi-outlet allied health practice in Malaysia in the CEO seat. That was the crown in my business experience: staffing, compliance, systems, marketing, financial management. I’ve done it all.

I came back to Melbourne to be closer to family, carrying more hands-on business experience than most people accumulate in a deliberate career. I knew how to set up a business properly because I’d done it, across multiple countries, in multiple industries, under real pressure.

Biz Bloke is built on that experience. It’s not theoretical. It’s the process I’d walk someone through if they sat across the table from me and said, “I want to start a business. Where do I actually begin?”

What I Know About Business Setup in Australia

Setting up a business in Australia is more manageable than it looks from the outside. But it has more steps, and more decisions, than most people expect when they start.

ABN registration, business name registration through ASIC, the right business structure, domain names, bank accounts, early licence applications that have long lead times, basic records — these things need to happen in the right order, and the information is scattered across a dozen different government websites and forum threads that weren’t designed to work together.

I’ve been through this process multiple times, in different contexts, and I’ve helped a lot of other people through it. The result is a clear picture of where people get stuck, what they miss, what they do in the wrong order, and what they overthink when they should just move.

That’s what Biz Bloke is built around. Not theory. The actual process, sequenced properly, explained clearly.

If you want a practical starting point for the registration side of things, this guide to registering a business in Australia walks through the ABN and business name steps in plain terms.

What Biz Bloke Actually Is

Biz Bloke is a structured, step-by-step business setup guide for Australians starting a business from scratch.

It’s a video training library. Six stages. One clear path from “I’ve got an idea” to “I’m in business and ready to find my first customers.”

By the time you finish, you’ll have your ABN and registrations sorted, a business name and domain, a basic website, a bank account, your first ad account, and a simple micro-business-plan to start selling. No fluff. No theory. Just the steps, in the right order, explained so they actually make sense.

It’s designed for people who are starting out — not people who need a structural overhaul of a business they’ve already built. If that’s you, my premium work at volkman.au is a better fit. Biz Bloke is for the beginning.

The Six Stages of Business Setup

The Biz Bloke training library is structured around six stages of getting a business off the ground.

Stage 1 — Your Pre-Game. Before you register anything, get your systems right. Password manager, filing structure, task manager, and a clear understanding of which business structure makes sense for your situation. This stage also covers ABN applications and any early licence applications that have longer lead times — the kind that catch people off guard later if they don’t start them early.

Stage 2 — Make a Micro Plan. You don’t need a forty-page document at this stage. You need a small, focused plan that defines your minimum viable product and gives you a clear path to your first sale. If you want to see what a practical early-stage plan looks like, this sample business plan for Australia gives you a solid starting point.

Stage 3 — Become a Real Business. Business name and domain name registration, a trademark check, getting a bank account open, and building your early records. The steps here are straightforward — they just need to happen in the right order, and it’s important you don’t miss one.

Stage 4 — Get Legal. Bookkeeping, accounting, licensing, a refund policy, and the right insurances for your situation. This stage is often rushed or skipped entirely. It shouldn’t be.

Stage 5 — Get Visible. Website, logo, payment gateway, and a professional email address. You don’t need to spend a fortune here. You need the basics done properly so customers can find you and pay you.

Stage 6 — Market and Sell. Your first marketing campaign, and how to make your first sale. This is where the work starts to feel real.

Each stage builds on the last, and it’s a small investment to make sure you don’t miss too much on the way.

Why Business Planning Matters at the Start

One thing I see regularly is people either skipping the planning stage entirely (“I’ll figure it out as I go”) or overcomplicating it to the point where the plan becomes a document that never gets used.

Neither approach gets anything done. I, myself, have lost countless months to overcomplicating a plan. But going without a plan altogether is a bad idea too.

At the business setup stage, the plan has one job: give you enough clarity to build something that can actually sell. That means knowing who your customer is, what you’re selling them, how you’re reaching them, and whether the numbers make basic sense. The plan doesn’t need to be perfect. It needs to be good enough to get you moving.

The Biz Bloke micro-plan approach is designed exactly around that. A small, self-made business plan – just enough to define your minimum viable product and get to market. You refine as you go. A plan you actually use is worth more than a polished document that sits in a folder.

Who This Is For

Biz Bloke is for people who are at the beginning. Specifically:

• You’ve got a business idea and you’re ready to make it real.
• You may still be working – that’s ok.
• You’re not sure of the right steps, or the right order. Perhaps this is your first go at business, and you need a mentor – but can’t afford a full-time business coach.
• You want clear steps — not a course that’s 80% theory and 20% useful.
• You’re based in Australia and need advice that reflects the actual Australian system.
• You’re not renting a premises. A premises requires a higher level of financial feasibility planning, as you’re locking in to a big contract. Contact me to discuss.

It’s not a coaching program. There’s no ongoing relationship, no weekly calls, no strategy work. It’s a guide. A good one. But a guide. You get some calls and sms’s from me.

If you’ve already been in business for a few years and the challenge is less about setup and more about getting out from under the business you’ve built — that’s different work entirely. That’s what I do at volkman.au.

Start Here

If you’re ready to get moving, the free trial for the Biz Bloke training library is at bizbloke.com.au/hustle/. Get a feel for the content and the approach before committing to anything.

If you want to talk through where you are and what makes sense for your situation, a 15-minute discovery call is the fastest way to get a straight answer. Book a free call here.

Biz Bloke is a sub-brand of Andrew Volkman’s broader business advisory work. For established business owners looking for premium, structured, high-touch coaching and consulting, visit volkman.au.