Strengthening Your Small Business: Certification Funding and Growth Opportunities

Explore certification benefits and funding programs for small, minority, and women-owned businesses. Learn about MBE, DBE, ACDBE and SBE certifications, along with SBA funding options like 7(a) loans, 504 Loans, Microloan Programs and more. Gain insights into crafting effective loan proposals and credit management strategies. Plus, discover how to seek and apply for grants and access valuable resources for business growth. Don’t miss this chance to propel your business forward!

During this workshop you will learn how to:

  • Obtain Certification
  • Access Funding
  • Network and Connect at No Cost
  • Maximize Marketing

Register now! 

To make a reasonable accommodation request or if you have questions about this session, please email Alexis Jones at ajones@ndi-inc.org. Please allow at least 5 business days’ advance notice; last minute requests will be accepted, though may not be possible to fulfill.

Beyond Our Disabilities – Celebrating Black Disabled Entrepreneurs

“Beyond our Disabilities – Celebrating Black Disabled Entrepreneurs” is an empowering event dedicated to showcasing the tenacity and innovation of Black entrepreneurs with disabilities. This event, in collaboration with National Disability Institute (NDI) and Financial Joy School, offers the inspirational stories of determination and success from founders who have triumphantly navigated a variety of challenges. The event will be hosted by the charismatic Ruby SunShine Taylor and feature a panel of outstanding entrepreneurs, including Mariah Barber from Invisible Strengths, Dr. Samantha Scott of JuneBrain and Stephanie Thomas of Cur8able.com. Join us for an afternoon of celebration, insights and appreciation for these extraordinary individuals who have turned obstacles into opportunities for growth and achievement

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ASL Interpretation was be provided by Interpreter Now and Captioning was be provided by Caption First. If you have questions about this session, please email Alexis Jones at ajones@ndi-inc.org.

EXIM 101 – Export Essentials for Successful Global Business Growth

Are you aware that there is a Government agency specifically there to support you in taking your business to a global consumer base? The EXIM bank is the official export credit agency of the United States. Their mission is to support American job creation, prosperity and security through exporting. Attend this webinar to learn about EXIM finance tools, how you can reduce non-payment risk, and expand to other countries.

For more information about Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM), visit the website.

Register Now!

ASL Interpretation and Captioning will be provided. To make a reasonable accommodation request or if you have questions about this series, please email Alexis Jones at ajones@ndi-inc.org. Please allow at least 3-5 business days’ advance notice; last minute requests will be accepted though may not be possible to fulfill.

Please check back 1-2 weeks after the live webinar to view a recording of the webinar and to download the slides from the presentation.

Self-Employed and Self-Determined: Using Supported Decision-Making In Practice Webinar

Presented by: Jonathan Martinis, Senior Director for Law and Policy, Burton Blatt Institute at Syracuse University

This session focused on using Supported Decision-Making strategies to access and benefit from the supports and services available from various resources.

We’ll focus on best practices to empower and enable people with disabilities to maximize their employment and earning potential, including achieving self-employment. Topics will include using SDM to access needed resources and will include a panel of entrepreneurs with disabilities who have used SDM to start their businesses.

Watch the Recording 

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ASL Interpretation and Captioning were be provided. If you have questions about this session, please email Alexis Jones at ajones@ndi-inc.org. Please check back 1-2 weeks after the live webinar to view a recording of the webinar and to download the slides from the presentation.

Self-Employed and Self-Determined: Introduction to Supported Decision-Making Webinar

Presented by: Jonathan Martinis, Senior Director for Law and Policy, Burton Blatt Institute at Syracuse University

Study after study has shown that when people with disabilities have more control over their life and make more decisions for themselves – when they have more self-determination – they have better lives. People with disabilities who are more self-determined are more likely to live independently, work, be integrated into their communities, and avoid abuse.

Unfortunately, people with disabilities are often ordered into guardianships that are unnecessary or too restrictive. This can limit their quality of life and opportunity to work — including in self-employment — and live independently. After all, if you were a bank, would you lend someone money to start or fund a business if they had not legal right to make financial decisions?

This session will introduce the audience to the theory and practice of Supported Decision-Making (SDM). When people with disabilities use SDM, they work with friends, family, and professionals so they can understand their choices and make their own decisions.  As a result, SDM can help people be self-determined, have better work and life outcomes, and avoid unnecessary guardianship!

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ASL Interpretation and Captioning were provided. If you have questions about this session, please email Alexis Jones at ajones@ndi-inc.org.

GHA Training: Blending Funding for Self-Employment

This session will provide viewers with an example of a business owner who used several funding streams and resources to launch their business. The example will include details about the business owner’s experience, including lessons learned, as well as provide a brief explanation of each funding source.  The session will include featured guests comprised of the business owner and other key team members.

Presented by Griffin-Hammis Associates

Guest Speakers:

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View the slides from Rachel Rasnick and Michael Coyne

ASL Interpretation and Captioning were provided. If you have questions about this session, please email Alexis Jones at ajones@ndi-inc.org.

GHA Training Series: Reporting Business Activity for SSDI/Medicare

This session will explain the timing and process for reporting the start of a business and ongoing business activity for SSDI and Medicare, including Medicare financial assistance programs. This session will also explain how Social Security reviews an SSDI beneficiary’s work activity and the documentation an SSDI beneficiary should keep and be prepared to submit to Social Security.

Presented by: Griffin-Hammis Associates 

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ASL Interpretation and Captioning were provided. If you have any questions about this session, please email Alexis Jones at ajones@ndi-inc.org.

Preparing for Accessing Capital

During this session, Karlene Sinclair-Robinson, Director of CBP’s Business Finance Center, will address the capital challenges small business can face, and explore how to prepare for capital and strategies for accessing it.  Community Business Partnership (CBP), based in Springfield, Virginia, is one of the organizations certified by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s CDFI Fund. They are also a Small Business Administration’s Approved Intermediary Microlender, and a Virginia Small Business Resiliency Lender. The organization focuses on lending to small businesses, startups, and individuals seeking to start up micro-enterprises. The CBP provides loans starting at $1,000 to qualified applicants in their geographically approved markets. 

Karlene started with CBP as a client 18+ years ago and evolved to where she supported the organization’s lending mission to bringing the current loan funds and programs to the community. Karlene is considered an Alternative Financing Expert and is a speaker on numerous topics impacting the small business community.

Presented by: Community Business Partnerships

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ASL Interpretation and Captioning were provided. To make a reasonable accommodation request or if you have questions about this session, please email Alexis Jones at ajones@ndi-inc.org.

GHA Training Series: Reporting Business Activity for SSI/Medicaid

This session will explain the timing and process for reporting the start of a business and ongoing business activity for SSI and Medicaid. This session will also explain how Social Security adjusts the SSI benefit based on projected net earnings from self-employment and reconciles the benefit payments after the business tax return is completed.

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ASL Interpretation and Captioning were provided. If you have any questions about this session, please email Alexis Jones at ajones@ndi-inc.org.

Is Owning a Business a Good Fit for You?

Completing this class is an important step towards deciding whether you should start a business. After completing this class, you will be able to:

  • Clarify some of the myths and realities of small business ownership.
  • Start a self-assessment to determine your readiness to become a small business owner.
  • Set a plan of action to complete your self-assessments by seeking feedback from stakeholders, such as family, friends, and potential customers.
  • Have exclusive access to grant opportunities and professional consulting and mentorship 1:1.
  • Learn more about various business resources and program opportunities.

Register here: https://startup2023.eventbrite.com

Sign up for Verizon Small Business Digital Ready.

To make a reasonable accommodation request or if you have questions about this event, please email Ruth Chavez at rchavez@ndi-inc.org. Please allow at least 3-5 business days’ advance notice; last minute requests will be accepted though may not be possible to fulfill.

Is Owning a Business a Good Fit for You?

Completing this class is an important step towards deciding whether you should start a business. After completing this class, you will be able to:

  • Clarify some of the myths and realities of small business ownership.
  • Start a self-assessment to determine your readiness to become a small business owner.
  • Set a plan of action to complete your self-assessments by seeking feedback from stakeholders, such as family, friends, and potential customers.
  • Have exclusive access to grant opportunities and professional consulting and mentorship 1:1.
  • Learn more about various business resources and program opportunities.

Register here: https://startup2023.eventbrite.com

To make a reasonable accommodation request or if you have questions about this event, please email Ruth Chavez at rchavez@ndi-inc.org. Please allow at least 3-5 business days’ advance notice; last minute requests will be accepted though may not be possible to fulfill.

GHA Training Series: Starting Small with My Big Goals

This session explains how entrepreneurs can get their businesses going with little to no capital by starting small with products, launches, and partnerships. Featured guests will share their methods of business growth that allowed them to work slowly and steadily towards their big goals. Guests will speak on how they created community awareness and excitement around their business with little-to-no overhead costs.

Presented by: Griffin-Hammis Associates 

Guest Speakers:  Daman Wandke of Wandke Consulting and Victor Ocando of Adapt The Game

Watch the recording 

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ASL Interpretation and Captioning were provided. If you have questions about this session, please email Alexis Jones at ajones@ndi-inc.org.

GHA Training Series: Net Earnings from Self-Employment and SSDI/Medicare

This session will explain how net earnings from self-employment (NESE) affects SSDI and how an SSDI beneficiary can have more income when self-employed. A brief explanation of SSDI work incentives will also be provided. In addition, the  affect NESE has on Medicare and the Medicare financial assistance programs will be discussed.

Presented by Griffin-Hammis Associates

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ASL Interpretation and Captioning were provided. If you have questions about this session, please email Alexis Jones at ajones@ndi-inc.org.

Creating Accessible Emails

Email is a vital communication tool, so it’s important to avoid accessibility barriers that might prevent someone from viewing or understanding a message. Research shows that when an email is accessible, people are more likely to read it. Learn how to make your emails more accessible for all your clients, customers, donors, etc.

Presented by: Results One LLC

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ASL Interpretation and Captioning were provided. If you have questions about this session, please email Alexis Jones at ajones@ndi-inc.org.

Guardianship and Self-Employment Listening Session

We held a listening session to learn how guardianship or supported decision making (SDM) can facilitate or be a barrier to self-employment for people with disabilities. We invited people with disabilities and their parents who have started down the path of self-employment and have a guardian/SDM. We were interested in hearing about your experiences.

ASL Interpretation and Captioning were provided. If you have questions about this session, please email Alexis Jones at ajones@ndi-inc.org.

This event was not be recorded for public viewing.

Is Owning a Business a Good Fit for You?

Learning Objectives

After completing this class, you will be able to:

  • Clarify some of the myths and realities of small business ownership.
  • Start a self-assessment to determine your readiness to become a small business owner.
  • Set a plan of action to complete your self-assessments by seeking feedback from stakeholders, such as family, friends, and potential customers.
  • Have exclusive access to grant opportunities and professional consulting and mentorship 1:1.
  • Learn more about various business resources and program opportunities.

Register here: https://startup2023.eventbrite.com

Pro-Tips Grant Writing Webinar Presented by Hello Alice

In this workshop, participants will learn how to effectively share their entrepreneurship story, what grant reviewers are looking for, and other strategies to help put together a successful grant application.

Presented by Hello Alice.

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ASL Interpretation and Captioning was provided. To make a reasonable accommodation request or if you have questions about this session, please email Alexis Jones at ajones@ndi-inc.org.

GHA Training Series: Funding Your Business

In this session, we share ideas for funding your business start-up.  Each business and business owner has unique start-up needs, as a result most business owners combine multiple sources for start-up funds to launch their business.  We invite featured guests to share how they funded their businesses, what resources they recommend, and how they communicate their funding needs to meet their individual start-up needs.

Presented by: Griffin Hammis Associates 

Guest Speakers:

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View and Download Renee’s Slides

Watch the Lost River Vacations Video 

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ASL Interpretation and Captioning were provided. If you have questions about this session or need assistance accessing the materials, please email Alexis Jones at ajones@ndi-inc.org.

Creating Accessible PDFs

PDF document accessibility plays a vital role in the overall accessibility of your website. To provide an equal experience for all users, regardless of disability, you must develop all digital content with accessibility in mind.

Presented by Results One LLC

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Download the Transcript

ASL Interpretation and Captioning were provided. If you have questions about this session, please email Alexis Jones at ajones@ndi-inc.org.

GHA Training Series: Business Structure & Business Plan

This session touches on two pivotal parts of starting a business: choosing a business structure & navigating the business plan.  In this time together, we will provide a brief overview of the common business structures, important benefit considerations for choosing a business structure, and an overview and importance of a business plan. We’ll learn and understand how our featured guests chose a business structure that best serves them and how they use their business plan as working document to help them grow and maintain their business.

Presented by Griffin Hammis Associates

Guest Speakers:

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ASL Interpretation and Captioning was provided. To make a reasonable accommodation request or if you have questions about this session, please email Alexis Jones at ajones@ndi-inc.org.

Social Media Accessibility

The content you deliver via social media should be accessible. However, social media platforms don’t always make it easy to add alternative text or consider other disabilities like Deaf and Hard of Hearing, visual impairment or loss, distractions, etc. In this workshop, you will learn tips to make your social media content as compliant as possible so everyone can participate.

Presented by Results One LLC

Watch the recording

View and Download the Presentation

Download the transcript

ASL Interpretation and Captioning were provided. If you have questions about this session, please email Alexis Jones at ajones@ndi-inc.org.

GHA Training Series: Business Feasibility & Creating a Plan

Once a person identifies a business idea that fits, they need to determine if the business idea has the potential to succeed. This session explains the information that needs to be gathered to assess the feasibility of a business, strategies for supporting a person with a disability and their employment team with gathering the information, and steps for evaluating the results to ensure that the proposed concept is both viable and meets the person’s ideal conditions for employment.  In this session, we invite featured guests to shift the mindsets of attendees to think differently about providing business feasibility processes and supports to reach business viability.

Presented by Griffin-Hammis Associates 

Guest Speakers:

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ASL Interpretation and Captioning were provided. If you have questions about this session, please email Alexis Jones at ajones@ndi-inc.org.

Creating Accessible Content for Content Creators

What does accessible content mean, and why is it important to your customers and employees? The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines are a set of principles intended for content and web creators to ensure that all people, including those with disabilities, can view, interact, and share information. This course will teach you how to create accessible content.

Presented by Results One LLC

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ASL Interpretation and Captioning will be provided. To make a reasonable accommodation request or if you have questions about this session, please email Alexis Jones at ajones@ndi-inc.org. Please allow at least 3-5 business days’ advance notice; last minute requests will be accepted, but may not be possible to fulfill.

Entrepreneurship, Disability, and CDFIs: Session 5: CDFI and Founder Experiences

Accessing capital can be essential for business growth, yet many founders with disabilities report experiencing significant barriers. Come and join us for the final session of the five-part webinar series to hear from Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) who have found ways to increase inclusion and from disability owned businesses on how they obtained the capital they needed.

Guest Speaker: Charles Hammerman, Disability Opportunity Fund

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View and Download the Presentation Slides

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ASL Interpretation and Captioning were provided. If you have questions about this session, please email Alexis Jones at ajones@ndi-inc.org.

Entrepreneurship, Disability, and CDFIs: Session 4: CDFI and Founder Experiences

Accessing capital can be essential for business growth, yet many founders with disabilities report experiencing significant barriers. Come and join us for the fourth of the five-part webinar series to hear from Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) who have found ways to increase inclusion and from disability owned businesses on how they obtained the capital they needed.

Guest Speakers: Lisa Jones and Emerson Sekins, Northwest Access Fund

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ASL interpretation and captioning were provided during the session. If you have any accessibility requests or questions, please email ajones@ndi-inc.org.

Entrepreneurship, Disability, and CDFIs: Session 3: CDFI and Founder Experiences

Accessing capital can be essential for business growth, yet many founders with disabilities report experiencing significant barriers. Come and join us for the third of the five-part webinar series to hear from Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) who have found ways to increase inclusion and from disability owned businesses on how they obtained the capital they needed.

Special Guests: Angela Neira of Life Asset and Dishoun Harris

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ASL interpretation and captioning were provided during the session. If you have any accessibility requests or questions, please email ajones@ndi-inc.org.

Entrepreneurship, Disability, and CDFIs: Session 2: CDFI and Founder Experiences

Accessing capital can be essential for business growth, yet many founders with disabilities report experiencing significant barriers. This is the 2nd session in a five-part webinar series to hear from Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) who have found ways to increase inclusion and from disability owned businesses on how they obtained the capital they needed.

Special Guests:

Watch the Recording

ASL interpretation and captioning were provided during the session. If you have any accessibility requests or questions, please email ajones@ndi-inc.org.

Entrepreneurship, Disability, and CDFIs: Session 1: Introduction to CDFIs

Accessing capital can be essential for business growth, yet many founders with disabilities report experiencing significant barriers. This is the first session in a five-part webinar series to hear from Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) who have found ways to increase inclusion and from disability owned businesses on how they obtained the capital they needed.

Featured Guest: Pam and Andrew Porter, National Disability Finance Coalition

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ASL interpretation and captioning were provided during the session. If you have any accessibility requests or questions, please email ajones@ndi-inc.org.

GHA Training Series: Business Concept Development & Discovering Your Business

This session dives into strategies for identifying a business concept that fits the person. The session will focus primarily on the Discovery process and explain how it can be used to identify business concepts that are based on a person’s skill, passion, and conditions of employment. Featured guests will discuss their natural supports, their experience in identifying a business concept, essential resources, tools, and other Discovery “how-to’s” that attendees can implement immediately with their organizational services or their businesses.

Presented by Molly Sullivan and Ciara Ladroma, Griffin-Hammis Associates

Guest Speakers:

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ASL interpretation and captioning (CART) will be provided during the session. If you have any accessibility requests or questions, please email ajones@ndi-inc.org.

GHA Training Series: Net Earnings from Self-Employment and SSI/Medicaid

This session will explain how net earnings from self-employment (NESE) affects SSI, and how an SSI beneficiary can have more income when self-employed. When explaining the effect of NESE on SSI, this session will provide a brief explanation of the SSI work incentives. This session will also provide a general explanation of the affect NESE has on Medicaid.

Watch the Recording

Download the Slides

ASL interpretation and captioning (CART) will be provided during the session. If you have any accessibility requests or questions, please email ajones@ndi-inc.org.

GHA Training Series: Building Your Team

Building an effective team is critical for success with any self-employment venture, whether the potential business owner has a disability or not. This session will provide viewers with a map of the common self-employment team members supporting people with disabilities, and tips for finding those resources in different cities and towns. Featured guests will share their experience in assembling and leading a team made up of professional and personal connections that made their businesses possible.

Presented by: Griffin Hammis Associates 

Guest Speakers:

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ASL interpretation and captioning were provided during the session. If you have any accessibility requests or questions, please email ajones@ndi-inc.org.

Disability-Sensitivity Session 9: Social Media and Accessibility

The content you deliver via social media should be accessible. However, social media platforms don’t always make it easy to add alternative text or consider other disabilities like hearing impairment or loss, visual impairment or loss, distractions, etc. In this workshop, you will learn tips to make your social media content as compliant as possible so everyone can participate.

Watch the Recording

Download the Slides

ASL interpretation and live captioning (CART) was provided during the session. If you have any accessibility requests or questions, please email ajones@ndi-inc.org.

Disability Awareness and Sensitivity Series: Session 10- Creating Accessible PDF’s

PDF document accessibility plays a vital role in the overall accessibility of your website. To provide an equal experience for all users, regardless of disability, you must develop all digital content with accessibility in mind.

Watch the Archive 

Download the Slides

ASL interpretation and live captioning (CART) were provided during the session. If you have any accessibility requests or questions, please email ajones@ndi-inc.org.

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