The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) was created to provide funding and therefore opportunities for those with eligible disability to live a more holistic and sustainably independent life. It’s designed in its very nature to assist in creating more independent individuals, with higher skill sets so they live a higher quality of life with active participation.

Too often however, many people who are differently abled find themselves unable to access services, and they also often lack the business nous or decision-making capability (through no fault of their own, it’s not taught in any school!) that would lead to not only a better quality of life, but the confidence to gain employment and potentially even to venture into the world of entrepreneurism. It is becoming more obvious than ever that NDIS participants need active encouragement, and the right opportunities that assist in the development of their Business Acumen, or their ability and confidence to make better “big picture” decisions, faster, for their own long-term benefit.

But why Business Acumen you may be asking? Why not just life knowledge for example?  Well, Business Acumen in its very nature is a unique set of skills that allow you to make better decisions faster. From Strategic Thinking, to Financial Literacy, the right Systems and Efficient Processes, to Business Goals and Relationship building; Business Acumen is the culmination of all of these capabilities, and whilst your individual focus may not be on business, having the capability to assess and view experiences and opportunities as if you were a business owner, give you a unique edge in the market place, help you make better decisions for your own personal benefit which is a key focus of NDIS, and they make you more employable if finding a job is in your plan!  

So how do you effectively and quickly learn about Business Acumen? You do the Better Business Owner Course by Helix Planning.  

Designed specifically to build your business and leadership skills, this course has 10 key Masterclasses that you complete at your own pace online, with full access to repeat as many times as you need. If you are wondering whether you’ll be able to participate and understand these concepts, if you are able to interact and take on concepts to an academic level of Year 10 or 16, then this course is suitable for you.

These are the key concepts that it covers:

Module 1 – Business Basics
Module 2 - Systems & Processes
Module 3 - Understanding Financials and Impact on Profit
Module 4 - Cashflow Forecasting
Module 5 - Business Goals
Module 6 - Building Relationships
Module 7 - A Holistic and Sustainable business
Module 8 - How to be a successful business owner
Module 9 – Business Tax Basics
Module 10 – Advanced Tax

Each module consists of 1-2 hour videos and/or podcasts, and downloadable workbooks.

You can also skip ahead if you feel that the content is not relevant to where you are currently at as well. However, we recommend that you listen to each Masterclass regards to build up your general knowledge of how things work. This will help you in assess potential NDIS workers/suppliers and their suitability for your needs.

So here are the wins you’ll get from doing the Better Business Owner Course as an NDIS Participant:

1. You’ll understand the important of setting up business foundations and why they have a direct impact on business success
2. You’ll learn all about the Customer Journey, Lead Funnels, Client Acquisition and Retention and be able to asses how well your providers are performing
3. You’ll be able to define a range of financial terms and read Financial Statements
4. You’ll know the difference between a Budget and a Cashflow Forecast, and how to Cashflow Forecast
5. You’ll learn how to set goals, and create an action plan
6. You’ll have your Elevator Pitch sorted if you ever need it and learn how to quickly build relationships
7. You’ll figure out what is burn out and how to avoid it
8. You’ll unpack what is Emotional Intelligence, what are boundaries and why you need them and what is Unconscious Competence
9. You’ll learn all about tax in business including the right entity type, and how tax works and what is GST
10. You’ll be able to explain what tax and exit planning is, and how personal services income impacts your tax position

All in all, this course will build up your confidence in topics you likely haven’t had much education in, because most people haven’t had it!!

So to get started, make sure you’ve got these codes in your plan, whether it’s Plan Managed or Self Managed.

Each Module is expected to take you between 3-3.5 hours as you watch the videos and complete the workbooks, and our price is equivalent to 2 hours and 45 mins (or less if you are regionally based) of non-face to face support provision when the full course is purchased at $1750. Alternatively you can purchase the modules individually at $275.

Having sound Business Acumen will completely change your ability to make better quality decisions faster, and we can see no segment in the market that deserves access to this information more, than those that are NDIS Participants. Improved financial literacy and general business knowledge only enables greater confidence in active participation in the community and with time we’d like to see more businesses created and run by those that are differently abled. If you’ve been waiting for the sign that it’s time to invest in your own personal and business skill set, this is it!!  

To get started today, simply head across to our contact form so we can provide you with the appropriate invoice for your services and needs and you can begin your journey to better decisions.

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