For anyone with disabilities who may not think they would excel in corporate jobs and do not want to experience discrimination, starting a small business could be the perfect option.
Technology and the internet make it easier for anyone to own and operate their dream business. Although those with disabilities may find some aspects of small business ownership a little more difficult, there is no reason why they should not be able to be successful in this endeavor.
In this article, we will provide you with awesome tips to help you succeed in your small business.
Important Tips for Disabled People Who Want to Start Their Small Business
When deciding what type of small business to start, you should consider your own skills, talents, wants, and desires. For example, if you love to make DIY projects, crafts, or beauty products, you can start up a small business by selling your items online. But that should not be the only consideration.
You must think about your potential market, competition, cost of operation, etc. There are some great ideas that make terrible businesses and mediocre ideas that make strong businesses. It’s not always about what you love or what you’re used to; it’s about what you can make work and how to find your niche.
Businesses Opportunities for People with Disabilities
There are some potential fields that are particularly suited for small business owners with disabilities. Mobility and transportation are obstacles for disabled people who want to start a business.
Also, ask yourself if you want to study or start training before putting up your business. This will help you prepare better for your venture.
Check here for some more ideas. Below are some examples of fields that could be more ideal for small business owners with disabilities
Real Estate
A field like real estate, for example, allows you to be flexible with your hours and gives you the ability to work from non-traditional locations (home, perhaps?). This gives you the opportunity to run errands and perform household tasks.
If you are a parent, you are more benefited from a business that does not require traveling to a workplace regularly. You will have quality time to spend playing with your children, bringing them to school, picking them up after school, helping them with their assignments/projects, and bringing them to a physician if they’re sick.
As Redfin.com notes, people with disabilities may be qualified to help those with special needs find their dream home. Depending on the agency you joined, you may be required to take additional courses after being hired.
Freelancing and Consulting
Nowadays, working at home is increasing in demand because it offers many benefits both for people with and without disabilities. If you have good online skills, working as a freelance article writer, tutor, virtual assistant, marketer, web designer, graphic designer, or consultant may be the perfect option for you.
Online Business: a Convenient Way to Generate Income for Disabled People
One of the fastest and easiest ways to start your business is by selling products online. No wonder why many retailers have been flooding the web for many years. You can sell affiliate items online so you can receive a commission for every product purchased through you.
Answering the questions below has a significant impact on other elements of your business, including storing, inventory, and shipping.
What are the best products and services to sell online?
Before jumping into an online business, spend time deciding what products to sell. The two kinds of products are niche and commoditized products.
Niche Products
If you want to supply or serve a specific type of customer, you opt for niche products. This means that these products are made based on the demand of the consumers or in small batches.
Examples of niche products are necklaces, cellphone accessories, and organic foods that were hand-made. You may also sell items that aim to make life convenient for disabled persons like you. (e.g., canes and wheelchairs).
Commoditized Products
Commoditized products are goods that have economic value, are needed by everybody, and are sold on the basis of price. Examples are cleaning products, construction materials, food, baby clothes, toys, and items for personal hygiene.
Offering high-quality products will help build a good reputation for small businesses. Take time to research information about how to promote your commoditized products effectively to outrank your competitors.
What Are You Passionate or Knowledgeable About?
If you have a passion for what you are doing, you will be able to craft things that will engage and speak effectively to people. Passion will unleash your creativity and help you to make unique products that will stand out from the rest.
You will be stressed if you venture into an industry that you do not know or are not interested in. You can narrow down the list of things you are passionate about by self-reflection.
What Products Can Solve Your Customers’ Problems?
Another strategy to ensure success in online business is by choosing products and services that will help solve the problems of your customers. Research carefully about the products in your niche that are currently in demand and popular because they are effective.
Life Coaching
If you have the skills and passion to help people who lack hope are and are facing difficulties in life by offering your encouraging words, you may opt for a life coaching business. The question is, what type of coaching are you going to do? If you are knowledgeable about fitness, you can be a health coach. If you are a mom or a dad, becoming a parenting coach will be a good fit for you. You can inspire parents by sharing how you survived as a mom/dad despite your disability.
Keep in mind that you must have the ability to connect with and talk to them via phone or the Internet. It is a smart idea to invest in a high-quality computer/laptop and fast Internet connection.
The main advantage of connecting with clients through the Internet is being able to assist them online regardless of their location. You do not have to meet up with them or spend for calling them via phone. You can use free application software such as Skype, which allows voice calls and video chats.
Additionally, it is highly recommended that you take coaching courses to get yourself a certification. You must be willing to spend time and money on this. Certification will help increase your credibility and gain the trust of your clients. It is also a good idea to offer add-on products like inspiration books.
How to Find Funding
Most small business owners require putting a significant amount of their own capital into the opening and running of their business. The concept of “free money” for business startups, while popular on the internet, does not really exist in the way it is advertised.
Disabled small business owners do have plenty of funding options to explore.
- The federal Small Business Administration does not provide grants for new businesses. They do help with small business loans, however. While the SBA does not directly loan to those looking to start a new business, they do provide guarantees to banks and other lenders. Check the SBA loan portal for a list of qualifying lenders.
- Grants do exist, however, only for specific business types. If you are opening a business in the medical, scientific, or agricultural space, for example, you may be able to find some help. Check this list of over 100 region and business-specific grants.
- Check your state’s small business portal as well. States are more likely to have grant programs for business than the federal government.
- Don’t forget about crowdfunding. Sites like Kickstarter and GoFundMe have made it easy for people to make small contributions toward a cause, and plenty of new small business owners have been able to find significant funding this way.
How to Find Customers
Once you’re off and running, now the real work begins: finding customers for your business. If you’ve selected something with a solid market, then you already have a solid base, but that won’t be enough.
You’ll need to focus on some combination of these four tenets: advertising, networking, strategic alliances, and teaming up with like businesses for promotion. Forming your organization correctly, creating a good website, having a strong online presence, and using the best social media platforms should be first on your priority list.
H3: Form Your Company Properly
Before jumping into making your business visible on the web, you have to start your business with leverage. Make sure that you set up your business the smart way by working with specialist attorneys.
Incorporation Attorneys is a team of knowledgeable and licensed lawyers who have been helping businesses run cost-effectively for many years. We will sit down with you and help design your corporation. We manage corporate records, incorporation forms, and documents tailored to the needs of your business.
Learn more about us at https://www.incorporationattorney.com/incorporation-attorneys-california-about/.
Design and Build a Good Website
If your small business has no website, customers will have a negative impression of your organization. Having or not having a website can be a deciding factor for consumers about whether they must contact you or make business with you.
A well-designed website with valuable content will help identify your business and show off the products and services that you offer. If you have a bad website, you must take it down because it is worse than having no website at all.
Make sure that you work with a reputable and experienced web designer and builder.
Advertise to Show Customers the Value and Reliability of Your Products and Services
Advertising is one of the most effective ways to convey your message to your target audience. Keep in mind that you might have to spend to make your ad more appealing and offer a message that will encourage your potential clients to contact you. When done correctly, advertising can generate significant leads.
Television, radio, and newspaper are the most common advertising mediums. Nowadays, social media is considered the most effective and fast way to promote your small business. You must turn to the Internet and start advertising.
You should seek out other businesses that can help get your name out. If you want to start a screen printing business, for example, reach out to anyone who could promote you through their own business like local shops, restaurants, breweries, and sports organizations.
Establish Your Online Presence
Web presence is a measurement of how your business is seen and remembered online. You have to remember that establishing a presence on the Internet will have a significant impact on your business. It will help you stand out from your competitors.
Start building your online presence by setting your goals first. Make your goals attainable to help boost your confidence in achieving them. This marketing strategy requires skills and effort over time.
Be at the Top of Search Engines by Getting SEO
You want people to find your business online. SEO (Search Engine Optimization) plays a big role in increasing your visibility online. Search ranking has a big impact on your business. You must aim to rank on the first page to increase the exposure of your organization.
SEO makes use of high-quality articles with targeted keywords or key phrases. Good SEO strategies will drive traffic to your website and increase the chance of a purchase.
If you’re not an SEO expert, you can hire a professional. However, you also have to do your homework by understanding the basics of SEO.
Choose Social Media Platforms Where You Can Promote Your Business
Another effective content and video marketing can be done using social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and LinkedIn. You must engage with customers on the right channel.
Make sure not to over-promote your business. Follow the 1-in-7 rule, which means that only one of your seven status posts should promote your products and services. What about the rest of the posts? They must consist of content that is valuable to your target audience.
Create posts that provide useful tips and fun facts. Use conversation-starter questions because most users enjoy expressing their feelings and opinions, resulting in higher engagement. You may also opt for ads if you are willing to spend more on product promotion.
Don’t Let Disability Hinder You from Starting Your Own Business
Your disability – whatever it is – should in no way stop you from living out your dreams. Starting a small business is one of the best ways a person with a disability can take control over their situation and build in the flexibility they need.
At Incorporation Attorneys, we help entrepreneurs with disabilities in starting their small businesses with peace of mind. We are a team of trusted and knowledgeable lawyers who provide clients with legal advice to protect their companies against lawsuits.
Want to ensure that your business operates effectively and with best practices? Contact us today at +1 (714) 634-4838!
*This post is a guest post provided as educational content. Nothing within this post is considered legally binding nor should be considered legal protection.
Main writer for this article: Erica Francis
Her connection to the disabled community comes from a childhood experience. A close childhood friend was paralyzed in an accident. After the incident, she became more aware of the specific employment challenges facing disabled job seekers. She now works to help disabled individuals find paths to employment that fit their needs.
