What No One Tells You About Sustainable Growth in the NDIS

Growing an NDIS business sustainably while remaining ethical sounds great in theory. In reality, it’s hard work. And anyone who tells you otherwise probably hasn’t had to cover payroll, superannuation, WorkCover, insurance, rent, utilities, systems, software, training, audits, and everything else that quietly drains your bank account every single month. The margins in the NDIS are tight, and the overheads are very real. This is not an industry where you accidentally become wealthy by doing nothing.

I have had many providers say to me, “How do you actually survive in this climate?” And the honest answer is, you don’t just survive, you build intentionally. But you can’t cut corners, and you definitely can’t play dirty.

One thing we all need to accept is that participants have choice. Thousands of providers. Endless options. If a participant isn’t happy, they will leave and rightly so. So, the question becomes, what makes someone stay with you?

For me, it comes back to quality. World-class service. And before anyone rolls their eyes at that phrase, think about it like this. Imagine you book an Airbnb. You are paying good money. You want the place to be beautiful, clean, and well set up. You want the host to be responsive, friendly, and easy to deal with. You want the furniture to be comfortable, the location convenient, close to the beach, restaurants, or shops and overall, you want a great experience. If you have that experience, you will go back. You will leave a glowing review. You will recommend it to others.

That’s exactly what our participants want. Not perfection but consistency, respect, responsiveness, and quality.

And here’s the part many providers don’t like hearing. You cannot deliver that experience without investing in your staff. Full stop. Our staff are our biggest asset, but they are also our greatest risk not our clients. I’ve seen so many providers come into this sector with the best intentions, only to lose clients because of poor staff behaviour, lack of training, or inconsistent service. I’ve lived this too. Finding good staff is hard. Retaining them is harder. But pretending training doesn’t matter is a fast track to losing both clients and reputation.

In our business, one of the biggest shifts we made was treating training as non-negotiable. Induction meant induction. No induction, no shifts. It sounds simple, but it changed everything. Staff knew what was expected. Roles were clearer. Accountability improved. Yes, it cost time and money. But the return on that investment showed up in better service delivery, fewer complaints, and stronger trust with participants and stakeholders.

And let’s talk about complaints, because they will happen. Regularly. If you run an NDIS business and think you’ll never get complaints, you are either new or in denial. What matters is how you respond. If a stakeholder raises an issue and your internal reaction is “oh, here we go again,” that’s the moment you need to pause. As directors, it’s our responsibility to train our leadership teams to be responsive, not defensive. Acknowledge the complaint. Communicate clearly. Act quickly. Keep the lines of communication open.

From my experience, about 99% of the time, when someone feels heard and sees action, the issue can be resolved. That 1%? Sometimes you lose a client anyway, either because the issue keeps recurring or because you are dealing with particularly difficult stakeholders. That is just part of the sector. Sustainability doesn’t mean zero loss. It means managing risk with integrity.

Sustainable growth also requires planning not just hoping. You need to plan your recruitment, understand the impact of growth on your systems, and regularly review your service offerings. There is absolutely no shame in removing services that are not working or restructuring your business to ensure long-term viability. What does matter is how you do it. Consult with your team. Communicate clearly. Bring people along with you. I’ve seen large organisations restructure so aggressively that staff no longer even know what their roles are. Don’t be that provider. Ethical growth includes transparency and respect.

And while we’re talking about ethics let’s be clear. Ethical in the NDIS means doing well without doing harm. It means not poaching clients from other providers. I’ve seen it happen. I’ve experienced it myself. And no, it’s not cool. If you want clients, build your business properly. Market ethically. Show up on social media. Invest in Google marketing. Network. Build trusted relationships. Use subscription platforms if they align with your values.

Clients you “take” from other providers rarely stay. Trust me on that. Participants stay with providers they trust, not providers who play games. Ethical businesses build trust over time and that trust becomes their strongest referral source.

Being ethical in the NDIS isn’t just about compliance. It’s about reputation. And reputation is everything in this sector. Ethical providers are trusted. Trusted providers are referred to. Referred providers grow sustainably.

Growing an NDIS business ethically and sustainably is not easy. It takes work, reflection, investment, and sometimes uncomfortable decisions. But it is possible. And when it’s done right, it creates a business that not only survives but actually supports the people it serves, the staff who work in it, and the leaders who carry it.