Purchasing

Why do you want to buy a post office?

Is it for:

• Future financial security – building your own future?
• Job security – you will be the boss?
• Using your current skills for your own benefit?
• Providing other family members with a job?
• Building a strong business for your family to take over in the future?
• A change of lifestyle?
• A business owner that has just sold their business and are looking for something more secure, less competitive with shorter hours?

A Licensed Post Office (LPO) is a privately owned post office, which is operated under contract (licence) to Australia Post.

There is no territory with a post office Licence, nor is there a term to the Licence. A Licensee can sell the post office Licence at his/her discretion, subject to Australia Post approval of the purchaser.

You need to hold Permanent Residency status to buy a post office Licence and preferably have some small to medium business experience.

You can purchase a post office Licence as a Sole Trader, Partnership, Company or Family Trust.

You need to know how much you will need to purchase a LPO taking into consideration all of your acquisition costs such as:

• Purchase Price.
• Stock at Invoice Cost (SAV: Stock at Value).
• Stamp Duty.
• Legal fees.
• Accountant’s fees.
• Working capital.
• Bank guarantees or bonds required for the lease of the premises (where the post office is leasehold as opposed to freehold) this can be three or four months of the current rent in a shopping centre.

Once a contract is signed to purchase a LPO and finance is approved there is an interview process with Australia Post and should you be successful this will be followed by approximately seven weeks of training done by Australia Post and the current Licensee of the LPO at a cost to the purchaser payable to Australia Post.

LPOs are located in Brisbane suburbs, large regional cities as well as smaller rural towns (these usually come with a residence) throughout Queensland.