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Show Summary:
(Full Transcript Below)
The Business Enterprise Program (BEP) is a great way for interested Blind/Visually Impaired clients of their State Agency/Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) to own their own business and be their own boss. Michael Colbrunn is a business owner in the BEP and joined Jeff Thompson of Blind Abilities in the studio to talk about the BEP and about his work at his campus location and his work on the State Rehabilitation Council for the Blind in Minnesota. Join Michael and Jeff in this brief interview packed with useful information.
You can find out more about the BEP and more from Michael Colbrunn on a previous podcast: The Business Enterprise program: Business Ownership Opportunities and a Promising Career
If you are interested in knowing more about the Business Enterprise Program, and live in Minnesota, email John Hulet
If outside Minnesota, contact your State Services and ask about the Business Enterprise Program and how you can learn more about the opportunities available to you.
Thank you for listening!
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On the web at www.BlindAbilities.com
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Full Transcript:
Meet Michael Colbrunn: Business Enterprise Program Owner/Operator and Advocate for the Blind
Michael Coburn:
I have 88 vending machines at the university. It’s a full-time job, full time gig. You definitely are earning your keep.
Jeff Thompson:
Michael Colbrunn, Business Enterprise Program. Owner and operator.
Michael Coburn:
And I really regret the fact that I wasn’t aware of it earlier.
Jeff Thompson:
Michael talks about creating opportunities in the Business Enterprise Program.
Michael Coburn:
So, one of the things that I have done is opened up my business to any individuals, but young people especially. See what it’s all about and consider it as a future for themselves.
Jeff Thompson:
Michael brings awareness to the challenges and the advocacy being done in the Business Enterprise Program.
Michael Coburn:
My mindset is that if the location where I’m at had any choice of any vendor anywhere, they would choose me first. Not because they have to, but because they want to.
And to find out more about the Business Enterprise Program, check out your state services and see what opportunities they have for you.
Jeff Thompson:
For more podcasts with a blindness perspective, check us out on the web at www.blindabilities.com, on Twitter @blindabilities, and download the free Blind Abilities app from the app store and the Google Play store. That’s two words. Blind. Abilities. And check out the Blind Abilities skill on your Amazon device by saying “Enable blind abilities.” And now, here’s Michael Colbrunn. We hope you enjoy.
Jeff Thompson:
Welcome to Blind Abilities. I’m Jeff Thompson. I’m at State Services for the Blind in St. Paul, Minnesota and we’re about to start the State Rehab Council Meeting, but beforehand, I ran into Mike Colbrunn and he’s a Business Enterprise operator in southern Minnesota. How you doing, Mike?
Michael Coburn:
Good. How are you, Jeff?
Jeff Thompson:
I’m doing really good. Thanks for taking the time to come on the Blind Abilities and talk about the Business Enterprise Program.
Michael Coburn:
Yeah, you’re welcome and thank you for giving me the platform and the ability to talk about these things.
Jeff Thompson:
So, Mike, can you tell people what the Business Enterprise Program is about?
Michael Coburn:
The Business Enterprise Program is a program that gives license blind individuals the opportunity to own and operate a business on federal, state, county, property, buildings, amenities, that sort of thing. The Randolph Sheppard Act is a congressional act that was passed in the 1930s and it does what I said. It gives license blind individuals the opportunities to operate a business.
Jeff Thompson:
But it’s not hand out job?
Michael Coburn:
No, it is not. I currently operate a business in Mankato, Minnesota. My main business is on Minnesota State University, Mankato. The college itself. I have 88 vending machines at that university. It’s a full time job. Full time gig. You definitely are earning your keep.
Jeff Thompson:
So, Mike, in the Business Enterprise Program, I went to the Sagebrush last year and I noticed they’re getting older. People are getting older. They’ve been in it. They’re lifetime jobs, it seems like. They really sustain employment. How ’bout recruiting young people. What’s going on with that area?
Michael Coburn:
That is an area of focus that we need to work on. In the state of Minnesota and nationally. When I go to these national conferences and conventions, we talk about it all the time. It’s one of the critical issues that we face and you’re right. A lot of the people that are in the room are long in the tooth and a lot of them have been doing it for 30, 40 years. I am a little unique in the fact that I’ve only been in the program for three years, but I, myself, am 49-years-old and I discovered it later in life and I really regret the fact that I wasn’t aware of it earlier. So, one of the things that I have done is open up my business to any individuals, but young people especially, if they wanna come down, spend a week, spend a day, spend a couple weeks, whatever it takes for them to get exposed to the program, see what it’s all about and consider it as a future for themselves.
Jeff Thompson:
You’ve gotten some people interested in the program.
Michael Coburn:
Yeah, I have. One individual, I actually am in the process of hiring him and seeing if he wants to work for me while he sort of figures things out. But I had an opportunity this past summer that a young person came and worked, and she had no idea that it was even a thing. So, it was something that she even thought about. The exciting part is that even if they don’t wanna go into the Business Enterprise Program itself, it opens up their minds to the fact that a blind individual can own something, can run something, can do this themselves. If that spark is lit, that’s great and I think that us as Randolph Sheppard vendors, we are our best resource. I think that we need to show people that we can do it. That it’s being done and show other individuals that they can do it themselves and if I can do it, anybody can do it.
Jeff Thompson:
If someone’s interested in the Business Enterprise Program, how would they find out more about it?
Michael Coburn:
I would say the best route would be to contact their state agency. Their State Service for the Blind and just to inquire about the Randolph Sheppard Program or the Business Enterprise Program and they would point you in the right direction.
Jeff Thompson:
That’s great. Mike, you’re on the State Rehab Council, so you’ve actually are effecting changes and keeping your finger on the pulse of what’s going on in Minnesota.
Michael Coburn:
Yeah. I certainly am on the council and it’s a source of pride for me. It’s a group of individuals from the community who, some are blind, some are legally blind, lots of different ranges of vision loss. There’s representatives from the deaf blind community and there’s people who work in vocal rehab sorts of jobs. And it’s a collective group that get together and talk about fun things like budgets and spending and statutes and laws and information that’s come out. That it’s how the state agencies can spend their money, so to speak. But I’m amazed at the talent around the room and it inspires me every time I’m here. Sometimes I wonder how I got on the council, but I’m there and I’m happy to be there ’cause, like I said, collectively, there’s just a lot of talent around the room and it’s really fun to be a part of something like that.
Jeff Thompson:
Well, you do a great part on the council. Mike, these operations locations, as you call them, they’re state and federal, but sometimes, there’s always challenges to ’em because you know, everybody knows, there are good locations to have vending machines or operations and you always seem to be fighting an uphill battle to keep and maintain what you’ve been given.
Michael Coburn:
Yeah, you’re right, Jeff. We are at some prime locations and when people see us there, sometimes they think that we’re only there because of our priority and I like the mindset that we’re there because of our priority, but we’re staying there because we’re good at what we do. So, you’re always gonna get a certain segment of the private sector who wants to be where you’re at and in the state of Minnesota, it’s exciting because we just now have a license blind vendor who is now gonna be having some operations at the Veteran’s hospital in Minneapolis. And that’s been a long time fight and arbitration and it got kinda ugly, but we prevailed and he’s there. He’s a blind vet himself, so that’s exciting.
Michael Coburn:
But you’re right, we’re always facing issues, critical issues, we call them. There’s a rest stop commercialization is one. Us defending our priority to be at places is sort of a constant and I don’t like to look at it that the sky is falling ’cause, like I said, I’ve only been in it for three years, but there’s some old timers who have said they’ve been battling it for decades. But it’s a fight that we’ll take and we’re confident in what we do. We’re proud of what we do, so, to me, as long as you operate your business with the mindset that you’re not just there ’cause you get to be. My mindset is that if the location where I’m at had any choice of any vendor anywhere, they would choose me first. Not because they have to, but because they want to and I think that if we all have that attitude, I think we’ll be in pretty good shape.
Jeff Thompson:
Well, Mike, thank you very much for coming on The Blind Abilities and sharing all your knowledge on the Business Enterprise Program. Your successes that you’re doing and the opportunities that you’re creating for others.
Michael Coburn:
Yeah. Thank you and again, thank you for the platform. I think what you do is great. You’re sort of setting a trend also. This podcast thing. It seems like you’re out ahead of it and it’s definitely where things are going, so kudos to you as well, Jeff.
Jeff Thompson:
It’s always a good time talking to Michael Colbrunn. All that he’s doing for the Business Enterprise Program and for the State Rehab Council for the Blind in Minnesota. And thank you, Chee Chau, for your beautiful music. That’s @LCheeChau on Twitter.
Jeff Thompson:
So, once again, we hope you enjoyed. Thanks for listening and until next time. Buh-bye.
[Music] [Transition noise]
When we share
-What we see
-Through each other’s eyes…
[Multiple voices overlapping, in unison, to form a single sentence]
…We can then begin to bridge the gap between the limited expectations, and the realities of Blind Abilities.
Jeff Thompson:
For more podcasts with a blindness perspective, check us out on the web at www.blindabilities.com on Twitter @BlindAbilities, download our app from the App Store. Blind Abilities, that’s two words, or send us an email at info@blindabilities.com. Thanks for listening.