ROUGHLY EDITED COPY

TEXAS OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR
REMOTE CART
OCTOBER 21ST, 2025
10:00 AM TO 11:00 AM CST

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11020 NORTH POTTER AVENUE
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This is being provided in a rough‑draft format.  Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) is provided in order to facilitate communication accessibility and may not be a totally verbatim record of the proceedings.

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>> OPERATOR:  Recording in progress.  
>> Good morning, everyone.  Thank you for joining us.  For the Texas on Governor's Committee on People with Disabilities.  
     Our topic is disability and businesses:  A new perspective on entrepreneur.  Me myself, I own a cell phone business, and we have representative from the Texas Commission Development and Tourist office and the Texas Workforce Commission, the VR program, and we have two guest panelists to talk about their businesses:  Setting up their own businesses.  
     At first I want to talk about our program and then we'll let the presenters start.  The Governor's Committee on People with Disabilities, the GCPD, has a mission to further opportunities for persons with disabilities to enjoy full and equal access ‑‑ to lives of independence, productivity and self‑determination.  The GCPD recommends changes in disability policies and programs in the areas of accessibility, communication, criminal justice, education, emergency preparedness, employment, health, housing, transportation and veterans.
     The committee also supports a network of committees on people with disabilities ‑‑ disability issues award promote greater awareness and promotes compliance with disability‑related laws.  
     Now, general information.  Chat is disabled in the Zoom webinar mode.  Please use the Q & A tool if you have questions for our presenters.  Most questions will be answered near the end of the webinar.
     After the webinar, you will get an automated email from Zoom with a link to our GCPD page to access the webinar recording and other materials.
     The email will also include a survey where you can give your feedback.  Now we'll turn it over to Bryan.  
>> Bryan Roller:  Good morning.  My name is Bryan Roller I'm one of the four members have the small business economic attempt to of the economic and development and tourism office, and I'm glad to be here to share some insights on the benefits of small business ownership to the community and what resources we have available to assist the ‑‑ in your entrepreneurial journey.
     Our office speaks with business owners daily that share their highs and lows, the struggles and the rewards of business ownership and we understand that courage and creativity it takes to start and continually grow a business.
     We're thankful to live in Texas where that get up and go spirit of tenacity is just a part of our culture.  In fact, small businesses are the backbone of our state's economy here in Texas.  More than 99 percent of businesses in Texas are small businesses and they employ nearly half of all working Texans.
     Thanks to the power of our now more than 3.5 million small businesses, Texas has set record after record for total jobs last year.  I'm sorry, and last year we were the No. 1 state for job creation.  
     Made in Texas never have been more powerful global brand with small businesses accounting for nearly 92 percent of all exporting business and driving Texas' No. 1 status as a top exporting state, and we thank all small businesses in doing what they do to keep our economy strong.
     So before I share how our office can assist small businesses and entrepreneurs I would like to share what I think some of the benefits of entrepreneurship, and you can go backwards one slide.
     No. 1 is job creation.  Entrepreneurship is primary source of job creation in Texas and around the United States.  These jobs help to reduce unemployment rates and increase your community's standards of living.  No. 2 is the economic growth.  Entrepreneurship creates new markets, products, services which leads to increased economic activity in your community and we all know once, you know, you have a thriving economy, your quality of life rises also.  
     You know, I think one of the most important one is Number 3 is innovation.  Starting is a small business is synonymous with innovation.  Entrepreneurs are constantly looking for new and better ways to solve problems including creating new products, services, business models that disrupt traditional industries.  You know, it's funny as kind of one of my side hobbies is woodworking and you see safety innovations every day that come from just everyday people that had an idea in the shop that makes it either easier or safer for them to ‑‑ to work with spinning blades and you see a lot of them start their small businesses and market those products.  No. 4 is community development.  Small business employers build strong and vibrant communities by supporting local initiatives, charities and events.  You know, and I can't stress that enough.  When we're around the state and we see small businesses that are activity involved in their communities, we see successful businesses.  You know, again people do business with people they know.  And, you know, as a ‑‑ as a small businesses are successful and the community is successful they kind of feed off each other.
     No. 5 is diversity and inclusion entrepreneurs come with background you and experience and provides opportunities for all persons in all walks of life to succeed.  You know, when you bounce ideas off each other, from, you know, different angles, you know, different experiences different backgrounds a lot of times you come together with great products or programs, and ‑‑ and so we're very blessed in the.  State of Texas to have that to have that teamwork.
     And last, I'm going to have to say flexibility and I'm going to have to kind of have a caveat with that too.  Entrepreneurship offers flexibility that traditional jobs cannot match.  But one of the things I will caution about is for my own personal experience.  Entrepreneurship is not a Monday through Friday 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM job and you get weekends off.  You know, sometimes you'll work 80, 90 hours a week and you'll still be working on vacations with your family.  At least ‑‑ at least to get started.  So but it's a great experience.  It's a very rewarding experience.
     Next slide.
     So let's talk about the Texas Workforce Commission.  What is our mission?  Simply it's to positively impact the economic impact of Texas.  Plain and simple.  These expanded bullet points kind of engage the different divisions within economic tourism office.  We're just one small little part.  So let me introduce you to the different division we have in Texas economic development in tourism and where do we sit in the grand scheme of things in this office.
     On this graphic you can see several divisions where our office resides.  Go to the next slide.
     Economic development finance, the Texas CHIPs Office of And then, of course, we had the three fund offices, the Texas music office, travel Texas and the Texas Film Commission 
     Our division business development focuses on the creation of new jobs and investment through domestic and international business recruitment.  Expansion and retention.  Increasing Texas exports and our small business team that assist in the small business development and entrepreneurship.
     Our team the small business team, provides opportunities for effective education, training, management and technical assistance to entrepreneurs and small businesses in the state.  We do that through our 15 governor small business summits that we do each year.  Typically we conduct three summits in each of the 5 regions that are represented by our regional ‑‑ we have regional reps that are all across the state that work with our local communities.  Lich to what's important to them.  And then gives us feedback too, as far as potential topics and things like that, what they're seeing that small businesses may be struggling with.
     We also we also do our own informational webinars when we find there's a topic that is key for our small business and entrepreneurs around the state, we look for speakers easier that can help explain that to them and provide benefit to our small business constituents.
     We also have online and hard copy have two publications that we produce.  The first is a small business hand probation and the second is the Texas licensing and permits guide that we update ever 2 years after the biennial less of session as being completed.  Those publications are available on just in a searchable PDF format.
     You can also reach out to our office and we can ‑‑ we do have hard copies.  I just personally find it easier to do a control F and be able to search a long at all document and find what I need.  
(Background Noise.) 
>> Bryan Roller another teal that we have is the governor's small business portal.  It asks a series of questions of the ‑‑ of you including what part of the state you're in and then provide you with a personalized list of resources available to you in your area.  
     The portal which opened in 2021 responded to thousands of inquiries.  As I mentioned we're a four‑member team and not only do we do the 15 events we do the webinars.  We answer emails from our constituents.  So that's one way to reach out to us.
     We also answer our phone.  Later I'll give you our direct lines here, and so that we stay quite ‑‑ so as you can see we stay quite busy and that portal being able to get information out to our Texas constituents around the state to at least get them started, you know, with the resources they need.  We always welcome that if, you know, after they've looked through it and they still have some questions, please reach out to us.  We're ‑‑ we're always here.  We're always willing to help.  
     Next slide.
     As I mentioned earlier, we do numerous governor's small business summits around the state and here's a visual of our stops in 2025.  We have just two more running for this year.  One is this Thursday in Denton, which is sold out.  And our final event will be November 13th in Belton, Texas just outside of Temple.  But in this graphic you can see we've been to Big Lake.  We've been to Dennison.  We've been all the way down to Eagle Pass, Pharr, Rockport, and over to Bastrop.  Hays County was very unique we had 5 chambers of commerce working together drug Dripping Springs, Carl, San Marcos to put that event together and that was a soldout event so we're really blessed to have a lot of good partners to help us put these together.
     You know, the one thing I will say about our governor's small business summits, none of these are cookie cutter events, and what I mean by that is all of our topics really are recommended to us by our partners in the local community whether that's a chamber of commerce in EDC or someone else ‑‑ about what's important to small businesses in those communities because what's important what's important to Dennison than what's important for Eagle Pass and what's important to Orange.  We have people that travel and will go to two our three events a year just because they know they are getting different perspectives, new information, continuing information which is a key to continuing to expand and grow your business. 
     We'll also be hosting a business setup 101, structuring for success webinar on Wednesday, October 29th, from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM.  There is a registration link is ‑‑ I'm going to have to try to read this out slowly.  It's gov.Texas.gov/business/event/
busiiness‑setup‑101‑registration‑structuring for success and you can Google ‑‑ it will probably be best to Google up registration for success to find the link to attend that webinar.  It's free.  We work to make all of our programming free for our constituents here in the state.  Our governor's small business summits ‑‑ we do charge $20 but it's mainly just a little bit of buy‑in because we do also most of the time provide a light breakfast and lunch so it helps us with our numbers.  But we try hard if for any reason you're struggling to do that request the registration amount, we'll help you.  We'll find a way ‑‑ because with her here to help our small business owners and entrepreneurs here in the state of Texas.  I know a lot of people here.  I did want to show you our small business team we have Jarvis Brewer who's our small business advocate.  Again I'm Bryan Roller I'm a small business specialist.  Did he have David Menchaca Garcia.  He works with our licensing and permitting and we also of William Taylor who's a small business specialist who works with both David and I on the various projects.  
     The one thing I wanted to go ahead do here is also give you my phone number, my direct phone number and my email address.  You can reach out directly to me if you have questions, and if I can ‑‑ if I can't answer it then I'll get you to my other team members my direct line is 512‑463‑8343, and my email address is Bryan.roller@Gov.Texas, which is spelled out.
     So I want to thank you for your time today on the screen.  Like I said, our phone numbers and everything ‑‑ please reach out to us if we can be of assistance.  If we don't have the answer, we'll get you to someone in our organization that can assist you with your particular inquiry.  Again, thank you, I will be around for the question answer portion later in the program but thank you for having me today.  
(Pause.) 
>> Okay, and we're ready to talk about self‑employment services?  
>> Aissa Salazar:  Good morning self‑employment services.
     Next slide.
     My name is Aissa Salazar and I'm the program specialist for employment strategies and the state office subject‑matter expert for self‑employment services with TWC VR.
     Next slide.
     So what is self‑employment?  Self‑employment means the customer solely owns, manages and operates the business and is not considered an employee of another business or organization.  It exists when the service or product is actively marketed to potential customers.  We include home‑based businesses and telecommuting businesses and this includes sole proprietorships or limited liability companies, LLCs, which must be single member small businesses.  So TWC VR can help customers starting their own business or help them maintain or expand an existing business.
     Additionally, we don't ‑‑ VR does not support hobbies that periodically produce income, enterprises prohibited by law or those that sell products prohibited by law, from franchises, nonprofit businesses or businesses that are income based solely or primarily on recruiting salespeople to continue building the enterprise.  These are commonly known as multilevel marketing.
     Next slide.
     So why choose self‑employment?  Self‑employment typically allows for choice and control, the use of natural skills and talents, expanded work opportunities, accumulation of wealth and independence and creative freedom.  All VR services are based on and should be consistent with the customer's unique strengths, resources, priorities, concerns, abilities, capabilities, interests and Informed‑Choice. 
Next slide.
     So TWC VR has three types of self‑employment available to VR customers we have simple self‑employment which is independent contractors or subcontractors.  Comprehensive self‑employment, this is any self‑employment in which a customer is not an independent contractor, or subcontractor and it covers customers who would not meet the criteria for supported employment.  And we have supported self‑employment.
     These are customers who meet the definitions of most significant disability or qualify for supported employment wage services.
     Next slide.  
     So who can assist with self‑employment cases?  We have the TWC VR field staff.  We have the regional program specialist assigned to self‑employment.  The state office program specialist assigned to self‑employment, which is myself and providers who are CBTAC‑certified.  TWC VR have several CBTAC are what are they are certified business technical assistance and they are certified by Griffin Hammis to assist with our TWC VR customers with their self‑employment cases.  They undergo a comprehensive online training course that covers all critical aspects of business research and design and we include business concept development and market research, marketing sales and operations.  Business financials, funding and financing.
     Social Security benefits analysis, business plan development and public benefit analysis.
     Next slide.
     So what is a self‑employment process like?
     Next slide.
     To get started with TWC VR the customer wants to explore self‑employment they should contact TWC VR and apply for VR services.  Once a customer is determined eligible they will meet with a VR counselor and begin their assessing and planning of their vocational goal.  Once the goal's certified a customer they may be referred to CBTAC for further self‑employment discussion as the VR process.
     Next slide.
     A CBTAC will typically receive a referral from VR to meet with a customer to complete the customer profile and then self‑employment exploration.  This is to gather more information on the customer's knowledge, interests, skills and abilities on the self‑employment goal discussed.
     Once‑approved to move to the next it step, the CBTAC will meet with the customer to complete the concept development and Feasibility Study.  This is the same process throughout business plan, financial spreadsheet projections and customer profile.
     Next slide.
     So what can TWC VR purchase under goods and services?
     Marketing, advertising, business plan evaluation, business planning assistance, initial inventory and supplies, rent or lease payments, tools and equipment, utilities.
     And next slide.
     What cannot be purchased that by TWC VR?  Buildings, bonding fees, criminal or civil fines including traffic tickets.  Dues to professional associations, fees or rights of use of franchise names, firearms, insurance, real estate, vehicles, boats, aircraft or trailers.
     Next slide.
     So it's important to note that every TWC VR case is individualized.  No two cases are the same, no two disabilities are the same, and cases are based on the customer's individual disability needs and support.
     Next slide.
     TWC VR supports.
     Next slide.
     For a vocational rehab services employers we support employers by disability awareness education and training.  Work site analysis, hiring and retention assistance, accommodation assessments, referral of qualified applicants and these are ‑‑ referrals and qualified applicants and the email is VRbusinessrelations at TWC.Texas.gov and we have a website, at www.TWC.Texas.gov/VRemployers.
     Next slide.
     So if you're interested in applying for TWC VR services, we have a web link.  Webp.TWC.state.tx.us/service/VRlookup and that's a screenshot of what it would looks like.  You go down to a program and select VR and you'll enter your zip code, your county, workforce business board and the specialized services.
     Next slide.
     And I think that's it.  Thank you.  
>> Okay, thank you, Aissa.  It's important to talk about those VR services and let people know, and let's go on ‑‑ so to talk about the entrepreneurship and we'll start with Sandy.  So Sandy, can you show us about some of the success stories?  
>> Sandy Crisp:  If I can get unmuted.  Good morning, I'm Sandy Crisp.  
>> If you could just share some of the stories he that'd be great and how they've looked so far.  
>> And I didn't hear the last part.  
>> What I said I really appreciate you sharing your success stories and setting up your business and what you've been doing so far?  
>> Sandy:  Well, I just realized I've probably did everything backwards but surprisingly I've done quite well despite that.
     I have been in business about 2.5 years.  I have an online private counseling practice.  That is specializing in climate conditions and listed disabilities and laws because when I went through my own disability there was not a counselor in the state of Texas that specialized limbs loss.  It's such a small group of people it applies to, so there wasn't anyone.  There is now.  Besides my counseling degree, TWC was able to help me to get a degree in rehabilitation so I had that to offer with my counseling.  And this year I am going to be opening up my second practice, Texas Teletherapy.  This will be the teletherapy end of my practice.  And then Sandy Crisp counseling to separate them out.  So it's been a great opportunity for me.  It's allowed me to take care of myself in the ways that I didn't even know that I needed until I got into it.  I can't imagine working any other way now.  
>> Thank you for sharing your story and I appreciate you staying here and especially if you could stay and answer any questions that may be coming up later through the Q & A.  
>> Sandy:  Sure.  
>> And Andrea, if you'd like to share your story?  
>> Andrea:  Hi my name is Andrea Robertson.  I have been a licensed massage therapy practitioner for almost 18 years now.  I have been self‑employed for ‑‑ this month was actually my 3 Year anniversary, and just been, you know, working with VR has allowed me to have the confidence and independence that ‑‑ it's just been very, very ‑‑ they've been very helpful in my practice.  
     I decided to open up my own clinic just to give people a place to come and ‑‑ and heal and reconnect with themselves.  It has been extremely rewarding.  I've worked with clients starting at 8 years old all the way up to people in their 90s.
     I've had just a lot of different people coming in and, you know, it's just working ‑‑ having my own clinic has just been the best way to go in this industry.  
>> Okay.  And I have some questions for some of you so we'll go ahead and add ‑‑ well, actually, the questions will be open for all presenters.  But I guess for Sandy and Andrea, when in relation to your disability what was it like setting up your own business.  What barriers did you experience and how do you solve those problems?  So Sandy, if you wouldn't mind starting?  
>> Sandy:  Sure.  Well, in the very beginning I was able to access information.  The local office, they were able to get me a business plan and access all that information.  
     I had a website online for the governor's office for people with businesses, and that got me through a lot of the preliminary work.
     The obstacles were not so much in setting up the business but was doing the business because I'm an amputee.  I look quite a difference and I was told that's not good as a counselor.  It would scare them away.  I felt I had to do online counseling to hide myself and I resented that in the beginning but I'm kind of laughing all the way to the bank because I love it now.  I can't imagine going through to an office every day so it's ‑‑ it's been very good.  
     It's just an overall learning ‑‑ I learned so much today than I didn't know and I've been doing it for 2.5 years and if I had not done all my homework, obviously, but there's just always something to learn.  
(Pause.) 
>> Okay.  Andrea, if you'd go ahead ‑‑ if you'd respond.  The same question.  
>> Andrea:  So the barrier that I came across in the beginning was really just anything to do with office work.  So, you know, navigating websites and using a computer and so that's really when I reached out to the VR services.  So getting that training on all the screen reading tools and JAWS has been ‑‑ it's been a learning experience for me and I'm still, you know, learning how to use those things but having that ‑‑ that screen‑reading training really helped me to ‑‑ to get over that barrier.  
>> Okay.  That's good.  That's good to know.
     So my next question is:  What would you recommend for future entrepreneurs with disabilities to ‑‑ who are interested in getting started, you know, what would you recommend is the best advice that you could give them?  If you want to ‑‑ Andrea, if you'd like to respond.  
>> Andrea:  Okay.  I would I will just ‑‑ I would say the best thing to do is just use the tools and the assistance that are out there.  I think a lot of people with disabilities, they're not really aware of all the different programs that, you know, Texas offers.  So I would just, you know, ask questions and just utilize everything that, you know, we have the opportunity to.  
>> Yeah, and I'd like to jump in there a little bit and stuff, too, if I can.  You know, again, we have resources here in the state like the small business development centers that are funded by the Small Business Administration.  Those are great resources when you're getting started.  They'll help you work through your business plan.  They'll ask questions that you probably have never thought of in your life.  Also our governor's small business summits ‑‑ it's good to see Jason Shaw who is with us.  He was in one of our recent events in Carthage.  So it's great to see Jason on here.
     So one of the things that we bring to our small business summits not only are the panels but resource providers.  A lot of times we'll have 18 to 20 resource providers including Texas Workforce Commission cap.  Have the apex accelerators.  We'll have local regional SBCs.  Just a lot of good resources ‑‑ partners that are governmental.  Most of the services are free.  So I really encourage you to come and network with the resource providers and, you know, also with other small business owners.  If you need a special accommodations please reach out to our office.  We were able to ‑‑ we had ASL interpreter for Jason at our Carthage event.  We want to make these accessible for everybody and really help our small business constituents around the state.  
>> Thank you for adding that information to your answers.  I appreciate it.  About the resources that are available.
     Now, Sandy, would you like to respond.  Anything you would like to add your best advice for recommendations for anybody who's interested?  
>> Sandy:  Sure.  If they have a local office, a local VR office, I suggest they go there and ‑‑ the people there were such a resources.  In the beginning they mentored me more than counseled me and really called to my attention the things that I would need for my stability because I was still really naive ‑‑ not a little.  A lot naive about what I was going to need and here helped me, you know, get a reality check on that.  And so and so if they have a local office, that could be a great partner early on.  
>> And, Sandy, did you use the CBTAC as well?  
>> Sandy:  No, I didn't.  I learned so much today that I did not know about.  But I will be contacting them.  
>> It's a wonderful resource.  
>> Sandy:  Yeah, I had no idea.  It's really difficult as anybody knows who's started a small business you're the only person and you're doing everything from, you know, typing invoices to cleaning the floors.  And there's so much that I would like to do and ‑‑ to build my business.  It's hours in the day.  But this has been great for me.  
>> Yes, I do understand that some, you know, private businesses do have contracts, you know, with different organizations to assist with some of those small tasks to be able to successful to do ‑‑ you know, doing everything because like you said, you only get 90 hours in a week is a lot of work as it is so you can reach out to those resources and get assistance.
     Now, the next question, what are your future plans?  Where do you see yourself in the next 10 years from now?  
>> Sandy again if you would like to respond.  
>> Sandy:  I'm opening another practice, teletherapy.  I would like to be OB doing more life skill training.  I enjoy being face‑to‑face with people.  I miss that from my previous work before my disability.  So I would like to see myself having multiple counselors that could provide multiple classes on life skills and be more of a pure mentor for people starting their businesses.
     Andrea is the first person I've even seen with a disability that has started a business.  I've not known anyone, and just learning what with other people do.  I would like to have those resources.  That's why to have them to give them and try to, in ‑‑ try to network that way and I'll retire counseling.  I don't have anything else to do.  
>> Would you repeat that last part.  
>> Sandy:  I will die counseling.  I love doing counseling.  That's what I do.  However, I can pull that off I'll be doing it.  
>> Awesome, awesome.  Same question for Andrea, please.  
>> Andrea:  So currently I'm in the process of in creating my handbook and employee expectations guidelines.  So my plan is after we get through the holidays, I'm going to start interviews.  Get fully staffed and start incorporating other treatments into my practice so we'll be doing a lot of red light therapy and infrared therapy.  Hyperbaric chambers.  Cold plunges, and from there, once that is ‑‑ once with her in a good place in that department, I'm going to open up a massage therapy school to help others get licensed in the health and wellness field.  
>> That's wonderful.  That's a great idea.  I love your creativity.  One of the things that's really beneficial about the people with disabilities, you know, setting their own businesses they tend to hire other people with disabilities or support other people with disabilities.  To grow in their fields and I think this is fantastic.  So I do want to encourage more of this.
     Okay.  So I think that we're done with my personal questions.  Thank you so much for the panel to answer my questions, and now we're going to open it up to the floor to the audience for questions.
     We do have Melinda, she's here to assist with the, you know, checking in those questions and answers.  Please use your Q & A tool if you have it available.  If you have any questions, thank you so much, and Melinda, what is your first question.  
>> Melinda:  Okay.  So the ‑‑ 
>> Give me one second.  Okay, go ahead.  
>> Melinda:  So this is from Jason Shaw.  
>> The interpreter is not able to hear you.  
>> Melinda:  I'm going to have to try this again.  There's a bit of an echo.  
>> Okay.  So I'm going to have to ‑‑ give me one moment.  If you'll go ahead and mute.  Now go ahead.  Now go ahead.  Try now.  
>> Melinda:  Okay, okay, okay.  I'm ‑‑
>> Okay.  Hold on.  We still have an echo.  Okay.  Try now.  
>> Melinda:  I have Jason Shaw.  
>> We still have an echo.  Apologies about that.  Technical issues be is always something.  
>> Melinda:  All right.  Let's try this again.  Can you hear me now without an echo.  
>> Yes we can hear you without echo.  
>> I'm Jason Shaw I'm a Deaf electrician and an owner of a electrical contractor business with another hat being the cofounder and president of Texas Deaf chamber of commerce with my own experience and others who work with an agency Texas Workforce Commission, VR, it has become a challenge to find a qualified VR counselor who can work with customers such as myself who wants to pursue self‑employment.
     As of today it was my understanding the last counselor was ‑‑ with the qualifications with the supported retired leaving no others to assist my question is this:  How did this happen and how can organizations like Texas Deaf chamber, North Texas chamber and GCPD can address this challenge with ‑‑
>> 
>> Anyone with questions answer that?  
>> I do not.  He's asking how organizations like the Deaf chamber ‑‑ Texas Deaf Chamber, North Texas he disability chamber?  I'm not familiar with those organizations.  
>> Okay, so I don't think he's asking actually about the organization.  I think it's asking about what can they do if, you know, the counselors don't have a lot of experience with self‑employment or if they need more technical assistance because some ‑‑ some of the counselors do have more experience with counseling and therapy compared to, you know, business ownership.  So how can we find, you know, a good fit for customers?  
>> Sorry, I'm looking for the question.  It disappeared.  Become a challenge to find qualified ‑‑ if your counselor retired, Jason, there are other people within the office.  There's also regional office, there's myself.  I'm familiar with your case and we're reviewing with regional.  With how to assist you with your case and your VRC.  What else?  
>> It's not just about him.  But I'm talking about for other people who are interested in, you know, getting VR counselor services.  Sometimes they feel like they may not be a good fit.  So what can they do to make sure that the counselors, you know, meet their, you know, business needs and knowledge?  
>> Contact the office.  Contact management.  The regional office.  I mean, you know... 
>> Thank you so much.  Do we have another question?  
>> Melinda:  Yeah, so I have another question from Jason Shaw for the business owners, how many of you worked with SCORE for mentoring or similar organizations like small business development centers?  
>> Sandy or Andrea, have you worked with them?  
>> Sandy:  No, I don't know who that is.  
>> Maybe I saw ‑‑ another resource to look into to get more information about.  
>> Sandy:  Uh‑huh, yep, yeah.  
>> For people interested in setting up their own business or already have their business that they want to develop.  
     Do we have any other questions?  
>> Yeah, I wasn't sure ‑‑ was Andrea going to add anything to that last?  
>> Andrea:  I had a little glitch in my screen.  Can you repeat that question?  
>> Yeah, so for the business owners, how many of you ‑‑ have you worked with SCORE for mentoring or similar organizations like small business development centers?  
>> Andrea:  No.  I have not worked with any of those organizations.  
>> Melinda:  Okay.  Great well, we'll go ahead and move on to the next question.  
     It's from Carla Horn.  If someone is already operating a small business and needs to upgrade their equipment to keep up with production, do they still need to submit a full business plan?  Or is there a shorter version for existing businesses?  
>> I think that question is for VR.  I was about to answer.  
>> Melinda:  Oh, go right ahead.  
>> Is that question for VR, Carla?  
>> Well, if you can answer it, you know ‑‑ I would say it would be, you know ‑‑ I would assume this is for VR services.  
>> I thought so too.  Yeah, so Carla, currently we don't have a shorter version of the existing ‑‑ for existing businesses.  But if you have a business plan currently, VR can accept that and review it.  But if you don't have a business plan, yes, we would have to do a full business plan.  
>> From what I understand VR can cannot with self‑employment ‑‑ for example, if they already set up a business but they need assistance with disability resources or support and then they can open a new case on that; correct?  
>> Correcting.  ‑‑ correct.  
>> Give me an example what do you mean by that.  
>> An example would be if someone who has a disability has their business up and running ‑‑ let's say they need hearing aids, the business is fine.  The business doesn't need any additional assistance, it's just disability‑related so we would assist with, you know, the hearing aid part.  We don't ‑‑ we don't touch the business part.  We ask for financials, make sure the business is fine, and if you do need help with the business, then we can assist with that that as well.  
>> Great, thank you.  
>> Yeah.  
>> All right.  Perfect, perfect.  Thank you.  
     Any other questions?  
>> All right.  Yeah, I've got one more from Jason Shaw.  It's a follow‑up question for the business owners.  With your business established, did you reach out or join your local chamber of commerce or the like such as the women chamber of commerce?  
>> I didn't.  There are a lot of resources.  I've not accessed the longer I'm in business the more I know.
     I will be but, no, I have not done that.
>> I am right there with Sandy.  I have not done that yet but these are all, you know, things that I'm kind of learning about on my journey so they are definitely places that I will be looking into and reaching out to after this.  
>> Awesome, I think I just have one more ‑‑ every time I say that, then I get another question.
(Laugh.) 
>> So from Scott segored I think I'm saying that correctly.  I just want to clarify how to get started with assistance.  I'm an engineer and started a home design business last year and need help getting work.  
>> Matthew, I can jump in here a little bit too, and the one thing I'm going to have to say, again, kind of goes back to talking about chambers ‑‑ being members of chambers of commerce or other organizations.  Network, network, network.  You know, you've got to put yourself out there, you know, it's one of the reasons earlier I mentioned that being a small business owner isn't just an 8:00 to 5:00 Monday through Friday job.  Being out there in the community, making contacts ‑‑ you never know when you're going to meet that right person that's going to lead to a job or other contacts.  So definitely become involved with your chambers of commerce, you know, I think David Shaw is a great contact.  He's out there.  He's really trying to work to support small business owners with disabilities but any of our events, you know, again, one of the reasons ‑‑ again, we have the resource providers there to ‑‑ to connect with but we provide a lot of networking time at our events.  Lunch networking because you just never know if that person sitting next to you could be your next big client or introduce you to your next big client.  
>> And ‑‑
(Talking Simultaneously.)
>> I was just going to say that's excellent advice.  
>> Something I would like to add to that as well.
     So the counselors are able to also connect you to some of those business development specialists as well.  So that's another way that you can find is networking.  And these opportunities and these plans that you can ‑‑ that you can make.  Maybe go visit some of your other organizations and find those right people to talk with.  
     So you never ‑‑ I highly ‑‑ I highly suggest going to some of these events and showing up, and asking for assistance and just being in communication with those people.  
     So next question?  
>> All right.  So from Robin Farris.  For Sandy, have you marketed your services to rehab facilities and/or prosthetic companies?  
>> Great question.  Rehab facilities, no.  Very much on my to‑do list.  I do want to do that.  As far as prosthetic companies, I've been involved with my small circle of them.  But not ‑‑ not a major push to that.  There are so many opportunities from working I think of these little niches and if I could just, you know, hone ‑‑ clone myself and I'm trying to get in it an eighth day of the week and it's just not working.  There's so much I want to do and I'm just at a crossroads in growing and staying very small.  So I appreciate the question.  If you have any resources or any names you want that to give me, I would love to have them.  
>> Thank you, Sandy.
     And next question?  
>> So I have ‑‑ please give an example of a business for disabled people from a technology background you go.  ‑‑ background.  If anybody can speak to that.
>> That's a possible question for the next time, and for those who are going to be interested in setting up those businesses.  For right now I don't think we have the person to be able to answer that question with us.  
>> Okay, well, that's all the questions that I have.  
>> Well, okay, wonderful.  So thank you very much, everyone, for coming and thank you, presenters and panelists for being here.
     And, again, thank you for joining the Texas' governor's office and we're just ‑‑ and thank you, panelists for all your work and everything that you've done to be involved with us.  Thank you so much.  And you have a wonderful day.  
>> Thank you.  
>> Thank you very much.  
>> OPERATOR:  Recording stopped.