Why choose (supported) self-employment? What are the main challenges?

People opt to enter the world of self-employment for many reasons. These include: 

• Flexibility in setting work hours
• Shaping activities around personal skills, needs, and preferences
• The sense of autonomy that comes with being one’s own boss
• The possibility of making more money for oneself, rather than for someone else
• Avoiding competition for traditional employment
• Contributing to the community by providing a needed product or service
• Building capacity with respect to business skills
• Broadening community connections
• Experiencing a sense of increased pride 

Self-employment does not come without obstacles and challenges. These include: 

• Time lag between business launch and profitable outcomes
• Longer hours than traditional employment, especially at start-up
• Access to start-up funding
• Naysayers who believe that self-employment is not possible
• Requirements to complete paperwork
• A need for space to operate the business
• Fear of losing PWD income support
• A comparative lack of disability-related support such as job coaches, attendant care, assistive technology, and transportation