Women with disabilities are discovering ways to add flexibility to their careers and break down barriers of traditional employment by striking out on their own. Self-employment offers opportunities for people with disabilities to tailor working conditions to meet their needs.
Despite popular belief, the success rate of small businesses is surprisingly high. The U.S. Small Business Administration reports that more than 79 percent of small businesses are still operating after the initial five years.
One way to significantly reduce some of the anxiety resulting from starting a small business is to develop a business plan. A business plan is a document that lays out a course for opening, managing or growing an enterprise. For those with disabilities, a business plan serves an even more important function: it helps convince Vocational Rehabilitation offices, Workforce Investment Act Agencies, and the Social Security Administration that the business is feasible.
Most conventional business plans contain the following elements (in order)