September means the first quarter of the new financial year is almost behind you.
For a lot of business owners, July starts with good intentions, and then the day-to-day takes over. Before you know it, three months have passed and the plans you set at the start of the year are still sitting in a document somewhere.
This month we are covering what to do before Q1 closes out, plus one of the most common things holding business owners back from the growth they are working toward.
As always, if anything raises questions about your own position, we are here to help.
ACCOUNTING UPDATE
What To Do Before Q1 Closes
The July to September quarter wraps up on 30 September. Here is what every small business owner should have on their radar.
- Q1 BAS — Due 28 October 2026
If you lodge quarterly, your Q1 BAS is due 28 October 2026. If you lodge through a registered tax or BAS agent like myself, you may have access to an extended deadline — but only if you are already on their books before the original due date.
Now is the time to make sure your records are reconciled and your GST is in order. Leaving it to October means less time to fix any issues before the deadline arrives.
- Review Your Q1 Numbers Properly
Before Q2 kicks off, it is worth taking a proper look at how the quarter actually went. Not just revenue — the full picture.
Was Q1 profitable or just busy? Is cash flow where it should be, or is money coming in but not quite landing? Are your most in-demand services also your most profitable? Are debtors paying on time or are invoices sitting unpaid?
These are the questions that tell you where to focus in Q2. The businesses that start Q2 with the most momentum are the ones that took the time to close Q1 out properly.
Payday Super — Check In
From 1 July 2026, super contributions must align with your payroll cycle. If you have not yet confirmed your payroll process is set up correctly, now is a good time to check before the quarter closes.
If you would like help reviewing your Q1 position or getting your BAS lodged correctly, we are here to help.
BUSINESS ADVISORY INSIGHT
The Real Reason You’re Not Delegating
You know you should delegate. You have heard it a hundred times. Work on the business, not in it. Hire before you are ready. Get out of your own way.
But here is the truth that is harder to admit: delegating is not just about systems. It is about control. And identity. And trust.
If you built this business from scratch – from instinct, from hustle, from hard-won experience – letting go is not just a logistical decision. It is emotional. And the resistance is not laziness. It is protection. But that protection comes at a real cost. When you hold onto everything, you cap your income because your time is maxed out. You stay reactive instead of building proactively. You make decisions from exhaustion, not vision. And you turn your team into assistants instead of assets.
If your hourly rate is $250 and you are spending five hours a week on tasks someone else could own, that is over $1,000 a week in CEO-level time lost.
Delegation is a skill. It can be learned, structured, and it gets easier the more you do it. At MCA, we help business owners identify exactly what only they should be doing, and build the structure that frees them up to do it.
Quick Tip: What Is One Thing You Can Hand Off This Week?
Not next month. Not when things quieten down. This week.
Pick one task you do regularly that someone else could own with the right instructions. Write it down, document the process and hand it over. It will not be perfect the first time. That is okay. Done without you is still progress.