How to Start a Nursing Agency in Australia [2025]

You're not the only person confused by conflicting information while investigating how to start a nursing agency in Australia.

The good news is that you've arrived at the right place!

Everything you need is explained here and broken into easy-to-follow steps.

Indeed, there are rules, laws, and specifications that you have to stick to, but with the correct help, it's much simpler to understand them than it seems.

Plus, you’ll discover an extra tip — a tool that can make setting up and running your business even simpler and faster.

Let’s get started!

What Are The Benefits of Having a Nursing Agency in Australia?

Let’s check out the key benefits:

➡️ High and Increasing Demand in the Market - There is a chronic nursing shortage in Australia, in both urban and rural areas. This generates a strong, continuous demand for agency services, giving your business a consistent flow of clients and income prospects.

➡️ Constant Income and Recurring Revenue - Healthcare is a vital service, and clinics, hospitals, and assisted living facilities usually need contract or temporary workers. Because facilities depend on agencies to cover staffing shortages, this results in ongoing, repeat business.

➡️ Adaptable Business Plan - To maximise revenue and adjust to shifting industry demands, you can customise your agency to concentrate on particular industries (such as hospitals, assisted living facilities, or people with disabilities) or grow to cover a variety of markets.

➡️ Potential for Growth and Scalability - A nursing agency can grow rapidly by diversifying its offerings, hiring more healthcare professionals, or entering new areas with the correct structure in place. Your business may expand to provide services to specialised rural facilities or major metropolitan hospitals.

➡️ Strategic Control and Autonomy - As the agency's owner, you have the authority to make important choices regarding its operations, values, and direction. This independence enables you to differentiate your business from rivals, adopt creative approaches, and create a healthy work environment.

➡️ Community Contribution and Social Impact - By ensuring that facilities are staffed with competent workers, particularly during emergencies or staff shortages, you directly contribute to improving healthcare delivery. This can improve your business reputation and be personally fulfilling.

5 Steps to Start a Nursing Agency in Australia in 2025

Let’s check out the steps to start a nursing agency!

Step 1: Choose a Business Structure

When launching a nursing agency, selecting the appropriate business structure is essential since it impacts your legal liability, tax responsibilities, control, expenses, and compliance needs.

What are common business structures in Australia?

1. Sole Trader - One person owns and operates the business. You are personally responsible for all debts and liabilities.

Pros:

✅ Simple and inexpensive to set up

✅ Full control

✅ Minimal paperwork

Cons:

❌ Unlimited personal liability

❌ Harder to raise capital

2. Partnership - Two or more individuals share ownership, profits, and liabilities. Partners are jointly accountable.

Pros:

✅ Shared responsibility and resources

✅ Relatively easy to establish

Cons:

❌ Joint and several liability

❌ Potential for disputes

3. Company - A separate legal entity owned by shareholders and run by directors.

Pros:

✅ Limited liability protection

✅ Easier to raise capital

✅ Separate legal identity

Cons:

❌ More complex and costly to set up

❌ Higher compliance and reporting obligations

4. Trust - A trustee manages assets for beneficiaries. This structure is frequently used for asset protection and tax planning.

Pros:

✅Can provide asset protection and tax flexibility

Cons:

❌ Complex to set up and manage

❌ Higher costs and legal obligations

Step 2: Register Your Business

There are a few legal requirements for registering a nursing agency in Australia:

✅ Choose a Business Name:

Choose a unique and relevant name for your nursing agency.

Before making a final selection, you need to make sure that the company name is available and that the name complies with Australian regulations, as well as steer clear of anything misleading or offensive.

✅ Apply for ABN:

Before registering a business name, you must first get or apply for an Australian Business Number (ABN). Once you've obtained your ABN, you may register a business name with ASIC Connect or the Australian Government's Business Registration Service. During registration, you will be required to give business holder information and addresses and validate your eligibility.

A registration fee is required, and you can opt to register your name for one or three years. To learn how to register for ABN, read our detailed guide, How to Apply for an Australian Business Number (ABN)!

✅ Get a Tax File Number:

If you work as a sole trader, you may use your personal TFN. However, partnerships, companies, and trusts must apply for a different TFN for each business organisation. When you register your business, you may normally request a TFN from the Australian Taxation Office (ATO).

✅ Register for GST (If Applicable):

If you expect an annual revenue of $75,000 or more, you must register for GST.

You can register at the same time that you apply for your ABN or later through the ATO.

Once registered, you must charge GST on sales, file Business Activity Statements (BAS), and return the GST you collect to the ATO.

💡 ProTip

With ANNA Money, you can do this easier and faster!

Step 3: Develop a Business Plan

The first step in starting a nursing agency in Australia in 2025 is creating a solid business plan. Begin by clearly defining the services your agency will offer.

Will you focus on aged care, disability support, hospital staffing, or perhaps a combination of these areas?

Follow these steps to create a business plan:

1. Executive Summary:

✅ Give a brief summary of the mission, vision, objectives, and services your agency will provide.

✅ Emphasise your target market, competitive advantages, and financial highlights.

2. Description Of the Business:

✅ Describe the ownership, location, and legal structure of your agency.

✅ Describe your agency's core values, unique selling propositions, and history, if any.

3. Evaluation of the Market:

✅ Examine the trends, factors influencing growth, and possible obstacles facing the healthcare staffing sector in your area.

✅ Determine your target market segments, such as private consumers, hospitals, and assisted living institutions, and evaluate local demand.

✅ Provide a competitive analysis and point out any possibilities or holes that need to be filled.

4. Management and Organisation:

✅  Describe your management team and organisational structure.

✅  Describe the duties and responsibilities of important staff members, along with their training and background.

✅  As your agency expands, make plans for future recruitment.

5. Services and Costs

✅  Give a detailed description of the staffing services you will offer, such as home care, specialised placements, temporary, and permanent positions.

✅  Describe your pricing plan, taking into account operating expenses, rival pricing, and market rates.

6. Strategy for Marketing and Sales

✅  Using both offline and online marketing strategies, explain how you plan to draw in and keep customers.

✅  Describe your advertising, networking, referral, and branding strategies.

✅  Establish quantifiable marketing goals and strategies (website, social media, events, collaborations, etc.).

7. Plan of Operations

✅ Describe your daily business operations, such as hiring, screening employees, scheduling, and compliance procedures.

✅ Indicate the administrative processes, technological requirements, and office requirements.

8. Budgetary Estimates

✅ For a minimum of three years, provide thorough financial projections that include:

Step 4: Understand Legal and Regulatory Requirements

Before you start your nursing agency, make sure everything is legally in order.

Begin by obtaining all of the licenses and permits required to operate in Australia. Specific criteria may differ based on the state or region you are in, so carefully review local rules.

➡️ When it comes to staffing, it is your obligation to guarantee that all nurses you hire are completely qualified and registered. All nurses must be registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) and meet the criteria established by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA).

➡️ If you intend to provide services in specific industries, such as aged care or disability support, you will be required to follow additional requirements. For example, agencies that provide services under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) must adhere to strict quality and safeguarding criteria.

➡️ Handling sensitive health information entails significant legal responsibilities. You must follow the Privacy Act and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs), which govern how personal and health information is collected, maintained, and shared

Step 5: Prepare Essential Legal Documents

Creating the appropriate legal documentation from the start protects both your business and the people you work with.

Here are the main documents you'll need:

➡️ Create clear employment agreements outlining roles, responsibilities, and terms for nursing staff. A well-structured agreement minimises misunderstandings and sets expectations from the start.

➡️ Draft client service agreements outlining services, payment terms, cancellation procedures, and duties for both parties. A strong agreement protects your agency and maintains professional client relationships.

➡️ Prepare labour hiring agreements for nursing staff you supply to other facilities. These contracts should explicitly describe the scope of work, payment arrangements, and each party's responsibilities to avoid future confusion or disagreements.

Conclusion

Although there are many procedures and regulatory criteria involved in starting a nursing agency in Australia, it is definitely achievable.

The entire procedure becomes far more manageable with the correct strategy and a well-defined plan.

You can set up your agency more quickly and steer clear of many of the typical pitfalls that new business owners encounter by following the instructions in this article.

Additionally, you can accelerate the process even further by using all of ANNA Money's features!

ANNA helps you manage the paperwork, stay organised, and concentrate on expanding your agency – from business registration to financial management and tax compliance.

Start now and discover how ANNA Money can help you launch and manage your nursing agency more quickly, easily, and with less stress!

How ANNA Money Can Help You Start a Nursing Agency in Australia?

If you’re looking for a tool that not only helps you start your business but also makes running it easier, ANNA Money could be the perfect solution for you.

Here’s what it offers:

⚡ Confirmation Statement Filing - Concentrate on business while we compile and submit your company's confirmation statement to ASIC, assuring that it's complete and accurate on time.

⚡ Company Registration - Register your company for a $288 one-off fee and 50% off your ASIC fee to get started.

⚡ Comprehensive Tax Management - With ANNA Money, you can stay on top of your tax reporting and optimise your tax bill. Receive a personalised tax calendar and never miss another deadline.

⚡ Centraliz\sed Document Storage - Keep all of your receipts, invoices, and company records in one secure location. Keep everything organised and accessible when you need it.

⚡ Business Account - You can view all of your financial information in one location by connecting all of your bank accounts to ANNA with Open Banking.

⚡ Instant Payment Notifications - As soon as a payment leaves or arrives in your account, we'll notify you.

⚡ Scheduled and Recurring Payments - Set up regular or scheduled payments, and ANNA will handle them. We'll even let you know before they occur.

⚡ Smart Receipt Scanner - Snap a picture of a business receipt, and it is immediately linked to a transaction in the business's account. After that, it is categorised and used to determine your tax liability.

⚡ ANNA +Taxes - Assists you with Corporation Tax registration, debt calculation, and deadline compliance. It also eliminates the need for an accountant by calculating payroll for your limited company.

⚡ Pots - To prepare for future tax payments, set aside a portion of your business's profits automatically.

⚡ Invoicing Software -  To keep your business operating efficiently, create, mail, and manage invoices with ease.

Ready to start your nursing agency much more easily? Sign up today and get started!