By 1918 Bushells Ltd had expanded into Tasmania and South Australia, but this was not without its problems. The company had over extended itself and the bank was proving difficult in assisting with the cash flow problems. It was later reported that Phillip was 'really' worried and called the staff together to explain the situation. According to an interview at the time, 'The staff kicked in the money from their own resources. The crisis was overcome with money from the employees. Most of them decided to be paid back in shares rather than cash, and many finished up very well off'.

By 1902 Alfred and his sons, Walter and Phillip, were well established as tea traders, but all was not well. The sons disagreed with the way their father was running the business and on 14th July 1903 the partnership with father Alfred was dissolved. Alfred retained Queensland while Walter and Phillip took control of Sydney and Melbourne. It appears to have been an amicable parting of the ways as the brothers continued to use their father's picture on the packet to attract the more conservative customers.

In 1908, Alfred was contemplating retiring from business and was 'desirous of assigning' the Queensland business to the two sons. A memorandum of agreement stated that Alfred had the 'express desire that the surname shall continue to be identified with the business'. Following Alfred's death in 1910, Bushells Ltd was registered as public company. In 1915 an agent was appointed in Western Australia.