Periods of transition are an inevitable part of every small business journey. But while growth brings opportunity, it also introduces complex decisions around structure, strategy and risk that many don’t feel equipped to handle alone.
Without the right guidance and big-picture thinking, these transition periods can slow momentum or expose businesses to unnecessary risk.
The findings of Findex’s 2026 SME Growth Index highlight this challenge: while 72% of SMEs are optimistic about growth over the next 12 months, only 24% feel well prepared to respond to uncertainty.
One of the conclusions of the report is that “businesses aren’t short on ambition, they’re short on partners who can help them act on it confidently.”
SmartCompany heard from three small business owners across both Australia and New Zealand about how they were able to leverage the guidance of Findex‘s business advisory services to get help that goes beyond just accountancy to level up their businesses during times of transition.
When Norma Panagakos and her partner Nick opened the first New Horizons Preschool campus in Lenah Valley, Tasmania in 2006, their goal was simple: to create an early learning environment inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach, which prioritises child-led learning through exploration, creativity and collaboration.
This model quickly resonated with families and New Horizons flourished, with waiting lists for new students reaching capacity within 18 months of opening.
By 2017, the pair had opened an additional campus in Battery Point, which brought both new opportunities and challenges.
“We are a small business, so our mentality was to run it like a small business,” says Panagakos.
As founding principal, Panagakos had always been deeply involved in the day-to-day running of the preschool.
But as the business expanded, she faced a pivotal transition: stepping away from her role as principal and into a more strategic administrative position, while also restructuring the business’s legal and financial entities to support its next phase of growth.
Like many small business owners, she also found herself navigating the tension between ambition and sustainability. As Panagakos reflects: “[The] challenge of timing – when do you pause? When do you consolidate? When do you invest?”
External advice from her Findex client manager, Jess, helped shift her perspective.
“That idea of taking that risk and expanding your service and balancing your financial model, which [is where] Jess comes into it,” she says. “[Thinking about] the cycle of burnout. As a small business owner you chase that dream, and you put everything into it to the detriment of your own health.”
Having someone in her corner provided the business mentorship Panagakos needed for this transition.
“We found it easy to talk to Jess. She didn’t talk about us, she talked to us,” says Panagakos. “Jess has supported me in my journey not only in the evolution of the business but me personally as a business owner. She has helped me transition into my more administrative role.”
Rather than simply working in the business, Panagakos began to think more strategically about how to run it.
The transition ultimately allowed her to step back from daily operations and focus on guiding the New Horizons’ long-term direction.
More than 40 years ago, Des and Paula Chapman purchased a small parcel of undeveloped land in Gumlu in Far North Queensland.
Since then, they have built Rocky Ponds Produce into one of Australia’s most innovative and technologically advanced fruit and vegetable growers, specialising in premium quality capsicums, melons and pumpkins.
The Chapmans are more than familiar with the growing pains of running a business. However, as they entered a new phase of both life and business, they began thinking about the long-term future of the farm and how to eventually pass the reins to their son.
They sought guidance from Findex on succession planning and financial strategy.
Good business advice can be hard to find, even more so in an isolated area like Gumlu. Findex were able to connect the Chapmans with a client manager who was also based in Regional Queensland.
From this main point of contact, their advisor was able to virtually connect the Chapmans with specialists in financial planning, wealth management and succession planning from across the nation.
Their Findex client manager played a pivotal role in applying and securing funding via the Coles Nurture Fund grant.
“[Findex] were instrumental in the grant application,” says Paula Chapman. “We were lucky enough to secure one. The nursery is now computerised and climate controlled, and our plants are so much better.”
With the help of their son, Evan, the Chapmans have implemented cutting-edge irrigation systems to supply specially designed nurseries where they trial up to 500 new seeds every year.
Now they have a succession plan in place and new technology driving innovation so Rocky Ponds Produce can thrive for the next generation.
When Michelle and Alan Cooke first went into business as Fonterra franchisees in 2004, early retirement was the furthest thing from their minds.
The pair began with a franchise in Te Puke, in the North Island of New Zealand, distributing Anchor branded milk and other dairy products using multiple trucks to different cafes and restaurants across the region.
What followed was immense growth: expanding to Rotorua, purchasing a second franchise in Whakatāne and delivering milk 364 days a year.
This growth brought complex business decisions – particularly around risk, expansion and finances. The Cookes initially relied on the help of a family friend for business guidance, but soon realised they needed more strategic advice.
They turned to Findex and their client manager Michelle Malcom, who has more than 20 years’ experience as a chartered accountant.
“We clicked with her [Malcom] straight away… from a layman’s perspective, she came to my level,” says Alan Cooke. “[Malcom] talked to us from an accounting perspective that was more sales driven and she was just really good at helping us grow the business, rather than just being a bean counter.”
In 2020, following years of 2.30AM wakeups and the pressure of the COVID-19 pandemic – the stress of running the business was beginning to take a toll on Alan Cooke.
“I hit a bit of a brick wall and I sort of couldn’t see the vision of where we were going,” says Cooke. “I couldn’t see past the day-to-day grind.”
After noticing a change in the Cookes’ outlook, Malcolm connected them with Craig Smith, one of Findex’s specialist financial planners to look at a potential exit strategy and the possibility of early retirement.
“One thing that we realised is that in business, you’re always striving to get to the end goal,” reflects Cooke. “But we didn’t know what the end goal was.”
Working together with the Cookes, Malcolm and Smith prepared their businesses for sale by maximising earnings and planning for the future.
“When we first saw Craig, we hadn’t thought about retiring at all… In your mindset, you retire at 65,” says Michelle Cooke. “But after seeing Craig in November 2020… we thought, we can actually do this earlier than what we initially thought.”
With these changes in place, the Cookes were able to transition to semi-retirement and enjoy the rewards of their decades of hard work.
Find out how Findex can help your business make its next big transition.
The work Findex does spans people, businesses, industries, countries, even continents. But wherever they work and whomever they work with, their clients are the centre of what they do. Their stories form the heart and soul of their business. As fierce advocates for their clients’ success, Findex empower its clients with the tools to write their story the way they want it to be. And they’re very proud to share a few of those stories through Your Story is Our Business.
