Employment

Refugees into Business

Refugees into Business (RiB) helps people from refugee backgrounds who are in business, or who want to set up a business. It was started by ChangeMakers Refugee Forum and covers the Wellington region.

A panel of advisors, made up of experienced business people, use their skills and experience to provide business advice to new and emerging businesses run by former refugees.

RiB helps the prospective entrepreneur by providing:

• an opportunity to “test” their ideas and identify challenges
• information and links into specialist services
• a mentor to support them to set up or grow their business
• a free service
• a confidential service.

There are three stages in the RiB programme. They are:

Stage 1 - Write a Plan / Identify a Challenge

* Write a business plan or, for those already in business, present a business challenge. An advisor will help write a first business plan or identify the challenges faced by an existing business.

Stage 2 - Develop Plan / Present Challenge

• Present a business plan or business challenge to a panel of advisors. The panel will talk with each budding entrepreneur about their plan and provide feedback.

The RiB is totally confidential and business proposals will not be discussed with others without the agreement

Stage 3 - Mentoring and Support

• Where appropriate, each entrepreneur will be linked with someone who can support them – a mentor.
• Our advisors are a group of volunteers from a variety of different backgrounds who have worked successfully in business in New Zealand.

For more information contact ChangeMakers’ Community Development Worker, email Robert robert@crf.org.nz

or phone (04) 801 5812.