If you are thinking about starting your own small business you will need careful planning, preparation, motivation and lots of hard work. Consider if your skills and abilities can be adapted or developed into sources of income or if a hobby could be developed into a commercially viable business. Once you come up with an idea for a business you need to do some research to find out if there is a market for your product or service, and what sort of competition you will have. Before you begin any business you should have both business and marketing plans in place.
Many small businesses begin as home-based and move into commercial premises as the business grows.
You should however check with your local council about any regulations governing home businesses and you should register your workplace with the Division of Workplace Health and Safety. The decision to begin your own small business is a major one and it is very important to consider the personal, legal and financial requirements of running a small business before you set up or buy one. There are also a number of organisations that offer advice, information and training and are detailed below. The Women in Business Project is run by the Department of State Development to provide women with appropriate advice on various aspects of business development. A statewide network of 16 State Development Centres provides access to the services of the Department.