If working your way up the corporate ladder… hoping to make a difference down the road doesn’t sound like your cup tea, perhaps you are an entrepreneur, but don’t know it yet. If you recently graduated from college or university and have found that the only options available to you are starting at the bottom and working your way up over the years, but you are filled with great ideas and aspirations to doing something big now, consider starting your own business.
Australia boasts about having capital available for entrepreneurs wanting to make a difference now, but who lack funding. Check out all that is available by region and business type at SmallBusinessLoanAustralia.com. Some of the best ideas come from those people who are willing to take risks and build businesses out of products or services that have yet to be invented or need improvement. If hearing NO doesn’t faze you, you might be cut out for the job, the job of boss… your own boss. There are services out there to help guide new entrepreneurs in the right direction, there are event local FaceBook groups filled with other entrepreneurs willing to share their knowledge and help others not make the same business mistakes they made. In the sport of entrepreneurship, everyone can be a winner, even if they are competitors!
Getting Started
Great! You have an idea! Now how can you take that idea and turn it in to a product or service that people want? Check out and maybe become a member of SME Association of Australia. This organization will help guide new entrepreneurs in the right direction when developing a business plan and more. Building a business plan starts with research, a lot of research. Does this product or service exist anywhere else? It may seem silly, but finding a similar business or product is actually not a bad thing! If someone else has already done half of the legwork to develop a product or service similar to yours you can gain a vast amount of knowledge by checking out his or her product or service. Review their webpage, their customer base etc. This can shave a ton of research time off of your plate. If you cannot find a comparable product or service to your idea, which has already launched, this means you are leading the pack and you have a lot of work to do and little time to do it before someone else may launch their model of your idea. It’s a race and you better get ready!
Funding
Typical means for business start up capital can come from a myriad of sources. Some people are able to take from available funds they already have, but this is not the norm. You may be able to sell something in order to get enough money to get your idea started and off the ground. If you can find anyway to start your business without creating debt owed to friends, family, financial partners, banks, or other interested parties do it! It can create a lot of strain on a new business owner trying to launch their product/service and business while trying to keep stakeholders happy as well.
Grant Options
Australia offers numerous grant options that can help get you from an idea to a launched business with products and services. Regions fund many of the grants available.
Talent + Grant has available funds up to $40,000 AUD to help support an artistic outreach and business plan. Funds Available in ACT, NSW, NT, QLD, SA, TAS, VIC, and WA.
Jobs Action Plan NSW Grant has available funds up to $6,000 to help a business who has grown and needs to bring on employees cover costs of the new employees payroll taxes.
Regional Economic Development Fund NT has funding for up to 50% of projected costs if the project helps develop the Northern Territory.
Innovation Connections Grant has funding for territories: ACT, NSW, NT, QLD for small to medium sized companies to work on collaborative projects in the technology industry.
Championship Grants TAS has funding up to $7,000 AUD for organizations to bring sporting championships to Tasmania.
Regional Events Funding WA has funding for up to $50,000 AUD when a business or organization brings awareness to local culture in their communities by hosting events that showcase these cultures.
National Radioactive Waste Management Facility Community Benefit Program has funding available from $5,000 to $1 million AUD for projects in Barndioota and Kimbal in South Australia if they are helping strengthen the ecosystems.
Trade Support Scheme NT can help cover up to 50% of costs associated with international marketing
New Market Expansion Program TAS has funding for businesses located in Tasmania to create new markets domestically and internationally.
Future Industries Sector Grown Program has available funds up to $1 million AUD when then project will create jobs and help grow the economy in Victoria.
While this is merely a handful of the grants available to Australians each grant has it’s own restrictions and guidelines for the application process and policies surrounding the usage of the funds made available to the grant winners. With all of these different funds available it is no wonder that Australia has experienced year over year economic growth recently. While entrepreneurs are out to change the world, they need to work efficiently and not create more financial burdens that they need to. Grants are a great source to help provide aspiring individuals the tools and know how to get their idea off the ground and running.
“The question isn’t who is going to let me, it is who is going to stop me.”
– Ayn Rand
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