Originally Posted by swissfabs (Post 5520443)

Happy moving!

fabie

Originally Posted by Carbery (Post 5521111)

Congratulations. I presume this scheme is open to business start ups only not to those who buy existing businesses. Do they also give advice on BAS returns, workcover, employment and other operational aspects of running your business?
Best wishes for the future.

Originally Posted by Hutch (Post 5521625)

Great looking website and a sound concept - and from one new business owner to another - I wish you the best of luck with it. :)

Originally Posted by SKIPPI79 (Post 5524375)

hi fabie,
I've just had a look at the neis website, but don't really understand whos eligible for it?
I'm a returning aussie, and want to set up a cafe/coffeeshop with my girlfriend( shes coming out on spouse visa) would i be able to be helped here? don't quite understand the bit about To be eligible for NEIS you must be registered with Centrelink and receiving a pension benefit, how do i register for centrelink and is it easy?

any info would be great.
thanks
alex

Originally Posted by moneypen20 (Post 5521988)

Wondered how you were getting on Fabie. Sounds great and congrats on the man as well as the business. You don't miss the Swiss winters yet?:D

Originally Posted by swissfabs (Post 5526775)

Hey :-) Im still here still here! working hard as you can see! how are you doing?

nope not missing swiss winters! no way!

Originally Posted by swissfabs (Post 5520443)

Hi everyone,

I have recently been back on this forum to sneak a peak and have seen many new people, some that are still there and i have to say that I somehow lost track of all these new immigration rules that I knew oh so well when I was waiting for my visa to come through in early 2005.

Well, my 20'' container and I moved to the Gold Coast in Sept 2005, just me and him, no man, dog or kids. This is my 5 month update post http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...64#post3231464

Within 5 months I had found a great job at Gold Coast Tourism, bought a car, a house (no dog yet) and was just enjoying South East Queensland to the max.

After 22 months at Gold Coast Tourism where I had by then been given the opportunity to start a brand new department and staff it, it was time for a new challenge and I handed in my notice on August 10th 2007. I had decided to start my own business from home, integrating both my online marketing skills to my tourism knowledge. Untanglemyweb.com was born as a Pty Ltd Company early September.

This post is not actually an ad about my business but I wanted to let you all know about the NEIS program in Australia which stands for the New Enterprise Incentive Scheme and is part of Centrelink and run by different contracted NEIS managing agents all over Australia. NEIS to help new business owners establish their business and give them 100% chance of success. The Aussie gov't has seen too many new biz fail so they set up this initiative over 15 years ago. All you need to get on NEIS is to be elligible to receive payment from centrelink (after 2 years that you are in OZ).

I was going to go ahead with my business anyway but one night I got a phonecall from my Australian uncle who told me about it. No need to say anything further apart from the fact that Google is my best friend - I knew everything about it not even 1h after I put the phone down. The next day I was at Centrelink, got a few contacts of NEIS providers and met with Tom from CEAGroup the following Friday. By Tuesday I was almost enrolled.

What NEIS gives you:
1) a Cert 4 in Small Biz Management from TAFE (you study at home - self paced)
2) Once you have finished your course, you have to provide your NEIS mentor with a Biz plan and financial plan (you get great templates with the course)
3) NEIS then accepts your Biz plan and then you are allowed to start trading.

The great thing is that during your studies you are on Newstart allowance from Centrelink (the dole basically) and once your Biz plan gets accepted you get 1 year of NEIS payment (same $ as Centrelink, $220 per week).

You are followed from day one by your Mentor who is available 24/7 via email and in person during the week.

I am just so grateful to be able to be on this program. My Biz plan has just been accepted and during the last 2 months I have worked hard on the business: set up my biz plan and financials of course, set up my website, Customer Relationship Mgt system, designed my logo, biz cards, set up my home office, registered the company, and learn how to run a small business.
So if any of you would like more info about NEIS, start here http://neis.ceagroup.com.au/ or contact me!

So here I am, 2 years after my container and I moved and I am now an Aussie business owner (got my letter yesterday saying my citizenship got approved - waiting for ceremony now). I still live in my house, which has now turned into my office. People still ask me where I am from when they try to pronounce my first name (Fabienne) and I gladly reply with a beaming smile that I am an Aussie :-)

For those who don't already know, I had studied on the Gold Coast previously so I already had lots of friends. I still have the same friends who I now call family and many more. It took me almost 2 years but I have also met the love of my life - an Australian of course! As most of my life and business are Internet-based it might not surprise you that we met online! I tend to spend most of my weekends playing sports or exploring our South East Qld region so by the time the evening comes I generally am in bed by 8pm. Not much of a chance go out and meet new people!

I have attended a few British Expats meets on the Gold Coast and have made some very good friends there that I don't get to see as often as I would like too unfortunately.

Anyway, I will stop the ramblings, the aim of this post is to let you all know that it is possible to start your own business in Australia and that there are actually organisations to help you mentally and financially to do it! Without me paying one cent. I hope it helps at least one of you.

Happy moving!

fabie