New Enterprise Allowance scheme - My story

BigAl127

I had mine signed off at the end of Feb, so shouldn't be too long of a wait now then, I guess

andyscott

Anyone else had the chance to watch Entrepreneurs on BBC iplayer.

Its following a non for profit organisation that helps people like ourselves who have little funding or experience get their business started.

In a way its similair to NEA with regards to loan, mentor, resources etc but it does not allow you to still claim benefits.

I think most of us who are interested in the whole NEA programme will be interested in this programme.

WantToBeSE

Hi Andy,
apologies, i have been really busy over the last few days, going to wholesalers etc. to price up equipment and materials, and forgot to post to say thanks for posting about that documentary.
I watched it on iplayer (i don't live in Scotland), and thought it was brilliant! I now follow them on twitter, and tweeted that we need them to come down South too!

I really love their ethos, basically that you can do anything you want to do as long as you work hard at it.

pinkypoopydoo

I have it recorded, to watch at the weekend.

Exciting day for me today - new logo design arrived, was tweeked, and is now ready to be unleashed on the world, new domain name has been sorted and I started dealing with the dreaded financial stuff. My business plan is pretty much done (other than the financial stuff). I'm wishing I could bottle the positivity that I'm dripping with just now for when things aren't going so well!

andyscott

pinkypoopydoo wrote: »

I have it recorded, to watch at the weekend.

Exciting day for me today - new logo design arrived, was tweeked, and is now ready to be unleashed on the world, new domain name has been sorted and I started dealing with the dreaded financial stuff. My business plan is pretty much done (other than the financial stuff). I'm wishing I could bottle the positivity that I'm dripping with just now for when things aren't going so well!

Glad to hear things are going so well.

It is a pity you cant bottle that positivity as Im sure you would make a fortune selling that.

CuriousWorker

Well, thanks for the answers to my previous question (too many to quote here). However, I have so far been wasting my time with this farce. After being referred I had a call from NEA who asked a few simple questions about the business (not many) - without even asking for any details she immediately ridiculed the idea and said I needed to visit a mentoring centre so they could go over my business plan - I did. However, whilst we were going over the business plan, the woman from NEA had already contacted the Jobcentre to tell them I wouldn't be accepted (without telling me) - so why on Earth did she send me to the mentoring centre anyway? And why on Earth did she reject my business idea after just a brief phone call? I have no idea but when I attended the mentoring centre, they made more appointments and told me they would work on my business plan until they felt it was ready and then the business plan would go to someone "upstairs" to be approved - I have found out now that this is incorrect. My JCP advisor has now contacted NEA twice to find out what's going on after finding out that I had not actually yet met anybody in person from NE, only from the mentoring centre - I have now had 3 appointments with the mentoring centre and yet NEA notified JCP AGAIN that I had not been accepted, without even speaking to or meeting an NEA advisor (still).

So far, several weeks have passed and I have not managed to get anywhere and it looks like I might end up having to go on the Work Programme - I can still go down the self-employment route if this happens but NEA is not available. As far as I can tell, NEA is basically non-existent, extremely disorganized, they clearly haven't got a clue what they are doing and they are looking for any small excuse, no matter how pathetic, to simply reject people without them even knowing and without even having met them.

Now, somebody please explain to me why anyone in their right mind would want to go to NEA for help with their business, when NEA are clearly not even competent enough to carry out their own business properly? And they expect us to put faith in them to help us launch our business?? As far as I can tell, NEA is nothing more than one extremely quick way to run your business into the ground before it's even been launched.

andyscott

CuriousWorker wrote: »

Well, thanks for the answers to my previous question (too many to quote here). However, I have so far been wasting my time with this farce. After being referred I had a call from NEA who asked a few simple questions about the business (not many) - without even asking for any details she immediately ridiculed the idea and said I needed to visit a mentoring centre so they could go over my business plan - I did. However, whilst we were going over the business plan, the woman from NEA had already contacted the Jobcentre to tell them I wouldn't be accepted (without telling me) - so why on Earth did she send me to the mentoring centre anyway? And why on Earth did she reject my business idea after just a brief phone call? I have no idea but when I attended the mentoring centre, they made more appointments and told me they would work on my business plan until they felt it was ready and then the business plan would go to someone "upstairs" to be approved - I have found out now that this is incorrect. My JCP advisor has now contacted NEA twice to find out what's going on after finding out that I had not actually yet met anybody in person from NE, only from the mentoring centre - I have now had 3 appointments with the mentoring centre and yet NEA notified JCP AGAIN that I had not been accepted, without even speaking to or meeting an NEA advisor (still).

So far, several weeks have passed and I have not managed to get anywhere and it looks like I might end up having to go on the Work Programme - I can still go down the self-employment route if this happens but NEA is not available. As far as I can tell, NEA is basically non-existent, extremely disorganized, they clearly haven't got a clue what they are doing and they are looking for any small excuse, no matter how pathetic, to simply reject people without them even knowing and without even having met them.

Now, somebody please explain to me why anyone in their right mind would want to go to NEA for help with their business, when NEA are clearly not even competent enough to carry out their own business properly? And they expect us to put faith in them to help us launch our business?? As far as I can tell, NEA is nothing more than one extremely quick way to run your business into the ground before it's even been launched.

As mentioned before in this topic i have also experienced this sort of treatment where as I was knocked back for NEA before anyone had even looked at any detail regarding my proposed business and now I find myself on Working programme.

The main reason that I wanted on NEA was to enable me still to claim benefits while in early stages of business.

I spoke with an advisor at JC+ yesterday and he told me that I could still set up a business and claim JSA as long as I was not working over 16 hours per week.

He said the first £5 I make would be forgotten about then the rest deducted from JSA. So he actually said that I should go in every fortnight and fill in a form saying that I am only working under 16 hours and have my accounts wriiten so that it says I am not making any money and I will still get £71 per week JSA.

andyscott

The Entrepreneurs is back on BBC2 tonight at 9pm.

pinkypoopydoo

I'm becoming a bit disillusioned with the scheme. I appreciate they are very busy at the Business Gateway, but having to wait days and days for answers to simple, but quite important, questions is becoming soul destroying. I'm beginning to think I should consider signing myself off JSA, and applying for in work credit, as I'm a bit sick of hanging in limbo, between job seeking and self employment, because the people who are meant to be helping are snowed under. I'm not entirely convinced that there is anything that is being given to me just now, helpwise, that is not available with a websearch, other than the low interest loan that becomes possible after the transfer over to NEA.

WantToBeSE

Hey Pinky, i see your frustration and raise you an annoyance! I STILL haven't heard from my business mentor!
Last time i signed on (2 weeks ago) i was told that she would contact me before the next signing on.
Well, 2 weeks passed and the next signing on was on Tuesday and i AGAIN hadnt heard anything, so asked my LPA (Lone Parent Advisor) who said that she would be in touch asap...sigh.
This is so slow and frustrating!

I won't be able to get the IWC i don't think, as i will have to be getting 16 hours work straight away, and i am not sure that i will be. I am so annoyed with the whole thing!