Blog

The Importance of Disabled Entrepreneurs

By November 1, 2021 No Comments
disabled entrepreneurs

Kaleidoscope Group through its Investments division is designed to offer free advice and guidance to any person with a disability that has a business idea. We will listen to everyone that approaches us and advise them on what we think about their idea. If we like their idea, then they will go through our investment process and all being well receive an investment to help turn their idea into a business. What we will also provide, importantly, is a team of people around the disabled entrepreneur that will work with them, as well as provide advisory and mentoring services to make their business a success. This is critical. Many people have wonderful ideas, but most do not know how to turn these into a real business and then help them to grow it. We do!

At Kaleidoscope Group we have 4 teams that are prepared to listen to disabled talents and entrepreneurs and potentially back them and their ideas with investment to fruition and fulfilment with all the support along the way. People with talent and a disability might never have met a company like Kaleidoscope Group and what it is seeking to do, and they seem to be excited by that if their business idea is not investible then they will be told the reasons why. Our aim and hopes are that more and more disabled people are able to start their own businesses.

Every person with disability has remarkable talent, abilities, and skills plus there are certain things that individuals with talent and entrepreneurship can be taught. At Kaleidoscope we have a growth methodology that we have developed that once put into place becomes an ongoing process. We can help to teach the disabled entrepreneurs about how to grow their businesses and make them a success. However, there is another significant ingredient that is required and that is the inner drive, passion, and self -belief to see your journey through-this is in built although you might have been inspired by others.

The key is to understand yourself as a person, realise that you will not know everything when you begin, and be aware of your weaknesses. You then must ensure you surround yourself with the right team of people who will fulfil your weaknesses and bring other added value to the table. It is teamwork that wins and if you do not get your team right, you will struggle, so it is important that you chose the right people for the business and then ensure the incentive structure is fair and that everyone is aligned and motivated.

We encourage disabled entrepreneurs to drive their ideas forward and validate their ideas with in depth research into the market to see what the market is doing and appreciate competitor activity. The proposition must have difference and unique selling points that market benefits and service to the customers. The development of a business plan and numbers underpinning a profit and loss statement is then a vital component of success and roll out; this is where Kaleidoscope Group and the investment team can help to develop the idea further.

There are key components to success:

  • Understanding your character, skills, strengths, and weaknesses, plus what your limitations might be
  • If you have a few ideas have clarity and define the first and see it through
  • Try your best to find at least one business partner – no one person made the world. Teamwork wins
  • Be crystal clear in your proposition and be able to introduce it in ten words and a few moments to bring engagement with customers, colleagues, and investors.
  • Identify the target market that will buy your product and speak to customers to get their feedback on your product or service, and the pricing.

Why should we Increase the Number of Disabled Entrepreneurs?

With over 14.1 million 21% of the UK Population of 67.1 million with a disability, talent and ambition spending 275 billion pounds a year with their families, 1.2 billion plus disability talent world-wide spending over $13 trillion with their families-people with disability is not only a significant percentage of the population but a vital component of talent and spend worldwide that can add so much value to corporate life, sales, service and innovative initiatives that can make such a vital, accessible and life enhancing difference to the world, nature and sustainability.

When you consider that disabilities seen, and unseen can define sales and service through the senses the embrace of such talents and intellectual resources and insights can build greater sales, new market and neuro diverse opportunities that can change the world. If we look at the neuro diverse talents we acknowledge people of ability like Elon Musk, Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg – they change our world for the better.

People with ‘abilities’, not ‘disabilities’ as the Prime Minister Boris Johnson stated on launching 2021 National Disability Strategy. Most companies engage under 5% of their workforce with disability when talent with disability represents over 15%+ of the population, with significant spend and influence on products & services sold and bought.

Equal opportunity rights are a priority across Europe and because of COVID 19 mental health issues have increased significantly. In the new world making jobs, business, investment, and innovative profitable opportunities is a priority embracing accessibility of disabled entrepreneurs, talents with diversity. Innovation is a natural derivative of disabled entrepreneurs because they embrace the senses and service opportunities that bring added value to products and service companies that build loyalty and a refreshing approach to life and given the size of the market this can build significant profits in corporations that have both missed the added value of recruiting disabled talents, entrepreneurs, and consumers with their families.

If over 21% of the UK population has a disability both seen and unseen, it would be logical to assume that over 15% at least of our entrepreneurs could be and indeed should be in business on their own account given the size of the market in the UK at 275 billion pounds a year and $13 trillion globally.

Rightly given The National Disability Strategy launched July 2021 by the government there are targets across all government departments to embrace disability and accessibility in business, in jobs, in communities, in transport, in tourism and every aspect of life enhancing moments, particularly with an aging population requiring incredible accessible services with innovation.

Disabled people are rarely encouraged to enter the jobs market or indeed self-employment and the National Disability Strategy has called for an embrace of ability, supporting recruitment and disabled entrepreneurship, tackling issues affecting their successful integration & participation in the ecosystem.

Our new world embraces inclusive entrepreneurship space and there are some very clear motivations for disabled entrepreneurs:

  • The demise of office working through social distancing and encouraging home office integration
  • The prospect of greater autonomy and financial reward
  • Greater flexibility over work tasks, hours, location with accessibility
  • Recognising a gap in the market, notably for disability related products or services that are totalling 275 billion pounds annually in the UK market currently
  • A desire to make a difference and contribute to society
  • For those who have acquired a disability in later life, as a way of coping with a major life change and channelling feelings of frustration or hopelessness into something positive for life or the community.

It is recognised that researchers have identified that disabled people are more likely to start their own business than non-disabled people and are also more likely to set up a social enterprise. Inclusive entrepreneurship networks like Kaleidoscope Group reflected on the following over the last few years since launch:

  • Lack of awareness and understanding of accessibility, both physically and virtually
  • Inconsistent support available across the UK
  • Lack of integration of disability and entrepreneurship support
  • The inaccessibility of mainstream start-ups space, which often glorifies burnout or focuses on building a business alongside 9-5 work
  • Co-designing all programmes of support (mainstream or disability specific) with people with life experience of disability, and recompensing disabled people for their expertise and time, as with all other professions.
  • Investment driving launch and growth of new initiatives, business enterprises and social community innovations.

Organisations like Kaleidoscope Group, the Inclusive Entrepreneur network, WeThe15 and The Valuable 500 are a ‘lifeline’ to disabled entrepreneurs, creating genuinely inclusive start-ups and scale ups programmes to effectively support disabled entrepreneurs.

Which Grants are Available for Disabled Entrepreneurs?

Support for disabled entrepreneur’s need to tackle multiple areas, including advisory, mentorship, specific expertise, multimedia communication, different KPIs, and support extended to co-founders.

The Kaleidoscope Group model revolves around disabled entrepreneurs and attracts people interested in supporting them. We integrate and encourage innovative solutions for business, entrepreneurs, and supporters in the communities. COVID 19 simulated the disability impact on the whole population and communication and accessibility embraced a new world of opportunities with inclusion. Virtual as well as in person programmes and business plans can all be made more accessible and different groups can collaborate to effect change.

The National Disability Strategy called upon all government departments to co-design pathways that combine disability support and entrepreneurship training, across Education; the department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy as well as the Department for Work and Pensions. Encouraging access to funding by The Chancellor of the Exchequer that is equitable and measuring of success that looks beyond turnover to community benefits with life enhancing moments, as well as loyalty with profitability.

Grants available include:

How Are Kaleidoscope Group growing the Number of Disabled Entrepreneurs?

With 4 unique aspects to our business, we work with and support disabled talents and entrepreneurs. Disabled talent has a unique perspective that the world should embrace. It makes commercial sense, and we fly the flag for talents with disabilities and entrepreneurs. Kaleidoscope Group are here to work with you to provide the right support and advice with potential funding for roll out, without paying for such important guidance teamwork, advisory services with mentoring.

Kaleidoscope Group recognise that disabled entrepreneurs have exceptional skills that add value through innovative thinking that delivers loyalty, integrity with exceptional service, driving sales, operational robustness and greater profitability for the business they manage or operate within. Kaleidoscope Group help and drive the proactive support of disabled talent, creative diversity embracing inclusive entrepreneurship in UK and Globally, one world and 1 blood colour.

Kaleidoscope Group and The Kaleidoscope Foundation is a disability inclusive group & organisation – empowering talent and ambition for ability with disability. We embrace and promote change to enhance life for a significant percentage of the National and Global Population.

At Kaleidoscope Group “Our vision is to help shape a world where we see no difference in ‘different’ and where every disabled person is given a fair opportunity to realise their full potential and find purpose’.

Skip to content