CASE STUDY: How We Dug Ourselves Out of a 6-Year GST Hole — And Built a Real System That Worked
When my husband first started his roofing business, we were young, broke, and doing our absolute best.
We had two small kids, I was on maternity leave, rent was due every week, and honestly — the GST money that we should have been setting aside was helping us survive.
We did not have an accountant.
We had not lodged BAS in six years. We did not realise how quickly things could snowball.
And the ATO debt was… let’s just say it was more than a little scary. Likened to a quiet storm waiting to hit.
Even with my bookkeeping background, trying to keep up while juggling newborn life, night feeds, and running a household felt impossible. And like most small businesses, we weren’t avoiding things — we were simply trying to keep our heads above water.
This is something I see in so many small businesses today: It is rarely laziness - it is survival.
This is the reality for so many families starting out.
And it is exactly why I am so passionate now about helping small businesses find calm, clarity, and systems that actually work in real life.
The Turning Point
One day we finally said, “We can not keep living like this.”
No more burying our heads. No more guessing what was due. No more hoping it would magically sort itself out. No more being worried about answering the phone.
We needed structure.
We needed visibility.
We needed a system that matched a real family’s life — not some perfect theoretical budget.
So I built one.
What We Put in Place (The Real, Practical Stuff That Works) That you can use too!
1. Got supplier accounts set up properly
Instead of scrambling at the end of each job and wondering who we owed, we created accounts with every supplier.
This gave us statements, payment terms, and clarity.
2. Paid job expenses as soon as the job was paid
When we received payment from a customer, the first thing we did was clear the supplier bills associated with that job.
Not glamorous — but it removed the constant anxiety of falling behind.
3. Set up a direct debit to the ATO
$500 a week. Non-negotiable.
And when a bigger job landed, we’d send a little extra.
It didn’t clear the debt overnight, but it chipped away at it. And that momentum builds confidence.
4. Got quotes for every big job
We stopped assuming loyalty meant we had to pay more.
We started asking suppliers for quotes — sometimes from a few different places.
It helped us compare prices and make smart decisions, not rushed ones. Saving us thousands of dollars over the years.
5. Negotiated better rates - I was not afraid to ask for better prices.
You’d be surprised how many suppliers will help you out if you simply ask.
Better rates = better margins = less stress.
6. Created a “fake” car loan system
We paid off our cars, but we kept pretending the repayments still existed.
Every week we transferred that “car loan” into savings — so the next time we needed a car for the business, we weren’t blindsided.
7. Paid super weekly like a bill
As a sole trader, no one pays your super for you.
So we added a small weekly amount into my husbands super — because even $20 a week is better than nothing. And it builds.
The Outcome
Were things instantly perfect?
Absolutely not.
But for the first time, we felt in control.
We:
Chipped away at the ATO debt
Built consistency with suppliers
Improved cash flow
Reduced the “end of month panic”
Gave ourselves breathing room
Started saving intentionally
Created long-term habits that still support us today
Most importantly, we stopped feeling like the business was running us.
Why This Matters for You
So many small business owners sit exactly where we sat — overwhelmed, tired, scared to look at the numbers, and doing everything you can just to keep the family afloat.
I get it.
Not from textbooks.
From real life.
And that’s why at AAR Strategies, I don’t talk down to clients or push unrealistic systems.
I have lived the juggle of:
young kids
a partner working huge hours
rent and bills
trying to buy a house
scraping together money for BAS
feeling guilty for not “doing it right”
This case study is not about perfection and nor am I.
It is about what is possible when you put a simple, sustainable structure in place — one that actually works for your real life, not against it.
If you are feeling that same overwhelm…
You are not alone.
And you do not need to dig yourself out alone either.
I help small business owners create systems that make sense, give clarity, and reduce the stress that keeps you up at night.
If you want that kind of calm, reach out.
A simple conversation can change everything.