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Family Support and

Self-Employment

Dusty Dutton & Dale Dutton

I am theCEO

of my ownBusiness:

Dusty’s Puppets

I like feeling that

I am SOMEBODY!

I am a professional puppeteer!

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DISCOVERINGmy

DREAMS

I love

being on stage !

I have always loved puppets.

My 1st grade classroom.

My puppet showfor my neighbors

on the 4th of July.

I also enjoyed

the child care class

I took in high school.

I wrote a storyin English class,

and I read it to the babies

and I did a puppet showfor them.

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After high school

I went to theI went to the

College of Marin.

I took music, drama,

and dance classes.

I loved performing in the chorus.

I took a children’s theater class.

I was in a play for an audience of children, with lots of puppets.

I was on a path

to beingg

on stage!I volunteer

at the Ross Valley PlayersBarn Theater.

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I like being with the actors.

Starting when I was 16,

I have had several

Person Centered Planning

meetings

to help me think about

my DREAMS my DREAMS and

my FUTURE.

I always wantedto be on stage andgto be with young children.

My parents and I wanted me to have

• happiness• a career • friends & boyfriendsfriends & boyfriends• services & funding I needed• fun in my community

I wanted to have a life!

This is Angela,my Supported Living housemate!

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Angela had a baby.

Mom & I gave her a shower.

I did a puppet show for the guestsand they loved it!

Lexie arrived. Now she is 5.

Lexie’s1st BirthdayParty

I was volunteering at the YMCA.

Angela got me a job theredoing puppet shows for the kids in day care.

I did shows at Head Start too.

Aha !

Maybe puppets could be my business?

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In 2006I started

my own business

called

DUSTY’S PUPPETS

First, I took a class

at the College of Marin

called

Starting Your Own Business

My Business Circle of Support helped me.

We answered the question:

Can I make moneyCan I make moneywith a puppet business?

I say yes!

THE IDEA• I perform puppet shows

• with hand puppets & recorded music

f hild 1 4• for children ages 1-4

• at birthday parties, day care centers, and farmers’ markets

• and I sell puppets

I tried it out.

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My fans are kids ages 1-4

and they love me!Eli and Susan at the Marin CIL helped me with my benefits.

I receive funding

for my supports as anfor my supports as an

Individualized Day Program.

We made a Business PlanWe made a Business Planshowing

steps to get going.

We wrote

a PASS Plan

to Social Security to Social Security

to get $$$

to start up.

I now have more than 20 different shows I perform at:

• Head Start• YMCA• Birthday parties• Farmers’ Markets • Day care and preschools • Special events

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Farmers’ Market at San Rafael Farmers’ Market at Fairfax

FairfaxMatrix Christmas Party

Halloween

In 2007I did

151 puppet show events!151 puppet show events!

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I also sell puppets at:

• Farmer’s markets• Farmer s markets

• Craft fairs

• www.dustyspuppets.com

YMCA Holiday Fair

Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center Holiday Fair

The puppets are from 2 companies:

Gund&

Folkmanis

In 2007I sold puppets atI sold puppets at

23 events!

We were surprised that people wanted to know more aboutto know more about

how I did this!

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Now I make presentations

abouthaving my own business!

In 2007I made 9 presentationsI made 9 presentations

to big groups!

…and my business made aPROFIT !

Now my Business Planhas 3 income streams:

• doing puppet shows

• selling puppets

• making presentations about my business

I have helpers from Casa Allegra Community Services.

Monica drives meto my eventsand helps me.

Kelly is my bookkeeper.

Dusty’s Puppets pays her

to help with my money.

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Renee is my banker.Dom is my volunteer.Angela is my Business Manager.

She helps me with:

• my schedule• getting clients• buying new puppets• buying new puppets• storing my puppets, stage, display racks

• the puppet mobile

She works with:

• my bookkeeper • the Casa Allegra support staff• my business Circle of Support• my parents• the people I perform for

Angela works Angela works with me

and my mom to make up new shows.

I love making money and having fun!

It’s all about Having a Life!

What Have We Learned?

“Discovery” Works!

• Starting a viable business is a lot of work!g

• Dusty’s Service Provider was very supportive, but staff didn’t have the Experience or Knowledge.

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What Have We Learned?(2)

• Dusty’s success has encouraged them (and many others) to learn the ropes.( y )

• If they (and our funding systems) don’t, these businesses will not survive!

What Tools Have We Used?

From Our Field:

VCU (T-TAP and Others)

Griffin-Hammis (Both Cary and David)

Marc Gold - Michael Callahan

What Tools Have We Used? (2)

State Employment Leadership Network (ICI – U/Mass – NASDDDS)(ICI – U/Mass – NASDDDS)

World Institute on Disabilitywww.disabilitybenefits101.org

And From The “Real” World:Knowledge & Experience

to Share!

Association for Enterprise Opportunity (AEO)www.microenterpriseworks.orgp g

National Small Business Association (SBA)www.nsba.biz

Senior Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE)www.score.org

Our Family Helped (A Lot!)

• We didn’t do anything that a Service Provider couldn’t have done – if they had known how!

• It is not unusual for a family to assist the development of a small business for a son or daughter.

• Our experiences are helping many others!

What We Did – “With a LittleHelp from Our Friends”!

• Business Feasibility Study

• Business Plan with Cash Flow Budgetg

• Benefits Plan

• PASS Plan

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• Licenses, Bank Accounts, Fees

What We Did – “With a LittleHelp from Our Friends”! (2)

• Initial Supports Plan, Marketing and Monitoring

• Product Development (New Shows)

Would We Do It Again?

Making

Wouldn’t You?

Making Money

and Having

Fun!