Andrew Mates Coaching

30/09/2026

This gives you a feel for what small business owners have to put up with.

When you get a quote from a small business provider and haggle over the price, it hurts.

Because that $100 isn’t $100 in their pocket.

There’s GST.
There’s tax.
There’s insurance.
There’s wages.
There’s super.
There’s software.
There’s vehicles.
There’s accountants.
There’s compliance.
There’s equipment.
There’s licences.
There’s professional fees.

And a long list of other costs quietly taking a bite out of every dollar that comes in.

And then there’s the risk.

The quiet months.
The unpaid hours.
The cancelled jobs.
The marketing that doesn't work.
The bills that still arrive when the work doesn't.

Yes, supporting a small business may cost you more.

But if only you knew just how much small businesses are paying to keep their dream alive.

Because you're not just paying for a product or a service.

You're helping support someone's family.

You're helping pay someone's mortgage.

You're helping keep a local person employed.

You're helping a business stay in the community.

You're helping someone continue doing work they're passionate about, rather than becoming another number on someone else's payroll.

And maybe most importantly...

You're helping make it possible for someone to build something of their own.

So next time you get a quote from a small business and think, "That's a bit expensive..."

Remember - you're not just comparing their price to the cheapest option you can find.

You're deciding what value you place on the person, the service, the experience, the risk they've taken and the community they're helping build.

Small business isn't just about making money.

It's families.

It's livelihoods.

It's local communities.

It's dreams.

And sometimes that extra $100 means a hell of a lot more than you realise.

16/09/2026

An insightful video recorded in November 2024 with Alyssa and myself.

Helpful for employees who want to step away from their salaried role and into their own business as a sole trader.

Helpful for sole traders in their first 12 months to forecast their business numbers, growth and obligations.

13/08/2026

Small business connection and conversation, today (Friday the 14th of August) at Lot 50 Yankalilla from 9am to 11am…

Does your small business need to get connected? Come say hi!

23/07/2026

Worth a watch if you haven't seen it: Scott Kuru's latest video on 40 Aussie businesses closing a day, insolvencies up 200%+ since 2022, and construction, hospitality, retail and manufacturing copping it hardest. A sobering reminder of why we need each other out here.) Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTu-hKtsCMg

Would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below...

The lucky country is running out of luck, and almost nobody is will...

07/05/2026

Running a business is hard. Doing it with a mortgage, family and a household budget that's out of alignment? Even harder...

If mortgage rates are rocking you, you need a plan - not just for your business budget, but for your personal budget, your take-home pay.

Don't focus on the one thing you cannot control - your mortgage. Rates will always go up and down.

Put your full attention onto the things that you can manage. Build your budget. Build your buffers. Build the abundance your life deserves.

If one small rate rise sends your household into crisis, the problem isn’t the bank. It’s the lack of structure in the rest of your budget.

06/04/2026

Small Business Support at Lot 50 Yankalilla, hosted by Andrew Mates Coaching, Your Budget Mates and Fleurieu Small Business Network.

𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐛 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐞. 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐤 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬. 𝐆𝐞𝐭 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭.

Running a small business can feel isolating especially when you’re doing it solo. That’s why I’m opening up my Friday mornings.

Every second Friday, 9–11am at Lot 50 Yankalilla. No bookings. No cost (just buy yourself a coffee if you’d like one).

This is your chance to ask questions, pick my brain, and have real, practical conversations about what’s going on in your business, your sales or marketing, your back of house processes or even your finances.

Whether you’re trying to get to the next level, figure out your next move, or you’re just feeling stuck. I’m here to help you work through it.

And if things are tough right now, that’s okay too. Sometimes you just need a sounding board or someone to listen who gets it. I’m happy to listen and support you and your business success.

No pitch. No pressure. Just me being of service and giving back to my local community.

If you need help, let’s chat!

Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/2169738610099679/2169738613433012/

Send a message to learn more

09/03/2026

Important article from Your Budget Mates.

Australia has less than 30 days of liquid fuel reserves.

Our leaders shut down our refineries. Offshored our self-sufficiency. Handed the keys to someone else and called it economic efficiency.

And most Australians have absolutely no idea.

This is what happens when leaders outsource the hard problems instead of solving them. Dependency dressed up as strategy. And when the pressure comes (as it always comes) it becomes a crisis.

Sound familiar?

Because the same pattern plays out at your kitchen table every single week.

You outsource your financial decisions. Avoid the hard conversations. Hope someone else will sort it out.

Outsourcing creates dependency. Dependency creates fragility. Fragility creates crisis.

We are living through extraordinary times. Global conflict. Supply chain chaos. A cost of living that isn't coming back down. This is not the time to be asleep at the wheel of your own finances.

You are the leader of your household economy.

Start acting like it.

And consider… are you ready for what’s coming next?

Read more: https://yourbudgetmates.com.au/you-are-the-hero-of-your.../

No government policy, budgeting app, or financial service will fix your money problems. Here's what real leadership looks like in a cost of living crisis.