Let's get down to business.

Kia Ora – are you talking about this programme? https://www.workandincome.govt.nz/products/a-z-benefits/self-employment-start-up-payment.html I have heard it is good, it is quite hard or rule based, ie they want to make sure you are eligible and they want to make sure there is a plan in place to do your startup, so from what I know you have to do the hard work in preparation before they will support under this programme, Andy

Hi Pepa – good to hear from you, sorry I was not that clear in my communication. Let me try again. What I was trying to say is that the programme for support requires applicants to be clear in their preparation, to have looked at the risks, the opportunities and to have presented a good business plan/business case that is itself then peer reviewed by an expert in the industry as to whether it is likely to succeed. So yes, the process from what I understand is quite thorough and challenging and can I think take some time – albeit this last point around timelines, I don’t actually have any data to prove that or not.

I wish I had more ‘data points to help’ you work through how easy or hard this process for suppport from MSD is. I also don’t know whether they are prepared to support existing businesses that have already started – that might be an issue.

Are you talking to an existing MSD case manager? Andy

Kia Ora – and to you Pepa! Andy