Integrated Business Advisory Helping You Make Better Decisions for Your Business
Significant business decisions rarely fit neatly inside one area of the business. Your Accountant covers tax. Your Lawyer covers legal. Your Insurance Broker covers risk. Your Finance Broker covers funding. Your Business Coach covers performance. Each adviser does their job well. But nobody is responsible for giving you broader business advice, sorting out inconsistencies and helping you make your decision from all those inputs.
Blaze Business & Legal does that. We provide integrated Business Advisory Services and coordinate with your advisers so you can work out what the decision means for your business before you commit
- Business Advice and Strategic Business Advisory
- Financial Management and Fractional CFO Services
- Commercial and Risk Advisory
- Management Consulting
- Governance and Compliance Advisory
- Business Structuring and Ownership Transition
- Brisbane 2032 and Major Projects Advisory
- Succession Planning and Exit Planning
Engagements No Surprises
- Date Published: 8 February 2026
- Last Updated: 25 June 2026
- Written By: Rachelle Hare
- Reviewed By: Shannon Drew
Business Advisory Is Not Consulting, Coaching Or Compliance
Business Advisory helps business owners assess significant issues and make better decisions about the future of the business. Consulting, coaching and compliance are different services with different purposes.
The issues that prompt a Business Advisory engagement are usually specific - a major project opportunity, a business restructure, frowth or scaling plans, an acquisition, a succession plan, a licensing concern or a period of growth that has outpaced the systems and management capability supporting it. The owner is trying to work out what decisions are needed and their implications, before they commit.
Business Advisory does not replace your Accountant, your Lawyer, your Fractional CFO or your other advisers. It brings the financial, commercial, operational and legal considerations those advisers raise into the same discussion, so you can assess what the decision means for your business as a whole.
Read more about what Business Advisory is and is not →Why Business Decisions Rarely Sit Inside One Part Of The Business
A contractor may engage us because cash flow is becoming tighter despite a healthy pipeline of work. An owner may want advice about restructuring before the next stage of growth. Another may be assessing an acquisition, preparing for succession or considering a major project opportunity.
The original question often leads into other areas of the business.
A discussion about cash flow can quickly expand into working capital requirements, reporting capability, contract terms and project performance. A restructuring discussion may begin with tax and end up focused on ownership transition, governance, asset protection and succession planning. An acquisition may look attractive financially until client concentration, contract exposure and integration risks are examined more closely.
The Accountant may be responsible for the tax advice. The Lawyer may be responsible for the legal advice. A bank, broker or Fractional CFO may also be involved. Each adviser may be providing sound advice within their area of expertise.
The difficulty is that the issue being considered often affects multiple parts of the business. Looking at one part of the issue in isolation can produce a technically correct answer while overlooking issues that become important later.
Business Advisory helps bring those issues together so the owner can assess the full picture before moving forward.
Cash Flow, Profitability, Reporting And Growth
Cash flow, profitability, reporting and growth are some of the more common reasons construction businesses engage Business Advisory Services in Brisbane and across Australia.
Tightening cash flow despite a healthy pipeline is one of the more common issues that prompts an initial discussion. Working capital requirements, project performance, contract terms, debtor management, retention balances and growth plans may all influence the outcome. These reviews rarely stop at the bank account. They expand into project performance, reporting, contract terms and the growth plans creating the pressure on cash in the first place.
Profitability concerns are not always identified through project reporting. In many businesses, the issue first appears in the financial statements, management accounts or year-end results. Understanding why profitability has changed often requires a broader review of estimating practices, procurement decisions, variation management, contract administration and project performance. The factors affecting profitability are rarely confined to the finance function.
Owners who receive large volumes of information but still find it difficult to assess project performance, forecast future outcomes or identify developing risks are not facing a financial problem. They are facing a management problem. These reviews frequently expand into accountability, governance, management capability and operational performance. Good reporting supports better outcomes across the business, not just inside the finance team.
Growth creates new challenges for owners, management teams and shareholders. The business structure, reporting systems, governance arrangements, management capability and financial resources that supported the business at one stage of growth may not be sufficient for the next. As businesses expand, discussions about growth often become discussions about leadership, accountability, succession planning, capital requirements, commercial risk and long-term business objectives.
When Owners Call Us
The Issues Construction Business Owners Bring To Us
A business owner typically engages Business Advisory Services when working through something significant affecting the future of the business. The issue may involve cash flow, profitability, growth, ownership transition, acquisitions, management capability, business performance or major projects. An issue that appears contained often affects several parts of the business at the same time.
Many growing construction businesses reach a point where management needs better financial information to run the business effectively. Forecasts become more important. Reporting expectations increase. Banks, investors and management teams want greater visibility over future performance.
We often see owners spending considerable time trying to understand conflicting reports, unreliable forecasts or project performance information that arrives too late to be useful. Many construction businesses engage our Fractional CFO Services for this reason. They want experienced financial leadership without the cost and commitment of employing a full-time CFO.
Winning a larger project does not always create a larger business. We regularly see contractors secure work that is technically within their capability but places pressure on working capital, management systems, reporting requirements and contract administration resources. A project that increases revenue can still damage profitability if the business does not have the systems, people or financial capacity required to support it.
Many owners engage us to provide construction business advisory services before committing to a major opportunity. They want an independent assessment of the commercial, operational and financial implications before significant resources are committed.
Many contractors already have the capability to perform larger work. The challenge is often proving that capability. Government agencies, Tier 1 contractors and sophisticated Clients typically expect stronger governance, reporting, procurement systems, financial capacity and management structures than smaller projects require.
QBCC licensing requirements, financial reporting thresholds and organisational maturity standards all become more demanding as businesses pursue larger opportunities. Many Business Owners engage our Business Advisory Services before pursuing those opportunities so they can understand what needs to change inside the business first.
A business acquisition can look attractive on paper while creating problems after settlement. Revenue may appear strong. Margins may appear healthy. A closer review sometimes reveals client concentration issues, management dependencies, integration challenges or commercial risks that were not immediately obvious.
The same issues arise when preparing a business for sale. Buyers are rarely assessing historical performance alone. They are assessing future risk, management capability and the sustainability of future earnings. Many owners engage Blaze Business & Legal to help assess opportunities like these before making commitments that may affect the business for years to come.
Owners often tell us they want to spend less time in the business, yet many critical relationships, approvals and commercial decisions still depend on them personally. Succession planning usually starts with management capability, accountability and governance long before legal documents become relevant. Many Business Owners engage Blaze Business & Legal for Business Advisory Services when planning their eventual exit from the business for this reason.
A contractor may initially focus on winning larger projects or expanding into new markets. The conversation often changes once financial capacity, QBCC licensing requirements and organisational capability are assessed together. Growth plans can be delayed when the business structure, reporting systems or financial resources are not aligned with the opportunities being pursued. Many construction businesses engage us to help assess those requirements before committing significant time and resources to growth initiatives.
Your business has hit a key decision point. What will you do about it?
Generic business coaching won't fix structural problems. Standard accounting won't solve contract risk. Legal advice alone won't improve cash flow.
You need integrated business advisory services from construction specialists who are Brisbane business consultants
Claim Your Strategy SessionHow We Help Construction Businesses Work Through These Issues
A contractor assessing a major project requires different support to an owner planning succession. Preparing for Brisbane 2032 opportunities involves different considerations to improving financial reporting, restructuring a business or assessing an acquisition. Our Business Advisory Services are structured around the issue being considered rather than a predefined service package.
Sometimes an owner wants an experienced sounding board before committing to a particular course of action. Sometimes they need help assessing a problem affecting profitability, growth or business performance. Other engagements involve analysing opportunities, identifying risks or helping management work through change.
Business owners do not always need a detailed review, a report or a long engagement. Sometimes they simply need an experienced adviser to challenge assumptions, ask difficult questions and help them think through an issue before moving forward.
Business Advice is commonly sought when owners are considering acquisitions, business sales, ownership transition, succession planning, restructuring, major projects or other issues that may affect the future direction of the business.
Most construction businesses eventually reach a point where management needs better financial information. Forecasts become more important. Reporting expectations increase. Banks, investors and management teams want greater visibility over future performance.
Some engagements involve solving a specific reporting or forecasting problem. Others evolve into ongoing Fractional CFO Services where management requires regular financial leadership and support.
Many operational problems are easy to recognise but much harder to solve. Owners may already know that accountability is unclear, reporting systems are not working effectively or operational processes are creating inefficiencies. The challenge is often deciding what needs to change, what should be addressed first and how those changes should be implemented.
Commercial decisions can affect profitability long after they have been made. We regularly work with contractors assessing major projects, procurement strategies, pricing approaches, commercial structures and risk allocation. On the surface, an opportunity may appear attractive. A closer review sometimes reveals funding pressures, management challenges, contract administration burdens or risks that were not immediately obvious.
Governance rarely becomes a priority because somebody decides they want better governance. It usually becomes important because the business is growing, management responsibilities are expanding or owners are trying to reduce reliance on a small number of key people.
We often see businesses where authority levels are unclear, reporting responsibilities overlap or significant approvals continue flowing through the same individual long after the business has outgrown that approach. Governance Advisory engagements commonly focus on accountability, authority levels, reporting structures, delegations and management frameworks. The objective is building a business that can continue operating effectively as it grows.
Brisbane 2032 and major infrastructure investment are creating significant opportunities across the construction industry. Many contractors already have the technical capability to perform larger work. The challenge is often demonstrating that capability through stronger governance, reporting systems, financial capacity, procurement processes and organisational maturity.
Businesses that address those requirements before pursuing larger opportunities are usually better positioned than businesses building those capabilities after opportunities have already emerged.
Rachelle Hare and Shannon Drew
Meet Rachelle Hare And Shannon Drew
More than 25 years of experience as a Construction Lawyer, Commercial Lawyer, Contracts Manager, Commercial Manager, General Counsel, Business Adviser and Business Owner. Her experience includes private contractors, government projects, major infrastructure projects and businesses operating across a broad range of sectors within the construction industry.
Extensive experience as a Management Accountant, Fractional CFO and Business Adviser. Shannon's work focuses on financial leadership, forecasting, reporting, budgeting, business performance and helping management teams make better-informed decisions.
Together, Rachelle and Shannon bring legal, commercial, operational and financial experience to the same discussion. Clients work directly with Rachelle and Shannon throughout the engagement. The people helping you assess the issue are the same people performing the work, asking the questions and providing the advice.
How We Work With You
Business Advisory Services can take many forms. Some clients engage us to work through a specific issue before making a commitment. Others require a more detailed review, implementation support or ongoing access to experienced advisers who already understand the business. The engagement model depends on the issue being considered, the level of support required and the outcome the owner is trying to achieve.
Many clients begin with a Strategy Session. The issue may involve cash flow, profitability, growth, acquisitions, succession planning, business performance, management capability, ownership transition or a major project opportunity. In some cases, the discussion confirms the owner is already heading in the right direction. In others, it identifies risks, assumptions or opportunities that had not previously been considered.
$650 + GST | 60 Minutes | Fixed FeeSome issues require more than a single discussion. A business acquisition may require detailed analysis. A succession planning project may involve governance, management capability, ownership structures and implementation planning. A business improvement initiative may require a structured review and prioritised action plan. For projects of this scope, we agree the deliverables and provide a fixed-fee proposal before work begins. Clients generally prefer knowing what support will be provided and what investment will be required before committing to a larger engagement.
Many business owners prefer ongoing access to advisers who already understand the business, its objectives and the challenges it faces. Rather than starting from the beginning each time an issue arises, ongoing advisory arrangements allow discussions to continue with advisers who already understand the context. These engagements are commonly used during periods of growth, ownership transition, organisational change and major project delivery.
Many construction businesses need stronger financial leadership before they need a full-time CFO. The business may have capable internal accounting staff but still lack the forecasting, reporting, analysis and strategic financial support required by management. Fractional CFO Services provide access to experienced financial leadership without the cost of employing a senior executive full-time. These engagements are led by Shannon Drew and are often used by businesses experiencing growth, preparing for larger opportunities or seeking stronger financial visibility.
Commercial issues often sit between project delivery, finance and legal. We regularly work with contractors who need support assessing commercial risk, improving commercial processes, reviewing procurement strategies, strengthening contract administration systems or working through major project opportunities. External Commercial Manager Services provide access to senior commercial experience without the cost of employing a full-time Commercial Manager. These engagements are led by Rachelle Hare.
Some owners know there is a problem but are not yet certain where it starts. Profitability may be under pressure. Cash flow may be becoming more difficult to manage. Growth may have stalled. Construction Business Improvement is designed to identify what is limiting performance, what should be addressed first and where improvement efforts are likely to deliver the greatest return.
Construction Lawyer and Fractional CFO in one firm | Direct access to Rachelle Hare and Shannon Drew
Construction Businesses We Work With
Our Business Advisory Services are primarily designed for construction businesses: Contractors, Subcontractors, Suppliers, Transport Businesses and other organisations operating within the construction, civil and infrastructure sectors.
Most of our clients are privately owned businesses turning over between $5 million and $100 million+, although we also work with smaller and larger organisations where the circumstances are a good fit.
We regularly work with Business Owners, Managing Directors, Directors, CEOs, Boards and Senior Management Teams who have reached a point where decisions affecting the future of the business can no longer be assessed by looking at a single issue in isolation.
Our Business Advisory Services are designed for owners and decision-makers dealing with commercial, financial, operational and strategic issues within their businesses. Businesses seeking personal wealth management, financial planning, insolvency services or purely tax compliance services will generally be better served by advisers specialising in those areas.
We are also unlikely to be the right fit for businesses looking for a traditional business coach focused primarily on mindset, motivation or personal development. Where another adviser is better placed to assist, we will tell you.
Many engagements begin with a specific issue. A contractor may initially engage us to assess a major project opportunity. Another may require Fractional CFO Services. Someone else may be planning a restructure, acquisition or ownership transition.
Once that issue has been worked through, another often emerges. Growth creates new demands on reporting and management capability. Major projects create commercial and operational challenges that did not previously exist. Ownership transition raises questions about governance, accountability and succession planning.
Working with the same advisers over time is one of the reasons many clients continue engaging Blaze Business & Legal across a number of years. We understand the ownership structure, management team, reporting systems, commercial pressures and objectives of the owners. Future discussions begin with that context rather than requiring management to explain the business from the beginning each time.
FAQs about Business Advisory Services
Business Advisory helps Business Owners and Decision-Makers assess significant issues affecting the future of the business by considering the financial, commercial, operational and legal implications together.
Business Advisory helps owners assess issues, opportunities and proposed courses of action before committing to them. Management Consulting is more commonly focused on implementing change after a direction has been chosen.
Business Advisory is usually centred on a specific issue, opportunity or course of action. Construction Business Improvement takes a broader view of the business to identify what is limiting performance, what should be addressed first and where improvement efforts are likely to deliver the greatest return.
Fractional CFO Services are primarily focused on financial leadership, reporting, forecasting, budgeting and financial management. Business Advisory Services are generally more appropriate where broader commercial, operational, ownership, governance or strategic considerations also need to be assessed. Many clients engage both through the same firm.
Blaze Business & Legal works with existing Accountants, Lawyers, Brokers and other professional advisers by helping Business Owners assess issues that affect multiple parts of the business and keeping advice aligned with the broader objectives being pursued.
Strategic Business Advisory focuses on the longer-term direction of the business, including ownership objectives, growth strategy, market positioning, capital requirements and how the business is structured to deliver on those objectives. It commonly sits alongside Business Advisory Services where decisions affecting the future direction of the business are being considered.
We work primarily with Contractors, Subcontractors, Suppliers, Transport Businesses and organisations operating within the construction, civil and infrastructure sectors, with most clients being privately owned businesses turning over between $5 million and $100 million+.
Our Business Advisory Services are provided to construction businesses throughout Brisbane, South-East Queensland and across Australia. Many engagements are completed remotely, and our clients find that remote services via videoconference are just as effective as in-person meetings. We work with businesses in Brisbane CBD, South Brisbane, Fortitude Valley, Newstead, Bowen Hills, Milton, West End, Woolloongabba, Eight Mile Plains, Acacia Ridge, Archerfield, Eagle Farm, Pinkenba, Hemmant, and across the Brisbane metropolitan area, as well as the Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast, Toowoomba, Cairns and regional Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and other locations in Australia.
Strategy Sessions are available for a fixed fee of $650 + GST for 60 minutes. Larger engagements are scoped and quoted before work begins, with fees depending on the issue being considered, the complexity involved and the level of support required.
Starting with a Strategy Session is the most common first step. The Strategy Session allows the issue, opportunity or proposed course of action to be discussed in detail so potential risks, opportunities, implications and next steps can be properly assessed. Call (07) 3063 3373 or book online.
Discuss Your Business With Rachelle Hare And Shannon Drew
Many of the clients who engage Blaze Business & Legal are working through an issue that does not have an obvious answer. They may be considering an acquisition, planning succession, preparing for growth, assessing a major project opportunity or trying to improve business performance.
A Strategy Session provides an opportunity to discuss the issue with experienced construction business advisers in Brisbane before committing significant time, money or resources. You will speak directly with Rachelle Hare and Shannon Drew.