Rural School Business Partnerships How to enhance employment opportunities for adolescents in rural communities!

Rural Economies Rural areas present numerous economic challenges for employees in general. Therefore, individuals with disabilities have increased challenge with finding employment. The task requires Job Developers, Vocational Coordinators and Transition Coordinators to be creative and distinctive in their activities related to placing individuals with disabilities into employment. “Rural people with disabilities have a higher rate of unemployment than their urban counterparts, possibly due to the marginal nature of many rural economies” (

Creative. Innovative. Distinctive. Self-employment has proven successful at a higher rate for individuals with disabilities in rural settings than for their non-disabled counterparts. Self-employment requires creative, innovative and distinctive people to develop the process.

Self-employment – How can it help? Advantages –Independence - control over work setting and schedule –Employment where/when outside opportunities are few –Being the boss –Interacting with customers, suppliers, and others –Enjoyable work –Sense of achievement/satisfaction if the business succeeds –Control over job security –Control of business decisions –Better standard of living –Feeling part of the community Adapted from: RTC: Rural Training Guide for VR Counselors –

Self-employment – How can it challenge? Disadvantages –Pleasing the customer (the REAL boss) –Long, hard hours with little free time –Fluctuating income –Unrelenting responsibility –Possibility of business failure –Stress on family/resource –Possible exacerbation of health problems/disability Adapted from: RTC: Rural Training Guide for VR Counselors –

Self-employment – Two possible Routes Entrepreneurship –Individual or small group of individuals have a concept, idea, product –They need financial and planning assistance to start up –Detailed business plan needs to be developed Resource Ownership/ Partnership –Individual has a service or resource to distribute but little avenue to distribute it –Partner with an established company to produce and sell service/resource –Share profits –Semi-detailed business plan needs to be developed Adapted from: RTC: Rural Training Guide for VR Counselors –

Entrepreneurship – Business Plans – What they do for you Evaluate entire business to produce self-employment success Find a critically evaluated market NICHE Continue ongoing evaluation of the market – ESSENTIAL Extensive business plans WILL do these three things.

Business Plan Components Executive Summary Business Description Marketing Plan Operations Plan Financial Plan Adapted from: RTC: Rural Training Guide for VR Counselors –

Executive Summary Introduce idea, marketable niche Use an eye-catcher, Catch-Phrase Convince the readers that the business idea is sensible. Grab the reader’s attention so that they are engaged to read further Adapted from: RTC: Rural Training Guide for VR Counselors –

Business Description Answers these questions: –Where the idea came from, –Who owns it and his/her/their background –How much does each person own (if more than one owner) –What industry will this business compete in Adapted from: RTC: Rural Training Guide for VR Counselors –

Business Plan activity Using slide 9 and the first and fourth question in slide 10 develop a marketable idea/niche for your community ( Note: what works for rural will likely work for urban and suburban as well.)

Marketing Plan Sells the product and its success ability to the reader Answers the following questions: –What is the product in detail –What are the market demands for this product? –What are the market trends for this product? –What and how much competition for this product is there in the market? –Who will be the customers interested in the product? –What will be used to effectively advertise the product? Adapted from: RTC: Rural Training Guide for VR Counselors –

Operations Plan THE HOW questions about the business: –How will the work be done? –How will the product be made? –How will the business be managed? –How much upfront equipment is needed to begin operations? –How will the business meet licenses, permits, codes, insurance, etc? –How will the business employ others (if at all)? What types of employees and how many? –AND some where/what questions Where will the business be located What outside businesses will be used regularly Adapted from: RTC: Rural Training Guide for VR Counselors –

Financial Plan The $$$$ questions – THE MOST challenging part of the plan…. –How much investment is required? –What funds are readily available? –What funds are solicitous? –What is the financial statement/cost benefit analysis for this business? Need: sources of cash, equipment list, income statement, break-even analysis, cash-flow projections, balance sheet, personal financial statement, and any other helpful financial documents. Adapted from: RTC: Rural Training Guide for VR Counselors –

Business Plan Example Rainbow Siding and Guttering –Very detailed business plan du/EXAMPLE-business-plan.htm

Resource Ownership/Partnership What do they do for you? AKA – Supported Self-Employment Ideal for the less assertive, self- determined individuals who need a moderate level of assistance to bring ideas to fruition Win-Win situation!!!! Adapted from: RTC: Rural Training Guide for VR Counselors –

Resource Ownership Individual with a disability owns a particular piece of equipment or a vital resource The individual needs a place to use the equipment and sell the end product Partner with an already established store, franchise, or company to “rent” the space and sell the product to that company’s audience Adapted from: RTC: Rural Training Guide for VR Counselors –

Partnership Individual with a disability has an established amount of cash flow for an investment. Individual has an interest and a skill in an already existing company. Individual sets up a partnership with said company to make product or provide service and each partner share the profits Individual and company determine percentage of profits and division of labor. Adapted from: RTC: Rural Training Guide for VR Counselors –

So, how does it work? Individual has a skill or idea. Individual is unable to mass-produce skill or idea due to financial or physical challenges Individual and Case Manager or Transition Coordinator approach businesses that have facilities and materials to produce skill or idea to develop a partnership Use a very simplified business plan to pitch the partnership idea Produce a WIN – WIN situation Adapted from: RTC: Rural Training Guide for VR Counselors –

How to Make a Win – Win Through transition planning – identify the individual’s interests and skills. Canvas the community for employers who do such work Coordinator and individual meet with employers to determine interest in resource ownership or partnership Discuss advantages and low risk to both parties With PASS plan, buy equipment to use at worksite Set up written guidelines –The employer maintains and insures the equipment or resource; –The equipment is located in the employer’s place of business; –The employee retains ownership of the equipment and product; and –If the employee leaves, the equipment/product leaves. –Payment due to each party (for a partnership) –Quarterly profits due to each party based on profits (for a partnership) Adapted from: RTC: Rural Training Guide for VR Counselors –

Examples Student run business –Spirit Blankets Sewing Shop Sandwich Delivery –Video

Activity Using Slides , develop an idea based on an individual or group of individuals that would be successful with a resource ownership or partnership.

In school systems Student-run businesses Small Entrepreneurships Small Partnerships These present the largest amount of ease and efficiency for students with disabilities and the educators that are job developing for them.