Welcome to the Entrepreneurs with Disabilities Network!

Posted on July 15, 2011 by

Our goal is to provide you, the entrepreneur, with services that will aid you in creating a successful business venture. Whether you are in the idea generation phase or have your business up and running, we want to help you make your business a success as you make your dreams come true!

Since 1995, EDN has provided support, inspiration, networking, and learning opportunities to thousands of entrepreneurs with disabilities. By reinforcing the belief that entrepreneurship is a viable career option for people with disabilities, EDN has helped entrepreneurs turn their business ideas and ambitions into reality. With a current membership of around 600 members and community partners, EDN continues to grow and foster entrepreneurship in Nova Scotia.

EDN is dedicated to supporting entrepreneurs, living with any type of disability, in every stage of business development. Nova Scotia is EDN’s primary focus, with member business ranging from accountants, artists, inventors, writers, store owners, graphic designers, and countless other types of small business owners.

EDN is a not-for-profit organization; please contact us to learn more about how we can assist with your business aspirations.

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An Interesting and Helpful Website: StartupNation

Posted on February 22, 2012 by

StartupNation was founded by two brothers Jeff and Rich Sloan. It is a “free one-stop shop for entrepreneurial success.” As it is created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, it has information on basically everything an entrepreneur could need, from start up to growth. Visit StartupNation by following the link: http://www.startupnation.com/knowledge-hub. Over the years their easy to use website has grown to be “the leading online content and community resource for entrepreneurs.”

The site is divided into two main categories, Knowledge and Community. By clicking Community, you open yourself to a network of 110,630 members. You can narrow down your network by looking for members locally. Once you create an account with them, it gives you the ability to add to their classifieds which anyone can search. This is a great way to expand your network. They also have various contests and events within their online community.

If you click the Knowledge button, you can search for any business related topic that comes to mind in their search box. You can also search by category from the drop down list, some topics include: marketing, inventing, business planning and web-based business. The site also has a list of step-by-step advice guides such as, 10 steps to grow your business and 5 steps to marketing your website. In my opinion, the most interesting and useful part of this website would have to be the frequently updated articles, blogs and podcasts. These helpful articles and expert blogs are interesting and educational as the message behind them can be applied to any business. The fact that they are updated daily means that everything you are reading is current. So when the newest trend occurs you will be the first to know. This week there is a blog post on Pinterest, a new internet addiction with 12 million active users in the US each month. Pinterest is where people post things that interest them. A lot of companies are now using Pinterest to market their companies. By visiting StartupNation or even becoming a member you can keep up to date and receive free tips and advice of how to grow your business. I would definitely recommend that every entrepreneur or aspiring entrepreneur take a look around on StartupNation’s website http://www.startupnation.com/knowledge-hub.

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Technology for the Disabled: The iPhone

Posted on February 15, 2012 by

I was on the bus going home one afternoon when a young man boarded and held his iPhone out to the bus driver. The driver read the screen and handed the man a transfer before he took his seat. The rest of the ride home I was thinking of all of the ways that the iPhone can help people with various disabilities. There is the voice recorder to help people record their thoughts rather than having to write them down. You can also make Skype calls from an iPhone which can help people who rely on sign language, to communicate with people that they are not in direct contact with. The screen can easily be magnified to help those with poor vision. There is also the voice over feature which will speak out loud text that is on the screen and is available in 36 different languages. But these are just features that come with the phone, what about the apps?

Here is a list of 5 interesting apps for iPhone users that are helpful for people with disabilities.

1.Parking Mobility

This free app uses iPhone GPS capabilities to inform users of disabled parking places nearby. If you find a spot that isn’t already listed you can add it to the system for others to use. Overtime they hope to have every disabled parking place that is available on the map. The app also allows you to report disabled parking place violations in less than two minutes. This will hopefully prevent people from abusing the spaces and hence they should be more available.

2.iComm

This app was designed by a father for his disabled young daughter. It is ideal for toddlers who cannot speak as yet, as well as youth with other disabilities. This picture and voice communication aid allows the child to indicate what they need by selecting one of four panels. After selecting a panel, it breaks down again into more specific categories. An example of this would be a child selecting that they are hungry and then selecting a banana. This app is free but there is a charge to upgrade to have more words as well as the option to add voice tags to certain images.

3.Sign Smith ASL Essential

This app is used to learn sign language. A small animated person on the screen does the signing while the meaning pops up at the bottom. For only $0.99 the essential version has over 100 signs for key words. The Ultimate version is $4.99 and includes 1200 words. It is like a dictionary for signing and is a great way to help beginners learn.

4.SoundAMP Lite

This is the most popular hearing app on the App Store. Over 60,000 were purchased in 55 different countries and it was voted one of the top 5 medical apps in 2010. Now this app is available for free. It works by picking up sounds in the microphone, amplifying it in real time and sending it to your ear bud to hear. You can either use the headset with the microphone that comes with most apple devices, or you may use the built in microphone with regular headphones. This app is perfect for listening to your friends, a lecturer or your favourite TV shows. If you happen to miss what someone said, but you don’t want to ask them to repeat themselves you can simply touch the instant replay button. This will immediately replay the last 30 seconds of the conversation.

5. Voice Phone

Voice Phone was designed to help people dial a number while driving, as long as it is legal to drive and be on the phone. It is also useful for people who may have trouble dialing due to disabilities such as Arthritis and Carpal Tunnel. If the numbers are too small to touch or even too small to see, simply use your voice and tell your iPhone what number to dial. This app cost $0.99 on the App Store.

There are also apps that tell the colour blind what colour something is, apps that teach you braille and apps to help you track your allergies. There is also a free diabetes guide, a calorie counter and an app called iPills which allows you to set reminders for taking pills and tracks which pills you have or haven’t taken in a day. The iPhone and its apps have really helped people with disabilities to go beyond their limits and live a simpler life.

Sources:

Blog, S. L. (2010, November 8). Top 15 iPhone Apps for People with Physical Challenges. Retrieved February 10, 2012, from http://www.silvercross.com/blog/general/15-iphone-apps-for-the-disabled/

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Inspirational Innovator and Entrepreneur: Thomas Edison

Posted on February 8, 2012 by

The theme for this year’s Annual Entrepreneur of the Year Awards is innovation. So who better to inspire all of you innovative entrepreneurs than the one and only Thomas Edison? Immediately when someone says ‘Thomas Edison’ people think ‘light bulb’ but what many people do not know is that Thomas Edison had a learning disability and suffered with deafness. As a child he contracted scarlet fever which caused him to suffer from recurring ear infections which lead to partial deafness. He only received three weeks of formal education before dropping out of school and becoming home schooled by his mother who was the only person who believed in him.

From a young age Thomas Edison’s entrepreneurial traits were evident. He used to sell candies, newspapers and even vegetables in train stations to make some money. It wasn’t until Edison saved the Station Masters son from a runaway train that he was offered training and given a real job as a telegraph operator. Edison’s partial deafness allowed him to focus more on the message which made him a better operator.

During this time, Edison met an inventor called Franklin Pope who allowed him to invent and experiment with him. Over his life, Edison invented and patented over a 1000 patents. These include his first invention the phonograph or gramophone which reproduced sound recordings, the carbon button transmitter which are found in telephones and microphones to convert sound to electricity and vice versa. As well as the Kinetoscope an early moving picture device, the light bulb, and a lot of other things.

Edison led us into the new industrial age of communications, power and electricity. Can you imagine a world without these? Despite his disabilities, he proved that with an entrepreneurial mindset you can succeed no matter the obstacle, just do not give up.

“Results? Why, man, I have gotten lots of results! If I find 10,000 ways something won’t work, I haven’t failed. I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is often a step forward.” – Thomas Edison

Sources:
Beals, G. (1997, November 2). Retrieved January 31, 2012, from Thomas Alva Edison: http://www.thomasedison.com/quotes.html

Financial Inspiration Cafe. (2010). Retrieved January 25, 2012, from http://www.financial-inspiration.com/thomas-edison-biography.html

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2012 Entrepreneur of the Year Nominations

Posted on February 7, 2012 by

This April Entrepreneurs with Disabilities Network (EDN) will proudly add another winner to its list of Entrepreneurs of the Year. The theme for this year’s event is “Innovative Entrepreneurs.” Innovative is defined as ‘Introducing new ideas; original and creative in thinking.’ If you know someone that you believe is a suitable candidate to run for this prestigious award please complete the 2012 Nomination Form. Help the innovative entrepreneur that you know get recognized for their hard work and talent.

Nominations are open now and will close on March 8, 2012. The prizes will soon be announced on our website. For more information on the Entrepreneur of the Year awards or to view pictures from last year’s event please visit our webpage by following this link: http://ednns.ca/in-the-spotlight/entrepreneur-of-the-year/. Start nominating deserving Nova Scotian entrepreneurs living with a disability today!

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Tips for Entrepreneurs: How to Do Marketing Research.

Posted on February 1, 2012 by

As an entrepreneur, you can have the most unique idea and all the steps in place to actually bring your idea to market. But profit is not made until the product is sold, and the product will not sell until the market is aware of what you have to sell. This is why marketing is essential to every business.

Marketing research, according to marketingpower.com, uses information from consumers, customers and the public to identify marketing opportunities and problems. It provides a better understanding of what the market is looking for. By supplying what the market is demanding, you are bound to make sales and profit.

William Bill of Wealth Design Group LLC in Houston once said, “Failure to do market research before you begin a business venture or during its operation is like driving a car from Texas to New York without a map or street signs.” You need to have an understanding of where you are going, and the customers are the ones drawing the map. This is why it is important to research the market as they will give you the solutions to a successful and profitable business.

There are two main types of research, primary research and secondary research. Primary research is when you gather the information yourself by means of an interview, survey or questionnaire for example. Secondary research on the other hand is when you analyze information that has already been published for example your competitors websites. One of the easiest ways to collect primary research is by creating an online survey. Websites such as http://surveymonkey.com/ allow you to create free surveys online. You can email the surveys to your friends or upload it to your Facebook page; once they answer the questions, surveymonkey.com will automatically generate pie charts and tables with the results. This is a cheap, easy way to reach virtually anyone to gather information on your market. But what exactly are you trying to find out?

Five Things Your Marketing Research Should Find

1. Are people interested in your product? - You might think it is a good idea, but does the general public? Simply asking would you use Product X for example or how often would you use Product X can help you to determine if it is a worthwhile investment.

2. Who is your target market? - Who is your product for? The fitness drink verses the candy store. Each would have very different customers with different behaviors. By learning more about your target market, you can better meet their needs. You should find out about your target market’s buying process; what factors do they consider when buying a product? Price, quality, location etc. How much disposable income do they have? Students verses newlyweds. As well as their lifestyle and hobbies. Are they trend setters or followers, into sports or reading?

3. What is the best way to reach your target market? – Where does your target market spend most of their time? The previous example, ‘the fitness drink verses the candy store’ would become the gym verses the high school maybe. You must also take into consideration the age and gender of your target market as factors like these would determine what methods you use to get the messages across.

4. Who are your competitors and what are they doing? - This is where you use secondary research. Look at other companies in the same industry as you. Learn from mistakes they have made in the past and use them as a guideline for making decisions. Compare their prices and location with yours. You can even look online for customer reviews on your competitors’ products to figure out how you can gain a competitive edge on them.

5. How can you differentiate yourself? - Differentiation is about filling the gap that your competitors have failed to fill. It is about how you stand out compared to your competitors. What do you have that they don’t? It could be cheaper prices, exceptional service, quality products, an ideal location or a well-established brand name for example. To determine this you could ask questions such as, where do you currently purchase your fitness drinks? Why do you purchase them from there? a) cheaper prices b) ideal location c) it is the only place I can get that particular brand d) they have quality products. By understanding your competition and your customers you can develop a way to successfully differentiate your company.

It is essential to do marketing research in order to save money, time and effort in trying to sell your product. By focusing on your target market and their needs and wants you will find and build relationships with loyal customers who will help your business to flourish.

Sources:
Association, A. M. (2004, October). Retrieved January 27, 2012, from Marketing Power: http://www.marketingpower.com/AboutAMA/Pages/DefinitionofMarketing.aspx

Pyle, L. S. (2010, September 23). Entrepreneur. Retrieved January 31, 2012, from How to Do Market Research–The Basics: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/217345

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Technology for those with Disabilities: Wheelchairs Controlled by your Eyes.

Posted on January 25, 2012 by

A new year in this technological era could only mean one thing, new technology of course. What do scientists have in mind for 2012? According to the website www.theengineer.co.uk, people may soon be able to steer their wheelchairs by simply looking in the direction in which they want to go. Currently, there are wheelchair models that allow you to get around by using a joystick to control your speed and direction. There are also models which allow users to use their mouth and tongue to steer, but these are quite costly.
Currently, a team led by Dr. Prashant Pillai of Bradford University has created a model that can capture the user’s gaze using an infrared camera headset. By shining infrared LEDs onto their iris, Dr. Pillai uses technology to record the signals reflected from the user’s eye. This is then converted to a signal which feeds information to the steering motors of the wheelchair.
‘When someone sits in it for the first time, it takes a while to train and get used to it, because most of the time we keep looking around everywhere,’ Dr Pillai told The Engineer. His team is working on removing the time delay between when the person looks where they want to go and when they actually begin to turn towards that direction. Dr. Pillai also wants to remove the head set and instead place cameras on the front on the wheelchair pointing up to the eyes.
In the future, they hope to create a fully technology assisted home. In such a home, a user would simply look at their light or television for example and it would turn on. These are all still on the drawing board. Who knows what this year will actually bring to the market. What do you think of this wheelchair that is controlled by your eyes? Please leave your comments below. If you do not see the comment box below this article, try clicking the title of the article and then the comment box should be visible.

Source :
Czyzewski, A. (2011, September 29). The Engineer. Retrieved January 19, 2012 from http://www.theengineer.co.uk/sectors/medical-and-healthcare/news/iris-technology-could-soon-help-electric-wheelchair-users/1010437.article#ixzz1jv6d8x51

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Inspirational Entrepreneur: Richard Branson

Posted on January 18, 2012 by

Sir Richard Branson was born and raised in England. As a dyslexic and near-sighted boy, he struggled academically throughout his school life. What his grades did not reflect however was his passion for sports, his strong ambition and his ability to connect with others. These character traits, along with determination and hard work, transformed this high school dropout into the fourth richest man in the UK according to Forbes, 2011.

This well-known innovative entrepreneur started his first business, a school newspaper, at the young age of sixteen. It was actually his frustration with school which lead him to start Student, a newspaper written for students. From his basement, Student grew to sell advertising space to major corporations. Richard’s principal congratulated him by saying “I predict that you will either go to prison or become a millionaire.” Little did he know, Richard Branson would one day have a net worth of $4.2 Billion, according to Forbes, 2011.

Richard Branson’s second business began while he was running his newspaper. He discovered that a lot of his readers spent a large sum of money on records. From this he saw the opportunity to offer cheaper records to students by running ads for mail order delivery. This venture was extremely successful and from this Richard Branson decided to open his own record store. At this time they needed a name, something catchy, something that they did not know at the time but would go on to represent around 200 different companies in over 30 countries. The name “Virgin” was suggested by one of Richard’s early employees as they were all very new to business.  From this one record store the Virgin Empire grew to what we know today.

In 1984 Richard Branson entered the airline industry with Virgin Atlantic Airways. Unfortunately, in 1992 Richard had to sell his first Virgin company, Virgin Records for £500 Million in order to keep his airline alive. He later re-entered the record industry with V2 Records. Other industries in which Virgin has entered are: Virgin Mobile, Virgin Trains, Virgin Comics and Animation, Virgin Fuels, and even Virgin Galactic, which provides trips to space for tourists at a cost of about $200,000.

Richard Branson is truly an inspirational entrepreneur. Not only is he a successful businessman, but a good ethical person. He invites each of the Virgin employees to email him whenever. He also created the Virgin Green Fund where he invests in renewable energy and resource efficiency. Richard Branson is known for his world record attempts and has broken a number of records, such as fastest person to cross the pacific by a balloon. Richard once said, “For me business is not about wearing suits, or keeping stockholders pleased. It’s about being true to yourself, your ideas and focusing on the essentials.”

Sources:

Forbes. (2011, March). Forbes: The Worlds Billionaires . Retrieved January 11, 2012, from http://www.forbes.com/profile/richard-branson/

Shepler, J. (2011, December 26). Richard Branson’s Virgin Success. Retrieved January 12, 2012, from http://www.johnshepler.com/articles/branson.html

Virgin. (2012). Autobiography- Richard Branson. Retrieved January 11, 2012, from http://www.virgin.com/richard-branson/autobiography

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