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
Newcastle and the Hunter
Outsourced CFO and
Scenario Planning
in Newcastle
CPA-led financial leadership for Hunter businesses weighing up what the next decade does to their customers, their contracts and their cash.
Based in Canberra and Brisbane. Newcastle and Hunter clients are served remotely by default, with on-site visits by arrangement.
What we do in Newcastle
When Your Biggest Customer's Industry Is Changing
Coal was 93% of everything that moved through the Port of Newcastle by tonnage in 2025, and the NSW Government has said that under current approvals 32 of the state's 39 coal mines and all four coal-fired power stations will close by 2040. For the many Hunter businesses that supply, service or maintain that industry, that is not a headline, it is customer concentration with a timeline attached. Our CFO work here is about seeing it clearly: revenue by customer and by sector, what the business looks like if the largest accounts shrink, and which new work is worth pricing for while there is time to win it.
What Hunter clients engage us for:
Outsourced CFO
Customer and sector exposure, scenario forecasts and board reporting.
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Business process optimisation
Contract costing, timesheets and milestone billing that tie back to the ledger.
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Systems and software advisory
Project and inventory-capable platforms for businesses that have outgrown the basics. NetSuite Solutions Partner.
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Web and app design
Sites and custom applications for firms moving into new markets.
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The local picture
Defence Work Runs on Contract Discipline
RAAF Base Williamtown now houses Australia's F-35A fleet, completed in December 2024, and Defence has committed that all 72 of those aircraft will be sustained and upgraded at a facility in the Hunter. That draws in a supply chain of engineering, maintenance and service businesses working to prime contractors. Contract work of that kind rewards businesses whose costing, milestone billing and reporting stand up to scrutiny, and punishes cash forecasts that assume every invoice is paid on time. We set up the job costing, the contract-level reporting and the forecast so a new contract is priced on real overhead recovery.
What our clients say
Trusted by Newcastle 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
Newcastle FAQ
Most of our revenue comes from mining customers. What should we be doing now?
Measuring it first. We break revenue and margin down by customer and by end market, then model what happens to profit and cash if the largest accounts reduce over the next few years. That turns a vague worry into a number, and shows how much new work the business needs to win, and by when, to hold its position. The strategy decisions are yours; the job is making sure they are made on real figures.
We are bidding for defence supply chain work. Can you help with pricing?
Yes, on the financial side. That means working out your true overhead recovery rate, building the cost model behind a bid, and forecasting the cash needed to carry a contract between milestones. The technical, security and compliance requirements of the contract itself sit with the prime and your own advisers.
Do you do bookkeeping for Newcastle businesses?
For CFO clients, where it underpins the reporting, yes. We do not compete for standalone bookkeeping in the Hunter. If that is the whole job, a Newcastle bookkeeper is the better fit and the cheaper one, and we would rather say so than take the work.
How does NSW payroll tax fit into our forecast?
For 2026-27 Revenue NSW sets the annual tax-free threshold at $1.2 million with a 5.45% rate, and grouped businesses share one threshold. A contract that needs a larger crew can push the group over it. We build the payroll tax into the cost of the contract and the cash forecast from the start; whether a particular payment counts as wages is a question for your tax adviser or Revenue NSW.
Will you come to Newcastle?
By arrangement. We work remotely by default from Canberra and Brisbane, which covers the reporting and most of the analysis. For a board meeting, a bid review or a session with the bank, an on-site visit can be arranged, and the travel is quoted in the written proposal before you agree to it.
Talk to a CPA about your Newcastle business
A discovery call, and a straight answer about whether we are the right fit. If we are not, we will say so.