[nabentre] Entrepreneurship training, business grants and loans for blind entrepreneurs

[Mary Ellen]

The answer to your question depends in part on what sort of business you're
planning.  The Small Business Administration (in theory) has loans and
grants, but the competition is fierce!  They can put you in contact with
SCORE, the Service Corps of Retired Executives.  SCORE members offer help in
creating a business plan and have been known to help entrepreneurs find
funding sources.

Remember that vocational rehabilitation also provides funding for business
start ups.  If you can create a strong case and do your homework, you can
get funding from your state agency.  Many rehabilitation counselors have a
background in social services rather than business, so it's extremely
important that you do the leg work in developing your business plan.  The
more developed your plan, the more likely you are to get it funded.

I know of a man who is doing sales on eBay.  He wanted to expand his
business but needed money to purchase more inventory to sell.  He has
contacts in the liquidation business; he could purchase quantities of
discontinued products that have resale value.  Unfortunately, those items
are available immediately or not at all.  By the time a purchase order could
be obtained from state government, the items in question would have been
long gone.  

So this man got creative. He asked the state to buy him packing tape; lots
and lots of packing tape.  Packing tape never goes on clearance and is a
fairly stably priced retail item.  So the state bought him several thousand
dollars worth of packing tape; because of the quantity involved, it was
available at a discount.  Then the man sold the tape on eBay to help other
sellers in their business.  He was able to sell it for less than the item
would cost in a store, even with shipping.  He saved all the money he
received from selling packing tape and had it available as cash to use when
fantastic liquidation deals became available.

I'm not suggesting that you ask your state to buy you truckloads of packing
tape.  I'm suggesting that creative thinking may be required if you're going
to apply for rehabilitation help with your new business.

If you check on the web, a number of sites promise to pitch your idea to
potential investors.  Though such links can be very useful, I urge you to
investigate carefully before you entrust your business ideas to them.  Like
any other sort of business, there are a few fraud artists mixed in with the
honorable people.



-----Original Message-----
From: nabentre-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nabentre-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Brad Dunsé
Sent: February 23, 2012 4:14 AM
To: NFBnet NAB Entrepreneurs Mailing List
Subject: Re: [nabentre] Entrepreneurship training, business grants and loans
for blind entrepreneurs

Hadley has the Forsythe Center, an
on-line  modular course on various aspects of business. I've not taken any
myself. But you can find it at www.hadley.edu


Brad



On 2/23/2012  05:55 AM Philip S said...
>Hi group,
>My name is Phil.  I am an entrepreneur, and was wondering what types of 
>resources are available to help blind entrepreneurs start their 
>business?  Are there entrepreneurship training program, business grant, 
>business loans specifically for people with disabilities that you are 
>aware of?  What are your opinions of these programs? Have you thought 
>about getting a grant or loan and where have you tried?
>Thanks!
>Phil
>
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Brad Dunsé

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the moment...
You might be a songwriter." --Capt'n Frank

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