Success stories
Margaret Musca – Pivot Point Patterns
The New Enterprise Incentive Scheme (NEIS) provides the training and support to help eligible people start up a small business.
“At the beginning of the year I was employed on a casual basis – I’ve always wanted to start my own business, but when that casual employment ended I ended up back on Newstart because I didn’t have another position to go to and I needed to keep money coming in,” said Ms Musca.
After being given a Business Foundations NEIS brochure at her local Centrelink, Ms Musca signed up for the training course in February. She joined the NEIS program in June.
“The training course was pretty intensive and covered a very broad range of topics in quite a short time – but I’m finding it’s all slotting into place as I’m going along,” she said.
“The mentoring is great and the income support is really really good because I’d been trying to start something up while working four or five days a week, which just isn’t feasible.
“Being able to have the space to really concentrate on this has been really good. You need to be in the business more than just a couple of days a week to get going.”
Ms Musca is now working on her own women’s fashion range, and aims to have her first dresses completed and available for sale by early next year under her own label.
“I would recommend the program purely because it does give you the support you need to start up – it’s a lot of hard work, but you just need that space and support to make it happen,” said Ms Musca.
“For someone who’s motivated it’s a great program. I’ve found it invaluable.”
» Read more about our NEIS services.
