There are a lot of high-quality, well-established providers in the NDIS. If you're just starting out or looking to grow your business, what can you do to help your business cut through the noise?
Here are six ways to help you find NDIS participants so you can offer great support to people on the NDIS.
Set up a helpful website
Part of finding NDIS participants is making sure participants can find you when they're looking for services. A website makes sure they can.
You should make sure your website looks attractive and professional. But above all, you should make sure your website is helpful.
A helpful website is full of important information for people with disability and their families and carers.
Putting effort into your website is worth it for two reasons.
First, it's a great reflection on your business and helps build trust with prospective clients.
Second, search engines like Google will rank useful and informative websites higher on the search results page. Meaning, people will be more likely to find your website!
Here are some essential bits of information to add to your website to give it the best chance at success:
- The services you offer
- Contact details for people to call or email you
- Your business address
- Information about your team (or yourself, if you're a sole trader)
- Other key information about your business, like if you're a registered NDIS provider
If you've got the essentials sorted on your website, then you might want to consider adding:
- Some testimonials from participants
- Blog posts about the NDIS or information specific to the service you offer
- Useful information in the form of a pdf document or a printable that people can download and share
Attend disability expos
Physically being out in the community is vital for NDIS businesses wanting to find new clients.
Choosing a provider is a big deal and participants will likely want to talk to you in person before making a decision.
Often, disability expos are one of the main places participants and their families go to learn more about their NDIS plan and find service providers.
As a provider, attending expos can be a great way to network with other businesses. They're also helpful to get a general sense of the sector if you're completely new to the NDIS.
Going to expos works for a variety of budgets. Expos range from big state-wide events to smaller events in local areas. You can purchase a booth as an exhibitor, or simply be an attendee on the day if you want to get a feel of how they run and network with other providers.
If you’re interested in attending or exhibiting at one, we’ve created a list of disability expos in each state in 2023
Post on social media
Social media is a must for modern businesses and another way for people to find you online.
A good way to think of social media is as a way to attract new people and direct them to your website. Once there, they can learn more and get in touch with you.
Like your website, your social media content should be helpful. Here are some ideas for your first few social posts:
- Introduce your services
- Introduce your team
- Answer a frequently asked question
- Reshare an interesting news story or update
- Announce if you have capacity to support new people
For extra credibility and more features, make sure you set up any social media accounts as a business page - not a personal page.
There are also a lot of online communities run by people in the NDIS. These are dedicated to offering advice, support and recommending services.
Some of these groups have a strict 'no promotion' policy. Others let businesses join to answer questions or put forward their services if the opportunity arises.
We recommend always being respectful of the online spaces you find yourself in. And make sure to promote your business in a way that is genuinely helpful - not pushy.
List your business in an online directory
There are multiple options for provider finders and provider directories online. Often for a subscription fee, you can get listed alongside other NDIS businesses for people to search for and find.
Each directory will have its own fees and rules about who can join, and what you can post.
If you're a registered NDIS provider, you can appear on the official NDIS Provider Finder.
Build positive word of mouth
Word of mouth is the most effective way to connect with potential clients and grow your business in the NDIS.
A group of people you will definitely want to make a good impression on include support coordinators, psychosocial recovery coaches and local area coordinators.
They are the people responsible for connecting participants with service providers, and they are always on the lookout for quality providers to recommend.
Having a good website and other marketing materials will only take you so far when growing your business in the NDIS. Being able to prove your professionalism and passion for supporting people living with a disability will boost your reputation. This includes being helpful, going above and beyond where you can, and acting with care and integrity.
Even though it's effective, word of mouth can be hard to measure and hard to control. So, patience is key. If you're contributing good things to the world of disability support and the NDIS, people will start recommending your business to their loved ones and participants they support.
Match directly with participants on HeyHubble
You can partner with our team to connect directly with NDIS participants.
HeyHubble isn't a search directory. Instead, our team personally makes matches between NDIS participants looking for services and quality NDIS providers who offer those services.
Our matches are based on what both participants and providers are looking for.
On the participant side, this can look like preferences in language, gender, shared interests or someone who has experience with their disability. For providers, we'll keep in mind your unique skillsets and availability when sending participants your way.
As a provider, this means you're leaving less up to chance and likely entering into a really great working relationship with your HeyHubble-matched client.
We're open to both registered and unregistered providers as passionate about supporting people with disability as we are. You can speak to our friendly team to learn more about how it all works.
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