The following article is a community contribution from Ed Carter. Ed is a retired financial planner who runs the site: AbleFutures, where he is working on providing financial literacy for the disabled. He reached out to contribute an article and I am more than happy to help him spread the word! If you would like to contribute an article you can contact me here.

Here is a short bio on Ed:

Over the years, I’ve worked with clients of all ages, backgrounds and incomes. About 10 years into my career, I saw a need for financial planners who specialize in helping individuals and families living with disabilities. Regardless of their nature or how long they’ve affected someone, physical and mental limitations often cause stress and confusion when it comes to financial planning. Many people are unaware of just how many options they have when it comes to financial assistance and planning, so it’s an honor to offer my experience and change people’s lives for the better. Now that I’m retired, I’m committed to continuing my services, even though I work on a broader scale than when I was working 9 to 5. I now spend my free time writing financial literacy articles for people to share on their blogs, collecting resource links for people to share on their websites, and collaborating with like-minded folks who want to make a difference. If you are interested in working with me, please contact me via my contact form. All of my services are free.

Notice: The following article is contributed by Ed Carter. He is the sole author of this post. Please contact him here for any inquiries/comments about this article.

Tips for Launching a Small Business For People With Disabilities

Getting a job can be difficult if you’re disabled. Inadequate accessibility features, inflexible work arrangements, the disability pay gap, and lack of confidence from employers are just a few of the challenges people with disabilities face in the traditional workplace. Starting a business is a great way to leave that all behind and pave your own path!

Thanks to technology and the internet, business ownership has never been more attainable. The ability to build a business plan, register your business online, obtain your EIN number, and set up a website has never been more accessible than it is today.

People with disabilities have the power to launch a lucrative business from the comfort of home, minimizing obstacles and capitalizing on their most valuable skills.

Here’s how to get started, presented by Mire Lenoff Marketing, where she helps people learn how to use email marketing to build sales and create relationships with their clients.

Go Back to School

While you don’t need any form of education to start a business, going back to school and earning a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) or a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree will ensure you have all the skills you need. You’ll learn key skills including human capital management, marketing, accounting, and strategic planning.

Whether you decide to go to a traditional university or consider going to school online, explore how each school or online program will be able to accommodate you. Many people have found remote learning to be perfect for their disability. Others find traditional learning more enriching. An online program can offer the flexibility to learn on your own time and with the tools that make your life easier, but other students with disabilities respond better to a campus where proper accommodations are made, and they can interact with teachers and other students.

Whatever path you take (if you decide upon this route), don’t forget to explore scholarships to help lessen the sting of tuition.

Consider Home-Based Business Ideas

Like learning from home, launching a business from home offers greater flexibility to people with disabilities. There is no shortage of great home-based business ideas! You could start a freelancing business offering your skills to clients on a project-by-project basis. If you want to take it a step further, you can launch a service-based industry and hire people to work for you remotely. You could try dropshipping, produce your own products to sell, or work with established companies to sell their products for a commission.

Try to pick a business idea that you believe in. Using your personal experiences as a jumping-off point is a great way to develop impactful business ideas. Think about the things you struggle with, whether related to your disability or not, and try to come up with a solution that would help others in your position.

Conduct Market Research

Before moving forward with your business idea, take the time to do some market research. People aren’t going to fall in love with your business just because you think what you’re offering has value. Make sure your target audience can also see the value in your product or service. To get started with market research, Bplans recommends identifying your ideal customers and talking to them.

Social media is a fantastic resource for finding people to talk to about your idea. Use social listening tools to narrow in on a specific audience segment and find people who are talking about the problem you’re trying to solve. You can then message these people to find out what they think about your solution!

Take Advantage of Funding Programs

Affordability is another benefit of starting a home-based business. While you won’t have to cover the overhead costs of a physical store, you might need some funding to invest in a new product, purchase supplies, or hire employees.

Thankfully, small business owners with disabilities can access special funding programs through government groups and private organizations. Get in touch with your local Small Business Development Center to learn about available grants and loan programs, or explore the Benefits Finder at Benefits.gov, the portal of the U.S. government that connects people and businesses to programs and resources at the federal and state level that might help them.

Make Time for Self-Care

It’s easy to neglect self-care when you’re lost in the excitement of launching a new business. But taking care of yourself is essential for your long-term success. Prolonged stress will lead to burnout. As you work to get your business off the ground, schedule time for relaxation, hobbies, and socialization. Do things that get you away from the computer and thinking about something other than your business, at least for a few minutes!

If you want to be an entrepreneur, don’t let anything stop you. Running a home-based business is a great way to pursue your entrepreneurial dreams. There are so many tools, resources, and people out there to help you get to where you want to be!

Photo by Marcus Aurelius from Pexels