Self-Employment

Our self-employment services can help you achieve your business goals.

Self-employment can take many forms, both full-time and seasonal. For example, you could:

• Run a business on your own, with a partner or with employees
• Buy and manage a franchise
• Work on contracts for different clients
• Hire yourself out as a consultant in your area of expertise

We have decades of experience in the challenges of starting and maintaining businesses. We offer real world mentoring through extensive experience in numerous industries. Our blended learning program meets you at your place and level.

Our self-employment specialist provides you with:

• A foundation for success in self-employment
• Entrepreneurial assessments
• Access to boot camps to help you develop your business concept and business plan
• Feedback on your business concept and assistance with developing a business plan
• Business coaching to assist you with business development
• Core entrepreneurial skills training that includes topics such as bookkeeping, sales, marketing, social media and presentations
• Online learning materials including workshops that cover a variety of topics such as 'relationship selling', 'cloud accounting', 'forecasting and cash flow tricks', and 'working on/in your business'
• Specialized entrepreneurial skills training where requested and warranted
• Referrals to networking, training and other resources

You may also qualify for a living allowance to help you cover living expenses while you are in the Self-Employment program.

Eligibility Requirements

For individual eligibility for the WorkBC Fernie Self Employment program, you must meet one of the following criteria:

• Be on an active Employment Insurance (EI) claim
• Unemployed with a EI benefit period that ended within the previous 60 months
• Paid Employment Insurance premiums in at least 5 of the previous 10 calendar years (earned more than $2000 per year for 5 of those years)
• A BCEA PWD or PPMB client (must also qualify or be eligible for the Ministry's SE Program of business deductions and exemptions)
• Be a client with a disability

And all of the following criteria:

• You must be currently working with one of our Employment Counsellor at your WorkBC Centre Fernie
• You must be unemployed or precariously employed (working 20 hours or less per week for the last 12 weeks)
• Dedicated to working full time (35 hours per week) while participating in the Program (some exceptions may apply)

For business eligibility for the WorkBC Fernie Self Employment program, the following criteria applies:

• Your business MUST be a new business (you have not been advertising or conducting business transactions)
• You can purchase an existing business in which you had no prior business ownership
• The business will not result in putting another individual out of business
• The business must be an appropriate use of public funding
• Not entirely or partially based on commissions
• Independent and not based on a parent company or franchise

What makes a great application for our Self-Employment services?

Here is a quick list of things to be aware of when contacting us:

• You have some experience with this type of business
• You have the money or access to the money you need to start your business
• You are motivated to succeed and ready to put in the hard work and hours required to do so

To succeed in self-employment, you need both skills and an entrepreneurial aptitude. Find out if self-employment could work for you.

Contact us here or speak to us via our Live Chat