The Numbers Game

1 July might be the most expensive day in Australian small business history. Jase has done the maths on a 10-person business and the cost is around $50,000 extra a year on the basics alone. If you're employing people in Australia, this is hitting you now, and he's mapped out a game plan to tackle it. On this episode, we discuss: (00:00) Intro (00:26) The Most Expensive Day In Small Business Histor...

The 2026 Budget was pitched as a fix for intergenerational unfairness. Nick's fired up and reckons none of it adds up, especially if you're a young Australian trying to get ahead. But you can't just criticise without bringing a solution, and he's got a few of his own. On this episode, we discuss: (00:00) Intro (01:17) The 2026 Budget's Reform Pitch and Where It Misses Young Australians (02:29) Bra...

Australians waste $1.9 billion a year on gift cards they never use, and there's a whole business model built around hoping you don't show up. If your business sells gift cards, there's a good chance the accounting is wrong. It's one of the most common mistakes Jase sees with his clients, and this episode gets into how the accounting should actually work so you're not paying tax before you need to....

Over 9,000 Australian jobs have gone to AI this year and we're now second in the world for tech displacement. Nick reckons you don't need to be a tech expert to stay relevant. Your existing skills transfer to roles AI can't replace, you just need to know which ones and where. He's put together a 6-step playbook that walks you through assessing your own exposure, identifying what transfers, and mak...

Victoria's $199 billion in debt, and if you're running a small business in this state, you're the one wearing it. Taxes keep climbing, businesses are going under at record rates, and the COVID levy that was sold as temporary isn't going anywhere. Jase has done the numbers on where the money went and what it means for Victorian business owners heading into end of financial year. On this episode, we...

The bank of mum and dad is now Australia's fifth largest lender, with $35 billion a year flowing from parents to kids trying to get into property. Most of it completely undocumented and with no plan for how it comes back. Nick's seen it go wrong firsthand, and this is what both sides need to hear before any money changes hands. On this episode, we discuss: (00:00) Intro (00:42) Australia's 5th Lar...

The ATO is rolling out an automatic $1,000 tax deduction for millions of Australians, and it sounds like free money until you understand how deductions actually work. Jase has run the maths on what that $1,000 really puts back in your pocket at every tax bracket. Is this just another nice sell from the government, or is the box actually worth ticking? On this episode, we discuss: (00:00) Intro (00...

The five-day work week hasn't changed since Henry Ford introduced it in 1926, and Nick reckons AI might be the thing that finally ends it. Thanks to AI productivity gains in service businesses are already real, and the question isn't whether people can get five days of work done in four, it's whether business owners will pass that time back or just pocket the margin. Do you think a four-day week c...

Fuel's up 70% and EV orders have tripled, so Jase did the numbers on what switching actually costs. The per-kilometre gap between petrol and electric is ten to one, and if you salary sacrifice an EV through your business, the FBT exemption stacks another $10K-$15K a year on top. If you're thinking about making the switch, this is the one to listen to. On this episode, we discuss: (00:00) Intro (00...

Australia hasn't had real productivity growth in six years, but the government keeps spending more and taxing more to cover the gap. Nick goes through the federal budget numbers, what productivity actually means when you strip out the spin, and why the answer might not be another tax bracket or another levy, but actually spending less. On this episode, we discuss: (00:00) Intro (00:17) Free Public...

The ATO's audit hit list is out for 2026, and they've got more data on you than ever. Your bank, your crypto platform, your rental agent, your Instagram, they're matching it all against your return. This episode covers the real triggers that put you on their radar, and why using the ATO as a cheap line of credit just became one of the most expensive mistakes a business owner can make. On this epis...

$4 to $5.4 trillion is set to change hands in Australia's great wealth transfer, and most families have no idea how much tax is hiding in super, shares, and property along the way. Nick walks through a real client case where a 94-year-old with $5.3 million in assets was staring down a $300,000 tax bill for her kids, and the strategies that brought it right down. And with The Australia Institute no...

Moving to Dubai to pay less tax is all over social media, but leaving the Australian tax system is a lot harder than packing your bags. If you've ever looked at your tax bill and thought about leaving, the ATO is already tracking more than you think: your travel, your bank accounts, even your family ties. Jase is working with a client who's actually making the move, and walks through what it takes...

A first-home buyer did everything by the book and still lost $70,000 in three and a half years. Nick walks through the real numbers on a $495,000 boutique apartment in Carnegie, from strata fees that more than doubled to the government grants you can only use once, and what it actually cost when it came time to sell. On this episode, we discuss: (00:00) Intro (00:23) Does Property Really Double Ev...

AI agents are no longer just a buzzword. They're already automating real tasks in businesses and the speed of change is only accelerating. We share firsthand examples of how AI is boosting productivity, replacing manual processes, and why having a deliberate AI strategy is no longer optional for business owners. On this episode, we discuss: (00:00) Intro (00:24) The Automation Course That Was Obso...

Do you actually need a high income to build wealth? We see the same problem at every income level. You earn more, spend more, and still feel stuck. In this episode, we walk through six common mistakes that hold people back, from lifestyle creep and no clear plan, to how you use debt and think about building assets. It’s a clearer look at why income alone doesn’t lead to wealth, and what actually d...

Australians pay more in beer tax than what the government collects from companies exporting our gas. Senator David Pocock has been calling it out in Parliament, it's doing the rounds, and it's got Jase fired up. He's done the numbers on the petroleum resources rent tax, looked at how Norway faced the same situation with their oil boom and took a very different approach, and what a 10% levy on Aust...

You see it all the time. Mega successful people sharing their business advice online. But does any of it actually stack up when you're running a small business day to day? Today we're taking 10 business lessons from the new Audi F1 team boss Jonathan Wheatley and pressure testing them against the reality of small business life to see what actually resonates and what's unrelatable. On this episode,...

Family Trusts can be a seriously powerful structure for income distribution and asset protection, but they only work well when you’re across the rules and the deadlines. We talk through how trust distributions actually work, what needs to be documented before 30 June, and what changes in ATO reporting mean now that trust distributions are showing on pre-fill reports. If you’ve got a family trust o...

There’s a lot of talk about buying property through a Self-Managed Super Fund at the moment, but the difference between a smart strategy and an expensive mistake is knowing the rules and the real numbers. Today we cover what lending actually looks like, what it costs to set up and run, and the compliance traps that catch people out. On this episode, we discuss: (00:00) Intro (00:24) Why Everyone I...

A business can be busy, growing revenue, and still be going backwards. Today we share a framework we use to judge business health properly, covering cash flow, profit margins, and the personal wealth piece most owners ignore. It’s a clearer way to tell what’s working, what’s not, and what matters next. On this episode, we discuss: 00:00) Intro (02:34) Three Key Numbers Every Business Owner Must Wa...

Most people start the year fired up, then fall back into the same yearly pattern and end up on the fast track to burnout by December. So how do you break that cycle and stay consistent all year? It’s our first episode back for 2026, and Nick runs through the patterns he’s noticed in himself and the system he’s putting in place this year to keep energy and momentum steady, from quarterly goals and...

We’re back with our yearly Predictions Episode and we’re also farewelling our mate Marty as he wraps up his time on the show. We look back on our 2025 predictions to see who was on the money and who was way off, then lock in our calls for 2026. From interest rates and modular homes to AI, robots in business and the payday super nightmare, there’s plenty on the table for next year. On this episode,...

Welcome to episode $$ of The Numbers Game. On today's show  On this episode, we discuss: (00:00) Intro (00:39) Why Marty’s Leaving The Show (02:26) Lesson 1: Know Yourself And Have Courage (05:14) Leaving “Safe” Jobs To Follow Meaningful Work (12:59) Lesson 2: Doing Simple Things That Work (16:02) How Complexity, Compliance And Tech Can Kill Progress (20:59) Lesson 3: You Are Your Own SEO (25:03)...

More young Australians are choosing to buy “boring” small businesses instead of investing in property. In this episode we look at a young couple who bought a 29-year-old fabrication business and turned it into a highly profitable asset, and we break down how profit, valuation multiples, succession gaps and efficiency improvements can create serious wealth for the right buyer. On this episode, we d...