Administrative and support services industry

How businesses operate

Many businesses in this industry:

• have contracts or service agreements with clients
• work across multiple client locations
• manage changing schedules and workloads
• use a mix of employees, contractors and labour hire workers.

Some businesses get regular work, such as office cleaning, payroll support or debt collection. Others may rely on seasonal or one-off jobs, such as event staffing, pest control or product packaging.

Clear processes and records can help businesses keep their service quality consistent, follow work health and safety regulations and meet their legal obligations.

Demand and competition

Demand can change with the time of year, where the business operates, economic conditions and the type of service offered.

Competition can be strong. Some businesses rely on reputation and word-of-mouth to gain work, such as lawn mowing or cleaning services. Others compete on price, speed, reliability or customer support, such as packaging, call centre or labour hire businesses.

Digital tools

Many businesses use digital tools to manage daily work, staff, clients and records. These tools can keep track of work, but they can also introduce risks, such as cyber threats.

Depending on the service, businesses may use digital tools to:

• schedule jobs, appointments or site visits
• manage rosters, timesheets and payroll
• store customer, client, worker or applicant records
• prepare quotes, invoices and payments
• manage enquiries, bookings or complaints
• keep compliance records, such as safety checks, training records or licence details.

Risks and challenges

Common challenges include:

• organising staff, contractors and jobs across different clients or sites
• keeping work quality consistent across jobs, sites or clients
• meeting work health and safety duties at client sites
• managing risks from chemicals, equipment or physical work
• keeping personal details about clients, workers, applicants or debtors safe
• managing late payments, contract changes or disputes.

Identifying your business risks early can help you plan your work, protect your business and avoid disputes.

Industry statistics

Data can help you understand how businesses in this industry perform and how your business compares.

You can:

• explore estimates of industry income, costs, profit and capital expenditure at the Australian Bureau of Statistics
• compare your business’s performance against similar ones using the Australian Taxation Office’s small business benchmarks
• get the latest job market trends and insights at Jobs and Skills Australia.

These are some laws you may need to follow:

• Competition and fair trading laws are set out in the Competition and Consumer Act 2010.
• Rules about pricing, refunds, contracts and advertising are set out in Australian Consumer Law (ACL).
• The Privacy Act 1988 may apply if you collect personal details about customers or members, such as through a travel agency booking.
• Businesses that operate under a franchise agreement must follow the Franchising Code of Conduct.
• The Do Not Call Register and industry standards apply to all businesses that make unsolicited telemarketing and research calls, and fax marketing.
• The Spam Act 2003 sets out the rules for sending electronic commercial messages.
• States and territories regulate the use of agricultural chemical products, such as pesticides.
• The Fair Work Act 2009 has rules about labour hire arrangements and protected pay rates.
• Packaging must have correct product details and meet product labelling laws.
• Debt collection rules apply when contacting debtors and recovering unpaid debts.

Local councils and state or territory governments issue most licences and permits in this industry. What you need depends on your business type, location and the services you offer.

For example, you may need a licence or permit to:

• supply labour hire workers to other businesses
• recover unpaid debts or repossess goods
• run a pest control business or use pesticides
• use herbicides or other regulated chemicals for weed control
• do certain gardening work, such as removing or pruning trees.

Your tax obligations depend on your business structure, the work you do and how you get paid.

Common industry tax tasks:

• Charge goods and services tax (GST) on the services you sell.
• Report personal services income (PSI) if you earn most of your income from your own labour or skills, such as working as an independent contractor.
• Lodge a taxable payments annual report (TPAR) if your business provides cleaning services and you pay contractors.
• Pay state or territory payroll tax if your wages are over the threshold, including payments to labour hire workers you supply to clients.
• Withhold pay as you go (PAYG) tax from payments to workers you supply to clients, including independent contractors.

Understanding your tax obligations can help you avoid common mistakes.

Make sure you know which workplace laws you need to follow before you create an employment contract or hire contractors.

If you contract out work to other businesses, check that employees in your supply chain get the right pay and conditions. You may be responsible if a contractor in your supply chain breaks workplace laws. The Fair Work website has resources to help you manage your supply chains.

All businesses have a duty of care under work health and safety (WHS) laws. They must take reasonable steps to keep workers, customers and the public safe.

WHS hazards in this industry can include:

• hazardous chemicals, such as cleaning products and pesticides
• injuries from lifting, carrying or moving equipment, supplies and packaged goods
• slips, trips and falls at workplaces or customer sites
• psychosocial hazards, such as violence or aggression in customer-facing roles, including call centres and debt collection services.

Safe Work Australia has guidance on WHS duties and managing risks for:

• labour hire businesses
• supply chains and contracting networks.

Managing your environmental impact can help you follow the law and reduce business costs.

Common environmental impacts include:

• waste from packaging, cleaning products and disposable supplies
• chemical pollution from cleaning products, pesticides and other regulated chemicals
• water use when cleaning buildings, equipment and vehicles
• damage to soil, waterways, plants and animals from gardening or pest control work.