NDIS Provider Growth Journey

The NDIS and allied health world is changing quickly, and a lot of providers are realising that the way they built their businesses over the last few years may not be the way they need to run them going forward. Pricing changes, reduced travel income and tighter funding are forcing business owners to look much more closely at where their money is coming from, how their team is spending time and whether their business is actually sustainable.

In this episode of the NDIS Provider Growth Journey, Michael speaks with Alyce Svensk about what she is seeing across allied health businesses right now. They talk about why providers can no longer assume referrals will simply keep turning up, why relying almost entirely on NDIS funding creates risk, and why having a Plan A, Plan B and Plan C is becoming increasingly important. Alyce explains that some providers are now having to learn business skills they never really needed before, including marketing, private client acquisition and understanding other funding pathways.  

They also get into the difference between simply having a caseload and actually building a strong business. For years, many allied health providers could grow without doing much marketing because demand was already there. That environment is changing. Michael and Alyce talk about why providers need to understand what they are genuinely good at, become known for something and make a conscious decision about the type of clients and work they want rather than taking whatever happens to arrive.  

Alyce also talks about the importance of having other leaders around you. Running a business can be isolating, and trying to work everything out yourself can waste an enormous amount of time. She shares what she is building through her business hub, where allied health business owners can learn from each other, keep up with changes affecting their businesses and have a place to talk through the practical problems that come with running a team.  

If you run an NDIS or allied health business and you are wondering how to protect your profitability, diversify where your clients come from and build something that can keep working as the sector changes, this episode is worth listening to.

That was a great podcast.

If you want some one-on-one support, get in touch with me, [email protected].

The SCHADS Award is one of those things most NDIS providers know they need to get right, but very few people feel completely confident about. The problem is that getting it wrong can cost you in both directions. You can underpay staff without realising it, or you can overpay because you are trying to protect yourself from making a mistake.

In this episode of the NDIS Provider Growth Journey, Michael speaks with Garth Belic from Paycat about where providers are losing money through wages and rostering without even knowing it. They get into sleepovers, minimum shift requirements, broken shift allowances, rest periods between shifts, overtime and what happens when someone gets called in at the last minute and suddenly pushes into a much more expensive pay rate.

Garth also explains why rostering should not just be about filling a shift. Every rostering decision can have a wage consequence, and providers often do not discover that cost until payday. A staff member in their 77th hour of the fortnight, a short shift around a sleepover, or the wrong break between shifts can quickly eat into already small margins. For providers working under price caps, understanding those costs before the roster is finalised can make a big difference.

They also talk about what to do if you discover you have been paying staff incorrectly, why getting employment contracts right from the start matters, and why trying to manage SCHADS calculations manually in spreadsheets becomes risky as a team grows. Garth explains how Paycat approaches the problem by interpreting timesheets against the award and turning them into compliant payslips, as well as how wage costs could increasingly be surfaced while providers are actually building their rosters.

If you employ support workers, manage rostering, or find yourself spending hours trying to work out whether your payroll is actually right, this episode will help make the SCHADS Award a lot less mysterious.

That was a great podcast.

If you want some one-on-one support, get in touch with me, [email protected].

In this episode of the NDIS Provider Growth Journey Podcast, Michael sits down with Brett Sams from Psychosocial Safety Co to work through one big question: how do you market something that businesses genuinely need, but often don't understand the value of until it's too late?

Brett helps businesses reduce staff burnout, improve psychosocial safety and keep good people from leaving. But as Michael points out, selling "staff wellbeing" can be a hard sell when the person making the decision is thinking about revenue, recruitment costs and keeping the business running.

So this episode turns into a practical marketing session.

Michael and Brett look at who Brett should actually be marketing to, why targeting everyone usually means reaching no one useful, and why directors are a very different audience from managers or employees. They also talk about moving beyond the disability sector, targeting businesses where losing one key staff member can have a serious financial impact, and using LinkedIn much more deliberately. 

A big part of the conversation is about changing the way Brett describes what he does. Instead of selling psychosocial wellbeing or workplace culture, Michael pushes him to connect the service directly to things directors care about, like staff retention, absenteeism, recruitment costs and the money lost when experienced staff walk out the door.

They also get into risk reversal, building an offer that's easier to say yes to, creating a smaller first step before asking someone to commit to a larger program, and why your marketing should speak directly to the person who can actually make the decision.

If you're running an NDIS, allied health or professional services business and you're struggling to explain the financial value of what you do, there's a lot in this episode to think about.

Find Brett Sams:
Website: https://psychosocialsafetyco.com.au/
Email: [email protected]

Watch or listen to more episodes of the NDIS Provider Growth Journey Podcast:
https://athletickoala.com.au/ndis-podcast-provider-growth-journey/

#NDIS #NDISProviders #BusinessGrowth #Marketing #StaffRetention #PsychosocialSafety

In this episode of the NDIS Provider Growth Journey Podcast, Michael sits down with Abbie Janssen, a former workplace health and safety inspector who now helps businesses prevent psychosocial injuries and deal with workplace issues before they become much bigger problems.

For NDIS and allied health providers, this gets particularly complicated when staff are working alone in participants' homes.

What happens when a young OT, physio or support worker arrives at a home and something doesn't feel right? Do they know when they're allowed to leave? Have they been trained for that situation? And does the business actually know what is happening to staff when managers aren't there to see it?

Abbie and Michael talk about the risks providers often don't see, including aggression, bullying, unwanted sexual behaviour, isolated work and workplace complaints. They also discuss simple things businesses can put in place, from better check-ins and staff training to setting expectations with clients before someone ever walks through their door.

Abbie also explains what actually happens when a workplace regulator gets involved, what directors are expected to have in place and how expensive things can become when known risks aren't properly managed.

One of the biggest takeaways from this episode is how important it is to act early. Whether it's a staff member raising a concern, a workplace complaint or something that simply doesn't feel right, waiting and hoping it sorts itself out can make the situation much worse.

If you run an NDIS or allied health business and have people working remotely, visiting participants or supporting people in their homes, this is a conversation worth hearing.

Connect with Abbie Janssen:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abbie-janssen-498090391/

Watch or listen to more episodes of the NDIS Provider Growth Journey Podcast:
https://athletickoala.com.au/ndis-podcast-provider-growth-journey/

#NDIS #NDISProviders #AlliedHealth #WorkplaceSafety #PsychosocialSafety #NDISBusiness

Behaviour support is sometimes talked about as though practitioners spend their days writing reports and collecting a high hourly rate. Laura Barnes gives a much more honest account of what the work actually involves, especially when supporting people with complex mental health needs, dual diagnoses, substance use, violence and significant risks to themselves or others.

In this episode of the NDIS Provider Growth Journey, Michael speaks with Laura, a behaviour support practitioner and clinical manager at Conscious Care Therapeutic Support. They talk about the difference between building a service around billable targets and doing the level of clinical work that participants genuinely need. Laura explains why strong behaviour support requires proper assessments, thoughtful risk management, useful training and a willingness to understand the details that cannot be captured in a generic strategy.

Laura also shares the business realities behind the hourly rate. A complex report may take 60 hours when only 30 hours have been funded. Practitioners may travel for hours to reach someone who cannot consistently use telehealth, while being able to charge for only a small part of that journey. There are also appointments to organise, research to complete and difficult clinical decisions that cannot always be billed.

The conversation also looks at AI and why Laura believes it cannot replace clinical judgement. AI may help with research or simple tasks, but it does not attend the sessions, hear the phone calls or understand the small moments that can completely change how a person’s behaviour is understood. For Laura, the challenge is finding a way to run a sustainable business without turning behaviour support into a report-writing sweatshop.

Learn more about Laura and Conscious Care Therapeutic Support:

https://therapeuticsupport.com.au/

That was a great podcast.

If you want some one-on-one support, get in touch with me, [email protected]

In this episode of the NDIS Provider Growth Journey, Michael sits down with Jackson Morton, founder of Better Support in South Australia, for a very different kind of conversation. They had only met moments before recording, and what followed was an honest discussion about the questions many young NDIS business owners are asking but do not always say out loud.

Jackson shares what it has been like building a support business in his early twenties, growing a team of 13 staff and supporting around 30 participants while trying to get the systems, compliance and structure right. The conversation quickly moves beyond growth for growth’s sake and into the harder questions around profitability, workload, identity and whether the business is actually giving enough back to the person running it.

Michael challenges Jackson to look closely at where his time is going, what could be handled by software or a virtual assistant, and why running a great service is not enough in a price-capped industry. They also talk about the danger of building a larger business that remains unprofitable, and why Jackson needs to create a business that can support his upcoming marriage rather than constantly pulling him away from it.

This is a raw and practical conversation about making better decisions before growth creates more pressure. It will be especially useful for NDIS providers who care deeply about the people they support but are starting to realise that passion alone will not make the business sustainable.

You can learn more about Jackson and Better Support at:

https://bettersupportsa.com.au/

If you want some one-on-one support, get in touch with me, [email protected].

In Episode 60 of the NDIS Provider Growth Journey Podcast, Michael speaks with Dion Tobi from DMT Coaching and Support Services.

Dion is an independent support coordinator in Brisbane and previously worked as an LAC for more than seven years. They talk about why support coordinators often ignore generic provider outreach, how providers can build real relationships and what makes information useful when funding decisions are being made.

They also cover why longer reports are not always better, what clear supporting evidence should explain and how good support coordinators help participants understand their options without making unrealistic promises.

DMT Coaching and Support Services:
https://www.dmtcss.com.au

Athletic Koala:
https://www.athletickoala.com.au

Listen on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/3sruYKcihnI94xnKmL7Rv0

#NDIS #SupportCoordination #NDISProviders #NDISFunding #DisabilitySupport #AthleticKoala

AI is already being used inside NDIS businesses, often before owners have decided where it should be used, where it should not be used, and what safeguards need to be in place.

In this episode of the NDIS Provider Growth Journey, Michael speaks with Tania Gomez about what AI and automation really mean for NDIS and aged care providers. They discuss why ignoring AI is no longer a realistic option, especially when providers are facing tight margins, rising costs and back-office processes that take staff away from the people they are there to support.

Tania explains that AI should not be used to replace knowledge or expertise. It should help people become faster and more effective at work they already understand. When someone knows what a good policy, proposal or process looks like, AI can help them complete the manual parts more efficiently. When they do not understand the work, they may not recognise when the information AI produces is wrong.

The conversation also explores the growing problem of shadow AI. Staff are already finding their own ways to use these tools, whether business owners have approved them or not. Without clear systems, policies and training, providers can create compliance, privacy and business continuity risks without even realising it.

Tania shares how she uses AI within her own business, including turning meetings into actions, updating management tasks, completing internal audits and monitoring hundreds of pieces of legislation for changes. Rather than replacing her compliance expertise, AI has allowed her to apply that expertise more quickly and support more providers.

They also discuss Innovate Care, Tania’s AI and automation forum for NDIS and aged care providers, taking place in Sydney on 5 August 2026. The event will explore practical automation, robotics, AI governance, compliance and what care businesses need to start preparing for now.

Learn more about Tania and Innovate Care at:
https://taniagomez.com.au/innovate-care

That was a great podcast.

If you want some one-on-one support, get in touch with me, [email protected].

Growing an NDIS business is never just about getting more participants. It is about adapting, making tough decisions, and building a service that continues to meet people's needs as the sector changes.

In this episode of NDIS Provider Growth Journey, Michael sits down with Danielle Creffield, founder of Quad Care, to talk about what it has really been like growing a multidisciplinary care business through more than a decade of change. From nursing and allied health to support work and changing funding models, Danielle shares why having everything under one roof can create better outcomes for participants and their families.

The conversation also explores the challenges that provider owners rarely talk about. Danielle opens up about the financial uncertainty that comes with growth, the setbacks of changing government programs, and why coaching played such an important role in helping her build a business with more than 75 staff. She explains why good leaders never stop learning and why solving today's problems while planning for tomorrow is one of the most valuable skills an NDIS provider can develop.

If you're growing an NDIS business, navigating change, or wondering how experienced providers continue moving forward through uncertainty, this episode is full of practical lessons from someone who has lived it.

Learn more about Quad Care:
 https://quadcare.com.au/

That was a great podcast.

If you want some one-on-one support, get in touch with me, [email protected].

In this episode of the NDIS Provider Growth Journey Podcast, Michael sits down with Sukhy Bansal, chartered accountant and founder of ERS Advisory, to talk about the money leaks most NDIS and allied health business owners never see coming.

From overdue invoices and unnecessary software subscriptions to poor staffing structures, inefficient systems, and expensive debt, Sukhy shares the practical changes that can dramatically improve profitability without sacrificing care.

This is not a conversation about cutting corners. It is about understanding your numbers well enough to make better decisions, protect your cash flow, and build a business that serves both your participants and your future.

If you've ever wondered why your business is busy but the bank account does not reflect it, this episode will help you find out where the money is really going and what to do about it.

Connect with Sukhy Bansal:
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sukhy-bansal/
🏢 https://www.ersadvisory.com.au/

#NDIS #NDISProviders #AlliedHealth #BusinessGrowth #CashFlow #Accounting #NDISBusiness #ProviderGrowthJourney