Frequently Asked Questions – Part 1

ACTI has been providing the Self-Employment Program for over 25 years. As you can imagine, we have been asked a lot of questions during that time! This will be a two-part blog consisting of our most asked questions. We also welcome any suggestions from our ACTI community for other topics or questions we could cover in our blogs. I have a great product/service that I want to offer, but where do I start? Our first response to this is: you’ve already taken a step in the right direction by coming to us here at ACTI! A major step for entrepreneurs is reaching the mindset of being a business owner. By seeking out resources such as our program, you are already making progress to achieving that mindset that is needed to be successful. We begin working on mindset from the first day of the Self-Employment program. Once you talk, think and sleep like an entrepreneur, you will more easily find the answers and resources to your needs as a business owner! Do I need to be on EI to qualify for the program? No, you do not. This was the case when the program first started. However, now there are many ways to qualify for the program, EI being one of them. We would like to note here that if you are collecting EI it must be regular benefits – not special benefits (maternal, paternal, medical).

I’m retired but now I want to start my own business. Can I take the Self-Employment Program at ACTI? Yes, you can! We get students from all walks of life and all ages. We have had quite a few retirees take our program and start great businesses! We will just need to look at how long you plan to be in the business and what your exit strategy is. I am worried about Start-up Costs. What help is out there for me? As a small business owner there are many options available to you. There are small business grants and loans available through several agencies and organizations. There are also many resources available for important issues such as market research, networking, business insurance and risk management. You will learn about many of these options in our program and you will create a comprehensive business plan which will build the foundation for any loan or grant application. Can I work while I am in the program? Part of the eligibility requirements of our government funded program is that you are unemployed or sporadically working. Part-time hours are acceptable in many cases if it does not exceed 19 hours per week and you are able to attend class and work on your business 30 plus hours a week.   Part two of our Frequently Asked Questions will be posted next week. If you would like more information regarding any of the above questions or anything else regarding our program, please feel free to comment below or reach out to us on our Contact Us page. We would be happy to hear from you!