Sign and Speak Australia
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Jane Beale is a speech pathologist with knowledge of sign language and a single mum with a young daughter. For a number of years she worked in the public sector and experienced professional dissatisfaction due to factors over which she had no control including government funding limitations, restrictive eligibility criteria and long waiting lists. Her job involved long hours and high stress. |
Seeking a more balanced lifestyle in which she could achieve financial security, professional satisfaction and most importantly care for her daughter, Jane decided to start her own business which would allow her to meet the needs of consumers in a timely and effective manner. Three months into developing the business idea, she felt overwhelmed at the complexity of running a small business and considered giving up, but then she heard about the NEIS program and was accepted into the program with Mission Australia Gosford.
Although Jane found the intensive training a huge time commitment, she also found it extremely beneficial to have the intensive study period at the business set up phase. This allowed her to concentrate on the business and do the research and groundwork she needed to develop her idea and complete her business plan.
"Once I had the business plan, I had clear direction as to how to organize my time and what to focus on, in order to achieve my business objectives," Jane explained. "The monthly NEIS reports and the quarterly mentoring meetings kept me accountable and working in an effective and timely way."
"When I submitted BAS statements and completed my first tax return it was done with minimal stress as the NEIS program ensured I had kept up-to-date with financial record keeping."
Jane also found that the mentoring provided by the NEIS program was a great help to her. "My business had a few ups and downs and the ongoing interest and support from my NEIS mentors was a significant factor in me continuing my business. Their encouragement and expression of faith in me, as well as their practical suggestions around financial and legal matters kept me going forwards on the path to success."
And Jane's business is succeeding. She now runs workshops, speech pathology services and sells books and product (much designed by herself) which teaches babies, children and adults how to develop and use a style of sign language known as key word signing.
She has carved out a niche market on the Central Coast of NSW and is getting some great publicity and therefore engendered a lot of community interest. She has also employed a person with hearing loss in a part-time capacity. Her business is accessed by community, professional and corporate sectors, demonstrating there the large number of people who want, or need, to communicate through the visual mode of sign language.
Jane's clients are happy - and so is Jane, thanks to her own business and the assistance of NEIS.