G21 Start-Up program aims to create 40 new businesses

Small business is a major employer in the G21 region, which encompasses Geelong and nearby rural and coastal areas to its west, with successful small businesses employing people at a faster rate than larger businesses.

Brett Stavenuiter, Program Manager of the RMIT Business Enterprise Unit, said the G21 Start-Up program encouraged entrepreneurs to take an idea and follow the training steps into starting a business, while achieving the training qualification Certificate IV in Small Business Management. 

“We are calling on local people who want to start and build a business in the G21 area to apply for this program,” Stavenuiter said.

With a population of almost 300,000 people, the G21 region includes five municipalities: Colac Otway, Golden Plains, Greater Geelong, Queenscliffe and Surf Coast.

The Start-Up Program has received funding from the Australian Government Department of Employment to create employment opportunities people in the region.

The program is modelled on the successful New Enterprise Incentive Scheme (NEIS) where participants receive business education, mentoring and financial support to develop their businesses.

Start-Up focuses on helping people create local businesses that employ local people and is targeted towards unemployed persons (but not those eligible for the NEIS program). 

This includes, but is not limited to, those who have been recently retrenched (or are partners of retrenched workers) from Corio, Norlane, Colac, Whittington, as well as younger participants.

Successful participants in the G21 Start-Up Program receive:

• Free training by RMIT in the nationally accredited Certificate IV in Small Business Management covering financials/recordkeeping, marketing, business operations, legal and regulatory requirements for businesses and business planning
• Training delivered locally in Geelong area
• 12 months of mentoring advice and business support

To find out more contact RMIT on 1800 986347 or email Brett Stavenuiter.

Story: John Fergusson