NDIS Business Builder
Identifying the need
Funded through RDA Moreton Bay by the Commonwealth Government, the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) Business Builder Program was targeted at individuals and small to medium businesses considering becoming a NDIS provider.
The NDIS is a Commonwealth Government initiative with economic importance (particularly in Moreton Bay where health and social services are major industries). In 2015, it was estimated that the Scheme would create an employment boom of 12,000 jobs in Queensland and add up to $4.2 billion to the state’s Gross State Product.
However, in 2020 RDA Moreton Bay identified:
- A significant need for NDIS service suppliers in the region
- High interest in supplying NDIS
A problem facing early-stage service suppliers was a lack of knowledge about NDIS standards and compliance. Auditing was found to be expensive and a frequent point of failure for their businesses.
To combat the lack of knowledge, RDA Moreton Bay ran a series of workshops for potential service providers, instructing them in NDIS standards and compliance.
The course also included a session on marketing as a NDIS Service Provider.
Workshop Content
A program of five workshops was run for 25 sole traders, small to medium business owners or individuals considering establishing a business within the Moreton Bay Region in the NDIS marketplace. The topics were:
- Week 1: NDIS for new marketplace entrants
- Week 2: Finding your niche
- Week 3: Becoming a registered provider
- Week 4: Marketing your business in the NDIS context
- Week 5: Design your Digital Marketing Strategy
The content participants learnt covered:
NDIS and its purpose
Market size and potential demand
Supports & services required in NDIS marketplace
Identifying potential new business growth opportunities
How to use the NDIS Price Guide
How to develop a basic cost model
Developing an Action Plan
How to identify ideal clients
Registered or unregistered – benefits & challenges
Registration process, where what & how
Understanding self-assessment framework
Costs associated with registration
The Impact of the Course
Prior to running the workshops, five of the participants had insecure work, five were unemployed and 12 participants were seeking an opportunity to retrain.
Three months after the course concluded a survey was conducted to assess initial results. All participants responded favourably about being more confident about opportunities in the NDIS market. During the program, many participants began to expand their ideas on the types of services they could deliver.
Survey respondents were found to be actively planning to deliver services in the following areas:
Mental Health Support Coaching & Recovery Camps
Home & Community Care (Nursing) Support Services
Counselling – Talk Therapy, Life Coaching, Art Therapy
Nail Care Services – Manicure & Pedicures
Childcare & Early Childhood Intervention
Home Care Support Services
Respite
Selfcare
On being asked if they would recommend the program to others, 100% of respondents stated that “yes - they would recommend the program to others”.