Informed Choices: Self Employment Assessment Strategies for Rehabilitation Professionals

The Abilities Fund, in collaboration with the Association for Enterprise Opportunity, Region 10 Center for Continuing Education in Rehabilitation at Western Washington University, and the Oregon MicroEnterprise Network, will be conducting a full day Specialized Training Institute designed to assist rehabilitation professionals with assessing self employment as an option for individuals with disabilities.

This interactive Specialized Training Institute will provide rehabilitation counselors with the tools and resources needed to effectively assess and facilitate the vocational goals of promising entrepreneurs with disabilities. Participants will gain practical insights regarding identifying entrepreneurial individuals, hobby vs. business, and other issues commonly experienced when self-employment is expressed as a client's vocational goal. Best practices in identifying qualified service providers will be presented. Special consideration will be given to identifying your state's specific funding resources available to promising entrepreneurs.

This Specialized Training Institute has been designed specifically for rehabilitation professionals and will include:

• Self employment as a vocational goal
  
  • From a rehab perspective
  • From a business perspective
• Defining business operations
  
  • Hobby vs. Micro vs. Small
  • Why people go into business for themselves
  • What makes a business idea good?
• How microbusiness fits into an IPE
• Traits of Successful Entrepreneurs
• Critical business skills
  
  • Red & Green Flags
• Evaluating the client's preparedness Assessment tools for counselors...
  and clients
• Access to Capital - reducing the burden on the "Bank of VR"
  
  • Limitations of commercial financing
  • Opportunities of Micro Loan Programs
  • IDA accounts: Saving for the future
  • State AFP / Telework Loan Programs
  • Abilities Fund Financial Products: Guarantees/Grants/Direct Loans

This Specialized Training Institute, Informed Choices: Self Employment Assessment Strategies for Rehabilitation Professionals, will be held during the Association for Enterprise Opportunity (AEO) Annual Conference - and is an excellent opportunity for rehabilitation professionals to learn more about opportunities to assist and fund entrepreneurs with disabilities. For more information about the AEO Conference, visit http://www.microenterpriseworks.org/conferences/aeo2005/index.htm

For those attending the Specialized Training Institute along with the AEO Conference, a Technical Assistance & Roundtable Discussion will be held following the session for those who would like to one-on-one consultation, and/or to network and engage in additional discussion with Institute presenters and colleagues.

Registration for this Specialized Training Institute is limited to thirty (30). For registration information or to learn more about this Specialized Training Institute, Informed Choices: Self Employment Assessment Strategies for Rehabilitation Professionals, please contact The Abilities Fund at Toll Free 1.866.720.3863 or maggiejones@abilitiesfund.org