Groundwork Business Academy
Turn your trade or skill into a real business — we walk you through the paperwork, step by step.
The wall most people hit
You've got a skill. You could do this work for yourself. But then you think about it properly.
The paperwork
Forms, registrations, licences, records — it feels endless and you're not sure where to start or what you actually need.
Tax and the IRD
Everyone talks about tax like you should already know it. The IRD (Inland Revenue Department) sounds official and frightening. What if you get it wrong?
Fear of doing it wrong
One mistake and you lose the business, you owe money, something goes on your record. The risk feels too big.
Fear of failing
What if you start and it doesn't work? You've got no safety net, no experience, and you'll have burned time and money.
Here's the truth
That fear isn't a sign you're not cut out for this. It's a sign nobody's shown you how.
Skilled tradespeople and service providers start businesses all the time and run them successfully. The ones who do aren't smarter or braver than you. They just had someone walk them through the admin, the tax basics, the paperwork — in plain language, without the jargon, at a pace that made sense. That's what Groundwork does.
The bridge we build
Groundwork Business Academy is a hybrid programme: structured group sessions plus one-to-one mentor support, all in one place.
Business basics
How to set up as a sole trader or limited company, what structure suits your situation, and what you actually need to do on day one.
Admin systems
Record-keeping, invoicing, receipts, client management — the systems that keep your business running and that the IRD expects to see.
Tax and IRD essentials
What tax you'll actually owe, how it works, when you pay it, and how to keep enough aside so you're not caught short.
Finding funding
Where money comes from if you need it — loans, grants, investors — and how to ask for it without losing your mind.
One-to-one mentoring
A mentor who's been there works with you on your specific situation, answers the questions you didn't know to ask, and keeps you moving forward.
Everything you need sits under one roof. You're not juggling three websites, calling three different advisors, or piecing it together alone. One programme. One team. Plain language. Your pace.
Who this is for
Tradespeople
Builders, electricians, plumbers, mechanics, beauty therapists, carpenters — any skilled trade where you work with your hands and you're ready to work for yourself.
Service providers
Tutors, cleaners, designers, childcare workers, personal trainers, coaches — people with a service or skill they want to trade for themselves.
You, if you're ready
You've got no business background. You've never run a company before. Paperwork and forms don't come naturally to you. You're highly skilled at what you do — and completely new to business language. That's exactly who we teach.
Start with the timetable
See what session runs next, who teaches it, and how many places are left.
Ready to move? Head to the Timetable to find a session that works for you, then get in touch to book your place.