Starting a business is already hard enough, but things do get a lot harder for people with disabilities. People with disabilities often face unique challenges when trying to get their business off the ground, but they can use the tips below to get things going in the right direction.

Have a Business Plan

As with any other business, you will need a business plan. The business plan will outline your business’s goals and what plans you will put in place to accomplish them. It is important to factor in the effects your disability will have on your ability to reach these goals to be more transparent. 

Funding Your Business

Although your funding options will be limited, there are still some avenues that are open for you. Business loans are a good option as they generally have a low interest rate and are therefore easy to pay back. Small business grants are another good option, especially if you can find some that give preference to people in special groups, such as people with disabilities.

Crowdfunding is another great option as it can help you raise a lot of money from a large pool of people in a short time. The main advantage of crowdfunding is that you are not required to pay back the money or give equity to your backers - you just need to be accountable for all the donations you receive.

Business credit cards can also provide the funding you need, especially for small expenses as the business gets off the ground.

Location

Location is very important for all businesses, but it will be much more so for you. You need to find a location that has lots of accessibility options to make things easier for yourself. 

Providing Opportunities to Other Disabled People

Although it is not mandated, you might want to provide opportunities to other disabled people. Before you can do this, however, you have to make sure your business can cater to disabled employees, which is different from the business being able to cater to your personal needs. 

When looking for help on how to do that, you will likely come across the site ‘Careers with Disabilities’, which provides a detailed guide on what you need to do to provide opportunities for disabled people or to get the necessary funding to make your business work for disabled people. Careers with Disabilities is also a huge advocate for making jobs more accessible to people with disabilities so that their skills stop being overlooked.

Get Help

As you start your business, you will need a lot of help with things like moving boxes around or having your equipment moved in. Although these will likely not be permanent hires, you need to find people who you can trust, because if you have reduced mobility, it might be difficult for you to oversee everything they do.

Starting a business with a disability is a lot more challenging than it is for anyone else. It will take some organisation and careful consideration, but if you keep the basics above in mind, it will be easier to get started and to keep going.