This story appears in the
November 2004 issue of
Entrepreneur.
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Helping entrepreneurs build businesses is the forte of
traditional incubators. But Community Options Inc. has created an incubator to
foster entrepreneurship for people with disabilities as well as
those with businesses tailored to help the disabled. The nonprofit
added the Community Options Incubation Network in 2001 to help
these entrepreneurs with professional development and technology
solutions, just to name a few services. The services are provided
from its Princeton, New Jersey, locale, but virtual services are
available to entrepreneurs nationwide. Says founder and CEO Robert
P. Stack, 50, "If [the business idea] is something that can be
done, we'll help them do it."
That help has allowed Brad Goldman of Morristown, New Jersey, to
build his greeting card business, BRADesigns. Goldman, 33, who is
quadriplegic, turned to the incubator network to help him with the
business plan and marketing his card designs, which he creates with
a special head pointer system and his PC. He sells his cards
online, at events and expos, and via direct brochures. "The
Community Options [program really] helps people with
disabilities," says Goldman.