A life-changing accident wasn’t the vision Dean had had for his career, but with support from our Self-Employment Assistance program he’s lit up a new avenue and is seeing the benefits in his new business, Vision Headlight Restoration.
Utilising thirty years of experience restoring his own cars and motorbikes, and hearing how many cars in Cairns fail roadworthy checks due to cloudy, dull headlights, he saw a unique way to rejoin the workforce on his own terms. But while he had the knowledge, and had found a great formula to restore headlights to their former glory, Dean wasn’t sure how to convert his idea into a commercially viable business.
Having read about our Self Employment Assistance program online, Dean first tested the supports out by enrolling in our ‘Explore Being Your Own Boss’ workshop. Over five days, our small business mentors from around Australia combine to deliver online learning that covers all things small business: initial concepts, digital marketing, branding, competitor analysis and even finances.
Dean was surprised at the value he got from the government funded course, how easy the mentors made each aspect and what he was able to achieve while completing it.
“I thought you had to be a computer genius to set up a web page!” he said.
“But it was explained through this course and I managed to set mine up without spending a small fortune, and with a great sense of self achievement to match.”
Realising the value in the longer-term Self-Employment Assistance program, Dean was linked with local Cairns mentor Roberta who helped to develop plans, budgets and forecasts to ensure it could be a commercially viable business with achievable targets.
“Roberta has been an incredible wealth of knowledge, and her enthusiasm and faith in my business has been a driving force in me getting it up and running” he said.
“It’s been a challenge to have a total career change at my age, but it’s definitely been made achievable with the invaluable assistance from My Pathway and the Self-Employment Assistance program.”
If you can see yourself in your own business one day, why not talk to us about the supports available to help you succeed?
Like Dean, you could turn your vision and passion into a brilliant local businesses that shines as brightly as his reconditioned headlights do!