NEIS helps basketball star set up dream diner

Former NBA player Raheim Brown has opened his first New York Dreams restaurant in Adelaide’s Semaphore after learning small business skills through Mission Australia's New Enterprise Incentive Scheme (NEIS).

The American diner-style specialises in serving up healthier versions of classic American diner dishes such as hotdogs and wings. "You might think of American food and connect it with fat and grease, but we've absolutely minimised that so people can simply enjoy the amazing flavours," Raheim told The Advertiser. 

‘We wanted to bring a piece of America to the streets of Adelaide - home-cooked, classic American food, high-quality at affordable prices,” said the former NBA basketballer.

Known as ‘The Dream' during his decade as a professional basketballer, he decided to change careers after game disruptions caused by the 2011 NBA lockout. On returning to Australia after a stint in New Zealand, Raheim and his wife Adelaide-born wife Karoline struck on the concept of American Dreams.

“We had little idea how to operate and run a business in Australia, both of us were out of work, and through some investigation stumbled on the New Enterprise Incentive Scheme,” said Karoline.
Funded by the Australian Government, this scheme helps unemployed people to set up their own small businesses.

“Through the development of a business plan, with assistance from the team at NEIS Mission Australia in Adelaide, we were able to rapidly improve our understanding of what it takes to run a business and how to implement the key elements to give us every chance of succeeding,” said Karoline.

“One important aspect I learnt in life was never to be afraid to ask for help,” added Raheim. “Help came in a big way with the NEIS program. We were first-time owners of a business in Australia with little if any knowledge of how to run one."

“The Mission Australia team provided all of that professional knowledge and put our minds at rest, encouraging our creativity and giving us a priceless insight into our particular chosen business field that, I assure you, we could not have acquired on our own,” he said.

“We are more than grateful that the government and Mission Australia have given us the opportunity to fulfil our ‘Australian dream’.” Mission Australia's NEIS Business Manager in South Australia, Warren Silverston, said it was the people who determined the success of an application.

“The bottom line is we select people based on their drive and determination,” Mr Silverston said. “If you have a great idea but lack the will or desire you won’t succeed. The key with New York Dreams was the uniqueness of this potential business and the two characters setting it up.

"Raheim is one of those guys who exudes a genuine warmth and Karoline has a driven desire to achieve. You could immediately see the complementary roles each would play and the innate qualities that they would bring to the business.”

Each year Mission Australia helps hundreds of people like Raheim and Karoline to learn business management skills and develop a business plan. Participants are also assigned a mentor for the first 12 months in business.

For more information

To learn more about the NEIS program visit www.employmentsolutions.com.au