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FAQs - General Questions- What will I learn in the Self Employment Program?
- How do I qualify?
- Where is the Self Employment Program offered?
- When does the program start?
- How long is the program?
- How soon can I start my business?
- How do I apply?
- Where do I have to live to be eligible?
- What can I do to make my application stronger?
- Do I receive financial support while in the program?
- What is the success rate of Douglas College SE graduates?
- Do you have any information sessions or classes in the evenings?
- Does everyone who applies get an interview?
- Am I guaranteed acceptance if I reply?
- Can I apply with more than one business idea?
- What is the difference between my Employment Counsellor/Case Manager and my SE Business Advisor?
- Who are the instructors in the Self Employment Program?
- Can you review the entire application for me right now and tell me if I'm on the right track?
- How do I know how much I should spend on sales?
- Can I get in at a later class?
- When can I start the business and make money?
- Is there a claw-back on the EI from the money I make?
- Do you have suggested businesses that are in demand now?
- If I'm working from a home office, do I need to put rent in monthly business expenses?
- What else do I need?
1. What will I learn in the Self Employment Program?
The Self Employment Program is designed to help you write a comprehensive business plan, start and run your own business. During the first weeks of the program, you will focus on writing a business plan. Once you have completed your business plan, you will spend four weeks in Business Skills seminars to develop your business management skills. Topics include sales, marketing, financial management and operations.
The Self Employment Program is sponsored by the Employment and Labour Services branch of the Ministry of Social Development. To qualify for the program, you must have an active EI claim or received EI in the past 36 months or have been on a maternity/parental claim in the 60 months prior to the program start date. If you are collecting a severance package, you may also qualify. To be eligible for financial assistance, individuals must meet the definition of an "insured participant" and must complete an application form to make their request for assistance under the Self Employment Benefit Program.
The business you want to start must be a new business to you, i.e. you have not been the owner of this business before. If you have worked for someone else doing the same thing or if you have done it as a hobby, then you could qualify.
3. Where is the Self Employment Program offered?The Douglas College North Fraser Self Employment program holds all classes at the David Lam Campus of Douglas College, located at 1250 Pinetree Way in Coquitlam.
The Douglas College, Greater Vancouver Self Employment program holds all classes at the New Westminster campus, located at 700 Royal Avenue in New Westminster.
4. When does the program start?
Each of the two Douglas College Self Employment programs offer 10 start dates each year for a combined total of 20 intakes per year. For each program, classes start every 5 weeks. Check out upcoming intake calendars on our Information Session page.
5. How long is the program?
The Self Employment Program is a 48 week long program delivered in three phases. The first phase includes two-weeks of Business Plan Development training and individual consultation to review your business plan.
After the Local Review Committee approves your Business Plan, the next phase of the Program - Business Skills Development Seminars begins. During the 4-weeks of seminars, you will learn how to successfully start and manage your business.
Upon the completion of Seminars, you will work full-time (35 hours per week) implementing your business plan, meet with your Business Advisor, attend Round Table Networking Sessions and participate in Success Circles.
6. How soon can I start my business?
You can start your business on the first day of class. We recommend that you start your business after the business plan is written.
7. How do I apply?
To apply to the Self Employment Program, you must attend an information session. At that Information Session you will find out about the program and will be given an Application Form to complete. Information Sessions are drop-in; there is no need to register in order to attend. Visit our Information Sessions page to view upcoming sessions which are held at various locations around the Lower Mainland.
8. Where do I have to live to be eligible?
You are eligible to apply for the Greater Vancouver program if you live in the Lower Mainland.
You are eligible to apply for the North Fraser Self Employment program, if you live in the Tri-Cities, Ridge-Meadows, Mission, Langley, Abbotsford, and Chilliwack areas.
9. What can I do to make my application stronger?
The strongest applications are from those people who have done market research on their industry, competition, customers, and suppliers. Doing market research will help determine if your business is viable.
10. Do I receive financial support while in the program?
Approved clients who are currently collecting EI benefits will continue to receive these benefits while in the program. Should EI benefits be exhausted during the program, you will then be eligible to receive a bi-weekly training allowance of $600 minus income tax for the duration of the 48 week contract.
Approved clients who have exhausted EI benefits prior to entering the program are eligible to receive the bi-weekly training allowance of $600 minus income tax for the duration of the 48 week contract.
There are no loans, grants, etc., made available through the Self Employment program.
11. What is the success rate of Douglas College SE graduates?
The Douglas College Self Employment Program has helped establish more than 3,200 businesses and has one of the best success rates in the country.
- 95 % still in business after one year (national average: 77 percent)
- 86 % still in business after two years
- 74% still in business after three years
- 72 % still in business after four years (national average: 40 percent)
12. Do you have any information sessions or classes in the evenings?
Unfortunately, we do not offer information sessions or classes in the evenings or on weekends. To attend the Self Employment Program, you must be available to attend classes during regular business hours.
13. Does everyone who applies get an interview?
Every participant referred by a Case Manager that has a viable business idea is interviewed for the program.
14. Am I guaranteed acceptance if I apply?
Not necessarily, it's important to remember that those people who are successful in the program have done market research and can prove that their business idea is viable, and who meet the eligibility criteria outlined by Ministry of Social Development.
No. To start a business successfully, you need to be committed to it. That means that you must pick one idea, either the most profitable or where you have the most experience. If you concentrate on one of the above areas, you have the best chance of getting into the program and succeeding.
16. What is the difference between my Employment Counsellor / Case Manager and my SE Business Advisor?
Your Case Manager/Employment Counsellor will help you develop a Return to Work Action plan that may identify a referral to the Self Employment Program. This person will also help prepare the paperwork necessary for financial assistance and referral to the Self Employment Program.
Your SE Business Advisor at Douglas College will provide feedback on your business plan and will work one on one with you during the program. Your Business Advisor is a resource to call upon when you need help with your business.
17. Who are the instructors in the Self Employment Program?
All of the Self Employment Program instructors are experienced entrepreneurs from the community who provide a valuable level of practical knowledge for you.
FAQs - Application Queries
Once you attend an Information Session and start to complete the Self Employment Application, you have an opportunity to "drop-in" to the Self Employment office on a scheduled date to access assistance in completing the Application. Drop-in sessions are on a first come first served basis and may be limited to a time maximum of 15 minutes. Please note that you are responsible to complete the majority of the application prior to the drop-in session. Individual short questions may be answered by emailing or calling our offices.
1. Can you review the entire application for me right now and tell me if I'm on the right track?
We are unable to review the entire document at the drop-in session and will do that upon submission. If you have 3 or fewer direct questions we can answer them at the drop-in session.
2. How do I know how much I should spend on sales?
Your responses to #12 of the Application should be based on your market research related to the 10 items that are identified in the table. Consider which of these you would participate in, based on your business check the ones off that apply, then research what the average costs are for each one of these selected items.
3. Can I get in at a later class?
Please apply for the Intake that you wish to attend. If a circumstance has arisen where you need to be considered for a later intake, let the Advisor who conducts your Application Interview know of your situation. Situations vary from intake to intake.
4. When can I start the business and make money?
Your business can commence and you can start earning money on the first day of class. Due to the intensity of the Business Plan Development classes, we recommend that you postpone your business start up until after the business plan is written.
5. Is there a claw-back on the EI from the money I make?
Under some circumstances, the financial assistance you receive while under contract may be subject to claw-back. When this happens, it is usually as a result of high Net Earnings. You must report business earnings while under the Self Employment Benefit on your income tax return. The financial assistance you receive while in the program is subject to Income Tax.
We do not make suggestions as to which business you should start. We expect that you have done extensive Market Research prior to submitting your application to the Self Employment program.
7. If I'm working from a home office, do I need to put rent in monthly business expenses?
Do not enter home based rent in the Application form (question 21). Home based rental expenses may be claimed at the end of the taxation year, using a formula that the Canada Revenue Agency bases on the square footage of the home used.
8. What else do I need?
There is a checklist on the last page of the Appliication, make sure that you have checked off everything on the list. If you can include letters of intent, it would be beneficial. Feel free to bring a sample, your portfolio, photographs and other illustrations if available to the interview.
