Self-Employment & Social Security

DEVELOPING A NETWORK OF BUSINESS AND TECHNICAL EXPERT RESOURCES.

The long term success of self-employment depends upon the effort and motivation of the consumer and assistance/skills gained through consultation by the consumer with expert resources. Thus, BPAO/P&A Projects should develop a network of professional business and technical resources who can assist consumers with business plan development and business consultations regarding business, accounting, tax or legal advice. There are several valuable resources that assist with business plan development, business consultation and also coordination with other technical experts such as accounting, tax, and legal aspects. The major ones are:

• Griffin-Hammis Associates
• Senior Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE),
• Small Business Development Centers,
• Area Community Colleges, and
• Area Chambers of Commerce

Benefits Specialist Role

The business plan and ongoing business and technical consultation should be coordinated with the important information that the Benefits Specialist can provide on benefits analysis and considerations of the Social Security benefit provisions for SSDI and SSI. In this effort, consumers who desire self-employment should be referred by the Benefits Specialist to these experts; and any need for later follow up assistance may be coordinated by the Benefits Specialist with these resources. The Benefits Specialist role with this network is:

• To provide information and applicable materials on Social Security issues, work incentives, benefits analysis and considerations that may be critical in their provisions of business plan and business consultation services to our consumers. In addition, technical and business materials/examples from Social Considerations for Small Business Owners with Disabilities and Making Self-Employment Work (Griffin-Hammis books) can be used to connect the critical aspects of Social Security with some of the critical roles of the business and technical aspects, i.e., profit and loss, cash flow, equipment and depreciation, ideas on bookkeeping systems that reflect what Social Security needs and what the IRS needs, and other important aspects specific to the consumer’s situation.
• Another item to be covered will be other public agency sources of funding business start ups and critical points and issues as the business is developed (as related to Social Security). VR also has a program that may assist consumers who desire to start a business or want to expand an existing business. If there is going to be a joint VR/PASS Plan involvement in assisting the consumer in business start up, then some information on the impact of the VR assistance also needs to be made known to the business and technical experts.