Starting out in business?

Starting out in business? Get paid to work for yourself.

Do you have a good idea for setting up a business of your own? The New Enterprise Incentive Scheme (NEIS) may help you get started. NEIS is an Australian Government initiative that helps eligible job seekers start new, viable small businesses.

In the 12 months after completing training, graduates receive funding that enables them to start their businesses and to re-invest the turnover into their businesses, knowing they have income support to help with living costs. Wodonga TAFE is taking expressions of interest for the next program, to be delivered in February 2012.

For further information and to register, please phone 02 6055 6000, email neis@wodongatafe.edu.au, or visit the NEIS website at www.wodongatafe.edu.au/neis/index.html.

Testimonial

Hannah Nicholls had an idea: an Albury-based video production company with the versatility to deliver television commercials, real estate promos, wedding and corporate videos.

She had worked in the media production industry for five years, and saw a big gap in the local market.

'I had the video equipment and production skills,' Hannah says.

All she needed were the business skills to put her idea into practice.

That's where the New Enterprise Incentive Scheme came in.

'Going through the program clarified everything,' Hannah says. 'It made me sit down and identify what my products were and who my market was. I had to establish a budget and a business plan.'

For Hannah, a vital part of the course concerned how to price your product.

'I learned what to charge for each product so I could cover my costs while remaining competitive,' she says.

'Previously, if someone said they wanted me to do a job, I struggled to quote them the right price.'

The program was hard work, of course. Establishing any new business is. But Hannah was supported throughout by Wodonga TAFE staff.

'I got advice and guidance specific to my idea,' she says. 'The class was small enough that you got one-on-one attention, so every step was tailored to my needs.'

She entered the program in July of 2010. By October, Rooftop Media was up and running.

'It really gave me the confidence to jump in and do it,' she says.

Rooftop Media now boasts a highly-interactive, multimedia-rich website, as well as a body of work from a variety of clients, from circus acts and musical theatre groups to real estate agents and tourism operators.

Like you, Hannah had skills. All she needed was the business know-how provided by the New Enterprise Incentive Scheme.