The instruments
Lump-sum payment, payment of contributions and compatibility of the benefit with the activity: what they are and what they are for, with referral to SEPE (the Spanish public employment service) for each case.
Keynote and workshop topic
From unemployment to a business of one's own
Taking the unemployment benefit as a lump sum (pago único), combining it with the activity or waiting: how to decide sensibly and how to validate the business before putting the money in.
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Where I have worked
Approach
The benefit can be the start-up capital. It can also vanish in six months.
Unemployed people with a business idea have little-known public instruments within reach: the lump-sum payment (pago único) of the contributory benefit to invest in the activity or to pay self-employed (autónomo) contributions, and the compatibility of the benefit with the start of the activity for a limited period. Used well, they are the capital and the time that many businesses lack. Used badly, they become a lost investment with no safety net.
Martín Díaz Cuadrado explains how those instruments work in general terms and, above all, what the regulations do not say: how to know whether the business has customers before taking the lump sum, what to spend on and what not to, and how to organise the first months so that public money turns into a business that lasts.
Who it is for
- Public employment services and employment counsellors.
- Local councils, local development agencies and county councils.
- Trade unions, foundations and labour-integration bodies.
- Companies undergoing restructuring or early-retirement schemes.
What is covered
Content of the session
General content on the public instruments and, from there, method and decision.
01
02
Lump sum or compatibility
A simple criterion according to the type of business: initial investment versus time to win customers.
03
Validate before investing
How to confirm within weeks that there are paying customers, without spending the capital.
04
What to spend the money on
What generates customers and what merely looks like a company: premises, image, tools and stock.
05
The first six months
Pricing, collection, cash flow and a customer acquisition schedule, with the most frequent mistakes.
06
When not to do it
Signs that starting a business with the benefit is a bad decision, and what alternatives exist.
Formats
Formats for this topic
Quote according to format, length and city. In Spanish, Catalan or English.
Information talk
45–60 min + Q&A
Employment days and sessions for unemployed people.
Decision workshop
3–4 hours
Each participant decides whether to take the lump sum, combine or wait, with a validation plan.
Programme
Depending on scope
Several sessions with mentoring until the first sales, and a results report.
Session for practitioners
60–90 min
For employment counsellors and local development officers: how to support these cases.
What the audience takes away
- Which public instruments exist for starting a business from unemployment, and whom to ask.
- A criterion for choosing between the lump sum, compatibility or waiting.
- A three-month validation plan without spending the capital.
- A list of what to spend on and what not to at the start.
- The signs not to start a business with the benefit.
- For organisations: a support format with measurable results.
How to book
Four steps, with a proposal within 48 working hours.
01
Request
Form stating type of organisation, audience, expected date, city and objectives.
02
Proposal
Format, content, length and quote within 48 working hours.
03
Preparation
Briefing with the organisation to tailor content, examples and messages to the audience.
04
Delivery and follow-up
Keynote, workshop or programme, with materials for the organisation and, for programmes, a results report.
Frequently asked questions
Is this a legal advice session?
No. It explains how the lump-sum payment (pago único) and the compatibility of the benefit with self-employment work, with their general requirements, and always refers to SEPE (the Spanish public employment service) and to an adviser for each case. The value lies in the part nobody explains: how to decide and how to validate before investing.
Who is it designed for?
For public employment services, local councils, local development agencies, trade unions and organisations that work with unemployed people who have a business idea. Also for companies undergoing restructuring that wish to offer an orderly way out.
Can it be run as a workshop?
Yes, and it is the format that works best: each participant leaves with a reasoned decision on whether to take the lump sum, combine the benefit with the activity or wait, and with a three-month validation plan.
What about those who should not start a business?
They are told so. Part of the session is devoted to identifying when starting a business with the benefit is a bad idea and what alternatives exist.
How is it requested?
Through the form. The proposal, with content, format and quote, is sent within a maximum of 48 working hours.
Request this workshop
Type of organisation, audience, expected date and objective. A proposal follows within a maximum of 48 working hours.