VERTO is proud to have been selected by the Australian Government to deliver the Self-Employment Assistance program in the Hunter, Mid North Coast, Murray Riverina and Far West Orana regions.
Self-Employment Assistance can help you turn your business idea or existing small business into a viable business. The program allows you to choose the level of support that meets your needs and the needs of your small business. Self-Employment Assistance replaced the NEIS program in July 2022.
How Self-Employment Assistance can help
We can help you with your business idea or existing business through our flexible services including:
- Accredited Small Business Training
- Business Plan Development
- Small Business Coaching
- Exploring Self-Employment Workshops
- Business Advice Sessions
- Business Health Checks
You may also be eligible for financial support while you start and run your business as part of Small Business Coaching. Read more below.
Small Business Training
Accredited Small Business Training can provide
you with the skills you need to start and run a small
business.
You can access accredited training and
choose to do a shorter skillset or a longer
Certificate III or IV in Entrepreneurship and New
Business.
Small Business Coaching
Small Business Coaching gives you 12 months of personalised mentoring and support to help you start and run your small business.
If you’re eligible, you may be able to access:- up to $300 worth of small business start-up costs, such as business insurance
- an allowance for up to 39 weeks and rental assistance for up to 26 weeks
Business Plan Development
A business plan helps new and existing micro-business owners focus on the steps necessary to make their business succeed. Our business coaches can help you prepare a comprehensive business plan to help you to identify strategies for success and forecast your business cash flow for 2 years into the future.
Exploring Self-Employment Workshops
Delivered over 1 to 2 weeks, Exploring Self-Employment Workshops can help you:
- understand what’s involved in starting a business
- generate or validate a business idea
- make an informed decision about whether self-employment is right for you.
Business Advice Sessions
A one-hour, one-on-one session with a business advisor to gain advice on starting your own small business or running an existing one.
They can involve:
- getting advice on starting your own business
- improving your business’ commercial viability
- advice a range of other small business-related matters
- referral to other small business support networks.
Business Health Checks
A Business Health Check is a 3-hour, one-on-one session to help you assess how your business is currently running and find ways to improve it via:
- business analysis
- identifying opportunities for improvement
- connecting you with other local business support services, where relevant.
Eligibility
- be at least 15 years of age (18 years of age to access Small Business Coaching)
- an Australian citizen, or
- the holder of a permanent visa, or a nominated Visa Holder (including a New Zealand Special Category Visa, Temporary Protection Visa Holder and a Safe Haven Visa Holder)
- not be an undischarged bankrupt
- not already be in education and/or employment for more than 25 hours per week
- be either a new business or a micro-business (up to 4 employees) at risk of not operating commercially
- be assessed as viable by your Self-Employment Assistance provider
- have an independent business structure
- be lawful and capable of withstanding public scrutiny
- be established, located, and operated solely within Australia
- be structured so you will maintain a controllinginterest over the business through your time accessing the Services.
Frequently Asked Questions
Register your interest in Self-Employment Assistance
Service Guarantee
VERTO Ltd is a service provider contracted by the Australian Government as represented by the Department of Education and Training to provide Self-Employment Assistance program services. VERTO is one of a number of Network Providers in NSW. This website does not represent the Australian Government.