starting my own business

Am i entitled to claim anything from the social welfare if i'm starting my own business?

Any use?

i'm on unpaid maternity leave so i still have a job but i'm considering leaving work and starting my own business, but would this i have to claim job seeker allowance first before i could apply for help starting my own business? thanks for the link tho

Look at the qualifying conditions for these shcemes. They are geared towards the long-term unemployed and, as such, you have to be "signing on" for a long period of time. From what you say, it is doubtful that you would qualify as you would be

a. giving up work to start your own business which would result in disqualification for up to 9 weeks, and

b. not genuinely seeking work as you would be only "sigining on" to qualify eventually for a "Back To Work allowance".

thanks for the advice

Hello, I have a similar question. I have been on jobseekers allowance for the last year while I have been preparing to start my own business. Is there any wiggle-room in the 2-year requirement for " Back to Work (Enterprise) Allowance - For Self Employed SW 92". Things will be extremely tight for the first while of starting my business, and I was hoping that I could get on the scheme. I plan to start trading by the summer, but hope that the two year requirement is not set in stone, as surely this is only an incentive to stay on benefit another year rather than getting headlong back to work!

I have been advised to visit my local SW office to have a chat with a facillitator by my local officer, but I'd love any advice before I go in for that crucial meeting.

Thanks in advance!

The straight answer is that there is no "wiggle room". Chat with the Facilitator who will explain all your options to you ... that's what they are there for ....to facilitate you retuirning to work! Good luck!

Ah well, thanks anyway!

Hi,
I too am also considering starting my own business.

Nine weeks ago, I was made redundant from a software solutions company .. where I worked for ten years, so I have a lot of systems-building experience.

The software I would build would be built in MS Access. So obviously, nothing incredibly large or 'involved' (i.e. just reporting systems, library systems, ordering systems and the like) .. perfect for a one-person business, I think.

Anyway, this is my first time going it alone and I admit I'm naive when it comes to the issue of 'pricing'.
Can anyone help? I would need to figure out how to charge for the building or purchasing of my product (MS Access fully-functional database management systems, with sophisticated front-end included).

I imagine the cost of my systems would be a one-off fee for the customer, with an extra maintenance/support charge which itself would be on a contract basis and once-a-month or once-every-six-months or once-a-year, etc.

But how do I figure out (1) this one-off fee for the initial cost .. and how do I figure out (2) the cost of the contract? (I did hear from a friend of a friend that maintenance contracts are priced as per being 12.5% the initial cost of the system. Is this standard?)

Thanks in advance,
Saw.

Have you contacted your local County Enterprise Board.
Also could you manage a part-time job while starting up the new business. Remember you will loose your PRSI benefits and a part time job is a way of protecting them.ie. Illness Benefit etc.