Title: Starting a business on JobSeeker in Victoria > JobSeeker in Victoria while you start a business: what you keep each fortnight, free state business advice (45 minutes) and the federal help. Source: https://pontia.xyz/au/victoria/ Checked: 25 September 2026 Free · official rates · checked 26 September 2026 # Starting a business on JobSeeker in Victoria JobSeeker and Self-Employment Assistance work the same in Victoria as anywhere in Australia. What Victoria adds is free business advice. See what you’d keep each fortnight. ## Free business advice in Victoria Business Victoria free business advice session: 45 minutes of free advice in one session. > “One free 45-minute general business advice session and business action plan per business.” Who can use it: All Victorian small business owners and those wishing to start a business. No ABN is required to access this service. - Free 45-minute session with a business adviser, online or face to face on the Small Business Bus - Free online course, Starting Your Small Business (4 to 6 hours), ending with an action plan - Business Victoria: 13 22 15 [Business Victoria free business advice session](https://business.vic.gov.au/grants-and-programs/business-mentoring) Make every month of your support count Budgets built from your numbers, a clear plan, and the tools to build it. Free. [Start my plan](https://pontia.xyz/au/start?state=VIC&scheme=au-jobseeker&status=have&from=au-state-mid) ## Start-up money from Victoria No state start-up grant or loan was found on the official pages we read. ## Help that works in every state - [JobSeeker Payment](https://pontia.xyz/au/guide/jobseeker/) (or [Youth Allowance](https://pontia.xyz/au/guide/ya/) at 16 to 21) while you plan and start: report wages every fortnight and business profit on a Profit and Loss Statement. - [Self-Employment Assistance](https://pontia.xyz/au/guide/sea/): free workshops, business plan development and accredited small business training, which count towards your points. - [Small Business Coaching](https://pontia.xyz/au/guide/sbc/): 12 months of mentoring with no mutual obligations, and the Self-Employment Allowance for up to 39 weeks. - Many Rivers: free business coaching and loans at 7% a year, fixed. - The small business income tax offset: up to $1,000 a year off the tax on your business profit. Your points target and job searches go through [Workforce Australia](https://pontia.xyz/au/mutual-obligation-points/); Pontia keeps your job-search record so your plan and your search run side by side. ## Questions Can I get JobSeeker while starting a business in Victoria?+ Yes. JobSeeker Payment is federal, so the rules are the same in Victoria as anywhere in Australia: your net business profit is set as an annual amount and spread across each fortnight, the first $150 a fortnight is free, and your Job Plan continues unless the business passes the sufficient work test. What free business advice does Victoria offer?+ Business Victoria free business advice session: 45 minutes of free advice in one session. One free 45-minute general business advice session and business action plan per business. Is there a start-up grant in Victoria?+ No state start-up grant or loan was found on the official pages we read. Federal help works here: Self-Employment Assistance, Small Business Coaching with the Self-Employment Allowance for up to 39 weeks, and Many Rivers coaching and loans. What is Small Business Coaching?+ Part of Self-Employment Assistance: 12 months of mentoring to launch your business, with no mutual obligation requirements. If you were on income support, the Self-Employment Allowance ($824.90 a fortnight from 20 September 2026) replaces it for up to 39 weeks and isn’t reduced by what the business earns. Sources, checked 26 September 2026 - [Victoria: Business Victoria free business advice session](https://business.vic.gov.au/grants-and-programs/business-mentoring) - [Victoria: Business Victoria adviser sessions and courses](https://learn.business.vic.gov.au/) - [Services Australia: how much JobSeeker Payment you can get](https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/how-much-jobseeker-payment-you-can-get) - [DEWR: Self-Employment Assistance](https://www.dewr.gov.au/self-employment-assistance) Estimate and guidance only. Estimate and guidance only. Confirm with your benefit office, the official website or an adviser. Rules change, and your situation changes the outcome. Not a government service. Not financial, tax or legal advice. ## Your start-up support is a head start. Use it well. Plan your money, pick what you’ll build, and get the tools to build it. Free, and nobody sees your plan but you. [Sign up free](https://pontia.xyz/au/start?state=VIC&scheme=au-jobseeker&status=have&from=au-state-end) Free forever · No card · No hidden charges Cite this page "Starting a business on JobSeeker in Victoria", Pontia, https://pontia.xyz/au/victoria/ (updated 25 September 2026) ## Related guides and tools - [Start your business and keep your payment](https://pontia.xyz/au/) - [Mutual obligation points, without the admin](https://pontia.xyz/au/mutual-obligation-points/) - [JobSeeker self-employed calculator](https://pontia.xyz/au/jobseeker-self-employed-calculator/) - [Young and not working yet? Your idea could be your first job.](https://pontia.xyz/au/young-people/) - [Australian State Small Business Support Index 2026](https://pontia.xyz/au/datasets/au-state-support-index/) - [Months of benefit while starting up: Australia vs 8 countries](https://pontia.xyz/au/datasets/au-support-months/) - [Australia start-up support for job seekers: figures 2026](https://pontia.xyz/au/datasets/au-startup-support/) - [JobSeeker Payment while you build your business vs Youth Allowance while you build your business](https://pontia.xyz/au/compare/jobseeker-vs-ya/) - [JobSeeker Payment while you build your business vs Small Business Coaching and Self-Employment Allowance](https://pontia.xyz/au/compare/jobseeker-vs-sbc/) --- Pontia is free and independent. It is not a government service and not financial, tax, legal or benefits advice; always check the official source linked on the page. Some tool links are affiliate links: we may earn a fee at no cost to you, and free options come first. Contact: hello@pontia.xyz Cite as: "Starting a business on JobSeeker in Victoria", Pontia, https://pontia.xyz/au/victoria/ (updated 25 September 2026) Whole site in one file: https://pontia.xyz/llms-full.txt