Hi,

I'm not a scrounger... but if it's out there, why not...

I'm looking into starting a business and I know there are lots of trusts and grants etc that can help (and yes, I know it's dependent on what they make of it when they assess you) but does anyone know who I should be getting in touch with to see if I can get any help?

The other issue I have is due to hospital appointments, fatigue and other such misadventures that may cause me to miss days - does anyone know if there's any help you can get in the form of employee cover?

I know it seems mad starting my own business if I might end up missing days but I wanted to do this months ago and ended up not doing because of the above and now I can't get it out of my head.

I always thought if you want something you should do your best to get it so I'm just exploring all the avenues really before I cast it out as a bad idea!

Thanks

Contact SENTA http://www.senta.co.uk/

I got on a free course with them a few years ago, not sure if it's still running, but they do seem to be a good source of advice on starting your own business. I'm not disabled, but the fact that you are shouldn't make any difference.

thanks very much Dozy :D

what kind of work were you thinking of doing? I've recently been contacted by a company that is looking for people to work from home and I think it may be of interest to you too.

Registration is completely free and full support and training is provided.

From the information I've seen on the website it all looks very legitimate.

I don't know what benefits you are on and what your personal situation is but it should be worth looking into.

If you'd like more info PM me and I'll send you the info.

Thank you Ashlee,

It's very much appreciated, however I feel I need to get out and actually go to work.

It will be harder work but I think it will actually be much better for me than working from home which I've tried before.

Thank you very much though :)

Sheffield Business Link.

I used them in Leeds and they give lots of free information and can also put you in contact with other specialist eg, solicitors and accountants.
Government organisation set up to help people set up and run business.
Think they have an office next door to Decathalon Sport in town, on the ring road. Hope this helps and good luck!

Thanks very much Dragon Balls - I will look into it!

Dozy - I'm booked in for an interview next week to hopefully be accepted onto their next course - if anyone has any advice for this, it'd be great!

Thanks very much Dragon Balls - I will look into it!

Dozy - I'm booked in for an interview next week to hopefully be accepted onto their next course - if anyone has any advice for this, it'd be great!

I'm delighted for you! I'll keep my fingers crossed that all goes well.

The only bit of advice I'd giveyou at this stage is to factor your 'off' days in to the financial calculations you make.

If it's a retail business, then you will need to get some sort of staff cover - so that will be a cost to the business. If it's a service business, where you deliver teh service, then days on which you can't work write-offs unless the service you offer is such that you can reasonably quickly train someone up.

And my other comment - don't go in to it undercapitalised. You will always need more money than you think, and bills will always take longer than you think to get paid. :) Again, if you're retail you can at least have a cashflow from day 1, but suppliers have to be paid promptly unless you can get some good terms with them.

When you calculate the running costs of the business, try and get yousrelf a good float of 3 months or so of those costs before starting out. Similarly for your own expenses - you need to make sure that you're able to survive initially for a couple of months without taking much (if any) money out of the business.

Thanks :)
I have a *free* independent business advisor (it's great when you have friends from all walks of life) who is helping me out a lot and any advice you guys give me I will take on board.

I know that I'm going to need cover, particularly with being disabled so that's something I'd rather not, but will have to think about! :lol:

Thanks again.

You can get financial help with equipment etc from DWPs Access to Work scheme. For self-employed disabled people who have difficulty in sitting, for example, they are likely to pay for the full cost of a chair and may be able to help with adaptations to your home or office - wherever you are going to work - so you have the facilities you need. They only help with things required to accommodate your disability. Therefore for blind people, for example, they may help with computer kit and specialist software. They may do a 50/50 split for a printer to reflect that it also has business uses.

You can get financial help with equipment etc from DWPs Access to Work scheme. For self-employed disabled people who have difficulty in sitting, for example, they are likely to pay for the full cost of a chair and may be able to help with adaptations to your home or office - wherever you are going to work - so you have the facilities you need. They only help with things required to accommodate your disability. Therefore for blind people, for example, they may help with computer kit and specialist software. They may do a 50/50 split for a printer to reflect that it also has business uses.

But you actually have to be S/E by that point (I used to work on that section!). To be pernickety, printer-wise, unless you're talking about a specialist printer (or something like a Braillewave), you wouldn't get help for that, unless the speciality, or adaptations if necessary were relevant to your own or an employee's disability. If it were for an employee, incidentally, s/he would need to make the claim, not the employer.

That's the thing. Any help or adaptations, travel to work, etc., have to be relevant to the person's disability, and that without that, they couldn't work reasonably, or start their position, or that their venture couldn't continue without help.

If other people need to use the equipment who aren't disabled, then a 'business benefit' assessment would be made. In addition, if someone needs, say a digital hearing aid to be able to work (the normal NHS ones often pick up too much background noise in busy environments), then a 'social benefit' assessment may be made.

When you've got started, then contact the Disability Services Team asap, to book an appointment with an "Access to Work consultant".

Before you actually set up your venture though, you could apply to the Adviser Discretionary Fund, if you've been on a qualifying benefit for long enough. For help through Access to Work, you just have to be considered disabled; no qualifying benefit is required to be eligible.

But you actually have to be S/E by that point (I used to work on that section!). To be pernickety, printer-wise, unless you're talking about a specialist printer (or something like a Braillewave), you wouldn't get help for that, unless the speciality, or adaptations if necessary were relevant to your own or an employee's disability. If it were for an employee, incidentally, s/he would need to make the claim, not the employer.

That's the thing. Any help or adaptations, travel to work, etc., have to be relevant to the person's disability, and that without that, they couldn't work reasonably, or start their position, or that their venture couldn't continue without help.

If other people need to use the equipment who aren't disabled, then a 'business benefit' assessment would be made. In addition, if someone needs, say a digital hearing aid to be able to work (the normal NHS ones often pick up too much background noise in busy environments), then a 'social benefit' assessment may be made.

When you've got started, then contact the Disability Services Team asap, to book an appointment with an "Access to Work consultant".

Before you actually set up your venture though, you could apply to the Adviser Discretionary Fund, if you've been on a qualifying benefit for long enough. For help through Access to Work, you just have to be considered disabled; no qualifying benefit is required to be eligible.

I was giving some examples of the help that might be available which is of course determined by the disability. A disabled person can still be on benefits and STILL receive Access to Work help IF their work is deemed "permitted work" which as you know can be for up to 12 months or indefinitely with earnings limited to £20 per week. Not sure of how the rules are applied to people in supported work but think that they would be more or less similar.

Hi Lotti

I've just joined a new team that's part of the Local Enterprise Generation Initiative. Basically SCC has won £17m to help start -up businesses over the next 3 years.We can offer everything from advice on benefits whilst you get started (there's special provision for this under the programme) a really good course to help you clarify your ideas on a new business, and make informed judgements on its viability. Hands on help to get things like a business plan sorted, sourcing finance etc is all available, and the bit that I've been recruited to help with is sales. This won't be me telling you the theory of how to generate sales, it will be me going through the process with you live, from initial contract to getting you your first orders, and training you how to do it for yourself.

I've spent 20+ years in sales, selling products and services to the business and domestic market, so hopefully I know what I'm talking about. Drop me a PM if you want to know more.

Best of luck

NewBiz

Hi Lotti

Sorry, I forgot to mention all the help and advice is completely free, whether you eventually start your own business or not.

Cheers

somewhere else to contact
http://www.princes-trust.org.uk/

good luck