Starting your own business
Consider being your own boss by starting a business. You could create a new business, buy an existing business or start a franchise. Before starting a business in Australia, you should do some research.
- Business Victoria - Setting up a business
- myfuture - 7 points to consider before starting a small business
- ASIC - Starting a company
Career Connect conducts specialised workshops covering the foundations of starting your own business, the skills needed and where to find help.
Be realistic
Know the financial burden and risks and hidden costs before undertaking a business. You may have very little income until the business makes a profit and may be risking your personal assets, or someone else's.
Research statistics on small business statistics - eg how many small businesses fail each year (business exits).
Get advice and support
Starting a business can be a complex undertaking requiring much research and preparation. There are numerous resources available to assist aspiring entrepreneurs.
- Entrepreneurship at Monash
- Business Enterprise Centres
- Business Victoria - Support for your business
- Small Business Festival Victoria
- Innovic
- Indigenous Business Australia
- Small Business Mentoring Service
- Innovation, entrepreneurship and enterprise (Future Work, Future Leaders)
Before registering your business
If you want to have a website, you should check if there is an existing web address (domain or domain name) before registering a name or business number.
Recent graduates and self-employment
Some degrees are more likely to lead to self-employment such as art design and architecture, drama and multimedia/computing.
Most graduates get experience with an employer before starting their own business. Consider starting a business in your spare time while working another job part-time. This will give you time to test your business ideas and still have an income.