May 12, 2025 By Tony Madden

Steady on: how businesses can lead with clarity in unpredictable times

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Between global trade shifts, rising operating costs, and last week’s federal election, it’s understandable that many business owners are feeling uneasy.

Even with the re-election of the Albanese government and the promise of political consistency, uncertainty still lingers. Global tariffs, inflation, rising wage pressures, and regulatory changes are all part of the picture - and that’s before we even get to the day-to-day challenges of running a business.

For many small business owners, the question right now is:
How do we keep moving forward when so much feels out of our hands?

The truth is, this isn’t the first time we’ve faced economic turbulence. But one thing has stayed the same:

Businesses that prioritise cash flow forecasting, remain calm, and lead with strategy - not panic - are the ones that come out stronger.

What we learned during COVID still holds true

When COVID hit, our response at Trekk wasn’t to wait and see. It was to lead with clarity.

We rolled up our sleeves and helped our clients not only understand their financial position, but make real, forward-looking decisions in the midst of chaos. That meant:

  • Creating custom forecasts that helped them stay ahead of the curve
  • Delivering proactive, strategic business advisory — not just tax compliance
  • Offering guidance that supported both survival and growth

That approach didn’t just help our clients weather the storm—it built long-term trust. And today, we’re applying those same principles again.

What we’re hearing from Australian businesses right now

Whether you're based in a capital city or a regional community, the concerns are remarkably similar:

  • “We’ve got work, but our cash flow feels unpredictable.”
  • “Expenses are rising faster than we can adjust.”
  • We’re making big decisions in the dark.”
  • “We’ve grown, but we’re still operating without a clear plan.”

These are real, valid concerns. And they’re exactly the kind of challenges that strategic financial planning for Australian businesses is designed to solve.

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How to prepare your business for uncertain times

If you’re navigating economic uncertainty in business right now, here are three things you can do this month to regain clarity and control:

1. Review your cash flow forecasting
Cash flow forecasting for small business isn’t optional—it’s essential. If you don’t have a forecast, or your current one isn’t helping you make decisions, it’s time to refresh it. This is your line of sight into what’s coming, not just what’s already happened.

For a deeper dive, check out The Cash Flow Playbook — our step-by-step guide to mastering financial momentum.

2. Build simple scenario plans
Knowing how to create a business cash flow forecast is just the beginning. The next step is planning for multiple outcomes—what if costs rise 15%? What if revenue drops for 2 months? This gives you confidence to act, not react.

3. Set a decision-making rhythm
We recommend monthly check-ins at a minimum. Here are our top tips to improve your cash flow and keep things moving forward. Strategic decisions made regularly—not once a year—are how smart businesses stay on top.

Where Trekk is focusing next

As trusted business advisors in Australia, we’ve supported hundreds of small businesses through both growth and crisis. Now, we’re putting that experience into a new framework designed for this exact moment.

The Forecast Formula is a guided approach to forecasting, decision-making, and financial clarity.

It’s not a product or a one-off report—it’s a smarter way to plan for whatever comes next.

The Forecast Formula is ideal for:

  • Small business planning post-election Australia
  • Leaders who want more visibility before EOFYBusiness owners seeking clarity, not chaos

You’ll hear more about this approach in the coming weeks. But right now, if you’re feeling the pressure - let’s talk about it.

Business strategy during financial crisis isn’t about bold moves. It’s about smart, steady ones.

If you’re trying to figure out how to improve cash flow in business, make better decisions, or just feel less reactive—this is the moment to get support.

Steady on. You’ve got this—and we’ve got your back.

Reach out to your Trekk advisor, or book a clarity session with our team today.

About Author

Tony Madden

Tony is a director of Trekk and based in our Brisbane office. He works heavily in the advisory space for his clients, focusing on strategic management consulting, mentoring, and resource planning with a driver of making a difference in their businesses and lifestyle. Tony has key strengths in building teams and is an active listener in working to address the pain points in clients' businesses. He had a passion for small business from a young age due to being brought up with a family of business owners. He's worked with larger corporations and not-for-profits, but he's always drawn back to helping and supporting small to medium (SME) businesses. That's why he's a Director of Trekk, because supporting SME is something we are all passionate about here. Outside of work, Tony has an active family with three sons that love sports, music and socialising. He enjoys having a drink and some laughs with mates and working on restoring his old EH Holden. He’s a passionate Eels NRL and Reds Rugby supporter with a love of vintage and muscle cars, 80’s Rock and keen runner (for the mind & body), Tony also has a laugh by 'acting the goat' at any event where he can embarrass his kids.

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