Financial Services SA Pty Ltd

02/09/2026

Australia's shortage of financial advisers raises a broader question for businesses:

Do you have the right professional support network around you?

This article discusses the FAAA looking internationally as part of efforts to address Australia's chronic adviser shortage.

For family-owned and agricultural businesses, access to experienced professional support can become particularly important as operations grow and decisions become more complex.

Business owners may need different expertise at different stages—from accountants and lawyers to appropriately licensed financial advisers, finance professionals, agronomists and succession specialists.

The important point is that these relationships shouldn't only be established when a major problem emerges.

A strong business planning process identifies:

• Where specialist expertise may be required
• Who should be involved in major decisions
• Where knowledge gaps exist
• What conversations need to happen before succession or transition
• How the professional team can work together around the business's objectives

One person doesn't need to know everything.

But a business owner should know where to find the appropriate expertise when it's required.

In an environment where skilled professional advisers are increasingly in demand, developing those relationships early can become an important part of long-term business planning.

A Financial Advice Association Australia submission to Jobs and Skills Australia recommending “financial adviser” and “paraplanner” be added to the 2026 Occupation Shortage List would open up pathways to recruiting from overseas to fill a significant and growing shortfall in the number of ad...

31/08/2026

AI is changing almost every industry, and financial services is no exception.

This AFR article looks at how AI could help make financial advice faster and more efficient.

There’s plenty to be excited about. Technology can help analyse information, improve processes and give businesses access to insights faster than ever before.

But there are some things technology can't replace.

Understanding the family sitting across the table.

Knowing the history behind a business.

Recognising that a succession decision isn't simply about numbers.

Understanding why one option might look good on paper but simply isn't right for that family.

We see AI as another tool that can support better business decisions, not a replacement for the relationships and understanding behind them.

Because when you're making decisions that could shape the next 10, 20 or 30 years of your business, context matters.

Industry insiders predict artificial intelligence will make financial advice faster and cheaper. Work is already underway to make it happen.

30/08/2026

Sometimes the hardest conversations are the ones that matter most.

In family businesses and farming families, disagreements can develop around succession, finances, property, partnerships or simply different ideas about what the future should look like.

When those conversations reach a standstill, mediation can provide a way forward.

At Phillip Dibben Mediation, I work with individuals, families and business owners to create a structured environment where everyone has the opportunity to be heard and the parties can work towards a practical outcome.

Mediation can assist with:

• Farm and business succession
• Family agreements
• Financial disputes
• Partnership disagreements
• Property settlements
• Leasing arrangements
• Workplace and small business disputes

With more than 35 years of experience across finance, agribusiness and farming businesses, I understand that these discussions are rarely just about numbers. There are relationships, histories, livelihoods and sometimes generations tied to the outcome.

The aim isn't necessarily for everyone to get everything they want.

It's to find common ground and work towards an outcome everyone can move forward with.

If there's a conversation your family or business has been struggling to resolve, mediation may help.

We guide a 7-step collaborative framework that amicably and cost effectively works through a fair and reasonable negotiation and dispute resolution.

27/08/2026

Your values might stay the same…

…but your priorities will change.

As businesses grow, families evolve and opportunities arise, it's worth taking the time each year to ask yourself:

✨ What matters most now?
✨ Do my goals still reflect my values?
✨ Is my business supporting the life I want to build?

Reviewing your WHY each year helps ensure your business plan continues to reflect the future you're working towards.

Because success isn't just about growing a business.

It's about creating a life you're proud of.

For many business owners, the response often begins with practical reasons: to support the family, grow the business or create financial security. But beneath those answers lies something even more important, your WHY. Your WHY is the reason behind every decision you make. It’s the foundation of y...

26/08/2026

“Never had it so good” is a pretty positive statement to hear from Australian farmers.

This article highlights growing optimism across parts of agriculture, with favourable conditions giving many producers greater confidence about what lies ahead.

And when things are going well, that's exactly when planning matters.

A stronger season can create an opportunity to:

🌾 Build cash reserves
🚜 Consider future capital expenditure
💰 Review debt and cash flow
📈 Invest back into the business
👨‍👩‍👧 Progress succession conversations
🎯 Revisit your longer-term business goals

Agriculture will always have its cycles. We've seen enough good years and difficult years to know conditions can change quickly.

The question isn't simply, “How well are we doing today?”

It's also, “How can we use today to put ourselves in a stronger position tomorrow?”

Good conditions create choices. Good business planning helps you decide what to do with them.

Record prices, surging global demand and a wave of homegrown technology have the industry more confident than it has been in years.

24/08/2026

Have we worked with you or your family?

Much of Financial Services SA has been built through relationships, referrals and the trust our clients place in us.

If we've helped you with your business planning, finance, succession conversations or simply provided some clarity when you needed it, we'd really appreciate hearing about your experience.

Leaving us a Google review only takes a couple of minutes, but it makes a real difference. It helps other farming families and regional businesses understand who we are, how we work and whether we might be the right people to have in their corner.

Leave Financial Services SA a Google review here:
https://www.google.com/maps/place//@-33.2071524,138.6162612,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m3!3m2!1s0x6abc1b3e4b1fcdc7:0xadd8ac1cb0d7c2ec!12e1?entry=ttu

Thank you to everyone who has trusted us to be part of their business journey. Your support, referrals and feedback mean a great deal to us!

★★★★★ · Business management consultant

22/08/2026

One of the biggest lessons I've learnt over the years is this:

Sometimes there isn't a perfect decision. Business owners often find themselves balancing competing priorities.

Family or growth.
Lifestyle or expansion.
Fairness or equality.

The goal isn't always to find the perfect answer. It's to make a decision that reflects your values and allows you to move forward with confidence.

When you know your WHY, even the hardest decisions become a little clearer.

For many business owners, the response often begins with practical reasons: to support the family, grow the business or create financial security. But beneath those answers lies something even more important, your WHY. Your WHY is the reason behind every decision you make. It’s the foundation of y...

20/08/2026

Farming has always involved managing things outside your control — weather, commodity prices, input costs and changing markets.

Increasingly, regulation is another part of that equation.

This ABC Landline story looks at concerns from farmers trying to understand Australia’s new environmental laws and what the changes could mean on the ground.

For farming businesses, regulatory change reinforces why planning and having the right support network around you matters.

You don't need to know everything yourself, but you do need to understand what changes could mean for your business and know who to ask when you don't.

That might mean sitting down with your accountant, solicitor, agronomist or other trusted advisers and asking:

🌾 What could change for our operation?
📋 What do we need to prepare for?
💰 Could there be additional costs or investment required?
🚜 Does our existing business plan need to change?
👨‍👩‍👧 What does this mean for our longer-term plans?

A good business plan shouldn't assume everything will stay the same.

It should give you enough flexibility to respond when it doesn't.

Farmers say the biggest change to the nation's environmental rules ...

19/08/2026

Buying direct from the farm is about more than getting fresh South Australian produce.

It’s also supporting the families and businesses behind it.

This great round-up of SA farms selling direct to consumers highlights how farming businesses continue to adapt, diversify and find new ways to connect with their customers.

For some farming families, going direct can create another income stream. For others, it can become an important part of the next generation’s role in the business.

And that’s where good planning comes in.

🌱 Where do we want the business to be in 10 years?
👨‍👩‍👧 What role does the next generation want to play?
🚜 Should we diversify beyond traditional farming?
💰 Does the opportunity make financial sense?
🤝 How can we build stronger relationships with our customers?

Succession planning isn’t simply about deciding who gets the farm.

It’s about creating a business that the next generation wants to be part of—and making sure there’s a sustainable plan to support them.

Great to see South Australian producers thinking differently and giving consumers another reason to support local. https://glamadelaide.com.au/six-farms-you-can-shop-direct-from-for-fresh-sa-produce/

19/08/2026

Buying direct from the farm is about more than getting fresh South Australian produce.

It’s also supporting the families and businesses behind it.

This great round-up of SA farms selling direct to consumers highlights how farming businesses continue to adapt, diversify and find new ways to connect with their customers.

For some farming families, going direct can create another income stream. For others, it can become an important part of the next generation’s role in the business.

And that’s where good planning comes in.

🌱 Where do we want the business to be in 10 years?
👨‍👩‍👧 What role does the next generation want to play?
🚜 Should we diversify beyond traditional farming?
💰 Does the opportunity make financial sense?
🤝 How can we build stronger relationships with our customers?

Succession planning isn’t simply about deciding who gets the farm.

It’s about creating a business that the next generation wants to be part of and making sure there’s a sustainable plan to support them.

Great to see South Australian producers thinking differently and giving consumers another reason to support local.

https://glamadelaide.com.au/six-farms-you-can-shop-direct-from-for-fresh-sa-produce/