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  • CASE STUDY – CASH FLOW & BUSINESS FINANCE

From Sole Broker to a Growing Team

Acctivate Business Accountants helped a Brisbane mortgage broking business correct its company structure, strengthen its financial foundations and grow annual revenue from around $200,000 to nearly $900,000. With ongoing business advisory support, the business expanded from a husband-and-wife operation to a growing team of six to seven staff.

  • Acctivate Business Accountants
  • Oct 2026
  • Brisbane
5-star reviews
  • Client Snapshot

A husband-and-wife mortgage broking business came to Acctivate believing its structure was sorted. It wasn't. We uncovered the gap, fixed it for a capital gain of just $9,000, and have since helped the business grow more than fourfold.

At a glance

  • Team: grew from 2 (the owner and his wife) to 6–7 staff
  • Revenue: grew from around $200k to approaching $900k this FY
  • Structure: went from a trading company whose shares were still held personally (not in the trust, as the previous accountant believed) to a proper restructure with the family trust in place
  • Relationship: started as a compliance handover and is now an ongoing advisory partnership
  • THE CHALLENGE
When the client first came on board, the business was just him and his wife, operating through a trading company. Their previous accountant had told them the company’s shares had been moved into a family trust.
 
That mattered. A family trust shareholding gives flexibility in how profits are distributed and adds a layer of asset protection. The clients were planning their future on the understanding that this was already done.
  • What We Found
The shares had never been transferred. We didn’t take the previous advice at face value. We went back through the company’s records to confirm who actually held the shares, and the paperwork told a different story from what the clients had been told.
 
Left alone, this would have exposed them to real risk. The structure they thought protected them didn’t exist, and fixing it later could have meant a much larger tax bill as the business grew in value.
  • The solution
We restructured the business properly, moving the shares into the family trust as originally intended. A transfer like this is a CGT event, so the key was keeping the tax cost down.
By carefully applying the small business CGT concessions, we reduced the taxable capital gain to just $9,000. The clients got the structure they’d always believed they had, at a fraction of the potential cost, and this time everything was documented correctly.
 
Beyond compliance
 
Fixing the structure was the start, not the finish. We’re now in constant conversation with the client about where the business is heading. Together we work through:
  • Growing the business: where the opportunities are and what’s holding performance back
  • Owner remuneration: the right mix of salary and dividends for him and his family
  • Dividend strategy: when and how to pay out profits through the trust structure
  • Hiring decisions: when the numbers support the next hire, so each role adds to the bottom line
  • Budgeting: building and tracking budgets so decisions are made on real figures, not gut feel
  • THE RESULTS
Revenue has grown from around $200,000 to approaching $900,000 this financial year, more than four times where it started. The team has grown from two people to six or seven staff.
 
Just as importantly, the owners are growing on solid foundations: the right structure, a clear remuneration plan, and a trusted adviser to test each big decision against the numbers.
  • WHY IT MATTERS
Many business owners assume their structure is right because someone once told them it was. This case shows why it pays to check. It also shows what’s possible when your accountant is a real partner in your growth, not someone you see once a year at tax time.
  • THE ACCOUNTANT

Simon Burke, CA

Co-Founder, Acctivate Business Accountants

Simon Burke is a Chartered Accountant (CAANZ) and Co-Founder of Acctivate Business Accountants, with over a decade of experience in accounting and business advisory. Holding dual degrees in Business Management and Commerce and a Xero Advisor certification, Simon specialises in helping businesses build stronger foundations through smarter structures, cash flow strategy, and operational efficiency

This case study is for general information purposes only and does not constitute financial, tax, or legal advice. Client details have been kept confidential. Outcomes depend on individual circumstances. Please seek professional advice before acting on any information contained in this document.

Meet our team
  • FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How can a sole broker grow a successful mortgage broking business?

Growing from a sole broker to a larger mortgage broking business requires more than increasing revenue. It involves having the right business structure, managing cash flow, planning for new hires and making informed financial decisions. With support from Acctivate, one mortgage broking business expanded from a husband-and-wife team to six or seven staff, with annual revenue approaching $900,000.

 

The right business structure can support tax planning, asset protection and long-term business growth. In this case, the owners believed their company shares had been transferred into a family trust, but a review revealed they were still held personally. Identifying and correcting this issue helped establish a more suitable structure before the business grew further in value.

 

Acctivate reviewed the company’s share ownership and arranged for the shares to be transferred into the intended family trust structure. By applying the relevant small business capital gains tax (CGT) concessions, the taxable capital gain was reduced to just $9,000. This allowed the owners to correct their business structure while managing the tax implications of the transfer.

The mortgage broking business grew its annual revenue from approximately $200,000 to nearly $900,000, representing more than fourfold growth. Its team also expanded from two people to six or seven staff. Alongside this growth, Acctivate helped establish a clearer business structure, improve financial planning and support ongoing business decisions.

Business advisory services help sole brokers understand when their business is financially ready to expand. This includes reviewing budgets, forecasting revenue, assessing hiring costs and planning owner remuneration. Acctivate works with business owners to evaluate growth opportunities, manage financial risks and make decisions based on actual business performance rather than assumptions.

This case study is for general information purposes only and does not constitute financial, tax, or legal advice. Client details have been kept confidential. Outcomes depend on individual circumstances. Please seek professional advice before acting on any information contained in this document.
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