Example

Vicky’s Story

Vicky always dreamed of someday having her own business. Her goal was to start a tax preparation business—she could work from home and there would always be work to do, because taxes weren't going anywhere. She was a hard worker and good at developing relationships, and she knew working personally with clients over many years would be a good fit for her.

Before she started her business, though, Vicky wanted a job where she could learn more about taxes. At first she was worried that if she worked, she'd lose her Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits. However, she talked to a benefits expert and learned that SSDI had several work incentives that meant she could try out working without having to worry about losing her benefits right away.

This was reassuring, and Vicky set out to find a job. She eventually got a job working part-time for an experienced tax preparer. She started earning $900 a month from her job, in addition to her $985 in SSDI benefits, for a total monthly income of $1,885. She also got Medicare health coverage because of her SSDI.

As she learned about preparing taxes at her job, Vicky decided to explore what it would take to have her own business. She decided to talk to someone at the Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency (GVRA) and connected with Tina, a vocational counselor. Tina helped Vicky estimate how much money she would need to start her own tax preparation service. Her initial expenses would be a computer, tax preparation software, phones, marketing brochures, office expenses, and licensing fees. When she added everything up, Vicky figured that she could start her business with just $6,000. She wouldn't have to pay rent because she would be working from home.

Now Vicky had to come up with $6,000 to get her business started. She started saving all the income from her job to use for her business. Tina also said that the Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency (GVRA) could help with funding or providing equipment if Vicky worked with her to make sure her business could realistically make money. "You should probably apply for the first level of support, which is up to $3,000 worth of funding," Tina told her. "To apply for that level, you only have to submit a short business plan. I'll work with you on your business plan, and we can also get you any other training or assistive technology you need for your business." This sounded great to Vicky—she could get professional help and some startup money.

Vicky worked with Tina on a short business plan. They calculated how many clients Vicky would need every year in order to make money, and they came up with some marketing strategies to get people to use her business. Her business plan was approved, and she got some funding from the Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency (GVRA) to help her with her startup expenses, like her computer and tax software. Combined with her savings, she had enough money to get her business off the ground.

After getting help with her legal paperwork and accounting from the Small Business Development Center at the University of Georgia, she was able to open her doors and start attracting clients. It was a busy year, and she knew it would get even busier as Tax Day got closer—but she still wasn't ready for the 23 people who showed up all at once the day before taxes were due! She worked hard to file extensions for everyone, and then she had enough business to carry her into the summer.

Over the next few years, Vicky continued to grow her client base and even hired a part-time assistant. "Just a few years ago, that was my job!" she thought to herself. With a lot of hard work and asking for help, she had achieved her goal—and there was still a lot more she could accomplish.