Stepping Stones to Small Business
Stepping Stones to Small Business is a program tailored for women from refugee, migrant and asylum seeking backgrounds. It provides opportunities for women to achieve financial wellbeing through starting a small business, finding employment, training pathways, mentoring and support.
Financial wellbeing is key to women’s security and safety
Stepping Stones to Small Business offers participants the opportunity to learn in an environment which is supportive, gender aware, friendly and actively reduces the barriers that prevent women from mainstream business training. English as an additional language (EAL) is supported.
For more information, get in touch with the team at steppingstones@bsl.org.au
Mentoring
We are not currently recruiting for volunteer mentors. If you are interested in future rounds of recruitment, please contact
Emma Gale – emma.gale@bsl.org.au .
Find out how to become a Stepping Stones mentor .
Stepping Stones Training Programs
Eligible women from any suburb can participate in any program.
Metro - Online
Empowerment Program – 6 sessions over 3 weeks
- Mondays and Thursdays
- From 6 June to 23 June 2022
- 10:00am - 2:00pm
Business Taster - 1 week
- Monday and Thursday
- From 18 July to 21 October 2022
- 9:30am - 12:00pm
Business Training - 11 weekly sessions
- Monday
- From 25 July to 17 October 2022
- 10:00am - 2:00pm
Business Training Tutorials
- Thursday
- From 28 July to 13 October 2022
- 9:30am - 12:00pm
Please note we do not run sessions during the school holidays.
Please register and we will contact you. If you have any questions please contact Linet on 0490 288 058.
Thinking of starting a small business?
Stepping Stones to Small Business is now accepting applications.
What our participants say
The most important thing I learned from the program was to believe in myself. I am making my own money, I have financial independence and feel socially connected.
Giovanna
One of the things I liked about the program is that they did not push any of us to start a business. They encouraged us to look at other pathways, such as employment and education, depending on our individual circumstances.
Bahati
It wasn't easy to get a job in Australia without having any local work experience. Stepping Stones has always supported me ... made me believe and trust myself, and helped me become an independent woman. All my life I will be thankful for how this course has changed me.
Reema
Want to support a Stepping Stones business?
Visit our business directory to order catering, or purchase goods.
Financial partners
The Stepping Stones program is funded by:
- Victorian Government - Office for Women and
- Hume Council
We acknowledge the enormous contributions made by our many volunteer mentors and corporate partners.