Self-managed and plan-managed participants are not limited to providers in their local area -- they can engage any provider in Australia who is a good fit, including one delivering entirely online. This matters most for specialist support that is not evenly spread around the country, like building a micro business.
Why location shouldn't be the limiting factor
Highly specific skills -- like actually having built and run real businesses -- are not evenly distributed across Australia. A participant in a small town or a regional centre should not have to settle for whoever happens to be local if a better-matched provider is available online, wherever they are based.
What this looks like in practice
Online delivery means live 1:1 sessions and calls, with decisions made together in real time rather than set as homework, and the actual building happening at a pace and balance matched to the participant -- some want to learn and do more of it themselves, others want it grown around their direction. For a participant, this looks the same as it would in person: they direct every decision, and how hands-on they are in the rest is worked out together.
What to check first
Confirm with your plan manager or support coordinator that your plan allows this kind of flexibility, and that the specific support category permits an unregistered, online provider if that is the type you are considering. For plan-managed and self-managed participants, this is usually straightforward.
This support is delivered entirely online, Australia-wide. See how it works on the NDIS micro business support page.