Entrepreneurship is an exciting opportunity for people with disabilities to realize their full potential while becoming financially self-supporting. Some of the benefits of self-employment include working at home, controlling your work schedule and gaining the independence that comes from making your own decisions.
Can people with disabilities be entrepreneurs? Yes! In fact, the experience of living with a disability may actually develop valuable skills and lessons that contribute to business success, such as creative problem solving ability, adaptability, persistence and the willingness to ask for help.
Starting your own business is also a very challenging task. You need to develop a business plan, which involves doing a great deal of research about your product or service. You need to know who to sell to, what it will cost you to provide your service or make your product, how to find customers and how much to charge for your products or services. You may also need to find resources to help you find the money you need to get started.
When people start their own business and have fewer than five employees it is called a micro-enterprise. Micro-enterprise or self-employment is a rehabilitative option under the Rehabilitation and the Workforce Investment Acts (WIA). Both systems can help a person with a disability get started in their own business.
Starting a Business: Where to Start
Self Employment Resources
Starting a Business: Where to Start
A crucial step in starting your own business is to develop a business plan. The process of writing a good business plan will let you evaluate if you have a sound business idea and all the resources needed to be successful. Writing a business plan will make you think about what you want to accomplish in your business. Working out these details will also help you decide if what you are planning is a good fit based on your strengths and weaknesses.
The Office of Disability Employment Policy
The Office of Disability Employment Policy in the U.S. Department of Labor has a website to help you explore the many options available for starting a business. They put you in touch with the experts and provide resources and financial programs used by over one million new businesses each year.
The U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration has put together this guide on how to develop a business plan along with other helpful resources.
The Small Business and Self-Employment Service (SBSES)
The Small Business and Self-Employment Service (SBSES) is a service of the U.S. Department of Labor that provides information, counseling and referrals about self-employment and small business ownership opportunities for people with disabilities. You can also call their toll free number at 1-800-526-7294 to get free help from their staff.
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Self-Employment/Micro-Enterprise Resources
Diversity World
Sometimes it is helpful to talk to other people with similar experiences and challenges. Diversity World offers a self-employment discussion group where entrepreneurs with disabilities, and individuals or organizations, who are interested or have a role in self-employment, can post comments, and questions, and promote related events, publications, organizations and resources.
The Abilities Fund
The Abilities Fund is a nationwide community developer and financial lending institution focused exclusively on advancing entrepreneurial opportunities for Americans with disabilities. They provide financial products, training, technical assistance services, and advisory supports for individuals with disabilities and organizations.
FirstGov
This national site offers suggestions and information about financial assistance, franchise opportunities, copyright laws, patents, hiring, licensing and other topics that are important to small business owners.
United States Small Business Administration
This website discusses how to start a business and provides information about financing and management.
Entrepreneur.com
Entrepreneur.com has numerous resources on business operations, money, marketing, management and other topics for individuals who want to start their own business.
SCORE - Counselors to America's Small Businesses
Score is a website that offers advice to small business owners. Individuals can also get answers to specific questions. On their site there is a learning center, business tool-box (complete with business plan templates), financial guidelines, and the latest business news.
National Association of Women Business Owners
The National Association of Women Business Owners is an organization that represents women entrepreneurs.
National Center on Workforce and Disability
This article discusses self-employment and micro-enterprise as a customized employment option for individuals with disabilities.
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