Employability Assistance for People with Disabilities Operating Manual
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Section 155.2 - Home-Based and Self-Employment
Self-Employment is an employment option for many individuals. The policy guidelines and funding parameters of Employability Assistance for People with Disabilities apply equally to employment and self-employment.
Employability Assistance for People with Disabilities may provide the following assistance to participants who are pursuing self-employment or a home-based business:
- Costs of disability-related support services as described in Section 166.1.
- Where start up funds are not available through other sources, Employability Assistance for People with Disabilities may provide up to $2,000.00 towards initial start-up costs such as the purchase of small equipment, tools, office machines, or essential office and record keeping supplies.
- Financial assistance for individuals to undertake specific skills training, or business management training related to the entrepreneurial venture, and/or related to the effective use of disability-related technical aids or devices.
In the situation described in 3 above, the funding required to participate in these courses may not require the applicant/participant to be placed on the Education Wait List. These courses must be part of the Basic Business Plan.
Basic Business Plan Outline
Applications for funding toward establishing a home-based business or other forms of Self-Employment must include a basic business plan. The business plan must identify the following:
- basic business concept;
- description of goods and services to be provided;
- targeted market;
- start-up costs;
- source of funding for start-up costs;
- advertising and marketing strategy; and
- projected 12 month cash flow including revenue and expenditures.
For participants in receipt of Employment and Income Assistance (EIA) benefits, a referral may be initiated for the EIA Approved Enhanced Self-Employment Initiative. (See Section 17.1.5 of the Employment and Income Assistance Administration Manual.)