Re: Starting a small business (Was 'shredding service needed')

[Guest guest]

Amy, Ellen, all, great ideas here. Dist. 99 and others creating job training

opps for students, as well as infiltrating those local Chambers....excellent!!

Thais, the whole idea about creating a business to go after local shredding or

assembly projects/contracts, I think has legs...but should definitely involve a

number of committed families who have expertise or connections to share. As

Ellen says, sustainability is key, and having a broad base of volunteer talent

also very helpful.

Have never meant to imply here that my local school district set up the whole

Helper Girl idea and held my hand throughout the process. I never thought of

that as being part of their jobs. However, once we came to them with the

business idea and planned out what supports we thought would need, with a

little nudge they were more than willing to incorporate those needs into the

last few years of her transition IEP. The Vocational Coordinator I worked with

was invaluable in being able to see how transition supports could help

achieve a sustainable part-time job. Those supports included vital on-the-job

coaching, speech & language scripts for interacting with potential customers,

O.T. consults and direct service to create envelope stuffing, address label

affixing jigs and visual systems, etc. Oh, and transportation while she was

learning all of the above.

But make no mistake, it was me and my husband and many friends who were versed

in things like graphic design, web design, packaging, and accounting who helped

launch the business itself.

It’s not impossible to do. I know of at least a half dozen other local

families who are doing this – and if there’s enough interest within IPADD to

discuss this topic in more detail, we’d be happy to oblige.

From: Amy Simler

Sent: Saturday, December 31, 2011 11:25 AM

IPADDUnite

Subject: Re: shredding service needed

Hi,

Our Transition program has a few microbusinesses which includes shredding. Our

Vocational Coordiantor was vital in setting it up and worked with others who

have done this previously. Our District allowed us to set-up activity accounts,

similar to a school club. We do not pay students directly but we use the money

to pay for large portions of our annual overnight trip and other expense the

student might of had to pay for previously. For example our Holiday lunch. The

businesses are used for teaching vocational skills at a variety of independence

levels. We also have become part of two our local Chambers. This has generated

business as well as job training opportunities in the community.

Thanks,

Amy

________________________________

From: Francis PALLUAU <mailto:fpalluau%40wowway.com>

mailto:IPADDUnite%40

Sent: Fri, December 30, 2011 11:55:48 AM

Subject: Re: shredding service needed

Hi Amy,

That's great that your district is willing to start a business for your

students. Do they get paid? How does that work? At a recent Naperville works

meeting we were talking to our district about the setting up a business in order

to be able to bid on city contract for things like shredding copying and

collating and they said they can't do that. So we started discussing

microenterprise with a few parents.

Seems like we should be able to put our " shreds " together so that opportunities

in our own communities don't pass by.

Thais