Self Employment
Entrepreneurship:
The art of creating something new out of needs, and the craft of creating a viable business from it. Some say entrepreneurs are “born” out of the need of the individual to make change to some situation. As such, people who live with disabilities may have been using entrepreneurial skills throughout their life to adapt their environment to suit their needs. These skills can be transferrable to small business creation and self employment. EDP can assist “entrepreneurs” with disabilities explore a viable business idea and make it a viable business.
Self Employment:
Being “one’s own boss.” Making income from ones entrepreneurial activities. Select Community Futures locations in BC offer self-employment training courses to help you discover and develop the skills an entrepreneur needs to run , maintain and expand a small business. EDP offers pre and post supports to assist people who self-disclose disabilities become business-able.
Significant facts and statistics from British Columbia (source Statistics Canada, 2003 survey)
In 2003 there were 325,321 registered small businesses in BC. This number represents 98% of all registered companies in the province. Small business accounts for 30% of the province’s gross domestic product, and pays approximately 1/3 of all wages in BC. Approximately 47% of the BC population is involved in small business.
52% of small businesses are owned by people aged 35 to 45. 22% of small businesses are owned by people aged 55 years and older.
Approximately one in six people living in BC has self identified as living with a disability or chronic health condition.
As people get older, the incidence of chronic health conditions and disability increases.
Entrepreneurs with disabilities start, manage and are active in small business in BC. EDP can assist people who self-disclose disabilities make a small business a big success.