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January 11, 2024

Business permits and why no two businesses are the same.

Business Permits

At Yellow Round Table, our mission is to help Australian businesses do good business. by building strong foundations that cut the red tape!

Our zone of genius? The business permits your business needs to start, scale, and survive.

But before we dive in, now is a good time for you to grab a drink.

When it comes to business permits, no two businesses are the same.

It doesn’t matter if your business operates from home or a commercial property. The reason why no two businesses are the same is because of your address.

First off, your Council will not be able to provide you with specific permit information, unless you provide them with an address.

You don’t need to own or have leased a property; you just need to provide a (home or commercial) address. If you don’t have an address, the information is generic or they will advise you to come back with an address.

This is a very valuable piece of information for businesses to know.

The reason why your business needs to provide this information when applying for business permits

There are specific rules associated with your business address.

An address can either make or break your business.

From car parking, building structure, serving food/drinks, tables and chairs, signage, noise, number of customers/staff. waste; these all relate and at times, can trigger a business permit.

What are business permits?

When we refer to business permits, we are referring to ALL permits your business may/may not require from your Local Council.

To break business permits down for you, we have broken this down into four key areas.

This will provide some insight into a Local Council’s regulatory teams.

They are:

Statutory Planning

Decisions made by your Local Council’s Statutory Planning department are in accordance with the Planning and Environment Act 1987.

Your Local Council will also have other policies and strategies including a Planning Scheme.

Environmental Health

Environmental Health administer and issue permits in accordance with the Food Act 1987 and the Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008.

Local Laws

As there are 79 Local Council’s in Victoria, this means that there are 79 different General Local Laws.

A Local Law is a requirement under the Local Government Act 1989.

Building

Your Local Council’s Building Surveyor or private registered Building Surveyor will make decisions and issue permits in accordance with the Building Regulations 2018 and Building Act 1993.

Avoid making this mistake when looking at properties for your business

Before we sign off, we wanted to tell you this important piece of information as it’s a common mistake businesses make.

The mistake is businesses buy properties or sign leases for properties prior to speaking with their Local Council.

We encourage you to speak to your Local Council first for advice, before making a decision.

Your Local Council will also let you know if you require additional advice from other State Government authorities or may need to engage external consultants to help you with your business permit application.

Need some extra business support?

On the contrary, you can always book in a consultation with Rania from Yellow Round Table today

She’s a leading expert in all things business permits in Victoria and has helped thousands of businesses develop strategies and proposals to start and scale their dream.

She’ll also educate you on the entire statutory process (what you need to know and ask for) prior to you engaging your Local Council or real estate agent.

It’s about setting you up for success and building a strong foundation for your business.

Who has a seat at your round table?

You may need many experts and specialists sitting at your round table to help you throughout your business journey.

From lawyers, accountants, building surveyors, statutory planners and maybe a business professional like Rania too?

If you are serious about building strong foundations for your business kingdom, you’ll have the right people helping you make decisions and take action.