Starting out
How to start an NDIS business in Australia
Starting an NDIS business begins with one choice: register with the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission, or work as an unregistered provider. Both are legitimate, and they serve different parts of the scheme.
Tell us about your business and what you need.
The short answer
Decide on registration, then build for the coordinator.
How to start an NDIS business: decide whether to register, get an ABN, insurance and worker screening in place, then make it easy for support coordinators to check you and send a referral.
Much new provider work arrives through support coordinators and plan managers rather than directly from participants.
Registration
Registered or unregistered
Registered providers can be paid by participants whose plans are agency managed, which is a large share of the scheme. Unregistered providers can be paid by self managed and plan managed participants only.
Registration involves an audit against the NDIS Practice Standards by an approved quality auditor, and the depth of the audit depends on the supports you deliver. Many new providers start unregistered, prove the service and their referral relationships, then register once there is revenue to carry the audit.
- Registered
- Audited, with ongoing obligations. Can be paid from agency managed plans.
- Unregistered
- Faster and cheaper. Limited to self managed and plan managed participants.
- Either way: ABN and insurance
- Public liability and professional indemnity.
- Worker screening
- Required for risk assessed roles at registered providers. Unregistered providers can choose to require it.
The NDIS Commission sets the current requirements and they change, so check its registration guidance directly.
Referrals
What a support coordinator needs to see
A support coordinator manages a caseload and is often asked which providers are taking new participants. They refer to providers they can check quickly, whose capacity they know, and whose service they can describe to a family in a sentence. A coordinator with a participant in an unfamiliar suburb also searches online like anyone else.
- The supports you deliver
- In the scheme’s own terms.
- The areas you cover
- Suburbs, not just a state.
- Whether you are taking referrals
- Stated plainly and kept current.
- A referral form
- Built for a referral, not a general contact form.
The short version
Choose between registered and unregistered based on who you want to serve, check the Commission’s current rules, and build a website that lets a coordinator check you and refer in under a minute.
From clients
What clients say about working with spareday
“He didn’t just build me a great website, he created an easy-to-manage system that allows me to make updates myself whenever I need to. He has spared me so much time doing all of this myself!”
“He created a stunning website for us that captures and nurtures leads with an automated email marketing system, which has filled a huge gap in the business and saved a lot of time (and money!).”
“He was able to take our rough ideas, from concept through to reality. The site has provided an influx of new members, helping to keep our club viable.”
Official guidance
For independent background, read the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission guidance and the official guidance on applying for an ABN.
Common questions
Questions people ask.
Do I have to register with the NDIS Commission?
No. Unregistered providers can be paid by self managed and plan managed participants. Registration is needed to be paid from agency managed plans, and it involves an audit.
How long does registration take?
Usually months rather than weeks, because it involves an audit against the Practice Standards. The depth depends on the supports you deliver.
Should I register first or start unregistered?
Many new providers prove the service and their referral relationships first, then register.
Where does the work come from?
Mostly support coordinators and plan managers. Build for the person making the referral as well as the participant.
How does spareday charge?
spareday quotes one price for the work your business needs, agreed in writing before anything starts. The figure depends on what the business needs, and it comes with your quote.
Who you’ll work with
Hi, I’m Reece.
spareday is my business, based here in Newcastle. You’ll deal with me from the first review of your website, and I’m the person you talk to each month about what’s working.
Find us
spareday in Newcastle.
12 Grey Street, Wickham, Newcastle NSW 2293.
Next step
Get a free growth plan for your NDIS business.
spareday builds the website and Google Business Profile for new providers. Tell us the supports you deliver and the areas you cover. We will talk through the details and send you a free growth plan, price included.
Or call 0485 017 387.