"Learn Exactly How People With Disabilities Can Start A Business,  Where
To Get The Start Up Money,  How To Earn BIG PROFITS And Not Lose Your Disability Income Benefits" 

     If you've ever given more than 10 seconds of thought about starting a business than this web page has some of the IMPORTANT information and resources to guide you to entrepreneurial success...so I suggest you book mark this page....   
 
Here's why....

   There's a lot of myth and misinformation floating around about starting a business and just how much money people with disabilities can earn with out losing their benefits.

    This 39 minute interview at the top of the page with Andy Leaf tells the facts, covers common questions, address's concerns and gives step by step directions in plain English about how you start your own business, 

You'll Learn....
  
Basic tips to start a business, 

Steps to take before you invest even $.01   

How research will minimize your risk and increase your chances of success 

The real deal on Government and Private Grants  

Where to get guidance & coaching 

How much you can make and still keep your benefits

Learn all about business ERWI's and these off sets and deductions will help pay for some of your day to day business expenses 

Realistic business funding resources for SSI &SSDI recipients

      Andy Leaf is a trusted source of information for people with Disabilities and provides some of the most encouraging news for entrepreneur's, 

"Andy's Leaf's Story"  Andy’s been involved in, and has run small businesses all his life.   Since 1996 Andy has been  empowering people with disabilities to start or run a business via his  nonprofit organization Disability Biz..  Disability Biz provides a variety of disability resources and small business services for people with disabilities,  that is a one-stop center that has accessible and reliable business resources, disability resources and other support for entrepreneurs with disabilities.  Andy knows from his personally experience just how important it is to have access to meaningful employment because he has been a wheelchair user  almost 40 years thus transportation and health issues have kept me out of traditional employment.

Andy Leaf Interview Outline 

1. What basic tips can you offer to people with disabilities to start a business? 
A. Do something that you love and that you are already good at – people get into trouble when they start thinking about ways to get rich quick rather than focusing on realistic businesses that complement their skills and abilities. 
B. start with evaluating your hobbies and interests and brainstorm business ideas 

C. think about your skills, abilities, education, experience that would apply to your business ideas 

2. Forget about Location, Location, Location it’s more about Research, research, research 
– do some serious research to find out which of your business ideas are the most marketable / needed. 
A. Before you do ANYTHING – buy product, set up a website etc. you have to evaluate the need for your product or service 

B. conduct surveys of potential clients, find out industry statistics, analyze the competition 

C. Once you determine which idea has the best chances for success, improve upon those chances for success by developing a full-blown business plan 

3. Be REALISTIC – 
in what you can or can’t do physically, about your income and expenses and especially about the level of your competition


4. Have a Solid Business Plan
A. get help with your business plan – it’s not an easy thing to put together – at the very least have professionals read through and critique your plan.   

                    Key components of a business plan? 

B. Company Information 
Company and personal background, details about products and services, this is where you show what you want to do, why you want to do it and why you are qualified to do it 

C. Market Research 
Industry research, customer profile, competitive analysis 
this is where you demonstrate the need for your product or service, who specifically will buy from you and why they will buy from you instead of the competition 

D. Marketing Strategy 
Marketing goals, marketing tools, distribution channels 
this is where you determine how many people will buy from you and how much they will buy, how you will attract your customers and get them to buy and where you will sell or distribute your products or services 

E. Operating plan 
management & staffing, ordering process, project timeline, supplies needed. This is where you show that you can handle the business once you make that first sale, that you have all the people ready, paperwork ready and a plan in place to get the equipment, supplies and office space you need while you are starting up. 

G. Financial Plan 
sales projections, break even analysis, profit & loss, cash flow. 
This is where you show not only how much money you will be making and how much money you need but it will directly show potential investors whether or not you have the management skills necessary to run a successful business depending on how realistic and thorough you are. 

5.   Types of Funding Available
A.  Traditional funding (money you have to pay back or offer up a percentage of equity in your business)

B.  Bank loans – usually challenging to get without a stellar business plan, great credit and some kind of collateral so this avenue is not usually pursued – try to get a bank loan.

C. Venture capital – really only worth pursuing if you have a new and unique idea for a high-growth / technology business and you have extensive experience in the related field. 

              Grants to start or expand your business
                    (money you don’t have to pay back)

F. Government Grants – SBIR Grants (Small Business Innovation Research Grants) but these are usually in high tech fields and for established businesses and have specific requirements that most small businesses just don’t fit. Be wary of places selling guides to grants – all the info you need is online & free

G. Private Grants – some companies or organizations may offer grants or have business plan competitions that result in grant funding for the winners. Be wary of organizations asking for donations or payment up front to apply for grants. 
 
State Vocational Rehabilitation Agencies – rules will vary from state to state but self-employment is an acceptable outcome for people enrolled in state voc rehab programs instead of being placed in traditional employment. As part of that self-employment outcome, the state can pay for reasonable startup expenses for a small business.

You may need to be persistent and you will need to explain why self-employment is better suited to you and your disability than traditional employment, develop a stellar but realistic business plan that fits with your skills and abilities and be prepared to be evaluated on multiple levels and jump through a few hoops. 

 They cannot fund nonprofit organizations (because you are not truly an “owner” of a nonprofit) and “startup” expenses usually include necessary equipment and supplies to START (not ongoing throughout your business) and 3 months worth of operating expenses i.e. rent / utilities, internet, inventory, etc. 

You will usually be monitored for a time period afterward to ensure you are on target with your goals and projections (hence the need to make REASONABLE goals and projections) before your case will be closed as successfully placed.

PASS Plan – A plan you can develop through the Social Security Administration that allows you to set aside all or a portion of your SSI or SSDI check or other income to use for a business startup; those set aside funds then no longer count as income allowing you to start receiving SSI or increase the amount of your current SSI checks. This often allows you to receive close to the same amount in disability benefits that you are currently receiving but with additional funds set aside to use for your business startup. 

It’s a program for SSI recipients (SSI is Supplemental Security Income for people with really limited resources ) but you may be able to qualify for SSI by writing a PASS plan,

You will need a comprehensive business plan and to follow the same guidelines under State Vocational Rehabilitation Agencies.

Your PASS plan is more likely to be accepted if you are working through your State Vocational Rehabilitation Agency and we actually recommend that you fund part of your business startup through a PASS plan and part through the voc rehab grant if you qualify for both programs.

         Resources To Start Your Business