Well the good news is that I now qualify for the NEIS program. This is a government funded (more about that in a minute) program for registered job seekers who have a viable business idea and want to start their own business.
The bad news is….although I’m signing the paperwork on Monday I’ve been told that the funding has run out and probably won’t be topped up! I did a little googling and found that the program was actually cancelled by our illustrious government in June last year and is due to stop in June this year. I’m guessing that squillions of people have signed up in the last few months to grab their share of the money. Apparently it has been in operation for 23 years and is the most successful program to get jobseekers into meaningful employment. So why cancel it? Who knows…I’m no expert on politics but then again is the average pollie?
So what does this mean for me? Financially probably not an awful lot. I can still do the Certificate 4 Small Business Management at my own expense and it is heavily discounted for job seekers, which is technically what I am. I can still work as long as my income doesn’t go above a certain amount. The killer is that the complete program offers more than just the course. You are assigned a mentor and are monitored and assisted throughout the 12 month program. This is something that money can’t buy.
There are other ways I can achieve my dream but I will probably need to pursue them without assistance. I’m a bit disappointed, as doing the course is just part of the whole thing. I’m still clueless about where to buy stock, how to display it, and even if this thing is ever going to get off the ground! But I am determined which I guess is part of the bigger picture.
So from now on, I’m going to try to give at least a weekly update on progress, warts and all!
