Thinking about self employment

Who is this guide for?

This guide has information for participants thinking about starting their own business.

The information is for:

people on the autism spectrum
people with an intellectual disability
people with a psychosocial disability

Other people may also find the information helpful.

Download this guide in easy read format:

Self-employment or setting up a micro-enterprise can give you more choice and control at work. It might suit you, depending on your needs.

Self-employment means you work for yourself, not a company or business. You earn your income from your own business.

A micro-enterprise or microbusiness is usually a small business run by one person, rather than a company. Micro-enterprises usually employ between one to four people. This could include a family run business.

There is some evidence that self-employment can:

Provide you with a job you can’t find anywhere else
Provide you with a job that gives you more choice and control
Meet the work hours and days best suited to your needs
Help you manage your income
Give you control to do tasks at work that meet your needs
Help you overcome barriers, such as a lack of transportation or workplace discrimination

Micro-enterprises can give you:

A sense of purpose
An opportunity to contribute to the community
increased self-esteem
increased quality of life
a larger social network
a secure income

You can talk with your parents, carers, friends and other people you know about being self-employed.

Together, you can:

Think about different businesses you could start
Think about what it takes to start your own business
Think about how much money you need to start your business
See what training you need before you start your own business

You can also:

Talk to the people you know in the community, like someone who runs their own business, a community leader or a family friend. They can give you advice on how to get started. They can also be a mentor or share their experience if they are also self-employed.
There are also community programs that can help you think about what’s involved in setting up a small business. Speak to your LAC or Support Coordinator about what supports are available in your community.

Below is a list of options that can help you with being self-employed. You might try some different options before you find one that works for you. Your supports might combine two or more of the options listed below.

Getting ready for self-employment

You can:

Connect with supports to assist you to think about what’s involved in starting your own business, your LAC or Support Coordinator is a good place to start
Work out what products or services you can sell
Work out what skills you need to earn money, such as business skills: financial planning
Build new skills to help you to start your own business or connect with people who have the skills you need

What supports are available and how can they support you?

Building new skills can help you live more independently. You can also learn skills that can help you at work. New skills might be catching public transport or getting your driver’s licence. New skills could also be managing money, communicating with colleagues, keeping on time, teamwork and controlling emotions. Participants have told us building new skills helped them get a job, keep that job or move on to a new job. Research suggests the best way to develop new skills is with on the job training.
Your LAC can help you find supports in your community who can help you to think about what’s involved in starting your own business
Think about what supports you will need to get started and to continue to work in your business.

Talk to your NDIA planner, LAC or support coordinator about:

Developing and using your plan to pursue your work goals.
Accessing supports in the community.

Ask them questions like:

How do I develop a plan to be self-employed?
What supports and services are available for me to build new skills to help me be self-employed?
What have other people like me found useful?

NDIS resources

Read and complete tasks in the Let’s talk about work booklet
Read Our Guideline - Work and Study
Visit our supports in employment webpage
Watch our stories and videos about employment
Understand the evidence on employment supports

Disability Gateway has information and services for people with disability, including:

links to state-based services
employment training
finding and keeping a job
employment rights

Disability Employment Services work with people with disability to find work and keep a job. They also help employers support employees with disability.

Everyone Can Work has information for people with intellectual disability and their families about supports to help them find open employment.

You can talk to your LAC, Support Coordinator or Planner about access to these support

Kavanagh A, Brown D, Dickinson H, Mallett S, Marck C, Weld-Blundell I. (2021). Evidence review: Strategies to increase employment and economic participation for people with a cognitive disability. The University of Melbourne.
National Disability Insurance Agency 2021. Achieving a ‘sense of purpose’: pathways to employment for NDIS participants with intellectual disability, on the autism spectrum and with psychosocial disability. Australia. Prepared by L Smith, A Ames, M Bennett, R Morello.
Wilson, E. & Campain, R. (2020). Fostering employment for people with intellectual disability: the evidence to date , Hawthorn, Centre for Social Impact, Swinburne University of Technology.

Disclaimer

This guide can help you understand which supports you could use to help you pursue your work goals. It does not mean a support will be added to your plan. It does not mean a support will be funded by the NDIS. Some of these supports are provided outside the NDIS. All supports in your plan must meet our reasonable and necessary standards. This includes being value for money. If you read this guide, you should also read work and study supports .

Thinking about self employment

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Who is this guide for?

NDIS resources