 | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| |||||||||
| |||||||||
 |
 |
||||||||
| |||||||||
| |||||||||
| |||||||||
| |||||||||
| |||||||||
| |||||||||
 |
 |
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
Success Stories
There are many successful entrepreneurs who have utilized the services of the Abilities Fund, This page features some of their stories:
Success Story: Heather GreenMs. Green was a successful professional, working twenty-one years in purchasing and sales; however, in 1991 she experienced a Traumatic Brain Injury in an automobile accident. Subsequently, Heather was unable to work an 8-5 job due to her short term memory loss and deficits of attention. Determined to pursue other career possibilities, Heather became a client of Vocational Rehabilitation and started working towards her Bachelors degree.While in school, Heather starting making soaps as a hobby--giving her homemade products to family and friends. As her soaps grew in popularity she realized that she had the opportunity to turn her hobby into a profitable business. Using a small amount of funds from her Social Security Disability Insurance payment each month to fund her business, Heather began marketing her products locally, selling at farmer’s markets. However, she lacked the ability to produce her soaps in large quantities until she received a $500 grant through the Trickle Up Program. The grant money allowed Heather to purchase her supplies in bulk, therefore dramatically cutting her cost of goods sold. Heather produces all of her fragrances without a sense of smell—a consistent effect of Traumatic Brain Injury. She makes up for her loss by staying organized and having a well thought-out plan of production. Additionally, in order to guarantee a quality product, Heather tests her products rigorously. Heather states: “I feel that H & B Herbals is the culmination of all my professional positions and experiences. It utilizes all of the skills I have acquired while allowing me to continue to grow and learn.” Success Story: Kevin StocktonKevin Stockton responded to losing his sight by sharpening his entrepreneurial vision.The Native American from Roseburg, Oregon was a construction-savvy independent contractor specializing in high-end woodwork -- until June 11, 1999, when a robbery shooting ended his sighted days and his construction business. With encouragement and advice from his Vocational Rehabilitation counselor and from the Micro-Enterprise Development and Lending (MEDAL) program of the Roseburg based Umpqua Community Development Corporation, Stockton once again chose the entrepreneurial option. After completing MEDAL's training program and receiving technical assistance from Program Manager Shawn Winkler-Rios in areas including business plan development and advisory board formation, Stockton officially launched his business: Blind Signs, Inc., a system of bars designed to be placed near crosswalks to provide cane users with a tactile orientation guide. Sets of three, four, and five parallel bars would provide signals to cane users that they are approaching, respectively, a bus stop, an intersection, or a stairway. Blind Signs is generating excitement within the blind community as a potentially life-altering innovation that holds national and international implications. While Stockton has yet to actively market his product, he has launched several pilot programs gaining the attention of officials from five states who have expressed interest in employing this system. To learn more about Blind Signs, Inc., visit www.blindsigns.com. or write to Blind Signs, Inc. 868 Little Valley Rd, Roseburg, OR 97470. Phone 541-679-9279.
|
|
|||||||||||||||
