OhGoodyGoody!
After international flight attendant Linda Erb became disabled on the job, her career really took off. Erb enrolled in the Start-Up NY, a self-employment demonstration program funded by the department’s Office of Disability Employment Policy. There she learned entrepreneurial skills, taking classes in financial literacy, computers, sales training and marketing. She also received mentoring from lawyers, bankers, accountants and insurance people. This lead the Camillus, New York resident to start OhGoodyGoody.com, an online company which sells gift certificates to retail businesses like wineries, spas and gift shops. Business is thriving and she has made contacts with other entrepreneurs, including potential merchants. As a business novice, Erb admitted she “needed all the help I could get” but added the DOL funded program “got me on the way and lead to my current business success.”