What is Small Business Coaching and Self-Employment Allowance?

Job search

Until Small Business Coaching starts, you stay on your payment and your Job Plan. Business Plan Development earns 25 points; Small Business Training replaces job search for up to 8 weeks.

What you must do to keep getting it

• Get your business plan approved by your provider; they must assess it within 5 business days of your request. It needs market research, a SWOT, management, risk and operational plans, a 2-year cash flow forecast and the hours you’ll work.
• Set up a business structure you control, and business insurance.
• Be on income support the day before you transfer, and sign the allowance application (bank details) and a TFN declaration no more than 4 weeks before.
• Sign the Small Business Coaching Agreement. You can’t have had Small Business Coaching in the past 12 months.

If you take or turn down a job: Until you start, you must accept any offer of suitable paid work.

Job search

You have no mutual obligation requirements while in Small Business Coaching. You work on the business.

What you must do to keep getting it

• Send a quarterly report within 10 business days after each financial quarter ends, or you can be suspended.
• Keep business insurance current; your provider checks it every quarter.
• Have at least one mentoring contact every 2 months, and return your provider’s calls and emails.
• Stay on track to operate commercially within 12 months: net income of at least the JobSeeker basic rate, about 35 hours a week (fewer with part-time requirements).

If you earn money

The Self-Employment Allowance isn’t reduced by what your business earns. Other income (such as a job) is tested every quarter: gross outside income above twice your allowance for the quarter suspends it for the rest of that quarter. If you stay on a higher payment (for example a parent on JobSeeker), Centrelink cuts it dollar for dollar by the allowance and income-tests your business.

If you take or turn down a job: A job is outside income: above twice your allowance in a quarter, the allowance is suspended for the rest of that quarter. Tell your provider about changes.