Microenterprise

Employment remains an important issue for many people living with disability, who are much more likely to be unemployed compared to non-disabled people.

In every community there are people who are self-employed, running their own one-person business.  The idea of a microenterprise is to create this opportunity for a person living with disability.

NDIS may be able to provide funding assistance with anything that helps a person’s chances of finding meaningful work.

Microenterprises create independence and empower people to make a contribution while using skills and talents. They also expand work opportunities and are a potential for making additional income. Microenterprise programs assist people living with significant disability to pursue their goals for social and economic participation by inspiring and assisting them to establish their own microenterprise. Microenterprise can be a valuable alternative to day programs.

A microenterprise is a very small business, owned and run by an individual.  It’s simple to start, and needs minimal capital. It can have a vital purpose in improving people’s quality of life. It can give a person a valued role in their local community providing a service or goods, and based on the person’s passions, interests and skills. It is highly individual – able to happen at whatever level best suits a person.

An example of an approach

Community Living Project (CLP) has pioneered microenterprises in South Australia, and also in NSW through local agency In Charge. CLP runs microenterprise projects that support people living with disability to create their own small business based on individual talents and interests. CLP has been supporting people living with significant disability to set up their own small business since 2012.

This is a summary of their approach.

When people meet other people for the first time, one of the common questions that is asked is: ‘So what do you do?’ CLP’s aim is for everyone to have a great answer to that question. Work helps a person to building self-respect and confidence, to create their identity as valued member in community life.

A microenterprise could be of interest to a peer network member who

  • is excited about the chance to make use of their skills, passions and interests
  • Want more opportunities for a varied and interesting week
  • Want to offer something in their community
  • Feel frustrated with activities and programs that seem to be on offer
  • Are eligible for funding from the NDIS or the State government

CLP’s methodology is a well-established model for helping a person develop a microenterprise. It takes people through a four-stage process to establish their own enterprise. These stages are outlined below:

  • Discovery: the project will help a person identify skills, passions and the resources available
  • Exploration: the project will assist a person craft product ideas and develop a business model
  • Creation: the project will look at how a person can launch a business, test products and refine
  • Operation: the project will monitor the business success, and adjust and adapt or grow the business

These are good steps, and a peer network could use a meeting to talk together about each member’s passions and strengths, and what types of microenterprise might be possible.  It could even be that the peer network becomes a place where members who have set up their own microenterprise can meet and talk about progress and challenges.

National microenterprise listing website

To help the peer network conversation about microenterprise, it is worth looking at the national microenterprise website set up by WA agency Valued Lives Foundation.  The website enables people living with disability to capture and communicate their microenterprise’s information, photos, videos and products for sale; it provides a platform for microenterprise owners to directly advertise and promote their businesses free of charge.

Within the site each microenterprise owner has their own webpage where they can upload their business type, with various categories to choose from e.g. companies, shops, services, websites etc. as well as the products and/or services they offer. There is an interactive ‘map’ showing where each business is located, enabling people to search their state/local area for contact details, specific products/services and micro-enterprises operating in their vicinity.

A blog full of helpful hints, tips and resources for those interested in, or about to embark on starting their own micro-enterprise is also a feature of the site.

Check out the microenterprise website here: https://micro-enterprise.valuedlives.org.au

Useful links and resources:

The Community Living Project has made this video about the Micro Enterprise project. It gives some examples of what an enterprise might look like: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dO6E0MWNx_I

The In Charge website has an explanation of a Micro Enterprise and the MEP project that it runs: https://incharge.net.au/services/micro-enterprise-project/

 

Co-authored by Community Living Project

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The information on this page is also available as a downloadable Quick Guide, by clicking below. There are.pdf and word versions.