From business idea to business operations
When planning a small business, attention naturally goes to the product or service, the customers and how to get started. As plans develop, other questions emerge: business structure, registrations, insurance, employment, suppliers, premises, pricing and funding.
Each of these areas is connected to the others, and a decision in one often carries implications for another, particularly for costs, cash flow and ongoing obligations.
Founders CFO takes you through these areas in a structured sequence, helping you develop a broader understanding of what establishing and operating a small business involves.
Seven modules covering the key stages of starting a business
From evaluating your business idea to understanding the financial and operational requirements of getting started.
- 01
Do You Want This? Vision, Skill & Feasibility
Assess your business idea, the skills and resources you’ll need, and whether the opportunity is commercially viable.
- 02
Brand, Structure & Digital Presence
Explore business structures, registration requirements, branding and the foundations of your online presence.
- 03
Compliance, Insurance & Licences
Identify the licences, insurance, regulatory obligations and record-keeping requirements relevant to your business.
- 04
Employment & HR
Explore the responsibilities, legal obligations and financial commitments involved in hiring and managing employees.
- 05
Supply Chain
Learn how to evaluate suppliers, manage purchasing and establish reliable supply arrangements that support your business operations.
- 06
Premises & Physical Setup
Evaluate premises and operating locations, including suitability, regulatory requirements, setup costs and ongoing commitments.
- 07
The Budget: Capital, Running Costs, Pricing & Funding
Develop a financial plan covering startup capital, operating expenses, pricing, cash flow and funding requirements.
Why Founders CFO
Practical guidance for the decisions ahead
Written for businesses in Australia
Registrations, tax, employment, insurance and compliance are explained as they apply in Australia, with links to the official sources for the detail.
Practical tools and examples
Worked examples, checklists and tools turn each topic into something that can be applied to your own business as it develops.
Experience from running a business
The guidance reflects the decisions involved in building and managing a business, with the commercial reasoning explained alongside the steps.
A resource you can return to
Work through the course as plans take shape, then come back to individual topics whenever a decision arises. The material is reviewed and updated as requirements change.
Inna Kazagrandi · CPA · MBA
The experience behind Founders CFO
Inna Kazagrandi has spent nearly 30 years working across finance and operations, in corporate roles and businesses she has built. Her experience spans treasury, property development, manufacturing and advisory work.
In 2014, she co-founded Orisent, a Sydney-based technology company that designs and manufactures wireless emergency alert systems for high-risk workplaces. She remains its Group CFOO, leading the company’s finance and operations functions.
Orisent has received recognition in Australia and internationally. It is a winner of the 2024 Australian Technologies Competition in Disaster and Emergency Management and a finalist in the 2025 Financial Review Most Innovative Companies, as well as the 2026 Intersec Awards. It is also a recipient of an Australian Government Boosting Female Founders Initiative grant for female-founded startups to scale in domestic and global markets, one of 38 awarded in 2021 from more than 2,500 expressions of interest.
This recognition extends to Inna’s leadership: she is a finalist in the 2026 Intersec Women Trailblazers Awards, which celebrate women’s contributions to security, fire protection and workplace safety.
Founders CFO is a structured course and practical guide for people starting a small business in Australia. It brings together Inna’s professional financial expertise and first-hand experience establishing and operating a business.
Insights
Articles on the questions that come up when starting and running a small business.
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