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There is help out there

There is help out there

Jane Beale is a speech pathologist with knowledge of sign language and a single mum with a young daughter. For a number of years she worked in the public sector and experienced professional dissatisfaction due to factors over which she had no control including government funding limitations, restrictive eligibility criteria and long waiting lists. Her job involved long hours and high stress.

Seeking a more balanced lifestyle in which she could achieve financial security, professional satisfaction and most importantly care for her daughter, Jane decided to start her own business which would allow her to meet the needs of consumers in a timely and effective manner. Three months into developing the business idea, she felt overwhelmed at the complexity of running a small business and considered giving up, but then she heard about the NEIS program and was accepted into the program with Mission Australia Gosford.

Although Jane found the intensive training a huge time commitment, she also found it extremely beneficial to have the intensive study period at the business set up phase. This allowed her to concentrate on the business and do the research and groundwork she needed to develop her idea and complete her business plan.

“Once I had the business plan, I had clear direction as to how to organize my time and what to focus on, in order to achieve my business objectives,” Jane explained. “The monthly NEIS reports and the quarterly mentoring meetings kept me accountable and working in an effective and timely way.”

“When I submitted BAS statements and completed my first tax return it was done with minimal stress as the NEIS program ensured I had kept up-to-date with financial record keeping.”

Jane also found that the mentoring provided by the NEIS program was a great help to her. “My business had a few ups and downs and the ongoing interest and support from my NEIS mentors was a significant factor in me continuing my business. Their encouragement and expression of faith in me, as well as their practical suggestions around financial and legal matters kept me going forwards on the path to success.”

And Jane’s business is succeeding. She now runs workshops, speech pathology services and sells books and product (much designed by herself) which teaches babies, children and adults how to develop and use a style of sign language known as key word signing.

She has carved out a niche market on the Central Coast of NSW and is getting some great publicity and therefore engendered a lot of community interest. She has also employed a person with hearing loss in a part-time capacity.  Her business is accessed by community, professional and corporate sectors, demonstrating there the large number of people who want, or need, to communicate through the visual mode of sign language.

Jane’s clients are happy – and so is Jane and her daughter, thanks to her own business and the assistance of NEIS.

You too can be assisted by NEIS to start a business. To be eligible you must:

• be receiving an allowance specified by DEWR from time to time as NEIS eligible (for example Parenting Payment (Sole or Partnered), Newstart or Disability Support Pension) and
• be available to train and work full-time in the business (remember, this includes admin, marketing and other tasks that can be done while working around children!
• agree to hold and maintain a controlling interest in the business during the term of the NEIS Participant Agreement
• not have received NEIS Assistance in the previous two years and not have received NEIS Assistance previously for a similar business activity
• not be an undischarged bankrupt
• sign an individual contract with DEWR, called the NEIS Participant Agreement.

• be independent, reputable and lawful
• be assessed as commercially viable by a NEIS provider
• not currently be operating on a commercial basis
• not compete directly with an existing business unless you can demonstrate that there is an unsatisfied demand for your product or service
• not involve the purchase or take-over of an existing business
• be established, located and operated solely within Australia.

NEIS places are competitive and eligibility alone does not guarantee acceptance into the programme. Please contact your local NEIS provider by clicking here, who will check whether you meet the personal eligibility criteria and your business idea is suitable.

NEIS is a great program for those wishing to start a home-based business and perhaps turn a hobby or a great idea into a business. If you are not eligible for NEIS, you can still get business assistance through your local Business Enterprise Centres. The BEC Australia website (www.beca.org.au ) can link you with your closest BEC and also sells an excellent Business Planning Made Easy CD to assist in compiling a business plan for your business idea. For more information on NEIS, go to the National NEIS Association website at www.nna.asn.au or contact them on nna@nna.asn.au.