Support Available for Disabled Entrepreneurs
More and more Disabled people are choosing to start their own businesses after becoming dissatisfied with the inaccessibility and ableism embedded in many traditional workplaces. Entrepreneurship can offer much more flexibility and autonomy, as well as opportunities to make a real impact on the business landscape of the UK.
With business support from charity Hatch Enterprise including online courses, mentor matching, and grants available, anyone can turn their idea into a thriving business.
Start your Own Business with the Help of Hatch Enterprise
Hatch provides support to founders at every stage of the entrepreneurial journey. Whether you want some structure and support to gather your ideas, are ready to launch, or want to scale up existing operations, there is a support programme to suit you.
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Launchpad – Starting a business? Start here. The Launchpad programme can help you journey into entrepreneurship.
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Incubator – Running a business and want to grow it further? The Incubator can help you turn your side hustle into a full-time job.
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Accelerator – Scaling a business is hard, but the Accelerator can help you take your business to the next level.
These programmes are run online to be as accessible as possible and bring together small groups of like-minded entrepreneurs in weekly sessions over a series of months to learn from industry experts across a range of fields.
After completing a programme there are also grant and loan opportunities available exclusively to Hatch graduates, and ongoing access to one-to-one mentoring.
Through a partnership with the Ares Foundation, Hatch also runs several free programmes exclusively for Disabled aspiring entrepreneurs.
Mellissa Morgan, Head of Cohort Programmes at Hatch, said: “At Hatch we have spent a decade advocating for underrepresented entrepreneurs, and are intimately familiar with the challenges and barriers faced by those typically excluded from launching and growing a business.
“These tailored and accessible programmes will help to overcome some of these challenges and enable Disabled and neurodivergent founders and their businesses to thrive.”
Events and Community
Lack of confidence and lack of networks are two of the biggest barriers to launching a new business, particularly for those traditionally underrepresented in business leadership. Hatch works to combat these by bringing people together with an annual calendar of events alongside its support programmes, most of which are online and free to access.
These range from networking sessions, connecting people with shared experiences across the UK, to lunchtime expert sessions each covering a different aspect of running a business.
In the past these have included topics such as branding, cashflow, customer relationships, accessing investment, understanding legal requirements, and more. Sector experts lead attendees through the essentials of each topic, giving practical tips on how to apply the session to their own business.
Accessibility of Support
Hatch’s goal is to make all of its programmes and support as accessible as possible. Each programme is designed with input from the cohorts and tailored to meet the unique needs of each group, guided by discussions at application stage.
Assistance is available throughout the process, with support to complete the application form, different formats of content available, captions enabled in sessions, materials sent in advance, sessions available to review, and flexibility around attendance.
Efforts are also made to ensure that experts and facilitators are representative of the cohort they work with and can relate to the lived experience of those they are supporting. As well as prioritising support for Disabled people, Hatch also works closely with female founders and those from ethnic minority backgrounds, and as such the impact of intersectionality is considered throughout.
A Hatch Graduate Story
Katie Cory, who is neurodivergent and has chronic illnesses, was able to launch her positivity-led stationery business Peb and Reg earlier this year thanks to the support and funding she received from Hatch.
She said: “I feel like a completely different person since finishing the course. The team at Hatch have honestly been absolutely incredible, and I can’t thank them enough! I now have much more confidence in myself and my business.
“I wholeheartedly recommend the Launchpad programme to anyone with a business dream. The team and mentors are incredibly supportive, and I’ve found a wonderful community of like-minded small business owners who cheer me on and who I now consider friends!
“The Hatch team could not have been more accommodating to my needs and given how much I can struggle in life, it was amazing to be accepted and supported for exactly who I am.”
Access support from Hatch or learn more here: https://hatchenterprise.org/
