Willing and Able

Helping entrepreneurs build businesses is the forte oftraditional incubators. But Community Options Inc. has created an incubator tofoster entrepreneurship for people with disabilities as well asthose with businesses tailored to help the disabled. The nonprofitadded the Community Options Incubation Network in 2001 to helpthese entrepreneurs with professional development and technologysolutions, just to name a few services. The services are providedfrom its Princeton, New Jersey, locale, but virtual services areavailable to entrepreneurs nationwide. Says founder and CEO RobertP. Stack, 50, "If [the business idea] is something that can bedone, we'll help them do it."

That help has allowed Brad Goldman of Morristown, New Jersey, tobuild his greeting card business, BRADesigns. Goldman, 33, who isquadriplegic, turned to the incubator network to help him with thebusiness plan and marketing his card designs, which he creates witha special head pointer system and his PC. He sells his cardsonline, at events and expos, and via direct brochures. "TheCommunity Options [program really] helps people withdisabilities," says Goldman.