Jirsch Sutherland
Founded in 1984, Jirsch Sutherland has helped many Australian businesses, particularly small-to-medium businesses, turn-around, recalibrate and grow and have worked with scores of tradespeople, including subbies who’ve been the collateral damage when a head contractor gets into financial trouble.
We’re proudly independent and are the country’s leading voluntary insolvency firm. We offer a local presence and national reach, with a network of offices in metropolitan and regional hubs on the Eastern Seaboard and in WA, and a team of specialists committed to servicing metro as well as regional, rural and remote areas.
What makes us different is our empathy and our tailored solutions. We work closely with our clients and their trusted advisers, including accountants and lawyers, to identify and develop the best-outcome solution for businesses that find themselves in financial distress. We recognise that at the heart of every business issue are people’s lives and livelihoods. We pride ourselves on being open, honest and empathetic.
I understand first-hand the challenges faced by tradies. Not only have I assisted many in my role as a Registered Liquidator and Bankruptcy Trustee, but I’m also the wife of a small business owner who runs a joinery/kitchen business in regional NSW. I manage my husband’s books and have assisted with implementing various processes to help him run his business. Over the years I have witnessed the pressures faced by others in the industry – including tradies and suppliers – so I know it can be tough at times (particularly when you’re juggling business and family. I get it, my husband and I are parents of two young children).
It’s been a really rough few years for small businesses – particularly those in the building & construction sector – with COVID, cost-of-living crisis, inflation and high interest rates. Then there’s the ATO, which has ramped up its debt collection activities. You might have received or heard about Director Penalty Notices (DPNs), one of the statutory ‘weapons’ the ATO uses to recover unpaid tax. The ATO has issued thousands of DPNs in the past couple of years and is unlikely to let up any time soon. If you receive a DPN or are in danger of receiving one, you can’t muck around. You need advice urgently. That’s where I can help.
At Jirsch Sutherland we offer a range of specialist services including:
- Formal restructuring processes including Small Business Restructuring (SBR) plans, Voluntary Administration, and Deeds of Company Arrangements (DOCAs).
- Informal ‘work out’ solutions (allowing a company to renegotiate the terms of trade with their creditors).
- Personal insolvency solutions including bankruptcy and Personal Insolvency Agreements (an alternative to bankruptcy).
- Consulting services tailored to improve a business’s operations and profitability.
Should you be experiencing financial distress, I’m happy to chat – and there’s no obligation or cost for that initial chat. I just like helping people find the right path. Early advice is key - the sooner you act, the more options there might be.
