Jo with Theo Paphitis
Last month Jo O’Neil collected her Small Business Sunday award from Small business champion and Ryman Stationery, Robert Dyas and Boux Avenue Chairman, Theo Paphitis for her Virtual Assistant and Social Media Management Company, Bright Cat Business Solutions (www.bright-cat.co.uk) The weekly initiative, set up by Theo in 2010, now has over 3,500 #SBS winners and supports small businesses in the UK.
Not content with running an award-winning business Jo is a woman on a mission to create a community for disabled entrepreneurs to give them a safe and supportive space with lots of advice, check-ins, collaborations, and networking to help grow their businesses and give them room to just be themselves, disabilities and all.
Jo stated “Many disabled people find they must leave the world of traditional work to focus on their health or they find that accommodations don’t stretch to the point they need. Me included. Some people fall into self-employment to make ends meet, others to keep themselves active in any way they can be.
That doesn’t mean it’s easy, it can be lonely, and it can be tough, but Business Success Network – For Disabled Entrepreneurs aims to bring those business owners – and those that support them, together in a vibrant and supportive community.”
The group has been running for one month and currently has around 200 members with physical disabilities, mental illness, chronic illness, and neurodiverse business owners. This month the community launches both networking and a podcast, to help the members get to know each other and taking Jo’s knowledge of getting your business visible to all its members.
Within its first week Jo connected with Philip Connolly of the Disability Resilience Network, who has been chasing fairer policy for disabled workers and interviewed him about policy and resilience.
One of the members of the group stated that “You’ve built a very safe and supportive community so thank you.”
While it has been noted by those outside of the group how much this community is clearly needed as shown by the engagement and support offered within.
Jo invites anyone who fits into the criteria of a disabled entrepreneur or those business owners that specifically support this group to come and join the Business Success Network for Disabled Entrepreneurs. She has also stated that she is now determined to win the Small Business Sunday award with this community and is championing it’s members to enter this and other awards too.
She is a woman on a mission to continue to build this community and create the best space possible for its members.
