A) Resource Ownership – A person with a disability has or buys a specific piece of equipment that’s in great demand. For the purpose of this exercise, let’s say this equipment was purchased with money from a Social Security Plan for achieving self-support, Vocational Rehabilitation Funding, family members, and/or from a community-based rehabilitation agency. Subsequently, a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor looks for established businesses that have a need for that specific equipment but don’t want to spend a lump sum upfront to buy it. The interested person with a disability retains ownership of the equipment but gets paid every month or as designated by a binding contract between him or her and the business for the use of the equipment.

B) Partnerships – People with disabilities can become partners in existing businesses with established cash flows, plans, markets, and customers. A cash investment from SSA, Vocational Rehabilitation and/or other capital resources allows any interested individuals to participate and jumpstart this process. The partners in this model get returns on their investments in the form of regular income.

C) Sole Proprietorship – Like the two previous forms of self-employment in the Rehabilitation field, sole proprietorship is grounded in the competitive employment approach, which emphasizes the “train & place” readiness model or in this case, the interested person’s suitability for business ownership. This approach remains person-centered but can be quite challenging given the lack of both natural and rehabilitative supports in the current business climate. No ideas for a start-up company should be considered too ludicrous for a business plan. For instance, starting a baby-sitting company, a staffing agency for Parking Attendants, grounds keeper for less, and a thrift store run by people with mental impairment disabilities are some of the ideas suggested to me by People with Disabilities for starting a new business.

Although barriers exist for People with Disabilities who wish to become entrepreneurs, there are a number of strategies that will address those barriers on an individual basis provided that the interested person with a disability has the right support system in place. Implementing any of those strategies requires the mediation of a motivated Rehabilitation worker. We, professionals and people with disabilities alike, must continue to advocate to the government and the business community for the implementation of policies and practices that encourage rather than deter the self-employment efforts of People with Disabilities.

Let me be unequivocally clear, management starts with a rational business model that works like a well-oiled machine. This model consists of an efficient structure with organization charts. It’s crucial at this juncture to understand that structure is a precursor to strategies needed to make decisions and get things done throughout any enterprise. Moreover, the organization charts of a sound structure give employees, management, and all interested parties a line of authority. The chain command as it is often called or line of authority can have several layers contingent on the size of the organization. Regardless of the business size, I prefer 3 levels or layers of management: line supervision, mid-management, and upper-management or corporate headquarters. Too many layers of management will lead to a matrix of organizational structure with charts, a very complex system indeed. Complexity is never better in business, a caveat to conglomerates and big businesses. According to a number of studies, the U.S. mega corporations that succeed keep things simple and those that add unnecessary layers to management, keep their strategic plan too complicated, move around like a dinosaur and then face possible extinction. This brings to mind an old adage: “the bigger they are, they harder they fall.” Complexity causes the lethargy and inertia that make too many companies unresponsive. I should point out, it’s not the mere size of a big company that causes its failure. Substituting a rational business model with complexity is the culprit. The response to complexity must be fluidity and flexibility, which means that people in an enterprise of any size can really talk to each other regardless of their geographic locations and the number of units in the company. Those people or employees can solve problems, fix things, and are attune with customers’ needs rather than posture, debate and delay. We now have a rational business model  and we know who’s in charge. But be mindful that an organization chart by itself is not a company. The people working for the company represent one of its most valuable assets.  I have empirical knowledge that a good manager is always needed to shape company values and hence motivate the people who work for that company. In order to motivate people, one must start with a given philosophy. Looking at the basic premise of psychology, I concluded that human beings are socialized to think of themselves as winners. Therefore, it is safe to assume, as employees, we all think we are tops. Consequently, I make sure every organization I am a part of, keep that positive outlook of their people. Don’t just say it in the company literature, correspondence or any place else for that matter, you must live it. It is paradoxical but that philosophy represents the starting point of a corporate culture that motivates its employees. In any country, the quality of products, services, and the productivity of workers depend on management. Why not take some time to understand the psychology of work and human performance. So much of performance has to do with people being motivated by compelling, simple – even beautiful values. My determination makes it emphatic that a manager convey an organization’s shared values to all employees and once accepted by all, those values become the dominant culture. Based on a plethora of business studies, the excellent U.S. companies are marked by very strong cultures, so strong that you either buy into their norms or you get out. A cohesive and dominant corporate culture should always be accompanied with hoopla, fanfare, and a certain level of excitement. An employee not affected will leave of his own volition. An advantageous position that allows a unit manager to deal with sub-standard performance in a proactive manner.  A manager’s job is to keep things tidy and under control. Well-run organizations become institutions as they are infused with values. Pervasive values that demand the performance of every employee be above par, an integral part of any business system. To institutionalize also means infusing the system with value beyond the technical requirements of the task at hand. Additionally, there are other incentives in place for optimum performance – e.g., employee of the month, a bonus, an assignment to a special project … etc. A proactive manager also looks for coaching opportunities, a management tool that prevents any employee from falling behind. Then only then, can the use of progressive discipline and punishment become a last resort. The ubiquitous values of the excellent company lead to employees initiating their own peer reviews and quality circles, a productivity proposition based on loyalty, commitment through effective training, and personal identification with the company’s success. I attest to the fact that peer pressure rather than orders from the boss as the main motivator to employees’ productivity. The experienced boss can comfortably shift most of his/her attention to “quality control”  and, in addition to measures in place, develop good instincts that tell immediately whether things are going well or badly. If performance is under control, what else can go wrong? Let’s say for the purpose of this blog, corporate headquarters is decentralized and lean because responsibilities are proportionally delegated to unit managers and line supervisors. A two-way communication is maintained between branch offices and the central office, an indispensable component that permits line supervisors to identify corporate malaise given that extraordinary contributions on the part of every worker are regularly reported and verified by quality control. Corporate headquarters, in turn, don’t delay in bringing the necessary corrections and change keeping the rational business model responsive, relevant, and efficient. We start with a philosophy that emanates positive energy followed by a value system that gets responsible adults exciting about their work. Now, are we staying close to the customer? The world of the excellent company is especially open to customers, who in turn inject a sense of balance and proportion into its rational business model – even slogan. For instance, CentEx Cargo, a unit of Centuria Group uses the slogan: “The Next Level of International Shipping to any port in the Caribbean. Our goal is to be a Quality Logistics company and do a Quality Job.” We then tell the people we hire that we are a customer oriented company and they are great for getting it right every time. Doing a quality job is the only way. The customer orientation is by definition a way tailoring our niche market where we are better at something than anybody else. Moreover, allocation of company resources and team building ought to be swayed by the paying customers. This way, management can effectively deal with unforeseen problems and turn customers complaints into marketing opportunities. Customers quickly realize that in the excellent company, employees are not only committed to doing a quality job but if things go wrong, those same employees can fix a problem to their satisfaction. Management is confident of its capabilities. When there is a major problem, management can bring the right people together on an ad hoc basis and expect them to bring about tangible solutions in a timely manner.

When I entered the job market in the late 70′s on a part-time basis, as a naive teenager, “Human Resources” was known as the “Personnel Department.” Human Resources progressively became the more usual name for the overall function of this department – i.e., managing staff and recruiting personnel. In approximately 5 to 7 years from attending college in the early 1980′s and my feeble attempt to join the job market, Human Resources was now the term used to describe individuals who make up the workforce of an organization. “HR” (abbreviated initials for Human Resources)  is also charged with the responsibility for implementing strategies and policies relating to the management of individuals. Whether you are a human resource professional, a manager or an individual job seeker, you are probably wondering about the future of “HR,” considering how dynamic the work environment has been these past few years. Let’s now take a look at HR from the perspective of an individual job seeker.  If you are like me; Ronald Reagan is president, you now have a Bachelor’s degree and seeking employment during a recession. Someone told you about a job opening in a company that interests you, you subsequently go to HR of that company, you read the qualifications and then apply for that job opening. On the surface, the process appeared straightforward and simple. I am sure at that time, there were also complex ways of networking. It was common knowledge then as it is now: the best jobs are not advertised. Today’s job seeker has to have a multi-faceted approach of looking for a job. Applying for a job online is now common practice. There are now websites dedicated to the listing of job openings or job boards as they are often called. Some of the most popular sites are: Monster, Careerbuilder, The Ladders, SimplyHired, USAJobs to only cite a few. The savvy job seeker not only browses through those sites for job openings, matching specific job requirements with his/her skill set, education, and work experience but posts a well-written resume or resumes on those sites as well. Those job sites also offer a feature that allows the job seeker to create “job agents” based on a number of search categories – e.g., accounting,  finance, non-profit, management, government … etc. Those search categories, in turn, send automatic job alerts via email to the creator of the aforementioned job agents. One would think, this preponderance of resources would make finding a job easier. Well, the opposite is true. Some job seekers complain that job applications submitted online except through a company kiosk, are going to a black hole. Such an assessment is well founded given that only 25% of companies notify an applicant that he/she is no longer in the running for an open position. I will be the first to say, this new way of doing things shows a level of unprofessionalism on the part of HR. However, that would only represent a singular perception of the situation. The internet makes it much easier for an individual to submit an application for a vacant position. Having the opportunity to look at job search from both sides of the spectrum makes me confident in saying that HR Departments are getting more applications than they can handle. HR has to sift through hundreds of resumes to find the ideal candidates for a job. The initial face to face meeting with an HR staff back then was essential to the screening process. It would have saved HR staff time and discouraged some unqualified applicants from applying to certain jobs. The rating system was more concise when HR was more centralized. To understand and effectively manage human resources amid the challenges posed by today’s environment, you must examine how applications are received, quantified, and subsequently rated. The rating system often starts with some keywords. Those keywords permit a sometimes automated process to classify applications based on said system conducive to recruitment and hence selection.  What is the percentage of applications not meeting any of the jobs requirements that are discarded per each job opening? I wish I knew the answer to that question. Human Resource Management, however, has several other functions in addition to what I have just described. One of those functions entails meeting the demands of today’s dynamic work environment. This environment has changed significantly with the impact of the global arena, changing demographics, technological development, and legislation. Human Resources Departments can be the very source of an organization’s competitive advantage if they are managed effectively and by having a say in how each job description is designed and then select the right person for that vacant position. We all have heard of horrific stories of downsizing that turned out to be dumbsizing  and massive layoffs. According to the Harvard Business School, many of those organizations involved in downsizing were negatively impacted in terms of their financial performance instead of saving money. The move to high performance organizations reflects today’s emphasis on human resources as an indispensable asset that is also viewed as a long-term investment and not on cutting your workforce in half. This is not how your father found a job. However, one thing that will always be true, is the legal environment within which all businesses operate. The Human Resource Department has to be proactive and ensure that all managers are appropriately educated about the legal requirements. It is imperative that managers have a solid understanding of the legislation that impacts employment regardless of the level of technology injected into its practices.

In business as in any other fields, an entrepreneur dreams about creating an enterprise that’s going to meet the demands of many, many … clients and more than likely solve the problems of those potential customers. It is safe to say that every business enterprise starts as one person’s dream. Dreaming about having your own business is pure, unadulterated passion, void of images of any crisis. Consequently, at the inception stage, an entrepreneur shares his idea of starting a new business with a limited few, mainly with those that are going to share his excitement. Sooner rather than later, a practical entrepreneur will begin to put the positive images of his dream down on paper. The rosy picture of starting a new business is still there but reality simultaneously starts to set in. This is where my team and I come in. As a consultant, I always understand the excitement and passion of someone starting a new business venture, but the focus of my responsibilities lies in  helping the person write a sound business plan. It is my experience that passion and excitement alone will not cut it. But, a sound business plan more than anything else will guarantee the success of your concept of a new business. A good business plan describes and analyzes your business and gives detailed projections about its future. It covers the financial aspect of starting or expanding your business – how much money you need and how you will pay it back. To assist a client with writing a business plan, I make it common practice to seek the expertise of an IT Specialist and that of an Accountant. Together with my team, I’ll look at a new business venture from every possible angle. This way, my team and I will come up with: Plan A, Plan B, and a Contingency Plan for every possible scenario. Putting together a manual of policies & procedures accompanied with job descriptions is usually at the very top of my list. Discussing the risks facing your new venture will usually follow. Here are some examples of risks facing your business: Competition; Pioneering; Cycles & Trends; Slow Times; Owner’s Expertise; and Cash Flow. For the scope of this blog, I will not expound on those risks. However, I want you to know that I share your excitement of being your own boss and/or obtaining financial freedom but starting a new business is a lot of work and requires a full-time commitment.

Many innovations have taken place in the international shipping industry in the past few years. For example, we have kiosks at some locations for the customer to fill out her own order. The Internet savvy customer can browse the CentEx Cargo website (http://centuriagroup.net), request a quote, and place an order online. She can measure her own box, then send us the dimensions and the booking office will respond with a quote. This quote doesn’t however include a local pickup fee. Lastly, you, the valued customer, can receive your shipment status via email. This is simple stuff for the person who has internet access and goes online regularly. For the older customer and some new immigrants to the United States, this may not be so easy. A tentative rate sheet though hard to provide can simplify things for the weary customer. You should know that quotes are based on the exact measurements and weight of your cargo. CentEx Cargo reserves the right to charge more and rarely less for excess weight and after a warehouse staff measures your cargo and finds your boxes to be much bigger than you, the client, estimated. A good understanding of the potential customer’s culture may help the retail shipper deal with this potentially difficult situation. Building a relationship with a customer and other members of the family will help simplify the process as well. The two customers’ personas I’ve mentioned, are shipping less and less because they have difficulties choosing a company that offers them an affordable choice, provides a rate sheet, and has the right infrastructure and the expertise to get the job done.