New Member Treasury - 9th February

A big warm welcome to the New Members who joined our growing community. Enjoy your  time with the Etsy Ireland Team.

Make this Valentine's Day a special one with our unique collection of crafts from our New Members Shops:

At Corfil Shop We will find moisturising and traditional castile soap and now the shop it has also a Valentine’s Day discount also.

In SimbaGarden Shop eye candy jewelry from polymer clay, felt , resin and much more.

Want a message on the fridge for loved ones?  You'll need letters from ScrabbleDesings.

 Need a gift or treat for a football fan? Visit KieranCarrol lDesign Shop for high quality prints.

For best friend gifts, the best place to shop is the RealBestFriends Shop. Key chains in silver tone:

Special fairy tale gifts, jewellery or greeting cards from Petalgifts:

Huge range of buttons and more from BethshanCrafts:

And now let’s visit MonPetitPois, a Pop Art Shop of animal icons presented onto wooden boards.

Let’s visit The New Member Shops, welcome them, heart their stuff and maybe we will find something “must have”. Check out this Treasury for top picks from their shops.

Hot Topic #1: Short Term Enterprise Allowance - Financial Support

Many people may be put off working full time on their craft business. But with some savings and a bit of knowledge of financial facilities available, your dreams can be within reach!

How I quit my job and got supplemented support:

1. Applied for the Back To Work Enterprise Allowance,
2. Prepared a detailed business plan,
3. Applied for the Short-Term Enterprise Allowance with the Tolka Partnership.

          Weekly allowance approved!

After I left my job, I knew that I wanted to set up my own business. This will be a slow process as there is a lot of set up work and I will not be bringing in much money within the first couple of months.

To overcome the lack of income in the early stages of my set-up, I applied for the Back To Work Enterprise Allowance (BTWEA) otherwise known as the dole or scratcher. This is a fund for people who are unemployed. Until I've created business viable products, I considered myself to be an unemployed person pursuing on a VERY expensive hobby/idea. On that basis, it is fair for me to avail of this fund.

Recently I completed my online shop set up on Etsy, and made some sales, so it was no longer fair for me to be on an unemployment allowance. I have since successfully applied for the Short-Term Enterprise Allowance (STEA). This pays the same as the BTWEA and for the same nine month period, but rather than coming out of a pot for unemployed people, it is for start up entrepreneurs. 

Benefits of STEA over BTWEA

• Money is paid straight into your bank account.
• No need to sign-in anymore at the unemployment office.
• No need to attend meetings with case worker.

Note: You cannot get the STEA grant if you are registered as a sole trader.

The resources I mentioned are only available in Ireland. But there should be support in most countries. Remember, Google is your best friend for information!

Resources

For full information on the STEA & BTWEA > Here 

Application for STEA form > http://www.welfare.ie/en/pdf/stea1.pdf

How to apply for STEA:

- If you live in an area covered by a local development company (xls) (LDC), apply to the Enterprise Officer.

- If you do not live in an LDC area, apply to the Jobs Facilitator in your social welfare local office.