Interagency Collaboration and ‘No Wrong Door’ to Employment: A
Chronological History of Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Retention
Services in OASAS
- 1997-OASAS received 14mil. in
Federal Block Grant funds to enhance vocational rehab. and employment
retention services (VRERS) in OASAS.
- 1998-OASAS funded 120 Providers,
290 Program Reporting Units (PRUs) and 400 FTE’s to provide VRES
statewide.
- 1998-Initial focus was on the
Welfare Reform Initiative involving TANF and SNA recipients also receiving
OASAS treatment services.
Text of Shaheen Presentation on Inclusive
Entrepreneurship
Intro Slide 1 : Inclusive Entrepreneurship*
Gary Shaheen, MPA, Managing Director
Syracuse University Burton Blatt Institute. Adjunct Faculty, Whitman School of
Management, Syracuse University
* “Inclusive Entrepreneurship” is
developed and trademarked by The Syracuse University Whitman School of
Management and Burton Blatt Institute and used with permission
Slide 2: Overview
- Overview of NYMWP Entrepreneurship Projects
- StartUP NY #1 & #2 -Overview
and Results Achieved
- Core Principles and Concepts:
Inclusive Entrepreneurship
- Exercises – Stage I
- Partners – Who do you need and why?
- Outcome Milestones and Indicators
- Sustainability
- Discussion, Q&A, Next Steps\
Slide 3: “Inclusive Entrepreneurship TM”
A strategy and process for assisting people with
diverse disabilities to become entrepreneurs through
- business planning training
- use of customized business
development goal and
- support planning
- access to financial resources
- utilizing the resources of diverse
public and private
- partners working within
- a consensus-driven
- collaborative
framework
Syracuse University
Burton Blatt Institute/Whitman School of Management
2009
Slide 4: Who are Entrepreneurs?
“Entrepreneurs are innovative, opportunity-oriented,
resourceful, value-creating change agents”
Dees, Economy, 2001
Slide 5: Start-UP NY
A 3-year Onondaga County led initiative
- - Funded by the US Department of
Labor Office of Disability Employment Policy
- - Managed by SU Burton Blatt
Institute with the Whitman School of Management, Onondaga SBDC and other
partners
Slide 6: 3.5 Year Outcomes
- 209 people enrolled/received
business training
- 151 people currently enrolled
- 64 businesses registered
- 47 businesses operated
- Financial Literacy Classes
- Benefits Planning Assistance
- 51 IDA enrollees through Credit
Union with foundation matching $$
- Inclusive Entrepreneurship Course
at Whitman through Kauffman Grant
- StartUP #2 with Hunter College and
Columbia SBDC -12 enrolled since 6/10
- Onondaga SBDC Manual for counselors
Slide 7: Economic Self-Sufficiency Strategy Start-UP NY
Graphic: Four puzzle pieces shown fitting together
into one unit, labeled “Economic Self Sufficiency.” The pieces are labeled:
1)
Start-UP Self-Employment Business
Planning
- Develop a viable
business plan
- Develop viable
financial plan
- Address personal
income goals
2)
Financial Literacy and Asset
Development
- Manage personal
finances
- EITC, Child care,
other tax credits
- Skills for saving,
investing, asset accumulation
- Tax prep resources
3)
Leverage New Resources
- Individual Development
Accounts
- WIA training resources
- Transportation
vouchers
- Micro-enterprise loans
- State Vocational Rehab
grants
4)
Work Incentives Planning
- PASS
- SSI/SSDI work
incentives
- PESS
- HUD income disregards
- Ongoing benefits
planning
Slide 8: Some Questions re: Entrepreneurship
- What individual characteristics
might help a person with a disability become a successful entrepreneur?
- What gets in their way?
- What staff credentials or
capabilities are needed to help people with disabilities become successful
entrepreneurs?
Slide 9: ‘4 Stage Inclusive EntrepreneurshipTM Curriculum’
Flowchart of the 4 stages:
- STAGE I Entrepreneurial Awareness
- Orientation and
business
- concept development
- Self-assessment, Team
- Building &
Discovery
- ‘Go/No-Go decision
- STAGE II: Nascent Entrepreneur
- Market research
- Business concept
- Development
- Business training
- Networking
- STAGE III: Early Start UP
- Business planning
- Benefits and Financial
- Planning
- Financing/accounting
- STAGE IV: Sustained Growth
Slide 10: Example: Individual Entrepreneurship Discovery ‘Map’
Flowchart: each bullet below is a box with arrows
pointing to the next box. Boxes are connected in a circle
- Life History, Experiences, Dreams
- Skills , Strengths, Gifts, Supports
- What Works, What Doesn’t
- Possible business options
- Possible resources for business
support & accommodations
- Plan Next Steps, Gather Info,
Decide
Slide 11: What is “Discovery”?
- Discovery=supported self-assessment
- A personal inventory of
preferences, skills and needed supports advancing an entrepreneurship goal
- A ‘point in time’ snapshot that can
be revisited and changed over time based upon your experiences in starting
and operating your business
- Different than traditional
assessment-it does not begin by evaluating the business plan, but by
developing a personal inventory and business feasibility
Slide 12: Discovery asks Questions like these..
- Life history: Describe some events
in your life that led you to choose entrepreneurship
- Skills, education, experience &
strengths: List all that will help you become a successful entrepreneur
- Gifts: What personal talents will
contribute to your success as an entrepreneur?
- What works/Doesn’t: Personal
characteristics and habits that either help or hinder your success as an
entrepreneur
- Who can Help: List those in your
life that you can count on to help you as an entrepreneur – what
specifically can each person do?
Slide 13: Comparison to Present Experience
- What entrepreneurship assessment
tools do you use now?
- How effective are they in:
- Helping the
prospective entrepreneur develop or refine a business concept?
- Developing a feasible
and viable business plan?
- Providing the counselor with enough
information to assess feasibility, viability and/or a funding decision?
Slide 14: What do we mean by ‘Business Concept’?
- Survival and growth of ventures are
dependent upon
having a business concept that is
- clearly defined and
- “relatively” unique
- The concept is concerned with the
- essence of the
business
- the value it creates
- the benefits it
delivers to a customer.
Slide 15: BUSINESS CONCEPT
Key areas to examine in a business concept include:
·
The basic product or service being
offered
·
How the business makes its money
(e.g., low service being offered margin/high volume)
·
The complete product/service mix
·
Core attributes or benefits of the
product or service
·
Packaging
·
Sources of value being created for
customers
·
Branding
·
Unique aspects of pricing, sales
or distribution that, in effect, define the business
·
Sources of differentiation
·
Location
Slide 16: OPPORTUNITY
Great business concepts and “quality” products still
fail in the marketplace (or generate anemic returns), simply because there is no
opportunity.
Opportunity revolves around having customers, clients,
users of the products or services provided.
The other key component is that the customers,
clients, users will pay enough in order for the business or organization to be
profitable.
Slide 17: OPPORTUNITY
Major opportunity concerns include:
·
Forces creating the opportunity
·
Key success factors to capitalize
upon opportunity
·
Definition of the target market
·
Barriers to entry
·
Competitor shortcomings or
strengths
·
Size and growth potential of the
market
·
Profit opportunity
·
Fit between opportunity and
concept
·
Window of opportunity
·
Customer loyalties to competitors
and switching costs
Slide 18: 4 Stage Outcome Indicators
(See handout)
·
Clear Business Idea?
·
Support Team?
·
Work Incentives Planning?
·
Networking with Mentors?
·
Entrepreneurial Growth Strategy?
·
Business Feasibility?
·
Business Plan?
·
Sustainability Plan?
Slide 19: Partnerships and other resources
For individuals and for organizations you should
consider what business resources and partners you need to develop, including
but not limited to:
·
Business Planning: EAPs, SBDCs,
Colleges/universities
·
Financing: Grants, loans,
foundations, leveraged investment sources, IDAs
·
Technical Expertise: SCORE,
Chambers of Commerce, Trade Associations,
·
Assistive
Technology/Accommodations: DBTACs, One Stops, ILCs
Slide 20: Exercise: ID and Rate the partners!
Who are your partners? Make a list to include, but not
be limited to:
·
State disability services agencies
·
Business development
·
Business counseling
·
Consumer advocates
·
Financial institutions
·
Who else???
Are they:
1)
Already on Board,
2)
Needed but not yet on board
3)
What do/can they provide?
Slide 21: Recognizing and Addressing Obstacles that Can Affect Business
Sustainability
·
Obstacles that affect business
success can include:
- Family circumstances
(like change in marital status, having a child, etc)
- Impact of disability
- Change in living
situation
- Medication effects
- Change in financial
situation
- Skills gap
- Financial resource gap
- Business plan-dynamic
or static?
- Other?
·
Some Tools: Identify and use a
support team
- Other people with
disabilities that have started their own businesses
- Business and financial
mentors to provide business-related advice
- Other personal
counseling/support
Slide 22: Example of a deliverable and process
Deliverable 1: Discover market trends and create a
competitive advantage
Milestone 1: Complete a report that identifies
potential growth areas that a prospective entrepreneur (or organization) can
target
Activities:
·
Obtain Info from Interviews/date
due
(Major questions: Who and why?)
·
Obtain Info from Web research/date
due
(Major questions: Where and why?)
·
Obtain Info from Lit research/date
due
(Major questions What and why?)
·
Write Comparative analysis
- Are we competitive now
- What gaps need to be
filled to become competitive/date due
·
Write Summary of major growth
areas achievable
- next 90 days
- 180 days
- 1 year
Slide 23: Replication: Key Components to Consider
·
Articulate the mission and vision
·
Map resources, barriers, and
facilitators
·
Develop a sustainable model
·
Help prospective entrepreneurs
with disabilities build economic self-sufficiency
·
Sustain and Replicate the Effort
Slide 24: Questions and Answers?
For more information contact
Gary Shaheen: geshahee@syr.edu
Thanks and Good Luck!
End of presentation