As the calendar flips to 2025, it’s time for Australian SMEs to embrace a fresh start with bold resolutions for growth and resilience.
Just like personal New Year’s resolutions, business resolutions are about evolving, overcoming challenges, and seizing opportunities. This year, SMEs face a dynamic landscape—from regulatory reforms and technological advancements to shifting customer expectations.
Whether you’re brushing up on compliance, rethinking how you use tech, or finding new ways to wow your customers, this is your year to thrive. Let’s dive into some tips from the pros to help your business crush it in 2025!
Matt Loop, VP and Head of Asia, Rippling
“2025 will mark a turning point for Australian SMEs, with many facing a wave of Industrial Relations reforms that could redefine how they operate. With the criminalisation of intentional wage underpayment coming into effect in January, the Right to Disconnect extending to businesses with fewer than 15 employees in August, and ongoing changes to casual employment rules, many SMEs will spend much of the year ensuring they are prepared for these new laws.
“The experience of larger businesses offers valuable insights. Rippling’s research shows that, following the introduction of the Right to Disconnect in August 2024, 23% of Aussie business leaders reported challenges with roles requiring after-hours availability. SMEs can expect similar hurdles: to stay ahead, they should treat 2025 as a runway for compliance and cultural adjustment.
“So, what’s a practical, actionable resolution for SMEs? Focus on building the compliance muscle early. This means conducting audits of current practices, training teams on new poicies, and adopting tools that simplify compliance and workforce management. Beyond processes, these reforms also demand new ways of thinking, whether that’s building a culture that respects work-life boundaries, or ensuring employment contracts and practices align with new legal definitions. The real challenge lies in embedding these changes without compromising the agility and flexibility that SMEs thrive on. By taking proactive steps to build a solid foundation, SMEs can navigate reforms confidently, avoid last-minute scrambles, while creating a sustainable, future-ready work environment.”
Resolution: Build compliance capabilities now. Conduct audits of existing practices, implement team training on new regulations, and invest in tools for streamlined compliance and workforce management. Beyond processes, foster a culture that respects work-life boundaries while aligning employment contracts with evolving legal definitions. Proactive preparation ensures agility and confidence in navigating these reforms while preserving SME flexibility and innovation.
Rakesh Prabhakar, Head of Zoho Australia and New Zealand
“Just as technology is one of the biggest drivers of growth for SMEs, it’s one of the biggest inhibitors of it too. Zoho research shows that only 53% of SMEs feel well-prepared to keep up with technological advancements. In 2025, a more strategic, consolidated approach to technology will be critical for businesses, irrespective of the challenge they’re seeking to overcome or the opportunity they’re trying to seize. Instead of relying on multiple siloed solutions from different vendors, SMEs should consolidate their tech stack with a single, integrated provider. An integrated technology approach streamlines operations, boosts efficiency, and reduces costs by eliminating redundancy. Relying on multiple platforms for different processes can be more expensive and impedes the flow of insights across a business.
“After another year of economic uncertainty, there are green shoots of optimism beginning to emerge, according to Zoho research which found that almost half of Australian SMEs are forecasting their cash flow to increase in the next 3-12 months. Businesses who are more consolidated, integrated, and strategic in their technology adoption will be better placed to overcome challenges, improve cash-flow and turn short-term optimism into long-term growth.”
Resolution: Embrace integrated technology to future-proof operations. As optimism grows—with nearly half of SMEs forecasting improved cash flow in the coming months—those investing in streamlined, strategic tech adoption will convert short-term optimism into long-term resilience and growth.
Simon Le Grand, Senior Director of Marketing, APAC, Lightspeed
“Australia is an entrepreneurial, innovative nation, with almost half of all Australians employed at a small business. As is often the case, the turn of the year brings new hope, optimism and focus. However, as with any year, 2025 will include some challenges. Take, for example, small businesses in industries like retail and hospitality, which collectively employ over one million Australians. One of their most common challenges – but also a major opportunity – is turning acquired customers into retained customers. Businesses should consider focussing on two things: experience and incentivisation. If a customer receives a personalised, memorable experience – where they feel like their needs are genuinely understood – their affinity will grow.
“Online, that can mean using data to provide personalised shopping or dining recommendations, and ensuring every touch point is convenient and customer-friendly. In physical locations, that could be as simple as ensuring polite, well-trained and well-rostered staff are present and willing to help and listen. Guest experience is a compelling incentive for them to return, so too are loyalty schemes. Lightspeed research shows that 39% of consumers say loyalty programs influence their decision to visit a business. A strategic, well-designed loyalty program not only entices people to return, but it also serves businesses post-purchase, offering invaluable data for targeted marketing campaigns and customer retention.”
Resolution: Invest in exceptional customer experiences and loyalty initiatives. From tailored digital experiences to in-person service excellence, focus on strategies that foster retention. A robust loyalty program not only drives repeat visits but generates valuable data for targeted marketing and sustained customer relationships.
Paul Hadida, General Manager, APAC GTM, SevenRooms
“There’s a growing optimism amongst the business community that in 2025, economic headwinds could ease and more prosperous conditions might return. That’s certainly the case in the hospitality sector, where operators hope to use the peak summer season as a springboard into longer-term success. For small businesses – which account for 36% of total GDP and 44% of employment in the sector – the key focus in 2025 must be about getting back to basics. During uncertain times, it’s easy to assume that elaborate ideas or outside-the-box thinking are the key to overcoming their biggest challenge: improving cash flow. Instead, businesses must focus on doing the fundamentals well. Instead of tapping into every technology on the market, or overhauling their menu every week, businesses must identify what makes people visit a hospitality venue, what makes them return, and how they can meet those needs.
“Ultimately, consumers today want meaningful, customer-centric and human-focused experiences, and the businesses who can provide that will win. Businesses that use the right centralised technology platform to automate everything from reservations to personalised marketing, and then invest the time-savings in providing personalised experiences to guests will be best-placed to boost acquisition and retention – establishing a growing cash flow in 2025.”
Resolution: Double down on delivering personalized, guest-focused experiences. By automating operational tasks and reinvesting time savings into human connection, hospitality SMEs can enhance retention, improve cash flow, and build long-term success.
Josh McNicol, Director of Growth, Zeller
“2025 will be the year of accessible omnichannel commerce for businesses, regardless of their maturity, size, or scale. SMEs can position themselves for growth by adopting technology enabling them to accept payments in more places — and deliver a seamless shopping experience for customers regardless of how they’re transacting, be it in-person, online, apps, or self-checkout kiosks.
“Previously available only to larger businesses in the retail and quick-service restaurant (QSR) sectors, technology enabling omnichannel payments is now accessible to SMEs thanks to advancements like Tap to Pay. This technology allows merchants to manage a complete POS and payment solution from an NFC-enabled smartphone, reducing the costs and complexities traditionally involved. The continued displacement of cash—while unlikely to disappear completely in 2025 — emphasises the importance of optimising checkout processes and offering a suite of reliable electronic payment solutions. By integrating these innovations, SMEs can meet evolving customer expectations, enhance convenience, and drive loyalty.Adopting omnichannel payment technologies enables SMEs to compete more effectively with larger enterprises, ensuring they are prepared to grow and adapt in an uncertain economic environment.”
Resolution: Adopt accessible omnichannel payment technologies to enhance convenience and competitiveness. By leveraging innovations previously exclusive to larger enterprises, SMEs can drive growth, meet customer demands, and position themselves for success in an evolving economic landscape.
Rob Hango-Zada, Co-CEO and Co-Founder of Shippit
In 2024, many businesses face the challenge of balancing customer acquisition with retention. As competition intensifies, it’s clear that success hinges on excelling at both—though retention requires additional focus. Consider, for example, the retail industry; one of the biggest sectors by both employment and GDP. According to data from Shippit’s State of Shipping Report, over half of customers will not return after a poor delivery experience. This underscores the importance of seamless, reliable delivery in driving customer loyalty and repeat business.
For retail businesses, investing in retention isn’t just about keeping customers happy—it’s a cost-effective strategy for growth. Retaining customers can cost up to five times less than acquiring new ones, and loyal customers tend to spend 67% more over time. While acquisition remains key to growth, especially as ecommerce players like Temu and Amazon gain ground, retention is an area where businesses can establish a competitive edge without significant extra investment.
Looking to 2025, businesses that focus on enhancing their delivery processes, leveraging real-time data, and offering diverse, flexible delivery options will be best positioned to foster customer loyalty and sustain growth. Prioritising retention in this evolving landscape is the practical step businesses can take to thrive in the year ahead.
Resolution: Businesses should invest in improving the overall delivery experience to ensure customer satisfaction, as seamless and timely deliveries are key to driving loyalty. By tapping into real-time data, businesses can better understand customer preferences, predict demand, and optimize delivery operations, ensuring a personalized and efficient service.
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