Success stories
Adele Burnett – Bow Wow Know How
Many of us have the seed of a great business idea or the yearning to be our own boss – but for the thousands of Western Australians receiving Centrelink benefits, finding the time and support to turn that dream into a reality can seem impossible.
That’s where the Federal Government’s New Enterprise Incentive Scheme (NEIS) comes in.
NEIS is a self-employment program funded by the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) that offers people on eligible pensions, including Newstart, disability and single parenting payments, the opportunity to receive expert training in setting up a business.
Morley resident Adele Burnett credits the program for helping her to break out of a difficult situation and turn her life around.
Ms Burnett moved to Perth from the eastern States confident of securing a job in WA’s booming economy, but found things didn’t go according to plan.
“I made the move to Perth because everyone said there were so many jobs here, but that wasn’t the case and it was quite difficult,” she said.
After seeing a Business Foundations NEIS brochure at her local jobs agency in December, Ms Burnett went to an information session and joined the NEIS program in January this year.
She has now started her own dog training business, Bow Wow Know How, and is building a solid client base.
“The NEIS program has been fantastic – the course itself was a whole heap of information you wouldn’t normally think about, how to get yourself out there with marketing and so on, but also from there you feel supported because there’s somebody you can call at all times in your mentor for advice and guidance,” said Ms Burnett.
“On top of that obviously there’s the financial support as well, and the great thing is you can earn a certain amount while you’re doing it and it won’t affect your Centrelink payments.”
The pre-NEIS training course covers elements including planning, legal requirements, marketing and finances, and is conducted by people with training and small business experience. At the end of the free four-week course, participants will have a completed business plan that they can use to start up their own enterprise.
“I actually went down to the job agency recently and did a talk on how great is,” said Ms Burnett.
“I was at a bit of a loss when I came across it, my confidence was down, there was no work out there and life had beaten me down a bit. Finding the NEIS scheme was a big turning point for me, and it got me looking forward again.”
» Read more about our NEIS services.
