29 January 2026
1 March, 2026
Business Pulse: March 2026
By Julie Rynski
It’s understandable that many businesses are looking to further minimise their costs in 2026. However the reality is, their long-term success requires a balancing act – and always has.
That’s why resilient businesses continue to keep a close eye on their returns, even as they look for efficiencies wherever they can. It’s about managing all the moving parts – wages, cost of goods, exchange rates, productivity – so they can safeguard profitability while still maintaining momentum to grow.
We’re seeing this balancing act playing out right now. True, cost containment remained the dominant lever in 2025, according to NAB’s quarterly SME business survey. But there were clear signs of a renewed focus on capacity building in 2026. Businesses set to increase marketing activity rose from 37% in Q2 to 41% in Q4, while investment in internal capabilities also strengthened, with training and talent investment rising from 29% to 35%.
Getting the balance right
Inner West’s Perfect Contracting is a great example of this approach in action – and of the power of the right partnerships. Established in 2010, the national provider of demolition, decommissioning and civil construction has a reputation for delivering complex, high-risk projects across Australia’s infrastructure, defence, energy, mining and commercial sectors. Today it employs more than 200 professionals as it continues to expand its offering and goes from strength to strength.
Sit down with founder Mateusz Jedruszek and it’s easy to see why. His approach in 2025 reflects the same proactive mindset that has shaped Perfect Contracting for the past 15 years.
You see it most clearly in the business’s early and decisive move into AI. While others are still tinkering around the edges of automation, Perfect Contracting has gone considerably further. As Mateusz puts it, “If you use AI to rewrite your emails, you aren’t really using it.”
Instead, Perfect Contracting has spent the past 12 months making it an integral part of everyday workflows – from identifying new opportunities to preparing tenders and reviewing contracts.
“Our system knows our risk appetite, negotiation playbook, insurance wordings and the legislation in different states. It compares the contract to local requirements and flags any hidden catches,” Mateusz explains. Meanwhile, on the ground, the yard team relies on it to generate tool and consumables lists based on the job scope.
The technology has helped expand the company’s reach. Perfect Contracting can now identify, assess and pursue projects across a much wider geographic footprint, surfacing insights that would previously have taken days – or even weeks – to uncover.
“We can map opportunities in different regions of Australia. AI scans and scores them across 10 attributes,” Mateusz says. “It’s like having an additional resource looking for work for us every day.”
More time for what matters
The investment has been minimal – about $15,000 in the past 12 months and mostly on an external consultant for coaching on AI governance and legislation. “The tools themselves are cheap compared to other software,” Mateusz says.
The returns, however, have already been considerable. Mateusz estimates their new AI systems have increased output by 30% per person this past year. In turn, it frees them up to spend more time on engineering and, importantly, human relations.
Talking – connecting – is highly prized at Perfect Contracting. As Mateusz explains, “I’d rather see [my staff] in the kitchen having coffee than typing methodologies.”
That’s because Perfect Contracting is – and never will be – all about automation. Mateusz views it as a partner, not a replacement, with people retaining accountability and decision-making.
“There’s always a human in the loop,” Mateusz points out. In fact, it’s explicit company policy that AI is not to make decisions.
That makes sense from a risk management perspective. It also makes sense for the company’s work culture. To Mateusz, people are the ultimate partner. All the more reason to have them connecting over coffee.
We’re here to help
Sound like your business? If you’re looking to strengthen capability in 2026 – even as you pursue greater efficiencies – speak with your NAB Business Banker.
We’re here to discuss any initiative that helps you manage those moving parts of your business, whether it helps to safeguard profitability or maintain momentum for growth.
