4 Vital Questions to Ask Yourself About Becoming a Registered NDIS Service Provider

NDIS Registration, compliance, audit and best practice are hot topics at the moment and becoming a registered NDIS provider might be just what you are considering. But before you rush out to sign up clients or participants, it's important to think about service quality and participant safeguarding. The goals, strategies and practices that you implement to achieve and maintain the highest levels of quality and safety may look quite different depending on the maturity of your business or prospective business.

1. At what stage of maturity is my business right now?

The kinds of business development goals and growth strategies that you may consider as start-up or a pivot would need to centre around business planning. However, if you were a mature NDIS service provider in your market, you may be more interested in optimising systems and processes, innovating and seeking recognition of best practices. Understanding the stage of maturity of your business or potential one can also help you to avoid pitfalls such as skipping the important basics, like careful business planning. Yes, generating revenue can be an important priority at start up stage, but successfully and sustainably delivering quality, safe services to NDIS participants demands good strategic planning and governance before commencing operations.

2. What are my immediate and short-term business development needs and goals?

Answers to this question will help you to respond more effectively to the current volatile, uncertain, changeable and ambiguous operating environment. Being more proactive in conditions like these puts you more on the front foot and allows you to arm yourself with strategies to face the emerging challenges that you face.

Your answers to this question will also allow you to better forecast and plan for needs and priorities which may emerge in the coming months, quarters or longer, eg staff training in new work practices, or staff recruitment and induction for a period of forecast growth.

3. What resources can I draw on?

Your efforts can be better optimised to prioritise and focus your available resources, (whether they are limited or abundant), to maximise positive outcomes for your participants, your people, your operations and your financials.

4. What kind of assistance or support would be best suited to my unique business in becoming a registered NDIS service provider?

DIY policies and procedures Vs purchase them from a provider? DIY business plan or look for a specialist? How can I find and engage my first clients? It's important to research all the assistance options that are available to you.

As an example, an unregistered NDIS service provider who is at the start up or pivot stage has little revenue or profit to access the specialised support they may need to grow their understanding of NDIS practice standards and applicable registration requirements that may apply to them. They may also have little time or staff resourcing for developing the documented systems and process for ensuring quality and safety.

We often hear that journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step - in tis case that means researching your assistance options. That way, you can make better informed, decisions and ensure that your journey of a thousand miles doesn't become 10 thousand miles and remains cost-effective for your business needs both now and as they continue to emerge.

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