Doing What You Like to Do

Joe grew up in Anaconda, Montana, and is well known in the Butte/Anaconda area. Throughout the years, Joe established and then broke quite a few records, swimming distances unimaginable to most people. He is well liked in the communities where he lives, not only for his notoriety in distance swimming, but also because he is an extremely hard worker, lending his great work ethic to many community projects.

Prior to receiving any assistance with his business, Joe was financially “strapped” and living on the Social Security benefits that he qualified for in 1989. He did occasional odd jobs, but was not satisfied with this work. He was bothered when his kids made statements to their friends about their dad being unemployed. Not working frustrated Joe. He had too much free time and was depressed. He contacted Butte Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) to inquire what type of services would be available to him. Joe quickly established eligibility for Vocational Rehabilitation Services. After completing an occupational skill assessments, speaking with a counselor, and researching different employment options, he decided upon an employment goal—operating his own business.

This was when he got the idea to package and sell his beef jerky. Joe has always liked to cook and when friends and family tasted his beef jerky, they commented on how he should sell it. So Joe did just that. Once he brought in some samples, VR decided to help Joe get his business going. Joe’s VR Counselor asked him to complete a business plan, which Joe readily agreed to do. He found a location for the business and calculated start up costs of $10,000. Vocational Rehabilitation approved Joe’s plan, however VR was unable to completely fund it. VR provided Joe with funds to purchase dehydrators, packaging boxes, equipment, and supplies. The counselor suggested a Social Security Plan for Achieving Self Support (PASS) for additional business start-up funds, however Joe was unwilling to pursue this because the PASS would require him to apply for Food Stamps. So the VR the counselor referred Joe to Career Futures, Inc.

He found a location for the business and calculated start-up costs of $10,000. Vocational Rehabilitation approved Joe’s plan

Career Futures in Butte is a local Workforce Investment Act program provider and they linked Joe to the Montana Job Training Partnership for business funds and the Rural Institute for technical assistance. After establishing eligibility, Joe was able to request business start-up funding from the Careers through Partnerships Project. After only a few days, Lisa Newman, Montana Job Training Partnership Program Specialist, notified Joe and Career Futures his request was approved

Currently Joe is in business making, packaging, and selling beef jerky. He operates Lost Dolphin, Inc., doing business in Butte at 109 North Montana Street. He has a beautiful storefront located up on the hill in old Butte. His catchy marketing slogan is “Don’t bite off more than you can AHHH CHEW!” His customers are local bars in Butte. Soon he will be selling to a bar in Missoula, Montana, and he is negotiating with Town Pump, Inc. to place his products in all of their gas stations in Montana. He has also contracted with Mining City Meats, another new Butte business, to supply all the beef for his jerky.

In order for Joe to make and sell more jerky to additional businesses, he needs to hire at least one employee. He is working as many hours as possible and is not able to expand the deliveries or production without help. However, the business is not making enough money for Joe to purchase Worker’s Compensation insurance and other insurance needed to hire an employee. Joe, with assistance from Rural Institute staff, is looking into additional sources of money for this type of business expense.

Knowing what he knows now, Joe would have more carefully developed a business plan with a realistic set of costs to start-up and operate the business before he opened his doors. He rented an existing building with cooking equipment, but needed additional money to replace some of that equipment because it did not pass the USDA inspection. He bought the new equipment and he now knows that if he would have gone to the Health Department and met with them before renting the building, it would have saved him a lot of time and trouble.

Joe loves the possibilities of running his own business! “I like it. The whole thing. There’s nobody to blame except for me. I either make it or I don’t. It’s kind of an adrenalin rush. I have not thought about this much stuff in all forty-five years of my life! It’s nice being the boss, which has been a lifetime goal.”

How to contact this small business owner:

Joe Maciag
Lost Dolphin, Inc.,
(dba AHHH-CHEW of Beef Jerky)
P. O. Box 91
109 North Montana Street
Butte, Montana 597013
(406) 723-4466