October 2008 Edition

During September and October, the Community Sites have been focused on recruiting and registering Formal Participants to the program. SEDI has also started to evaluate participant’s experience with the online workbook course through their responses to the pre and post assessments. Our evaluator, Elga Nikolova, is preparing another evaluation in November to assess the experience of the Community Sites, and to get ready for our final report in January 2009.

We are certainly in the final stretch of this pilot project, but are still actively recruiting eligible participants. Please spread the word about this great opportunity and if interested in participating, please contact Jenni Bolton at jbolton@sedi.org or at 416-665-2828 x231.

In September, we held a capacity building session entitled, “What’s Next?” looking at program options that are available for people with disabilities that decide to pursue self-employment. Each community site highlighted some of the programs and services they offer.  We also discussed how to access capital and what kind of loan programs are available for those that require start-up capital. For more information on the different programs and services offered by the community sites involved in the Building A Bridge program, please email Jenni Bolton at jbolton@sedi.org.

The next capacity building session will be on Friday, November 7th. We are going to examine the topic of evaluation. Our presenter, Elga Nikolova, will use vyew for Web conferencing so the group can experiment with some of the free web conferencing technology available. Several questions were presented to the group via SurveyMonkey to determine the level of interest and types of questions Community Sites have around evaluation, including how to evaluate websites and technology use, and how to ask good evaluation questions.

Entrepreneurs with Disabilities (EDN)– Halifax

Since 1995, EDN has provided support, inspiration, networking, and learning opportunities to thousands of entrepreneurs with disabilities. By reinforcing the belief that entrepreneurship is a viable career option for people with disabilities, EDN has helped entrepreneurs turn their business ideas and ambitions into reality. With a current membership of around 600 members and community partners, EDN continues to grow and foster entrepreneurship in Nova Scotia.
EDN is dedicated to supporting entrepreneurs, living with any type of disability, in every stage of business development. Nova Scotia is EDN's primary focus, with member business ranging from accountants, artists, inventors, writers, store owners, graphic designers, and countless other types of small business owners.

Some of the great programs offered at EDN include:

• Workshops, such as Basic Bookkeeping and Developing and Implementing Cash Flow
• Mentoring
• Small Business Week
• Entrepreneur of the Year Awards

Among its other accomplishments, the Network has completed two research projects. The first in partnership with Acadia Centre for Small Business on entrepreneurs with disabilities, the second with the aid of ACOA and HRSDC evaluating entrepreneurial business skills and programs and services currently available to persons with disabilities. The Network has also published the book "Opening Horizons" that showcases successful entrepreneurs with disabilities from across Canada. Currently EDN has a network of around 600 entrepreneurs.

For more information on EWD, please contact Brian Aird, Executive Director at edn@ednns.ca.

Griffin-Hammis Associates, LLC is a full service consultancy specializing in developing communities of economic cooperation.  They are a leader in the United States in developing self-employment and microenterprise options for individuals with significant disabilities.

Their book, Making Self-Employment Work for People with Disabilities, (written by Cary Griffin and David Hammis) provides guidance to individuals who are starting or maintaining their own small businesses. Useful for counselors, and employment specialists, the book has a step-by-step business plan, marketing tactics, financial information, and coaching assistance and resources.

Watch in the next newsletter for possible training opportunities from this company!

www.griffinhammis.com/selfemploy.asp

SEDI is very pleased to announce that Trish Robichaud, President of Changing Paces, has won the SEDI Success in Self-Employment Award. Trish was featured in our June edition of the BridgeNews.  She will be receiving the award on Thursday November 13th at the SEDI Awards.

In its fourth year, the Awards honours SEDI program participants who have turned adversity into extraordinary stories by overcoming poverty, homelessness, unemployment or a disability to achieve self-sufficiency. The Awards also recognizes the passionate work of front-line agents who have helped low-income Canadians transform their lives through SEDI’s programs. Trish, a Self Employment Benefits graduate, was also a capacity session leader for the Building a Bridge project.

This year the 2008 SEDI Awards will be held at the Westin Harbour Castle, Toronto, on November 13. Emceed by CBC Television’s anchor Suhana Meharchand, this year’s keynote speaker is Frank McKenna, Deputy Chair of TD Bank Financial Group, former Canadian Ambassador to the United States and former Premier of New Brunswick.

For more information on the event, please visit www.sediawards.com or call 416-665-2828.

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