Everyone needs a local business sooner or later: a plumber for a burst pipe, an electrician for a new circuit, a painter, a gardener, a mechanic, an accountant. Finding one is easy. Finding one you can trust, at a fair price, with the paperwork in order, takes a little more care. Search My Local is an independent guide to doing exactly that, with plain-language advice based on official Australian sources.
Three steps to a good local business
1. Find
Start with a short brief of what you need, then gather names from people you trust, maps, directories and industry associations. Treat every source as a lead rather than a verdict: top search results and featured listings often reflect advertising, not quality. Our finding section explains where to look and how listings work.
2. Check
Before you call, run three quick checks. Look up the business's ABN with the free ABN Lookup tool, which shows whether it's active, the legal name, any business names and GST status. Check any licence on your state's official register. And read reviews across more than one platform, paying attention to patterns and to how the business responds to criticism. See checking an ABN and reading online reviews.
3. Hire
Ask each business on your shortlist for a written quote based on the same brief. Compare scope as well as price, check deposits and payment schedules, and get bigger jobs in a written contract. Pay against paperwork, and never trust an email that says the bank details have changed. Our hiring section covers each step.
Know your rights
The Australian Consumer Law gives you automatic guarantees when you buy a service: it must be provided with due care and skill, be fit for any purpose you made known and be supplied within a reasonable time. Traders who knock on your door uninvited must follow strict rules, including a 10 business day cooling-off period for agreements over $100. Fake reviews are illegal. And if something goes wrong, there's a clear path from a phone call to your state's consumer protection agency. Our rights section explains it all.
Rules worth knowing
A few rules come up again and again. These examples come from official guidance; always check the rules where you live.
- ABN Lookup is free and needs no login, according to the Australian Business Register.
- In NSW, home building work over $5,000 including GST needs a written contract, and the deposit can't be more than 10% of the contract price.
- Door-to-door sales over $100 have a 10 business day cooling-off period, and traders can't take payment during it.
- Fake reviews are illegal, and so is arranging for others to write them, says the ACCC.
- Invoice scams are common: Scamwatch warns about fake invoices with changed bank details, so confirm by phone using a number you already have.
Popular guides
- How to find a good local business
- How to get and compare quotes
- How to check a trade licence
- Contracts and deposits for home jobs
- Door-to-door sales and cooling-off
- How to resolve a dispute
Red flags to remember
Most local businesses are honest and want repeat customers. But slow down if you notice:
- Pressure to decide on the spot, or a price that's "today only".
- A request for a large upfront payment, or cash with no receipt.
- No ABN, or details that don't match the name on the quote.
- A licence that has lapsed or doesn't cover the work.
- No written quote or contract for anything beyond a small job.
- New bank details by email, however routine it seems.
For local businesses
Good businesses benefit when customers check. If you run one, make it easy: show your ABN and licence number, give clear written quotes, keep your listings consistent and respond calmly to reviews. If you'd like to reach our readers, see feature your business. Any paid placement is clearly labelled and never affects our guides.
About this site
This web address was once home to a general local business directory that later lapsed. Search My Local is a new, independent site with new content. We're not a directory, a government agency or a regulator, and we're not connected to the previous operator. We write every guide in our own words, rely on official sources such as the Australian Business Register, the ACCC, Scamwatch and state governments, and list sources on every page. Read more about us and our editorial policy.
