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Guest Article: I am honored to present today a guest article by Suzanne Tanner. It provides excellent information for parents with disabilities.
Starting a small business is no small feat for anyone. But when you’re a parent with a disability, the road is paved with even more potholes, detours, and long stretches of exhaustion. It’s not just about the logistics; it’s about balancing dreams with doctor appointments, childcare with pitching clients, and ambition with very real limitations. Still, in the conversations I’ve had and the stories I’ve witnessed, I can tell you one thing for sure: your vision deserves to live in the world just as much as anyone else.
Start with Your Story, Not Just Your Service
People connect with people, not products. When you bring your personal journey into the narrative of your business, you make it relatable in ways marketing can’t fake. Being a parent with a disability isn’t a liability—it’s a unique strength that builds instant credibility and emotional resonance. Leaning into your story will make the difference between being another name in a sea of businesses and being the one customers never forget.
Design a Workflow That Honors Your Reality
You aren’t running your business in a vacuum; life doesn’t pause for invoices and inventory. Create a flexible, sustainable workflow that embraces your medical appointments, energy levels, and family demands rather than fights them. Instead of trying to conform to a traditional 9-to-5 structure, build your days around peak energy periods and moments of available childcare. The best business models don’t just work on paper—they work in your real, messy, beautiful life.
Sharpen Your Skills with a Business Degree
Going back to school might feel like a daunting idea when you’re already spinning plates, but investing in a business degree can sharpen your marketing instincts and overall strategy in ways that pay off for years to come. An online master’s in business administration equips you with skills in leadership, strategic planning, financial management, and data-driven decision-making to excel in diverse business environments. This is worth a look if you want to keep your business running while gaining the knowledge you need to level up, allowing you to balance both without losing momentum.
Find Tools That Level the Playing Field
In today’s tech-obsessed world, there are mountains of apps, platforms, and gadgets claiming to make life easier—but not all of them truly serve disabled entrepreneurs. Spend time finding the ones that genuinely help you bridge the gaps, whether it’s project management software with voice control or accounting tools that automate most of the number-crunching. You don’t need to do everything manually to prove anything to anyone. Smart tools aren’t shortcuts; they’re stepping stones to the empire you’re building.
Build Your Village Before You Need It
There’s this myth that you have to be a one-person show to be respected as a small business owner, and honestly, it’s garbage. Assemble your support system early—friends who can share your posts, local organizations offering grants for disabled entrepreneurs, even neighbors willing to babysit during big meetings. By having your “village” in place before crunch time hits, you give yourself permission to ask for help without it feeling like a failure. Your business doesn’t have to be a solitary achievement to be real and meaningful.
Know That Slow Progress Is Still Progress
When you’re juggling parenting, health, and business, it’s easy to feel like you’re constantly behind some invisible curve. But success isn’t about who gets there the fastest—it’s about who keeps moving, even when it feels like you’re crawling. Some weeks you might only tick one thing off your to-do list, and that’s okay. Your dream isn’t on anyone’s timeline but yours.
Create an Accessible Customer Experience from Day One
Accessibility isn’t just something to tack onto your website later; it should be woven into the fabric of your business from the first moment. Think about how easy it is for people with disabilities to use your service, buy your product, or navigate your site. When you bake accessibility into your brand DNA early, you don’t just serve more people—you earn trust and loyalty that competitors overlook. Plus, it feels damn good to create something that welcomes everybody.
Treat Self-Compassion Like an Essential Business Tool
You wouldn’t scold an employee for needing a sick day or feeling overwhelmed, so why do it to yourself? Every entrepreneur, disabled or not, hits walls of doubt, fatigue, and frustration, but your journey comes with extra layers that deserve understanding, not criticism. Self-compassion isn’t indulgent—it’s strategic. You’re the heart of your business, and if that heart isn’t cared for, the whole thing wobbles.
If there’s one thing I hope you walk away with, it’s this: you aren’t lacking anything you need to build something extraordinary. Every challenge you’ve faced raising kids, managing your disability, and navigating life has already armed you with resilience most people only dream about. The small business world doesn’t just need another product or service—it needs your voice, your perspective, and your fire. So take the leap, imperfectly and bravely, because the world’s waiting for what you’re about to create.
Discover profound insights and transformative teachings at Real Voices, where faith meets understanding in a journey of forgiveness and restoration.
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