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Self-Employment/Entrepreneurship
What is Self-Employment?
A self-employed person is an independent businessperson who provides a service, produces items for sale, acquires and sells items for profit, or engages in any other legitimate business for personal profit.
Why would someone want to be self-employed?
You may want to be self-employed for any number of reasons, which may include:
- You have an idea and believe you can turn it into a sound business
- You want the flexibility to work your own hours and in your own style
- You may feel you could make more money working for yourself
- You are simply tired of working for other people!
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Advantages of self-employment
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Disadvantages of self-employment
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It isn’t always easy working for yourself, so you need to be sure it’s something you really want. To succeed you need a good business idea and lots of commitment along with support from others. Starting a business is a big step. It can be risky, but it can also be very rewarding.
What skills will I need?
You’ll need a wide range of business and personal skills – such as accounting, marketing, customer service, time management and organisational skills. If you feel you need to further develop these skills, there are a wide variety of organisations and educational options that can assist you.
Where do I begin?
Start by writing down your ideas and then develop them into a business plan. If you follow a plan, you’ll have more chance of succeeding. You will need a business plan to receive external assistance with issues such as finance or business advice.
Useful resources
on the web
There is a lot of information available on the internet and in your local community to assist you when starting a business. These resources include business incubators, government agencies, funding agencies, and business networks. See the resources on the reverse for more assistance.
Incubators
Business incubator programmes are designed to help young entrepreneurial companies survive and grow during the start-up period. Check out:
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AUT Technology Park |
www.techpark.aut.ac.nz |
Government agencies
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Business Information Zone |
www.biz.org.nz |
Business memberships & networks
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Business Mentors New Zealand |
www.businessmentor.org.nz |
Hamilton Assistance
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Business Development Centre |
Specialist funding
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Funding Information Service |
Miscellaneous
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Enterprise New Zealand Trust |
