01 · Base camp
It starts with clean books.
CPA-reviewed bookkeeping and stress-free payroll: the solid ground every great business is built on.
Bookkeeping & Payroll
CPA Australia Qualified
Registered BAS & ASIC Agent
Gold Coast and South East Queensland
Outsourced CFO and
Job-Level Cash Planning
on the Gold Coast
CPA-led financial leadership for Gold Coast builders, trades and hospitality operators, whose cash arrives in claims, retentions and busy stretches rather than even monthly amounts.
Based in Brisbane and Canberra. Gold Coast clients are served remotely by default, with on-site visits by arrangement from our Brisbane base.
What we do on the Gold Coast
Profit on the Job Is Not Cash in the Bank
Construction is the Gold Coast's largest industry. It produced about $5.6 billion of value added in 2024/25, 12.8% of the city's economy against 8.8% across Queensland, and more Gold Coast businesses are registered in construction than in any other industry. For builders, trades and developers, the gap between the profit on a job and the cash in the account is where businesses get into trouble: progress claims, retentions, variations and subcontractor payments all sit in between. Our CFO work here starts with job-level costing and a cash forecast that shows which projects are funding which.
What Gold Coast clients engage us for:
Outsourced CFO
Job costing, cash forecasting across projects, and reporting a lender will accept.
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Business process optimisation
Claims, variations and supplier approvals that flow into the accounts without re-keying.
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Systems and software advisory
Connecting job management and point-of-sale systems to the ledger so the numbers agree.
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The local picture
A Visitor Economy Needs a Different Budget
Accommodation and food services make up a larger share of Gold Coast jobs than the Queensland average, 8.5% against 7.0% in 2024/25, and international visitors spent a record $1.5 billion on the Gold Coast in the year to June 2025. For hospitality and tourism operators that means labour, stock and pricing decisions made against revenue that moves with visitor numbers. We build budgets by month rather than by year, and track wages as a share of revenue so the quiet weeks are planned for rather than absorbed. Our Brisbane base is close enough that on-site sessions here are straightforward to arrange.
What our clients say
Trusted by Gold Coast Businesses and Beyond
“I've been working with Ascend Solutions for well over three years and couldn't be happier. They don't just take care of the accounting side of things, but also help with software/tech, contracts, and other admin.”
“Ascend Solutions has been advising and implementing all the governance and NFP compliance requirements for our ACNC registered charity. Their expertise has been invaluable.”
“Exceptional advice and ongoing support to get our business up and running. They helped with accounting setup, payroll, web development and integration.”
“Ascend Solutions helped me navigate the myriad of software packages out there, and has been there to answer all my questions, no matter how quirky!”
ascend
ADVISORY
Outgrown Your Bookkeeper?
Get a CFO Without the Salary.
For businesses with $1M+ revenue that need strategic financial leadership, not just compliance. Our outsourced CFO service gives you C-suite insight at a fraction of the cost.
- Financial strategy & planning
- Management reporting & KPI dashboards
- Budgeting, forecasting & cash flow
- Board & investor reporting
- Growth advisory & M&A support
Starting from
Outsourced CFO
From $3,000/month
vs. $180,000+ per year for a full-time hire. Scale up or down monthly.
See Engagement OptionsThe Ascent
Five stages. One partner.
The whole way up.
Scroll to climb. Wherever you are on the mountain, we meet you there and take you higher.
02 · First light
Compliance you never lose sleep over.
Registered BAS & ASIC agents keeping you lodged, accurate and on time, every deadline.
BAS & ASIC Agent03 · The ridge
Systems that carry the load.
Business improvement and systems advisory: we build the engine so your business runs without you.
Business Improvement & Advisory04 · Above the clouds
A presence that grows with you.
Conversion-focused websites, managed hosting and custom apps, built by the team that knows your numbers.
Web, Hosting & App Design05 · The summit
Strategy, from the very top.
Ascend Advisory: your virtual CFO. Forecasting, insight and the clarity to make confident moves.
Ascend Advisory · virtual CFO
Common questions
Gold Coast FAQ
Can you forecast cash across several building projects at once?
Yes. We build a forecast that runs job by job: claim dates, expected certification, retentions held, subcontractor and supplier payment terms, and the overheads the jobs have to carry. Rolled up, it shows the weeks where the business is short even though every job is profitable on paper, early enough to do something about it.
Do you do bookkeeping for Gold Coast businesses?
Where a CFO engagement needs it, yes, because job-level reporting only works if costs are coded to the right job in the first place. We do not compete for standalone bookkeeping on the Gold Coast, and if that is all you are after, a local bookkeeper will serve you well for less.
How does Queensland payroll tax affect a growing builder?
The Queensland Revenue Office currently sets the threshold at $1.3 million of annual Australian taxable wages, with a 4.75% rate for groups paying $6.5 million or less. Construction businesses often run several related companies, and grouping can bring them together for payroll tax. We model the group's wages forward so the liability is in the cash forecast before a new crew is hired. Liability questions themselves sit with your tax adviser or the QRO.
Will you come to our site or office?
Yes, by arrangement. Ascend has a Brisbane base, so on-site meetings on the Gold Coast are simple to schedule. Day-to-day reporting runs remotely, and any regular on-site time is written into the proposal with the travel quoted, so there are no surprises on the invoice.
What size of business is this suited to?
Usually businesses turning over somewhere between $1 million and $20 million, where the owner is still the finance function and the questions have outgrown the bookkeeper. Below that, good bookkeeping and a clear BAS routine usually answer the questions. Above it, a full-time finance lead starts to make sense.
Talk to a CPA about your Gold Coast business
A discovery call, and a straight answer about whether we are the right fit. If we are not, we will say so.