Small business owners in Australia are already being smashed by taxes and the soaring cost of supplies and labor.
And a new superannuation rule kicking in on July 1 could make turning a profit even more difficult.
The federal government's PayDay Super law will require business owners to pay super at the same time salaries and wages are processed – whether that be weekly, fortnightly or monthly – instead of quarterly.
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It has been introduced to tackle the persistent issue of unpaid super.
But the payroll shake-up is coming at a fraught time for business owners like Rebecca Foley.
Foley, who co-owns Sprout Artisan Bakery in Brisbane, said unpredictable costs and new compliances have been creeping into her profit margin for years.
"Almost everything has gone up, ingredients, wages, energy. Our suppliers put up their prices of flour and chocolate by 30 per cent," Foley told Nine.com.au.
"Obviously the fuel increases in the past few weeks have been pretty intense too."
Foley does everything she can to avoid putting up the price of a takeaway coffee or a croissant.
The world just is not the same as it was when Sprout opened in 2014.
"Every single price decision carries weight," she said.
"We have people coming in saying, 'Oh my gosh, it's so ridiculous. How does a pastry cost $10?
"I really wish I didn't have to charge $10. I wish I could charge $5 like I used to."
The bakery owner is concerned the disruption of PayDay Super will upset her cashflow's fragile balancing act.
Research from global small business platform Xero found that 84 per cent of owners worry that late payments from customers and stakeholders might prevent them from meeting this new obligation.
And 31 per cent of Australian small business owners expect to dip into their own savings to manage it.
"What we used to manage quarterly now becomes a weekly obligation, alongside our payroll," Foley added.
"In a bakery business like ours at Sprout, we pay weekly.
"And revenue can fluctuate day to day."
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The challenges faced by Sprout aren't limited to the hospitality industry.
Melbourne woman Jasmine Gescheit runs her fashion label Jasmine Alexa and said she began implementing PayDay Super early to avoid an abrupt cashflow headache in July.
"It just means I'm budgeting a little bit differently, as, especially in fashion, cash flow can be quite lumpy," Gescheit said.
"We're just trying to do the best that we can to tighten things up."
The ripple effect of the economic uncertainty is being felt at every level of the supply chain.
Gescheit said retailers and suppliers have been slower to pay invoices, resulting in a bottleneck.
"All that falls on us at the end of the day," she said.
"But it's just the reality at the moment."
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Xero Economist Louise Southall said that, on average, small businesses in Australia are paid 6.6 days late.
"Which can have a flow on effect to wider business operations and the ability to invest in long term growth," she said.
Extra pressures like regular superannuation obligations can turn this cashflow pressure into a "crisis".
There could be more unexpected costs on the horizon too as the war in the Middle East drives up the price of everything from fuel to groceries.
"It's more important than ever for owners to focus on the things they can control, and cut out the noise of what they can't," Southall added
"The biggest challenge for small business owners is the unexpected.
"Owners who are well prepared for whatever the next unexpected shift is will be the most successful in the next 12 months."
Both Foley and Gescheit have called on better government support and education for small businesses in Australia, particularly when new compliance laws arise.
"It would just be helpful to have a bit more education around it," Gescheit added.
"I actually feel like I haven't received anything or seen anything that helps educate the small business or the employer on how to tackle this."
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