How long market entry into Australia takes and when you'll see returns
Plan for 3–6 months to set up, 6–12 months to close your first meaningful contracts, and 18–36 months to reach break-even in a B2B market.
Overview
Australian market entry timelines are longer than most international founders expect — but predictable if you plan for them.
Months 0–6: setup
Entity registration with ASIC (1–2 weeks). Business bank account (2–8 weeks — Australian banks are cautious with foreign-owned entities). Insurance, accountant, payroll setup (2–4 weeks). First local hire — country manager or head of sales — 8–16 weeks from job spec to start date. Sector regulator approvals (TGA, ACMA, APRA) can add 6–18 months on top and should run in parallel.
Months 3–12: first revenue
Australian SMB deals close in 4–12 weeks. Mid-market deals close in 3–6 months. Enterprise, bank, insurer, health service and government deals close in 6–18 months and often require vendor onboarding, security review (IRAP, ISO 27001) and a proof-of-value pilot before contract. Plan pipeline coverage of 4–5x your revenue target.
Months 12–24: scale
Once you have three to five reference customers, pipeline velocity improves sharply. This is typically when a second and third hire join, usually a customer success lead and a second seller or engineer.
Months 18–36: break-even
A lean B2B entry with one to two local hires and disciplined marketing spend typically breaks even 18–36 months in. Consumer and hardware entries take longer because working capital and inventory dominate.
Get a stage-by-stage action plan with realistic timelines for your sector.
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