The Admin Nobody Signs Up For: What Frustrates Small Business Owners Most
Written by The Greatjob Team | 4 min read
October 2026
Most people start a small business because they're good at something: gardening, tutoring, cleaning, training, caring for pets. Very few start one because they enjoy invoicing. Yet recent Australian surveys show how much of owners' time and worry goes on paperwork and getting paid.
What small business owners say frustrates them
| What frustrates owners | The numbers | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Admin eating into evenings and weekends | More than half spend over 6 hours a week on admin. 60% give up personal time or weekends to keep on top of their finances. | AMP, 2026 |
| Chasing payments | Late payments cost a small business about $15,000 a year. Invoices are paid an average of 6 days late, and 41% of businesses have payments more than 14 days overdue. | Xero, 2026 |
| Worrying about cashflow | 70% worry about cashflow, and 6 in 10 worry about being able to pay their bills. | AMP, 2026 |
| Unpredictable work | 40% say demand for their work is unpredictable. | AMP, 2026 |
| Never switching off | 90% think about work outside normal hours. 1 in 4 say they don't have time for a holiday. | AMP, 2026 |
These surveys cover Australian small businesses and sole traders generally, not just home services, and were commissioned by a bank and an accounting software company. They're a useful guide rather than the final word.
Six hours a week you could be paid for
More than half of small business owners spend over six hours a week on admin. For someone charging $40 an hour, that's $240 of time every week that nobody pays for. It usually happens at night or on weekends, after the real work is done.
Getting paid shouldn't be a second job
Late payment costs small businesses around $15,000 a year, and chasing a customer is awkward, especially when they're a neighbour, and every reminder is more unpaid time. It also makes cashflow hard to plan, which is why so many owners say they worry about paying their own bills.
What Greatjob takes off your plate
| The frustration | Doing it yourself | With Greatjob |
|---|---|---|
| Invoicing | Write each invoice, add your ABN and GST details, send it, keep a copy | Your invoice is created and sent for you when you finish the job, with supplies as line items |
| Getting paid | Send reminders, wait, follow up again | The customer pays by card through Greatjob, and your earnings usually reach your bank account the next day |
| Finding work | Flyers, word of mouth, hoping the phone rings | Local customers find you on Greatjob, and you get your own web page, link and QR code to share anywhere |
| Bookings | Back-and-forth messages to agree a time | Requests arrive by text. Reply Y or suggest another time |
| Taking a break | Tell every regular customer, one by one | Pause your profile, or pause everything at once while you're away |
What we don't do for you: declaring your income and lodging your tax are still your responsibility. Greatjob keeps a record of every job and payment to make that easier. Our guide to starting your own business explains what applies to you.
Spend your time on the work you love. See everything Greatjob handles for you →
Sources: AMP Bank survey of 2,000 Australian sole traders and small business owners, released January 2026; Xero, late payment and small business in Australia, 2026, which reports Xero Small Business Insights data for the June 2026 quarter. This article is general information, not financial advice.
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