Brad Francis recalls what it took to start his own business, and welcomes a new initiative that seeks to ease the process for others…
You feel as if every ‘normal’ function of your body has been disrupted – tasting, seeing, digesting, touching, all feel remarkably weird. It’s all-consuming, totally devastating. You hear people talk to you in soft tones of warmth, generosity, love and kindness, but with your slurred speech you can’t acknowledge this affection and gratitude in the same way you once could. You end up feeling scared and rejected.
I hated those dark, intense days and weeks post-trauma, and the time I’d spend lamenting and cursing them. But then I began to recover, I started feeling ‘human’ again and with mojo eventually restored, began my rehab adventure. The rest, as they say is history…
A matter of perception
Personally, I found the process of stroke rehabilitation and mental recovery to be a bit like starting a business as a disabled entrepreneur. Recent figures from the Office for National Statistics show that just over four million people in the UK are self-employed. Of that group, a paltry 14.1% have a disability – at a time when unemployment is the lowest it’s been since 2008 at 5.5%, alongside the highest wage growth since 2011.
Sure, I get it – disabled people are well-represented among those that fear the so-called ‘benefits trap’. Many of us have sleepless nights about breaching our buffer zone, and without a safety net, the risk of financial free-fall is very real. The thought of losing all your benefits in return for some hard-earned readies is scary, right? Okay, the government runs some schemes and financial awards for those seeking to transition into disabled self-employment – but that don’t go far enough, do they?
Martina Navratilova once said, “Disability is a matter of perception – if you could do just one thing well, you’re needed by someone.” That’s something I bought into back when I first started as a freelance advertising guru. After all, I might have lost the ability to ‘walk the walk’, but man could I could talk the talk – show me a phone, give me a laptop and let the games begin!
This is personal
Seeking investment and becoming business-savvy isn’t easy, though. As I discussed in last issue’s column, I’ve found that the organisation Disabled Entrepreneurs (www.disabledentrepreneurs.co.uk) has been great source of guidance. It is currently working with a group of city venture capitalists to develop a fund with a difference. Kaleidoscope Investments (www.kaleidoscopeinvestments.com) and its MD, Hardeep Rai, have a real desire to provide disabled entrepreneurs with financial backing and coaching. The fund will invest in your business idea and its evolution, with a view to generating a decent return for everyone – a real win-win.
For Rai, this is personal. On 18th November 2006 the financier’s life changed forever when it emerged that his newborn baby boy had developed cerebral palsy. Rai was told at the time that his son was unlikely to survive. Numb with dread, Rai recalls experiencing what he describes as “The sound of silence – you can see everything and you can listen to anything, but you hear nothing…”
Now almost nine years old, Eshan is an adorable little boy. He has acute and complex needs, but is happy, content and affectionate. His Dad often wonders what his little man is thinking and feeling, and there are many challenges ahead, but you can never underestimate the strength of the human spirit.
A calling
Rai knew then that he had a calling to work with and help people with disabilities. Moreover, it would present an opportunity to pit his skills in a totally new area, albeit one that seemed a little daunting at first. After meeting with Disabled Entrepreneurs founder Shane Bratby, who
lives Friedrich’s ataxia, however, everything changed.
Kaleidoscope Investments and Disabled Entrepreneurs make an impressive team. They’re great organisations, doing good things, which is why I’m currently helping them in a professional capacity to try to reach more people. I truly believe they’re doing something that no one else is.
