Business Enterprise Program (BEP) empowers legally blind individuals by providing them with training and opportunities to own and operate their own businesses.
This program guides participants in developing and launching their own businesses. Through partnerships with host agencies, entrepreneurs gain hands-on experience and the chance to operate various businesses under a permit. Importantly, BEP ensures that all profits generated by these businesses are retained by the entrepreneurs themselves. By providing training, support, and opportunities, BEP empowers visually impaired individuals to achieve economic independence and build thriving enterprises.
Eligibility Requirements
To be considered for the Business Enterprise Program, a person must meet the following requirements:
- Be legally blind as defined by State Regulations
- Be registered for services through the Bureau of Education and Services for the Blind
- Be a citizen of the United States
Program Incentives
For individuals who successfully complete the Business Enterprises training program, there are many incentives:
- No franchise or start-up costs
- All earnings from your business are your income. There is no limit!
- Access to the state’s insurance and retirement programs
- Business Management Training at no cost on an individualized, self-paced basis
- Career Advancement – You are eligible for consideration to advance into vending facility locations that offer higher earning potential as you gain experience in the program and opportunities for advancement become available
Business Opportunities
There are currently over thirty locations operating in Connecticut. The types of vending facilities include:
- Gift Shops
- Newsstands
- Snack Bars and Coffee Shops
- Full-Service Cafeterias
- Micro-market vending facilities
- The average annual earning for a facility manager is more than $30,000. Some of the larger locations bring more than $80,000 in profit to the facility manager.
The Training Program
Academic Training (approximately four weeks) including:
- Customer Relations – Interpersonal skills development for interacting with customers
- Menu/Product/Service – Development of the product lines or services to be offered to the patrons of the business
- Merchandising – Effective display of product or services and facility space use
- Marketing - From in house sales development via flyers, fax machines, or computer links, to point of sales marketing for enhancing sales
- Purchasing/Receiving – The ordering of products according to inventory and sales needs, and receiving of goods to be offered for sale
- Food/Product/Service Costing – How to set prices based on the actual cost of merchandise and or services
- Inventory Control - Planning for inventory purchasing based on actual inventory and budget
- Business Reports – How to organize business records, document costs and profits
- Budgeting – Developing business budgets to maximize profits while paying suppliers, employees, and taxes on a timely basis
On The Job Training – 6 to 8 Weeks
On-the-job practice and skill development at an actual vending facility location under the supervision of a trained facility manager and a field representative including:
- Training on the safe use of facility equipment as needed for the business
- Production of Products and or Services – On-the-job practice of tracking and producing products or services as needed
- Customer Service including the operation of a cash register, serving lines and deli counters
- Facility maintenance – Developing on-the-job skills to maintain a clean facility
Certification in Food Sanitation
For those seeking to manage facilities requiring food licenses, a food safety sanitation course is included in the training. This food sanitation certification is required for three of the four types of food licenses. The ServSafe Serving Safe Foods Certification Program (provided by the National Restaurant Association) is taught by a Certified Instructor. This is a home study course followed by sixteen hours of classroom study and a Certification Test.
For More Information
To learn more about the Business Enterprise Program call or email Tyrell Sampson, Business Enterprise Program Supervisor at:
Email: Tyrell.sampson@ct.gov
Phone: (860) 602-4219