What started as a simple idea developed into a detailed business plan for Lachie, who is now confident to launch his own venture, thanks to the Northern Beaches & Mosman College.
At 21, Lachie knows where he wants his future to go. On completing his HSC he started working full-time in the family business but always had an ambition to break out on his own. Which is why he chose to do the Certificate IV in Entrepreneurship and New Business course at the Northern Beaches Mosman College (NBMC).
“All of the assessments were tailored to how we get our business from an idea to starting an actual (business),” Lachie says, adding that each unit he completed in the course was a step towards getting his venture running.
He went into the Certificate IV thinking it was a great opportunity. “My business idea was specialising in small cost-effective renovations…to help (young) people get involved in property investing,” the entrepreneur explains.
Lachie completed the Business Studies course for his HSC, and while he found it useful, the education he discovered post-school at NBMC proved far more practical and effective for his needs.
“It was really well structured and very hands-on,” he says, adding that his trainer, Phillip John, had a wealth of experience which he shared with the students.
“We’d run through start-up financial requirements, ongoing financial requirements and then the costs of setting up those, securing finances – everything. And each assessment was tailored to a step of the business, which I thought was amazing.“
“It’s interesting because in school some of the subjects are so broad that you learn about different things within a subject. But with this (NBMC) course, everything was just about entrepreneurship and business.”
Better still, he could fit the course work in around his work commitments, with his learning happening via scheduled virtual classroom sessions online one night per week. Lachie then got to meet his fellow students at the college’s Brookvale campus one Saturday per month, when attend an in-person class. Being the youngest in his cohort meant Lachie could learn even more.
“Everyone else in the class was really nice, and they had some great business ideas too,” he says. “It was good having people older than me there who have had more experience.”
The course was funded by the NSW Government, meaning Lachie didn’t have to pay a cent to gain his certificate as he met the NSW Fee-Free requirements.
Not only did Lachie gain his certificate, but he came away with solid knowledge and a plan to get his renovations business off the ground – all for free.
Would he have ever done a business plan like this on his own? “No, definitely not to the level we’ve gone through,” he says. “I’ve (now) got notes on every possible part of the business.“
“Most people, I don’t think, would say doing the assessments was their favourite part – but for me, it was, because I was actually working through how to start my business. I found that knowledge just amazing.“
“(Learning) what it actually takes to get something off the ground was the most valuable thing for me,” he says.
Lachie found the staff at the college were helpful too, efficient in emailing assessments and answering his questions. “And the system they use to run all of the course work is really up to date,” he adds. His trainer also provided ‘clear feedback’ on his assignments, and staff were flexible in supporting students who needed extra time to balance their studies with outside commitments.
Since finishing the course, Lachie has started a carpentry apprenticeship – the first step towards getting his business off the ground. “This course has really allowed me to focus on what direction I want to take,” he says. “It’s been invaluable.”
NBMC is a not-for-profit organisation located in Brookvale which provides a number of accredited training courses for areas like business, childcare, counselling, aged care and more.
Certificate IV in Entrepreneurship and New Business BSB40320
