The Rural Exchange, The Rural Institute: Center for Excellence in Disability Education, Research, and Service, Volume 15, Number 2, 2002 & Volume 16, Number 1, 2003
Note: Some of the projects and activies described in this docucment are no longer active so contacts and project opportunities may no longer be accurate.
Self-Employment
Assistance not Assessment
Don't Hurt with Your Help!-Why Benefits Analysis is Critical!
Growing Customers
From Client To Vendor
Self-Employment Project For People With Traumatic Brain Injury
Success through the RESEED Project
Traditional Self-Employment: Process Created from RESEED Grant
Meeting the Challenges & Seizing the Opportunities in Indian Country
Assistance not Assessment: Getting at the Heart of Small Business Feasibility
By Cary Griffin, Director of Special Projects at The Rural Institute and David Hammis, Organizational Consultant
The big question in everyone’s mind when someone points to self-employment as a vocational option is, “will the business be successful?” While there is almost universal agreement that this is a critical question, the literature on business feasibility testing is sparse. Fortune 500 companies have huge research and development budgets to test new ideas, but such resources are not available to most prospective business owners, especially prospective business owners with disabilities. Public funds from developmental disability services, mental health agencies, Vocational Rehabilitation, Workforce Development, and/or Social Security are almost always used to fund business start-ups for a person with a disability. Consequently, these funding agencies are anxious about risk and frequently call for a test or evaluation to predict success. Vocational testing can’t always predict business success because it measures an individual’s deficits, not the individual’s dreams, desires, and determination. Still, the need for assessing business risk persists. Vocational counselors can predict success more accurately by analyzing the feasibility of a business concept, rather than relying on traditional vocational testing. Evaluate the business idea, not the person with disabilities.
Self-Employment vs Entrepreneurship
Business feasibility for any potential business owner begins with self-analysis. Many experts ask questions of the prospective business owner, such as:
- Are you self-motivated?
- Do you get along with people?
- Do you have a positive outlook?
- Do you enjoy making decisions?
- Are you competitive by nature?
- Do you practice self-control?
- Do you plan ahead? Do you get tasks done on time?
- Do you have high amounts of physical stamina and emotional energy?
- Can you work many hours every week?
All of these questions have some legitimacy for someone starting a business, but they can easily be used to screen out potential business owners with significant disabilities. These questions come from the folklore about entrepreneurs. Allegedly, an entrepreneur can do it all—single-handedly fighting off customers with one hand while designing spreadsheets on the computer with the other. She makes quick decisions, is in control, and never sleeps. In reality, most people who own businesses are self-employed, but they are not entrepreneurs as characterized by the description above. Self-employed people often do work hard, take risks, and make decisions. However, most self-employed people rely on other people to compensate for skills or talents they lack. People with significant disabilities are just as well equipped to run a small business as the next person, as long as they can rely on available and affordable support.
Any feasibility study of a business design must include all forms of support. As the business idea evolves, paid supports such as accounting, sales, and marketing, must be figured into the price of the company’s goods and services. A vocational counselor will save public resources by determining and creating appropriate supports for someone, instead of relying on personality testing, interest inventories, and other traditional vocational evaluations. The issue is support, not personality or readiness. If a person has a disability that does not even allow him/her to go into work everyday, he/she can still own a business—if it generates income enough to hire someone who can go in everyday.
Risk
The fact remains that most transition-aged youth and adults with significant disabilities face a life of poverty, isolation, and underemployment. Generally, their only employment option is “Plan A,” day programs or high-turnover, entry level wage jobs. “Plan A” has resulted in an unemployment rate of approximately 80% for people with significant disabilities. Let’s assume that a person with a disability draws down $10,000 a year for special education services, followed by a sheltered workshop placement. Multiply that by 40 years for a total of $400,000 spent for “Plan A” employment outcomes for one individual.
“Plan B” is self-employment. Imagine spending $10,000 to purchase a franchise, say a popcorn business. Add another $10,000 in job coaching services. A $20,000 investment can lead to a conservative savings of $380,000 over a lifetime. In an actual case, a young man with Down Syndrome, and a family member who shares the income, purchased just such a franchise (which cost only $5,000), operated it only two days a week, and generated $48,000 last year. The average financial investment for small business start-ups for people with disabilities is currently under $5,000, not counting on-going support. Diverting only one-year’s worth of day program funding to experiment with a business idea (“Plan B”) is worth the risk.
Evaluating a Business Idea
Rather than the questions asked earlier in this article, more relevant and cost effective questions to ask when refining a business idea might include:
- Does this business address a recognized need in the marketplace?
- Can this product or service be produced at a profit?
- Can this business compete with other similar businesses?
- Does this business match your dreams and goals?
- Are you really interested in owning this business?
- How much time can you invest in operating this business?
- How much money can you invest in this business?
- Do you have, or can you afford, the necessary business and personal supports required to run this enterprise?
- Do you have, or can you acquire, the skills necessary to perform the parts of the business you wish to perform?
- How will this business affect your family?
One commonsense and low-cost technique for testing business ideas comes from Rosalie Sheehy-Cates, Executive Director of the Montana Community Development Corporation. Rosalie recommends simply: “Sell a few.” Sell a few of your products and then assess the business idea.
- What did buyers think of the product? Did they want more?
- Would they pay more for it?
- Should it be a different color or size?
- Can you deliver it?
- Is wholesale pricing available?
- Is it as good as other similar products or services?
Selling a few items or services and having a short discussion with the customer provides crucial information. If no one buys, it might suggest there is no market for the product/service, it is overpriced, it is considered low quality, or it simply does not address a need. Some serious thought goes into the analysis, but the concept of selling an item before staring a company is logical and ecologically valid.
The Internet provides one of the best, cheapest, and easiest ways of comparing business ideas, seeing what others with similar ideas and businesses are doing, and linking up with business owners across the globe. Not only are other existing businesses easy to find through a search engine (e.g. www.yahoo.com), but their pricing, product line, terms of purchase and shipping, seasons of operation, advertising strategies, and other key business components are offered for the Internet researcher to see.
Another on-line resource is www.zoomerang.com. This on-line survey service is free when used with small survey samples and has already helped several individuals poll their local communities to establish market demand. And local, state, and federal economic development assistance is available over the Internet. Local Small Business Development Centers are always listed, as are state Small Business Administration resources. A great site for finding government assistance for small business ideas and financing is www.firstgov.com and is often the beginning point for determining available resources, regulations, and expertise.
Some important web sites for testing business ideas and getting a sense of feasibility by examining similar business plans, reading reports and research studies, checking regulations, finding financing, or other related topics include:
| Name | Address |
|---|---|
| FirstGov | www.firstgov.com |
| U.S. Small Business Administration | www.sba.gov |
| Association of Small Business Development Centers | www.asbdc-us.org |
| Forum for Women Entrepreneurs | www.fwe.org |
| On-line Women’s Business Center | http://www.onlinewbc.gov/ |
| National Association of Women Business Owners | www.nawbo.org |
| Office of Women’s Business Ownership | womensbusinesscenter.org |
| Entrepreneur.com | www.entrepreneur.com |
| Inc Magazine | www.inc.com |
| U.S. Dept. of Agriculture | www.usda.gov |
| Senior Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) | www.score.org |
| The University of Montana Rural Institute | http://ruralinstitute.umt.edu |
Rural Institute Pass Plans on-line |
www.passplan.org |
| U.S. Dept. of Labor | www.dol.gov |
| U.S. Dept. of Education | www.ed.gov |
| Job Accommodation Network | www.jan.wvu.edu |
| Virginia Commonwealth University Research & Training Center | www.worksupport.org |
| The Abilities Fund | www.abilitiesfund.org |
Business Research Example
Another way of testing an idea is simply asking potential customers what they think. Telemarketers call every night, around dinner time, to ask questions about buying products and services. While this is annoying, a short survey that asks a person’s opinion, with no sales pitch, is an effective and inexpensive way to get advice and public opinion on a business idea. While large corporations spend millions of dollars on statistically correct surveys, most small businesses launch successfully by asking small samples of customers very simple questions.
For instance, if the business idea is a mobile dog washing venture, it makes sense to call citizens in the early evening, asking first if they own a dog. A mobile dog wash would also be of potential interest to boarding kennels, veterinarians, pet stores, and the Humane Society. Calling and/or making personal appointments to discuss their interest in the business is a terrific way of getting information on the potential demand, pricing, and grooming options. A phone survey approach to the retail mobile dog grooming might go as follows. First, determine the demographic profile of a likely consumer:
- They own at least one dog;
- They have disposable income to afford the service;
- They do not have time to wash their own dog;
- They do not have children who earn their allowance washing the dog.
If there is a particular part of town where folks who have these characteristics live, look through the phone book for phone numbers of people on those streets. Make a list to record their answers so that data can be shared with other advisors. While the same questions should be asked of everyone called, being conversational is a much better approach than a rote monotone interrogation. Call enough people that a pattern of responses begins to form. Chances are you will hear new ideas and have discussions that challenge the business idea, improve it, or spark a new idea. Follow these leads if they are promising. Rewrite or modify the questions to clarify the idea, if that’s indicated.
The phone script might sound something like this:
"Good evening. I am developing a new business in town and I am calling to get some advice. All I need is about three minutes of your time." Wait for acknowledgment. If the person is annoyed or busy, thank them and say goodbye. Otherwise, continue:
"I am considering starting a mobile dog grooming business. Customers make an appointment for their dog and I drive to their home and groom their dog in the rear of my van. My van is custom built and features a washing tub, hair dryers, pedicure equipment, a full line of dog grooming products and shampoos. I graduated from the Belmont School of Dog Grooming last year and am licensed by the state. Can you tell me if you would use this business or if you have friends or family who might use it?" Record response and follow up on questions they might have.
"How often do you suppose you (or your friends) might use this service?" Record response.
"Do you think you would use the basic washing service, or would you prefer the full-service grooming?" Record responses. Again, pursue questions and comments in a friendly manner.
"What day(s) of the week and times do you think would work best for you and your friends?" Record responses.
"I am thinking of charging $11.00 for the basic grooming. Does that sound reasonable to you?" Record Responses. They may or may not agree with you. Do not argue about pricing. Collect the information and make decisions later.
At this point more questions may be appropriate, but the three minutes is up. Move on and say goodnight, unless the person continues to be enthusiastic.
This is simply one hypothetical scenario. There is no one correct way to approach the survey. But do keep it simple, conversational, and friendly.
Summary
There are many ways to test a business idea, but there are no sure things in this world. In the end, the owner needs to enjoy the work. Adequate and sometimes creative supports will be necessary, and changing or modifying the business model to attract and retain customers is probable.
Don’t Hurt with Your Help!
The Case for Benefits Analysis
By Marsha Katz, Organizational Consultant at the Rural Institute
- Maybe you work for a new Ticket to Work Employment Network (EN).
- Maybe you’re a Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Counselor.
- Maybe you’re a job developer or job coach for a Center for Independent Living (CIL), a local Arc, or other Community Rehabilitation Provider (CRP).
- Or maybe you’re a transition specialist or work-study coordinator for the local high school.
Whatever your job title, if you assist persons with disabilities to find jobs or start businesses, you need to know about Benefits Analysis.
Benefits Analysis is commonly understood to be: the process of examining the impact of earnings on the variety of benefits that may be received by persons with disabilities. But it’s really much broader than that. In practice, it is the process of examining the interaction and impact of any income, resource or benefit a person has on any other income, resource or benefit the person has or might apply for or receive.
Each income source is evaluated on its own merits, and the particular combination of income, resources, and benefits unique to each individual must also be evaluated. Often, there is a precarious balance that must be maintained so that the people we assist don’t risk the loss of more than they stand to gain.
Professional Responsibility
Those of us in the business of “helping” people with disabilities to find work or start a business have a professional, ethical responsibility to assure that all people we assist have access to competent and thorough benefits analysis so they have complete and accurate information as they make important decisions about their lives.
At the end of this article is a list of various sources of income and resources that may pertain to a person with a disability. Some of these have an impact on how much you can receive in benefits, or on whether you are eligible at all. Other items on the list are income or resources that can be put at risk when you are working and have earnings.
Importance of Benefits
When most of us take a new job, or finally see a profit from our business, our situation can only be expected to improve. We have more discretionary income, we may acquire needed health benefits, we begin to plan for the future, and we enjoy a better quality of life.
Unfortunately, because current state and federal policies can actually penalize workers with disabilities, they don’t always see the same benefits from work that most people see. On the contrary, when people with disabilities work, they may be risking the loss of essential Medicaid, their cash benefits, food stamps, and more. If their benefits include Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or another benefit that provides additional cash benefits for dependents, the dependents stand to lose their benefits, as well.
If disabled workers lose Medicaid, they may also lose personal assistance services, mental health services, developmental disability services, and coverage of needed prescriptions, durable medical equipment and day-to-day health care. If they receive a Housing and Urban Development (HUD) subsidy for their housing, they will likely see a rent increase. If they receive food stamps, they will likely see a decrease, or termination altogether.
In fact, without careful planning, people with disabilities can end up in a position where they lose more than they gain by working. For example, Frank is a disabled worker who receives SSDI in the amount of $800/month. He has a wife and child who together receive an additional $800/month from his SSDI account, for a total family income of $1600/month. The family has a mortgage payment of $600/month, and a car payment of $250/month. The family’s grocery bill averages between $350 to $400/month.
Examples
If Frank earns $900/month for more than 9 months, he will be found to be performing SGA (Substantial Gainful Activity-set at $800/month in 2003), and both he and his family will stop receiving their cash benefits. In essence, the family will go from receiving $1600/month before Frank went to work, to an income of $900/month when he is working. $900/month is not enough to cover the mortgage, car payment, and grocery bill. If Frank continues to work at this job for these earnings, the family will lose either their house or their car. Clearly, given these circumstances, Frank and his family are not better off by Frank working.
Does this mean that people with disabilities shouldn’t work? Of course not.
- But it does mean that a particular job/business needs to be chosen with care.
- It does mean that all benefits, individually and collectively, must be thoroughly understood and evaluated.
- And it means that all helpful Social Security or other benefit work incentives must be identified and implemented.
- And, sometimes, it means that timing of work and earnings must occur with military precision.
In Frank’s case, if he is spending over $100/month on items he needs in order to work, and which are also related to his disability, he stands a good chance of keeping both his and his family’s SSDI benefits while he continues to work and gross $900/month. These items are known as Impairment Related Work Expenses (IRWEs). When Social Security is looking at wages to see if the amount represents SGA, the amount being spent on IRWEs is subtracted.
So, if Frank has a psychiatric disability, and he is paying $125/month for medications that allow him to work, Social Security will subtract that $125 from Frank’s gross wages before considering whether or not Frank is performing SGA. Once the $125/month is subtracted from Frank’s $900/month gross earnings, there is $775 remaining. Since $775 is less than the 2003 SGA figure of $800/month in gross earnings, Social Security will find that Frank is NOT performing SGA, and he and his family will continue to get $1600 from SSA and Frank will continue to gross $900/month in wages.
Improving the Situation
This is a fairly simple example of using benefits analysis to assure that someone doesn’t risk the loss of more than will be gained by working. For some people, utilizing benefits analysis to improve their situation can be much trickier, as in Janine’s situation.
Janine is a woman with a chronic medical condition. She has received SSDI for many years, and her SSDI is low enough that she is also eligible for Medicaid in her state. Medicaid is essential to pay for Janine’s expensive prescriptions, and the minimal amount of personal assistance she receives to assist her to live independently. She wants to work again, but fears loss of her Medicaid. In addition, she has no transportation, and would need a vehicle to get her to and from a new job.
Over the years Janine has worked on and off, using her entire Trial Work Period and Extended Period of Eligibility. This means that the next time Janine earns over SGA, she will most likely lose her SSDI entirely.
Looking at Janine’s benefits, and particular circumstances, the conservative approach, without a comprehensive benefits analysis, would be to tell her that it looked like any work would result in a threat to her Medicaid, and possible loss of her SSDI. That information would likely dissuade her from ever considering work again.
PASS Plan
But that’s not what we did. After thoroughly examining Janine’s benefits, the rules that applied to those benefits, and Janine’s great desire to work and be productive, here’s what we offered her as a possible option in her particular circumstances.
- Because Janine needed transportation in order to start work, a Social Security Plan for Achieving Self Support (PASS plan) was a possible option to help her purchase a new car.
- Because Janine received SSDI, she was a good candidate for a PASS plan as long as her vocational goal would result in a job that grossed over the SGA amount.
- Because Janine had used her entire Trial Work Period and Extended Period of Eligibility, her first month’s work at the SGA level would result in her SSDI benefits ceasing.
- Because Janine would be receiving SSI and Medicaid during a PASS plan, if she lost her SSDI, she would continue to receive SSI…perhaps indefinitely. Then she could have ongoing Medicaid, she could work and earn up to $20,000/year in her state without fearing loss of that Medicaid, she could make her PASS plan car payments using her SSI countable earnings, and she would continue to receive SSI and Medicaid after her PASS was completed.
Janine decided that this option sounded pretty good. She had a lot to gain, and would be able to replace the loss of her SSDI with SSI. And she would gain a lot more income per month without threatening or losing her Medicaid, which would continue to pay for her prescriptions and personal assistance.
So, we wrote Janine’s PASS to pay for her car, and included one milestone that marked the beginning of her earning SGA, and the cessation of her SSDI. The PASS had to run for 16 months in order to pay off the car. Janine took the new job, and during her 12th month of employment, she got a raise and began to gross more than the SGA amount ($800/month in 2003) each month. Not wanting to leave anything to chance, we made a personal visit to SSA to report her new wage level and assure that SSA would stop her SSDI.
It’s now three years later. Janine continues to drive her car to work everyday, she grosses about $1000/month at a job she loves, and most importantly, she still has Medicaid coverage because she is considered SSI eligible even though she receives little or no SSI every month.
Planning for loss of SSDI benefits during a PASS, and thus converting to SSI-only benefits, which typically come with Medicaid, is a complicated process demanding strict attention to specific timeframes. While a few of us had thought this planned SSDI loss was theoretically possible, about ten years ago, David Hammis, of the Rural Institute and Griffin-Hammis Associates, began to actually put it into practice successfully. At about the same time, award-winning SSI/SSDI advocate Laura Hershey, of Push the System, was pressing the Social Security Administration to honor the process in her own situation. While their persistence with Social Security has resulted in more of us successfully using this approach, it is not one that most Benefits Analysts have enough experience to even consider, let alone use.
Using this planned loss of SSDI benefits in appropriate situations is actually a win-win situation for all involved:
- The person wins by being able to work, contribute to her family and community, and greatly improve her economic status while maintaining irreplaceable health coverage;
- SSA wins by providing healthcare benefits in exchange for not having to pay out any SSDI, and by paying a greatly reduced amount of SSI, or none at all;
- The community wins because Janine has more income, which she spends in local businesses, and donates to local charities;
- The community also wins by benefiting from the effort and talents of workers like Janine, and by her contributions to the tax base and the Social Security Trust Fund.
Janine’s outcome was always possible, but would not have happened without an accurate and comprehensive benefits analysis.
The accurate and comprehensive benefits analysis was always possible, but would not have happened without an organizational commitment to assure that staff received the training, materials, ongoing technical assistance, support, and time necessary to produce a knowledgeable benefits analyst.
Training in Benefits Analysis
With passage of the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act (TWWIIA), Congress and the Social Security Administration have formally recognized the importance of and need for good benefits analysis. Over the past two years a total of over 80 trainings have been provided to approximately 800+ new and seasoned Benefits Planning Assistance and Outreach (BPAO) staff across the country under grants from Social Security. Additional funding has been provided to the Protection and Advocacy Organizations in the states so they will also have staff who become well versed in benefit issues, and can provide advocacy in benefit-employment situations.
Learning about benefits doesn’t happen in a crash course, no matter how bright the learner, how expert the trainers, or comprehensive the materials. Accurate and competent benefits analysis is learned one person at a time, with plenty of monitoring and technical assistance from experts, and with continual researching and utilization of actual written policy and regulations.
So, even though many of the newer BPAOs are still learning the basics, and still need a fair amount of technical assistance, their very existence bodes well for the employment and benefit future for SSI/SSDI recipients who want to work. The more their expertise grows, and the greater their ranks, the less possibility that our assistance to persons with disabilities will ever result in harm. The important thing now is to assure that this new emphasis on benefits planning/benefits analysis continues to grow and strengthen.
In these days of trying to avoid the various state and federal budget axes, we can all use the “win-wins” that benefits planning provides!
Possible Income Sources
UNEARNED INCOME
SSDI-Social Security Disability
VA (Veterans) Benefits
Retirement, Agent Orange, Disability, Disabled Children
Railroad Retirement Benefits
Black Lung Benefits
Section 8/HUD Subsidy
TANF Benefits
Food Stamps, WIC coupons, milk, free lunch program, breakfast
programs
Unemployment Benefits
Workers’ Comp Benefits
Child Support
IIM (Individual Indian Money)
Interest and/or Dividends
Lease/Rental Income
Alimony
Adoption Subsidies
Food/Shelter in lieu of wages (e.g. Religious Orders, Military)
Personal Assistance Payments
Scholarships, Fellowships, Grants
Long Term Disability Payments
Cash/In kind Support from others
Civil Service Retirement
Military Retirement
Military Disability Retirement
Military Allotment
Free Housing on Military Base
Pension/Retirement Payments
Legal Settlement
Periodic Trust Income
Medicaid Waiver
Americorp
State General Assistance
Energy Assistance
Home Energy Assistance
Tax Refunds
Foster Grandparent Payments
RSVP Payments
Meals for Older Americans
Senior Companion
School Loans
Inheritance
Lottery/Gambling Winnings
BIA Payments to students, assistance, Foster Care Funds
EARNED INCOME
Wages
Net Income from Self-Employment
Food/Shelter in lieu of wages
Indian Per Capita Payments (Casino)
Work Study
Honoraria
Royalties
Bonuses
RESOURCES
U.S. Savings Bonds
IIM Accounts
Safe Deposit Box Contents
Bank Accounts
Insurance Policies
Retirement/Pension Plan
IDA-Individual Dev. Acct.
Non-home Real Property
Coin/Stamp Collections
PASS plan accounts
Trusts
Bonds
Stocks
Home
Valuable Antiques
Vehicles-cars, trucks, boats, snowmobiles
Art Collection
Livestock
IRA, 401K
Property Essential for Self Support
Funeral/Burial Agreement
Cremation Agreement
Cemetery Plot
Head/Foot Stones, Markers
Growing Customers: Critical Considerations for Small Enterprises Owned by Individuals with Disabilities
By Cary Griffin and David Hammis, The University of Montana Rural Institute
Over the years it has become more and more evident that some folks are born with the gift of promotion, while others struggle to “sell” themselves and their businesses to the general public. After years of training job developers and employment specialists, we’ve decided there must be a “marketing gene” that determines success or failure at sales. Certainly, human services attract a fair number of people who understand promotion and marketing, but few of us will ever know the luxury of a true marketing budget. Still, many non-profits and micro-enterprises understand how to squeeze attention-getting efforts from their checkbooks. These low-cost/no-cost approaches to self-promotion are critical to the small business start-up, and to any enterprise that needs to expand beyond its initial customer base.
Identifying Customers
One of the first steps prospective business owners (or rehabilitation staff offering support) must take is to identify their customers. Typically, businesses have both primary and secondary users of their product or service. For instance, most coin-operated carwash patrons use the facility to clean the family sedan. Advertising and promotion is most likely geared to this crowd, with typical approaches being discount coupons, signs on the building or placed along the major routes nearby, and perhaps some local television or radio ads. Once a customer base is established and business growth slows, new advertising pushes are needed to battle market competition or to attract those new to car ownership. Another potential income producer, often overlooked by business owners, is the secondary customer.
A secondary customer is someone who has a different need or use for the product/service being offered. In the case of the carwash, for instance, secondary customers may be tractor-trailer drivers who need to clean their big rigs. Other secondary users are fleet managers for the local school bus concession, the police and fire departments, the local cable TV company that owns 30 pickups, the phone or public utility companies that keep a hundred trucks and vans in service around the clock, or even the local cattle ranchers who need to clean out trailers with the high pressure equipment found in car washes. Perhaps boat owners need to wash down their units after a day of fishing on the local lake. Advertising campaigns as simple as the direct mailing of discount coupons to these user-groups is enough to attract new customers. Putting fliers under windshield wipers in the parking lots at cattle auctions and truck stops can generate new business. A personal visit or a letter of introduction to the local phone company manager or the Chief of Police might also bear fruit.
Along these same lines, the business owner should examine peak business times. For instance, if a small town taxi owner is really busy taking people to the grocery stores in the morning and early evening, but idle a good part of the rest of the day, consider who might need a ride mid-day or late at night. A call to local doctors’, dentists’, and optometrists’ offices might reveal that many patients find it hard to arrange family rides home mid-day. If the health-care personnel know the taxi is an option, perhaps there is a small market available. Also, the bar and nightclub owners can be given cards or fliers to arrange for the “tipsy taxi” to pick up over-indulging patrons late at night. The local police might also help market to this secondary user as well. Perhaps the bar owners might actually pay for this service to avoid the risk of losing their liquor licenses. A persuasive salesperson can make that sale.
Suppose one of the small businesses locally is a bakery. Many bakeries make their bread and rolls first thing in the morning and their ovens sit empty all afternoon. Is there anyone locally who bakes a specialty product, such as wedding cakes, who might pay to use the equipment in the afternoon one or two days a week? A call to the local Small Business Development Center would readily yield a list of folks in need of bakery or kitchen space for their business.
New Customers are Key
Marketing is not generally a passive activity. It must be planned and budgeted for and made an essential function of the business operation. A business that is not adding new customers is at risk of dying.
The key is for the business owner to think about other customers relentlessly. Ask questions of current customers about how they use the product or service, unique ways they adapt it, or other needs they have that might be related. “Jane” in Colorado started a new business teaching computer skills and performing minor repairs in people’s homes. There are many new users of computers who cannot or do not want to attend public classes. In discussion with her customers concerning how they use their machines, she discovered that several folks were writing and formatting club newsletters. She also found that most of her customers did not have time for, enjoy, or have the skills for desktop publishing. She added newsletter production services to her business and now has several well-paying accounts. Word of mouth continues to spread about her business. With the help of Colorado AgrAbility, the Rural Institute, and the local Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) office, she was operating in the black in under a year’s time. She is growing her business by making sure she connects personally with her customers and keeps seeking related products/services that are consistent with her core interests, but that also expand her operations and profitability. She’s marketing and selling as a natural part of her daily job. She has no marketing budget per se; she is a walking advertisement for her business. And, her newsletter business especially provides her the opportunity to add something like, “Designed and Formatted by Jane’s Computer Service, (303) 555-6767.”
Home Depot’s very successful market positioning strategy is somewhat based on attracting a secondary customer. The traditional hardware store is designed for the weekend-warrior: a man with some do-it-yourself skills. An old style hardware store is not designed for novices or folks with lots of questions or little experience with power tools. Women do not make up the sales force. Compare this to the Home Depot. Upon entering one’s eyes are directed to the brightly lighted model kitchen display, which is right next to the interior design department. Each of these sections has an open help-desk with free computerized design services. Lots of women work at Home Depot and all the sales staff are there to help. There are no stupid questions at Home Depot. There are classes available for novices, and seminars for children so mom and dad can go about their business without interruption. Home Depot guarantees satisfied customers by attracting the whole family.
Sales & Marketing Guidelines
Small businesses grow or die. Reaching customers, satisfying them, and then attracting more customers creates profitability. The old rule that 80 percent of a company’s business comes from 20 percent of its customers is true, but it’s also obvious that the other 80 percent is important too. We at the Rural Institute have assisted well over 200 small businesses owned and operated by individuals with disabilities, and we’ve learned that marketing and sales is one of the most difficult concepts to teach and support. Perhaps it is an intuitive skill, but people can learn by following a few rules and by concentrating on on-going customer development.
- Match the Customer
and the Product. Anyone
selling a product or service must understand the features and
benefits and how those characteristics satisfy the needs of the
buyer. The sales person matches the needs of the customer with
the product/service.
- Sales are built
on relationships. Customers
need to know you care and that you are listening. Helping the
customer solve a problem with the product or service is critical.
- Listen instead
of talking. Sales is about
smooth listening, not smooth talking. Let the customer tell you
what they need.
- Prospecting never
stops. Many large companies
attract customers through advertising and product placement.
Small companies often rely on meeting and greeting new potential
buyers. Building a network of friends and business associates
generates new customers. Surfing the Internet, attending business
events such as Chamber luncheons, and joining a local service
club such as Rotary are all ways to identify new prospects.
- First impressions
matter. “Cold calls” or
sales calls made without an appointment are rarely appreciated.
A “warm call” approach is more acceptable. A call
is warmed up by sending out a letter of introduction, meeting
a prospect at a business or social function, and following up
with a phone call later, or by sending over product literature
with a business-style greeting card.
- Use Marketing
Materials. Many products/services
should have related printed matter that explains their function,
features, and benefits. These are known as “leave behinds.” People
enjoy reading about or seeing pictures of products they are interested
in. Leave behinds like brochures, fact sheets, or even short
video tapes allow customers time to decide to buy without feeling
pressured. Make sure the materials indicate a toll free phone
number or easy-order process.
- Handle objections
smoothly. Potential customers
may doubt a product’s value or usefulness. Endorsements
or product comparisons help buyers decide by providing information
that anticipates and negates stated and unstated concerns.
- Sell Add-Ons. Add-ons are accessories or
options for the product/service. At the time of sale is the best
opportunity to sell a value-added service or item. A most common
add-on is identified by the phrase, “do you want to supersize that for only a dollar extra?” The customer is buying anyway,
so catch his momentum. Floor mats are not standard in many automobiles
because dealers know that once a buyer is committing to spend
$10,000 another $100 (for $25 worth of mats) is an easy sale.
A lawn mowing service might sell gutter clean-out for another
$20, and a bagel shop might add some flavored cream cheese for
another fifty cents.
- Maintain contact. Few sales are final. Contact
the customer and ask how she is enjoying her new stereo, or the
next time he comes in for a sandwich ask him how he enjoyed the
last one. Show customers their opinions matter.
- Just do it. Almost nothing compares to the stress of anticipating a sales call. Selling can be hard and scary work. Jump in, make the calls, mail those brochures, shake the hands. Many successful sales professionals set a quota of calls per day or week and keep a database of prospects with call-back dates. Analyze your style and identify where the sales process is weak and keep practicing.
Very few products or services sell themselves. If a business owner is more interested in managing the business or producing the product and delivering the service, then hire a salesperson or a sales representative, or use the web to sell the item just as 150,000 Ebay-retailers do. Regardless, as the old saying goes, nothing happens until someone sells something.
Cary Griffin and David Hammis are the authors of Making Self-Employment Work for People With Disabilities, available soon from Brookes Publishers (www.brookespublishing.com).
FROM CLIENT TO VENDOR: Everyone is a Potential Customer
By Marsha Steinweden, Steinweden Accounting Services
Becoming self-employed meant I had to market my services. Businesses must have a marketable product or service to succeed; mine is bookkeeping and taxes and I work most often with small businesses or businesses just getting started. Looking for potential clients is an ongoing battle for most small businesses. Business owners must always be looking for the next sale. Business owners must sell themselves and their products or services—a daunting thought to most and sometimes terrifying to those with disabilities. I learned to overcome this obstacle by marketing my service to any and everyone I knew.
My dentist, next-door neighbor, garbage man, and checkout clerk could and should be potential customers for me. You can’t overlook the obvious customer. I don’t push my service on people constantly, but I do let everyone I know the service I offer is unique. Once I find a new potential client or customer, I start with a short 30-second introduction. “Hello, I am Marsha Steinweden. I am an accountant, and run my own small business doing bookkeeping and taxes.” It is a great way to introduce myself, and most people will seize the opportunity to ask a question or ask for some free advice, especially during tax season. If the person seems even slightly interested, I explain that I specialize in doing bookkeeping for extremely small businesses and start-up businesses. This gives me an opportunity to describe some of the services my own clients provide and the business they have. Sometimes I get lucky and am able to refer a potential customer to one of my current clients, which means more business for my client, and ultimately more bookkeeping for me.
I don’t advertise for clients in the same way most businesses do. I don’t have an ad in the yellow pages or in a newspaper. Most of my clients are friends, relatives, or referrals. The best referrals have come from former job counselors and job coaches I have worked with. Most of my clients are very small businesses, some only part-time or seasonal, and new business owners. There is a great need for this type of accounting work, especially with people who have disabilities and are starting out in self-employment. I can take the time and help them with the process of designing and starting their business, since I am familiar with it, as I am also disabled and became self-employed just a year ago.
I have been very vocal in letting my Vocational Rehabilitation counselors and Employment Consultants at the Rural Institute’s MontanaWorks know how strongly I feel about business plans and new businesses budgeting for basic accounting services. A new business owner has a lot of things to do and worry about. By “out-sourcing” their bookkeeping they can have an accurate and current view of their financial progress. Part of my services to a new client is to furnish him with a monthly statement that he may give to Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Services, job counselors, and various agencies. For some new business owners, it’s a relief to have this monthly chore taken care of. I have created a simplified Income Statement, with income and expenses broken down into understandable and useable categories. Our local VR counselors seem to like this approach, too.
VR was one of my first marketing targets when I started my business. I was offering a service that their clients choosing self-employment could and should have. It was only natural that I target this market first. Now I am doing the bookkeeping and business consulting for five VR clients in my area. I went from being a VR client to being an official VR vendor in under a year, by marketing my business to my sponsors in self-employment.
Customer Service Tip: The Challenging Customer
New business owners must market their business to all potential customers, but new business owners may lack experience working with difficult customers. Developing good customer relations skills is a talent. It takes time and effort. Prospective business owners should consider how to handle situations in advance of starting a business and have a basic policy in place before opening their business. Part of providing good customer service is being prepared to handle an occasionally unhappy customer. One way to handle the unhappy customer is to realize that they are a challenge. The situation must be met with grace, common sense, and diplomacy.
A personality conflict can happen, and an owner or customer may have a bad day. Sometimes stopping to smile will help in this situation. The business owner should attempt to hold his temper. Politeness will always go a long way to smooth ruffled feathers. If the business must work closely with a customer, personality conflicts will happen more often. The owner should try to do what is reasonable to be pleasant and to try to fill the customer’s expectations.
Establish a policy of what the business will do to make a consumer happy as soon as the business opens. It should be considered as part of the business plan. Will the cost of the item or service be refunded? Will a new item be given in exchange for a defective item? Will a credit be given for a service to be preformed in the future? How far can the business owner afford to go before she is losing profits along with having an angry customer? We must remember that an unhappy customer will give you a bad reputation for years.
The demanding customer or client is one who will always want more of your time or effort than he is willing to compensate you for. Some demanding customers expect you to work 16-hour days, or to not take a day off. They are sometimes the ones that want you to do things that are not ethical or moral. Each business owner must establish a line when the sale is not worth it. The business owner has heard “the customer is always right,” time and time again; the customer is NOT always right if they want you to fill out a tax form with incorrect information or are too stressful, draining your time, patience, and money. Communicating with this customer takes talent. Calmly explain something can’t be done as they wish and give them a choice of alternatives. You can turn the situation around so they make the final decision and are not blaming you.
Every business owner should be prepared for the unhappy situation that will happen in the course of business. Use the job coach or counselor to rehearse possible situations. This exercise gives the business owner a chance to try out people skills and learn how to react under stress. It will help the owner develop a policy on how to handle an unhappy customer.
Marsha Steinweden is the owner of Steinweden Accounting Services, (406) 721-2712; marsha@marsweb.com
Rural Institute Launches New Self-employment Project for People with Traumatic Brain Injury
By Robert Snizek, Organizational Consultant at the Rural Institute
In October 2003, the Rural Institute’s Adult Community Services and Supports Department launched a new, three-year self-employment project for people with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) in partnership with the Brain Injury Association of America. The Self-Employment Development for Individuals with Traumatic Brain Injury Project is a U. S. Department of Education, National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research Field Initiated Development Project.
The project will create replicable self-employment options for people with TBI through inventive capacity building that focuses on the skills and interests of the potential business owner. Self-employment may not be for everyone, but through its appropriate use, choice and ability take center stage in the rehabilitation process. Brain injuries may be “hidden” and self-employment allows business owners with TBI the opportunity to build into their business plans accommodations for their symptoms (chronic pain, memory issues, combined with possible seizures, fatigue). Project Director Cary Griffin explains, “self-employment allows for the creation of a finely-matched work opportunity, designed specifically for someone that does not fit the standard employee mold, while respecting context and natural supports for a unique, profitable, and viable form of community employment.”
According to the Center for Disease Control, there are at least
5.3 million Americans who live with disabilities resulting from
TBI; each year there are 80,000 Americans who experience the
onset of long-term disability following a traumatic brain injury.
Unfortunately, many of these individuals do not go back to full-time
work. Unemployment rates for people with TBI range from 46% -
73%. (Spoonster, 1995)
During this three-year project, Rural Institute Organizational
Consultant Robert Snizek and Karen Flippo and Geoffrey Lauer
of the Brain Injury Association of America will assist in creating
of at least twenty small businesses for individuals with TBI
in Utah and Virginia. Snizek will work with Lauer and the Brain
Injury Association of Utah, located in Salt Lake City, Utah while
Flippo will work with Brain Injury Services Springfield, Virginia.
Each year of the project Snizek, Flippo, and Lauer will provide
five, three-day, intensive training and technical assistance
visits to their respective sites. Training sessions will cover
such topics as:
- business plan development,
- acquisition of vocational rehabilitation funding,
- business feasibility,
- local Small Business Development Center collaboration, and
- Social Security Work Incentives including the use of Plans for Achieving Self Support (PASS plans).
In addition to training, Griffin, Snizek, Flippo, and Lauer
(or “the team”) will provide on-going, hands-on technical
assistance to staff and new business owners as they work toward
successful and profitable outcomes.
Both sites are already moving forward. On February 10-12, 2003,
the Brain Injury Association of Utah hosted a training on self-employment
essentials, including an introduction to PASS plans, business
feasibility studies, marketing strategies on a “shoe string
budget,” and self-employment success stories. In Virginia,
25 people from all parts of the state received training; eight
people with brain injury, three family members, assistive technology
professionals, and providers took part in the session.
References
Spoonster, J.R. (1995). Defining Vocational Economic Damages
In Traumatic Brain Injury Cases. Vocational
Economics, Inc. Ohio Trial (November 1995.)
Success through the RESEED Project
By Joe Longcor, Allegan County Community Mental Health Services, Allegan, MI
It’s been exciting in Allegan County working on the Rural Entrepreneurship and Self-Employment Expansion Design (RESEED) project. Rural Institute Organizational Consultant David Hammis has been working with Allegan County Community Mental Health this past year, uncovering and shaping new employment options for individuals with disabilities.
Presentations and business planning sessions were jointly sponsored through funding received from the U.S. Department of Education Rehabilitation Services Administration, through the RESEED project, and the Michigan Department of Career Development/Michigan Rehabilitation Services Innovation and Expansion Grant. Locally, the project was supported by Allegan County Community Mental Health Services.
David began by presenting six community forums to more than 80 people, educating the community at large about maximizing Social Security benefits for individuals to achieve employment related goals. He brought his 20 year history in the disabilities field and his proven successes to the group and fueled new energy to help individuals with disabilities discover new options in employment in Allegan County.
PASS Plans
One of the first things David taught us was understanding Social Security benefits and Work Incentives, especially Plans for Achieving Self Support (PASS plans). PASS plans can be a powerful tool for funding employment goals. We learned the power of PASS plans by writing them. I’m proud to say we have a 100% success rate for the PASS plans we wrote during the RESEED project; the Social Security Administration has approved both of the PASS plans we submitted. We have several more ready for submission.
Our first PASS plan was to help a person with a vending machine business. PASS funds totaling $14,500 were used to purchased a van, adaptive equipment, and insurance. This amount was a renegotiated amount from an original $12,500 request. Our second PASS was for an individual in wage employment who is now working 20 hours a week at over $10 per hour. This person received an $8,000 PASS. Another wage employment PASS for a different individual has been submitted requesting over $15,000.
Success breeds success; we have now received our first Michigan Department of Career Development/Michigan Rehabilitation Services (MRS) authorization to support an individual to become a self-employed painter. A $3,500 commitment from MRS was received. This commitment will be used as leverage for the painter’s $19,000 PASS plan request.
Other Successes
Allegan County Community Mental Health’s successful local networking has led to two potential business owners with disabilities partnering with already established business owners to enhance both businesses. We are nurturing at least eight additional business concepts for individuals and facing the opportunities and challenges of including/encouraging family and a person’s support network to promote new employment options.
We are now discussing the need to consider a strong systemic change to oversee benefits analysis for all individuals served, and to best assure the fullest success of an individual’s PASS funds. In addition, Bob Besser, Coordinator of Self-Employment, Allegan County Community Mental Health, presented at the Michigan Transition Conference in late July to promote the many opportunities that supported self-employment is bringing to Allegan County and its residents.
Gross sales from the two established supported self-employment businesses exceeded $20,000 over the last 18 months. The reinvestment of these sales, grant money for business related purchases only (not for salaries, etc.), and PASS funding exceeded $32,000. Sales and personal income taxes paid exceeded $1,500, compared to virtually no tax that would have been paid previously. We have witnessed personal growth for both business owners, as well as others researching business and wage employment, that reflects tremendous growth in self-worth, determination, productivity, and expectations.
Business planning continues, more PASS plans are being prepared and submitted to Social Security, and a new awareness of maximizing a person’s Social Security benefits is erupting as Allegan County Community Mental Health Services moves progressively forward, supporting employment opportunities throughout Allegan County and sharing this information and energy throughout Michigan. Look for more up dates soon…’til then keep the dreams alive and plan for the future.
Contact Information
Joe Longcor
Allegan County Community Mental Health Services
3285 122nd Ave.
Allegan, MT 49010
(616) 673-4293
“Traditional” Self-Employment Process Created from RESEED Project
By Rebecca Holland, Jemez Vocational Rehabilitation, Jemez Pueblo, NM
“You are the wind beneath my wings.” Just hearing that phrase paints a picture in the mind. Maybe a person sees a large eagle soaring above the treetops, just gliding on the air current. Maybe another person pictures someone who is struggling to stand up being assisted by a friend. They are words of strength and words of courage. They are words that speak from the heart and create an image that brings a feeling of confidence. They are the words that the Jemez Vocational Rehabilitation (JVR) Project used to begin creating its self-employment process.
The vision that JVR has always tried to paint for consumers is that the program is merely the “wind beneath their wings.” As a rehabilitation program, we are unable to assist customers unless they are willing to be served. We are the ones who help consumers see their strengths and abilities and then build a plan around those assets to help consumers become self-sufficient and independent. The consumer has to build on his/her strengths and allow those abilities to develop to their fullest potential. Self-employment has always been a way for this to happen.
Since JVR’s inception in 1996, self-employment has been a viable outcome for the program’s consumers due to the rural location of the reservation and the lack of conventional employment opportunities in the area. The JVR staff has struggled for several years to find a way to develop a self-employment process that meets the consumers’ needs but also matches the program’s standards. In addition, the challenge of making that process culturally appropriate and traditionally-based has been difficult. When the JVR received a Rural Entrepreneurship and Self-Employment Expansion Design Project (RESEED) grant from the Rural Institute, funding became available to develop that traditionally-based self-employment process. The JVR contracted services from a strategic planner, and the program was able to take the time to brainstorm ideas for the process. Staff met on a regular basis, discussed the community’s values, and designed a culturally appropriate process.
It was through these planning sessions that the Walatowa (Towa language for “this is the place”) Self-Employment Process Flow Chart was created. The word “created” is used here because the process is culturally appropriate for the Pueblo of Jemez consumers and allows each self-employed consumer to visually see each element of the self-employment path on the chart. Since the community is so connected to the earth and the planting/growing process, the chart depicts each phase of the planting/growing process and then correlates it with the self-employment stages. In the background of our idea is an eagle, symbolizing freedom and independence. This is the cry of the self-employed consumers–to fly on their own and become self-sufficient.
The first section in the self-employment process is called the “planting/seeding” stage. This is when the consumer is beginning his/her self-employment and is building the foundation for running a business. Much like planting seeds in the ground, the consumer is developing a work ethic and building a business plan that will provide the necessary components for a viable business. Tasks that are completed include: development of a business plan, completion of a financial management workshop, and the creation of marketing and promotional materials.
The second section in the self-employment process is called the “nurturing/tending” stage. This is when the consumers are busy working diligently to learn all of the specifics of running a business and are learning how to maintain physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health so they are able to sustain themselves while running their businesses. Much like tending crops that have been planted, self-employed consumers must learn how to take care of themselves and learn how to work with their disabilities. Tasks that are completed include: attending mandatory appointments and meetings (dental, medical, optometric, counseling, etc.) and evaluating their progress toward the goal that has been established.
The third and final section in the self-employment process is called the “growth/harvest” stage. This is when consumers are learning how to run their businesses on their own. Much like harvesting a crop, this is when the “fruit” of the consumer’s labor is examined. Now the true essence of the business development is seen. During this stage, the consumer practices what has been taught in the areas of craft/business development, marketing, and creating inventory.
It is difficult to put into words the satisfaction that the JVR staff and consumers share from completing the consumer self-employment process. Having a visual chart has made explaining the self-employment process to consumers much easier. Although the process has been a “work in the making,” no one at the JVR would change a thing. A wise philosopher once said, “many things are learned along the way to completing a task.” The JVR would like to extend a big thank you to the staff at the Rural Institute for providing the opportunity to work on the Walatowa Self-Employment Process.
The JVR Staff includes:
- Rebecca Holland, Program Manager,
- Yolanda Toledo, Job Coach/Job Developer,
- Cathy Sabado, VR Counselor,
- Joyce Tsosie, VR Counselor and
- Leslie Baca, Administrative Assistant
Contact Information
Rebecca Holland
Jemez Vocational Rehabilitation
P. O. Box 687
Jemez Pueblo, NM 87024
Meeting the Challenges & Seizing the Opportunities in Indian Country
By Marsha Katz, Organizational Consultant at the Rural Institute
"Where no one intrudes, many can live in harmony." Chief Dan George
Self-employment is a challenging endeavor for anyone. For persons with disabilities living on a reservation, it can present even more challenges—challenges that are unique to each specific community, and challenges that are fairly common throughout Indian Country.
When rehabilitation professionals serving reservations partner with people with disabilities, their families, and others to creatively meet the challenges of self-employment, the benefits are many. Individuals benefit when they actualize their dreams and use their abilities to contribute to their community. The community benefits by gaining a product or service it needs, which also contributes to the greater community economic development. As the individual begins to realize profit from the business, some of that money also gets reinvested in the community when the business owner purchases other goods and services. Some businesses grow enough to create additional jobs in the community, and other businesses find they are more successful if several people bring together their products/services and work cooperatively for the benefit of the group. Self-employment in Indian Country is a circular endeavor where “individual” and “community” are entwined cooperatively to nourish both.
Anyone from outside an Indian community who wishes to partner with people with disabilities inside the community would do well to keep several things in mind, because herein lie some of the challenges that must be met if opportunities are to be seized.
Community as Experts
First and foremost is the reality that the people in and of the community are the real experts. Those of us who are invited into the community to assist may bring ideas and expertise, but we are merely sharing what we know in a way that sort of resembles a Chinese menu. The “diners” of the community are the ones who must then pick and choose from our offerings what they think might make sense in their community. Then they may reshape it for use in a way that is appropriate to the community as well as the person who is starting a business. The wonderful byproduct for those of us coming from the outside is that we have an equal opportunity to learn new things and new ways.
In one Indian community where we at the Rural Institute have consulted, the general unemployment rate is about 80%. Jobs are scarce for everyone, not just for persons with disabilities. Even when jobs do come open, it is uncomfortable for the community’s rehabilitation professionals to promote some of the people they are assisting as candidates to fill those jobs. The reason for their discomfort is the fact that the persons with disabilities all have SSI and/or SSDI benefits, meaning they have at least enough to survive. Others in the community have no income whatsoever, so a job for them means food and clothing and maybe even shelter. The rehabilitation staff have explained to us that it would not be appropriate for people who have “something” to compete for more against people who have basically “nothing.” That was not their way, and it wasn’t a way to promote the feeling of “community.” This challenge is easily converted into an opportunity by exploring possibilities for self-employment. If jobs are scarce, then needed goods and service probably are, too. What better way to invest in a community than to direct our human and financial resources toward helping persons with disabilities start businesses to fill those product and service gaps.
Sovereignty
A second thing to be aware of when partnering with Indian communities is that tribes and reservations are sovereign entities, which are self-governing. As sovereign nations, each tribe and/or reservation has its own distinct personality and characteristics. Customs vary and languages are different, as are geography, population, and their land base. Some tribes and reservations are close to metropolitan areas, while others are hours away by car, boat, plane, sled, or snowmobile. Some reservations are only a few acres and others span hundreds of miles across several states. Consultants and non-Indian rehabilitation professionals must allow themselves time to get to know the community, and for the community to get to know them. Building relationships, showing respect for the culture, and earning trust are necessities if one is to partner successfully with Indian communities. Our challenge is to suspend whatever romantic or stereotypic notions we may come with, in favor of just being respectful and open to learning.
Within the community the challenges to rehabilitation professionals and small business owners with disabilities are as varied as the nature of each tribe, village, corporation, and reservation. In some of the communities where we’ve worked, the tribal council or other governing bodies choose to, or assume they must, approve each business that begins in the community. Decisions can seem, and may in fact be, arbitrary—based on “politics,” perception of people, or simply a lack of process. In other communities, businesses and tribal government are separated by miles, and oversight is minimal, unless a problem for the community arises. Where there is a Tribal Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Agency, also know as a Section 121 Program (Rehabilitation Act), funding from the federal government flows through tribal administration to the program. Few tribal staff, councils, and others in administration are familiar with the regulations and parameters that govern operation of the Tribal VR programs. This lack of knowledge can result in a tribal government mistakenly seeking to “micro-manage” funds that only Tribal VR programs have federal authority to spend.
If a reservation seeks to maintain its privacy, a business that draws many customers from the outside to the reservation may not be at all welcome. In another community far from any metropolitan area and where people are few and far between, challenges may include how to market and distribute products and services.
Although it may not feel like it at the time, the uniqueness of each reservation really does open up opportunities for everyone. For instance, in one community, serving as a fiduciary for Tribal VR funds resulted in tribal officials assuming a managerial role regarding each person served by the program. Officials second guessed rehabilitation expenditures, and began requesting confidential information about persons with disabilities that they thought they needed in order to approve or disapprove businesses. Of course, the Tribal VR program stood by its obligation to assure confidentiality regarding those it assisted. The VR staff found a temporary solution by assigning a numerical code to each consumer and submitting paperwork to the tribe identified only by the code numbers. Meanwhile, the tribe is re-evaluation the business approval process to provide equity for all.
In a different community, on a national highway several hours from a metropolitan area, the characteristics of the reservation were such that it was economically important to draw in outsiders.
The reservation had made an important beginning by building a rest stop for travelers on the sparsely traveled highway. Persons with disabilities, supported by the Tribal VR program, are adding to that by opening a small restaurant to enhance the offerings at the tribal rest stop.
Partnering
A third area to consider as those of us from outside work with Indian communities is how to share our resources in a respectful and non-judgmental fashion. In some measure this topic draws on the first two areas mentioned: “Community as Experts” and “Sovereignty.” However, because of the added value “Partnering” brings to Indian communities, it is worth addressing on its own. Tribal VR programs do not yet enjoy the permanent funding and Social Security reimbursement that state VR programs enjoy. The large number of persons with disabilities in Indian Country means that resources must be stretched farther to cover more people living in situations often very different from what we think of as mainstream in America. The challenge of serving people with limited tribal resources can be better met by seizing the opportunity to partner with others like state VR, the Veterans Administration, Workforce Investment Act partners, the Social Security Administration, and a variety of other grants, projects, and agencies, as well as volunteers.
It is essential for all parties in these partnerships to come to the table with equal good will and willingness to communicate. We have found it helpful for people representing the various partners to let the others know what the parameters are for their program and what, if any, rules or policies apply. Knowing the rules can be a great guide for unleashing creative ideas, which lead to achieving positive, desired outcomes without violating policy. All the partners each get to claim the successful outcome for their own record keeping because each owns some of that success. Further, every time tribal and non-tribal entities work together successfully, relationships are strengthened, trust builds, and people are better served. As the numbers of successes grow, the occasional unsuccessful situation won’t be blown out of proportion, but will be viewed as the typical occasional occurrence we all experience in this work. Along with the many benefits of partnering, there are also challenges to meet. In many areas partners are miles away so getting together can truly challenge schedules and budgets. In other areas, multiple partners means needing to work effectively with multiple agendas and personalities. But even with these and other challenges, partnering presents an additional opportunity to both survive and thrive.
Conclusion
Since September 11, 2001, we are living in times that may see human service budgets cut to help finance defense and disaster efforts. The prospect of fewer dollars, with more people than ever needing our assistance, underscores the importance of partnerships, the blending of resources, and reaching out to serve all persons with disabilities respectfully and equitably.
In many states people living on reservations
and working in Indian communities may have only sporadic contact
with non-Indians, often centered around the buying of goods and
services. As more Indian people, with and without disabilities,
begin to be self-employed, the prospect of mutually satisfying
contacts among Indians and non-Indians increases. To foster these
connections and assist growing numbers of Native people with disabilities
to be equal partners in their community economies, all of us,
both those from within Indian communities and those of us from
outside, will need to work together creatively to respectfully
meet these and other challenges so everyone can seize the opportunities
available to maximize employment in Indian communities.