Chapter 8. Supporting Participants in Small Business Coaching

Supporting Documents for this Chapter:

• Eligible Business Costs Supporting Documentsign-in required (sign-in required)

Following a Participant’s Small Business Coaching Commencement, their Provider must provide them with Business Mentoring, support and coaching for up to 52 weeks, or until the Participant voluntarily exits early or due to non-compliance with their Small Business Coaching Agreement.

This Chapter outlines the Provider’s obligations to Participants accessing Small Business Coaching.

(Deed Reference(s): Clause 90)

The Provider must ensure that each Participant accessing Small Business Coaching receives at least one Business Mentoring contact in every 2-month period following the Participant’s Small Business Coaching Commencement. The Provider must ensure Participants are aware that not engaging in this contact may result in the suspension of their Small Business Coaching Agreement, including their Self-Employment Allowance and Self-Employment Rental Assistance (if applicable) not being paid.

(Deed Reference(s): Clause 90.6)

The Provider must complete an initial Business Mentoring contact with the Participant within 4 weeks of the Participant’s Small Business Coaching Commencement.

The purpose of this visit is to:

• ensure the Business is operating according to the approved Business Plan

• discuss any issues the Participant has encountered running their Business following their Small Business Coaching Commencement

• identify where the Participant has encountered issues, to provide relevant, actionable suggestions for the Participant

• see the Participants’ Business premises (where relevant) to better understand and support the Participant, and

• confirm the Participant’s Business Insurance coverage has commenced.

The initial Business Mentoring visit must be delivered face-to-face at the Business’ premises, except where:

• the Business is home-based or mobile, in which case the Provider may agree with the Participant to hold a face-to-face meeting at a suitable and safe alternative location, or

• there are exceptional circumstances, such as if the Business is in an area where it is not practical to visit. In these exceptional circumstances, the initial Business Mentoring visit may be conducted online.

• System step — The Provider must record the delivery of the initial Business Mentoring contact in the Department’s IT Systems. This must include:

• when the contact occurred and the nature of the contact

• information regarding the Participant’s Business Insurance

• any issues that have been identified, and

• the advice and support delivered to the Participant.

  The Provider must recommend the suspension of a Participant accessing Small Business Coaching fails to provide evidence of current Business Insurance.

• Documentary evidence — The Provider must retain Documentary Evidence confirming the currency of a Participant's Business Insurance following the initial Business Mentoring visit. This may either be a certificate of currency, or proof that the Participant has paid for the first month of their Business Insurance.

Providers must deliver Business Mentoring at least once in every 2-month period throughout a Participant’s Period of Small Business Coaching that:

• develops the skills and capabilities of the Participant for self-employment

• helps the Participant to solve problems that arise as they work in and run their Business

• assists the Participant to review the direction and strategy of their Business

• supports the Participant to mitigate risks as they arise, and

• confirms that the Participant is operating their Business in accordance with their Business Plan.

• System step — The Provider must record the delivery of each Business Mentoring contact in the Department’s IT Systems. This must include:

• when the contact occurred

• the medium used for the contact (for example, face-to-face or over the phone)

• any issues that have been identified, and

• the advice and support delivered to the Participant.

The Provider must give the Department additional information related to the delivery of Business Mentoring, if required.

Other than the initial visit, Business Mentoring sessions may be delivered using a medium agreed to by both the Participant and the Provider.

The Provider must also provide Participants with support, which may include the provision of additional Business Mentoring in response to reasonable requests from Participants for assistance throughout their Periods of Small Business Coaching.

(Deed Reference(s): Clause 90.5, 90.6, 90.7, 90.8)

Business Mentoring must be delivered by Personnel with proven business experience (either from running their own small business, from supporting small businesses, or having relevant credentials), a clear understanding of small business skills and management practices, and an ability to communicate effectively with Participants.

Personnel delivering Business Mentoring must also have a thorough understanding of the services and support available within the local small business ecosystem, to allow them to refer Participants to other complementary services, ancillary or wrap around services.

The Provider must contact Participants monthly (at a minimum) to ensure Participants are supported with any issues they encounter while running their business. For example, in a month where the Provider is not obligated to deliver Business Mentoring, this may involve:

• a phone call from the Participant’s mentor to discuss the Participant’s progress,

• an invitation to participate in a small business-related seminar or workshop that will support the development of the Participant’s business

• the Participant attending a networking session conducted by the Provider.

The Personnel contacting the Participant should have an existing relationship with the Participant and be able to provide business support as needed.

• System step — The Provider must record its contacts and contact attempts with a Participant accessing Small Business Coaching each month in the Department’s IT Systems, for the Participant’s Period of Small Business Coaching. Participants are not obligated to engage with these Monthly Contacts and must not be suspended for not engaging with them.

(Deed Reference(s): Clause 90.5)

Participants may travel overseas to purchase stock, make sales, or earn business income as long as management and control of the business remain in Australia. Participants in Small Business Coaching must organise travel so that they are available for monthly contacts and Business Mentoring and must not work overseas on an ongoing basis.  

Any business-related travel must be approved and outlined in the Business Plan and the Department should be notified at least 28 days before any travel. This must include a detailed itinerary that outlines the purpose of the travel, the details of any planned meetings including who the Participant will be meeting with and where and when the meetings will occur, and any other relevant details pertaining to the travel. The Provider must upload the updated Business Plan and the travel itinerary to the Department’s IT Systems. The Provider should also ensure the Business Plan details that an appropriate level of travel insurance has been obtained in relation to the travel. 

For Participants receiving Self-Employment Allowance, overseas travel could be longer than the four-week period allowed by Services Australia for those Participants who remain on an Income Support Payment.

Additionally, Participants must be in Australia for all mentoring/coaching sessions. To apply for an exemption due to extenuating circumstances, a written submission must be presented to and approved by the Department.

Participants should be suspended for any part of the travel that is for personal or leisure, or if the travel has not been approved by the Provider. This suspension can be applied for up to 28 days.

The Small Business Coaching Fee includes a $330 (GST inclusive) component to assist Providers to pay up to $300 for each Participant’s Business Costs. The Provider must proactively ensure that each Participant that commences Small Business Coaching is aware of their entitlement to funding for Business Costs of $300 during the Participant’s coaching period.

When requested by a Participant accessing Small Business Coaching, their Provider must either purchase or reimburse the Participant or their Business (as appropriate) for $300 of eligible Business Costs. Providers are responsible for determining whether a business cost presented to them by a Participant is an eligible Business Cost and must do so in accordance with the Eligible Business Costs Supporting Documentsign-in required (sign-in required).

Reimbursement must be paid while Participants are Commenced in Small Business Coaching. Business Costs records must be recorded in the Department’s IT Systems after commencement of Small Business Coaching and before the last day of Small Business Coaching. The Department’s IT Systems will not allow a Business Costs record to be recorded on the very last day of Small Business Coaching. It is best practice that Providers create Business Cost records and upload the Documentary Evidence immediately after payment/reimbursement is made to the Participant. Once a Participant Terminates from Small Business Coaching, Providers will not be able to record a claim, and any outstanding balance will be recovered by the Department.

Providers must record their payment of Business Costs in the Department’s IT Systems after commencement of Small Business Coaching and before the last day of Small Business Coaching.

• Documentary evidence — Providers must upload:

• Documentary evidence — proof of purchase (such as a tax invoice or receipt) to the Department’s IT Systems confirming each payment of a Participant’s Business Costs, and;

• Documentary evidence — evidence of the reimbursement or payment to the Participant, such as a remittance advice or bank transfer receipt

(Deed Reference(s): Clause 92)