6 Essential Tips for Self-Employment Success
Have you ever dreamed of working on your own terms — setting your own hours, choosing your clients, and building something that reflects your talents and values? For many people with disabilities, self-employment offers not just a source of income, but a sense of control, creativity, and purpose. Whether it's turning a hobby into a source of income or launching a full-fledged business, working for yourself can be empowering.
But where do you start? What resources are available? And how do you make sure your path supports your financial goals?
In this post, we are exploring practical tips for starting a business, free tools to help you get going, and how Social Security’s Ticket to Work (Ticket) Program can support your efforts. Plus, we encourage you to join the upcoming Work Incentive Seminar Event (WISE) webinar on August 27 to learn more about making self-employment work for you.
6 Tips for Starting Your Own Business
Whether you're dreaming of launching a small business, offering freelance services, or simply earning extra income, self-employment can open possibilities. The key is to approach it with clarity of purpose, resourcefulness, and confidence.
Here are six practical tips to help you build a business that fits your life, supports your strengths, and moves you closer to the independence you deserve.
1. Begin with What You Already Know
Leverage your existing skills, interests, and lived experience. Whether it’s baking, organizing, writing, crafting, or technology, there could be a business idea waiting in what comes naturally to you.
2. Choose a Business That Matches Your Energy and Interests
Whether it’s tutoring, crafting, consulting, or content creation, go with something that you are passionate about and that fits your lifestyle. Your business should support your health — not work against it.
3. Explore Free Business Planning Tools
Sites like the Small Business Administration offer free templates, webinars, and guides for business plans and startup steps.
4. Learn with Free Online Education
Platforms like Coursera, edX, and YouTube offer free courses on marketing, finance, and entrepreneurship. Look for “audit” options to access content without payment.
5. Market Yourself Without Paying for Ads
Use free social media accounts to showcase your work. Join niche online groups where you can share expertise and attract interest naturally. You can also find free tools for creating a blog or a website.
6. Connect with Free Communities and Mentorship
Check out local libraries, disability advocacy groups, and online forums. You can even get free mentorship through organizations like the Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) or the National Disability Institute’s Small Business Hub.
Final Thought: You Don’t Have to Do It Alone
Starting your own business is exciting — but it can be complicated. That’s where the Ticket Program can help. If you're age 18 through 64 and receive Social Security disability benefits (SSDI/SSI), this free and voluntary program connects you with employment services which may include, business planning assistance, ongoing support of your entrepreneurial efforts, and benefits counseling — all designed to help you succeed while maintaining access to p your health coverage and some or all of your benefits or payments as you pursue financial independence.
To find out if you’re eligible to participate in the Ticket Program and access services to help you pursue self-employment, you can call the Ticket to Work Help Line at 1-866-968-7842. For callers who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, call 1-866-833-2967 (TTY). Hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. - 8 p.m. ET. You can also send us an email at TicketToWork@ssa.gov.
Whether you're creating a source of income or building a full-time business, the Ticket Program can be your partner as you progress toward your goal. You’ll get help understanding Work Incentives, learn how earnings from work affect your benefits or payments, and build a path toward career satisfaction.
Want to learn more? Join us for the upcoming WISE webinar: Working for Yourself with Ticket to Work on August 27 from 3:00 – 4:30 p.m. ET. This free online event will explore how self-employment has worked for others, provide advice from experts who have successfully started and maintained their own businesses, and offer resources to help you get started. Joining the webinar is a good first step to understanding what it takes to make self-employment a reality.
Register for the webinar and mark your calendar — you won’t want to miss it!
Your business, your pace, your future — with the right support, it’s all within reach.
