It is no secret that most people who have autism can’t secure their dream jobs. They put in one application after another only to be turned down over and over by potential employers. Times are changing rapidly due to this development as these individuals are beginning to look for how to survive by running their own businesses.
Are you suffering from autism and don’t know how to get a job in order to survive? Do you know that getting a job isn’t as reliable as setting up your own business due to such a condition? This post of Pouted US online magazine will be revealing how you can start a business of your own as an autistic individual and even hire others.
Here are the steps
This is where it all starts from. As someone who has autism, it isn’t advisable to delve into any business without some effective plans in place. The steps below will help you know which business to start.
1 Accepting who you are
This is the first step you have to take towards starting your own business as an autistic person. You need to accept your condition and start looking for how to explore your potentials. For instance, it has been discovered that autistic people usually enjoy taking part in activities that make use of their visual skills like shape and color matching and sorting. There is no need to try to do something different as such may end in failure and frustration. Accept your condition and find where your strength lies.
2 Determine your passion
This is very important and shouldn’t be ignored in any way. The good part is that everyone has a passion for something. As an autistic person, it is basically all about looking inwards to know that activity, which gives you passion the most. What do you enjoy doing during your free time? It has been discovered that autistic people usually enjoy activities like swimming, climbing, running, bouncing, and more. It is basically all about monetizing what you are passionate about.
3 Being focused
Autistic people have problem processing and comprehending information. This means there is no need to try to do too much since such could bring about calamity. The secret here is focusing your strength on one business until you’ve seen results. Don’t jump from one business idea to another.
4 Consider your budget
Don’t just delve into any business as an autistic person without considering the resources required to get things up and running. Although the idea is basically about starting small and growing big later on, there are lots of expenses involved. It is much better to find out whether your budget is enough to start the business you must have chosen.
5 Consider your target audience
Most people who have autism claim that intellect hasn’t been an issue for them. Instead, the nightmare has been coming in contact with people and socializing with them. Therefore, it will be much better to choose a business that doesn’t allow you to come in physical contact with people since such can affect your confidence.
Types of businesses and tools required
You must have known by now that not every business is ideal for autistic people. This is why you need to pay attention to details in this section in order to start the right business that can prosper. The ideas below will not only help you start a profitable business but also ensure more people are hired as time goes on.
1 Lawn business
This is one of the hottest businesses for people who have autism at the moment. One of the reasons why it is highly recommended is that you won’t be communicating too much with people as your job is just to be cutting grass around parks and houses. The tool required for this business is a lawnmower, which costs around $637. This price shouldn’t scare you, though, as there are cheaper options. For instance, you can decide to use the one that cost below $150. After some time, you will need to upgrade to something better and more sophisticated in order to provide better services.
2 Running Fitness center
Fitness centers are perfect for autistics, given that clients will mostly be interacting with machines. Although they are expensive to operate, returns can be very high. There are autistic people making over $2000 every month just by running fitness centers. You can employ an assistant who will be talking to clients directly to ensure you don’t have to suffer any kind of social interaction problem. Some of the tools needed are jump ropes, free weights, machine balls, balancing boards, strength machines, weight benches, treadmills, and workout bikes. Just choose any of them and start according to the size of your budget.
3 Toys
Do you know how to make toys for kids and adults? Even if you don’t, there is still every chance that you can start a business around this idea today. It involves selling simple dolls that send emotional messages to people. This is such a lucrative business that can make you financially independent within a short period. For instance, limited-edition dolls can sometimes cost from $300-$500. You can get them for less than $150 and then resell to end-users. One of the major tools needed to start selling dolls and other toys is an e-commerce website. This won’t cost you up to $100 to set up. The benefit of a website is that you won’t come in physical contact with customers since such doesn’t help people suffering from autism.
4 Arts and Crafts
Are you skilled in making handcrafted items? Do you know that there is a market for such products? The only condition is to ensure your crafted items are sending the right messages across to people. You will be amazed at how people are going to be placing orders day and night. Just like the toys business above, the tool for selling handcrafted products is a website. This will be your digital store, where orders will be placed 24/7. Even if you don’t know how to make such items, it is possible to learn through courses online. Autistic individuals are slow learners, but such doesn’t mean they won’t grab concepts. The learning process may be slow, but you will definitely get there. With time, you will hire a sales assistant that will be communicating with customers.
5 Bakery business
You can also start a bakery business. This business will be perfect for those who have been diagnosed with high functioning autism. The story of Matt Cottle is a typical example that autistic people can succeed despite their condition. After working with a bakery for some time, he decided to run his own bakery. Today, he bakes brownies, scones, and cookies for people and makes over $1,200 every month. This is an option to explore if you’ve got some baking skills. You only need to start on a small scale and then expand later as profits are being generated. Some of the tools required to get started are rolling pin, kitchen scissors, whisk, pastry brush, spatula/metal turner, rubber spatula/scrape, measuring cups, and spoons.
Conclusion
Based on the above, it is obvious that when it comes to starting a business as someone who is suffering from autism, there are lots of options to explore. However, always remember that not every business option will be ideal for you. This is why the ones chosen above can prove to be perfect when it comes to getting started in terms of operating your own business and employing others. They are easy and cost-effective despite their promising return on investment.
