The UK’s disabled entrepreneur community is getting support from Small Business Britain, which champions small firms.
They have launched a campaign, d-Entrepreneur, that will “celebrate businesses led by disabled entrepreneurs to raise awareness of their contribution to UK society and economy, and showcase success.”
According to research from the campaign, disabled entrepreneurs suffer from a lack of business support, including access to a peer-to-peer support network (only 15% said they had this) while over a third (46%) felt that a lack of confidence could be a barrier to success. As a result, the campaign’s mission is “to bring together entrepreneurs with shared experiences of disability in a supportive community.”
Small Business Britain runs campaigns, events, produces reports, and offers online training and advice to help small businesses in the UK. They are also “committed to making entrepreneurship as inclusive as possible” and aim to “foster growth and increased confidence” among small business owners.
Michelle Ovens, Founder of Small Business Britain, said: “There are 14 million disabled people in the UK, and nearly one in five working-age adults are disabled. Many start their own business, and many more aspire to.
“Our mission is to celebrate, enable and champion the amazing contribution of these entrepreneurs, and in doing so, build a more inclusive small business community. We need to make sure everyone has access to support, networks, and inspiration, regardless of circumstances, and work together to build confidence in differently-abled entrepreneurs to reach their potential.”
Disabled business owners are encouraged to reach out to join the d-entrepreneur community and share their stories here. They are also invited to apply for this year’s Small Business Saturday annual #SmallBiz100, run by the team behind d-entrepreneur. Each year, 100 diverse businesses from all industries around the UK are profiled in the 100 days leading up to Small Business Saturday on the 4th December 2021.
Applications for the SmallBiz100 are free and close on June 30, 2021. Click here for more information.
