Speaker 1 00:00:01 Sport is for everyone, whether you are playing for fun, competing, seriously, watching from the grandstand or volunteering in the canteen, there's a place for everybody. And every ability in the sporting community, carers Queensland is running discussion groups and surveys to find out more from people with disability, families, and carers, their experiences, thoughts, opinions, and insights into making sport more inclusive and accessible Because that's a great goal. Find out more, get in touch or look for events and opportunities coming up near you. Visit our
[email protected] or call our inquiries line on one, three hundred nine six three six,
Speaker 1 00:00:53 Joyce and control a podcast, celebrating people with disability brought to you by carers Queensland, N D I S local area coordination partner in the community. Self-employment can be a great option for people with disability. It means you can be flexible with your time and energy work around your access needs and its way around the barriers. People with disability sometimes face when looking for employment, it's a way of harnessing your skills and talents and sharing them with the world. And along the way, earning some income, increasing your confidence and achieving greater independence, but starting a business on your own is a big task. And that's why carers Queensland is supporting people with disability who want to become entrepreneurs through the, be your own boss micro business program. If you are in the iwi region, you might remember the, be your own boss marketplace on international day of people with disability last year. Well, there's more events like that to come as well as an ongoing series of workshops and linking with mentors from the business community bet. Duggan is one of the budding business owners who took part in that event in iwi, the mum of four is a former aged care worker who acquired chronic pain and disability in a workplace back injury. It was only after acquiring disability, that Beck discovered her love of diamond painting.
Speaker 2 00:02:12 It was my escape. It was my way of escaping reality. What would normally take someone days, weeks, months to do I can do quite quickly because I just get straight into my diamond paintings and just let myself be free of the demons that are inside. <laugh>
Speaker 1 00:02:38 Taking part in the, be your own boss. Marketplace was a big step, not just for Beck's business, but personally as well,
Speaker 2 00:02:46 The night before. And even the morning of I wasn't going to go because I was having extreme anxiety. Um, it was making me feel sick and honestly, I didn't think anything could sell, but I did sell a lot of, um, bookmarks, which was good. And I saw one painting, which was excellent. I felt great afterwards. <laugh>
Speaker 3 00:03:13 Yeah, I was gonna say, what gave you the confidence? Was it with cuz your son was there with you?
Speaker 2 00:03:19 Yeah, he was like, no, you're going, I'm making sure you're going. And then my husband said the same thing. You're going, that's all there is to it. You are going. And like they really put their foot down and pushed me to go was like even getting there. I was like, I don't wanna do this. I don't wanna do this. And my son Bailey was like, no, you're doing it.
Speaker 3 00:03:43 It's good to have that family support. Isn't it?
Speaker 2 00:03:46 Yeah.
Speaker 3 00:03:48 And so you were there, like you said, you've sold a few things. Has that gave you a bit more confidence now and, and your abilities in your artwork?
Speaker 2 00:03:56 Yes and no. I didn't really think about selling my artwork until like, just before the, be your own boss marketplace over the years I had stocked up, but I just hadn't done anything about it, which I still haven't. But it was there from be your own boss that actually went, how are your diamond painting? Yeah, it just went from there.
Speaker 3 00:04:21 How else did carers Queensland and Sarah as the local area coordinator in iwi? How, how did they help you then? Uh, you know, make sure you could sell your artwork.
Speaker 2 00:04:33 She gave me tips and ways to go about it and a little bit more confident. You know, she understood that my anxiety levels were through the roof, which I'm sure everyone was, but she understood where I was coming from. So it wasn't like she was pushing me. And as she said, if you don't sell anything, it doesn't matter. You've got your name out there and that's the whole point of this. Like, you don't need to sell anything, but you know, just getting confidence to show your artwork instead of just putting it away.
Speaker 3 00:05:14 Why do you think it's important for people with a disability to be able to access this?
Speaker 2 00:05:21 It gives us something that we can do. I think it's really important for people with disabilities to be able to show what they can do in society. Like not just someone that can't do anything. Yeah. And just constantly needs care. It's not like that. We're still human. We still wanna get out there and work and do what we can. But a lot of the time for me, I can't physically work cause I used to be a worker colleague. So its given me that opportunity to, okay, well I can't work for someone else, but I can work for myself.
Speaker 3 00:06:06 And you said you do wanna learn a little bit more about developing your business, even having your NDIS funded support worker there to help you with your business. So what do you think business success will mean to you?
Speaker 2 00:06:20 It would mean an extra income. It would mean that I can stand on my own feet again.
Speaker 1 00:06:29 Another person you might have seen at that iwi event for international day of people with disability is Sue Kirk. She was there with her recovery coach precious because she's also turning a creative hobby into a business.
Speaker 4 00:06:43 I have tried to learn to CRO on and off over the years, the last one was with a pain clinic, but it just never clicked. And I found a Facebook group and asked if they knew of any crochet groups in the iwi area. And they connected me with a group that meets Sundays at the wolo pub. It took me months before I actually went just anxiety. You know, it's just walking into a place by myself that don't know anyone. And yeah, so it took me a while before I actually went and the ladies were all so lovely and welcoming. It's a fun crochet group. So they taught me how to crochet. And then I saw these wind chimes on YouTube and I started making those and I just thought they were kind of quirky. So I just thought I'll make lots of them and sell them. <laugh>
Speaker 3 00:07:32 And how have you been selling them so far?
Speaker 4 00:07:35 Um, I did the be your own boss. That was my first market and the best one. I, and then I, one of the crochet ladies and I did one at the Mel gallery market and then one at LA and the country markets are just different. Um, it was good to experience it, but it's not for what we are selling. The other lady sells like scars and bags and different things like that. She crochets. So the next time we're gonna try is the Ripley market. It's a Twilight market. So we're gonna try that. But I, yeah, when Sarah told me about be your own boss, there's gonna be some like workshops throughout the year with the market at the end of the
Speaker 3 00:08:13 Year. Yes.
Speaker 4 00:08:15 So I'm looking forward to doing that.
Speaker 3 00:08:18 And it was your first marketplace, as you said, first time selling your CRO should win, chime. How did it feel to be able to go there and, and sell your artwork?
Speaker 4 00:08:28 It was good. A bit nerve wracking at first, but I had pressure with me. So, um, she sort of helped calm me down. It was good. It was, um, it was a successful market.
Speaker 3 00:08:40 How many wind farms did you sell?
Speaker 4 00:08:43 21.
Speaker 3 00:08:44 Oh that's excellent. Jenna, tell me where you wanna sort of take this craft business and, and what you might need to do to actually get there.
Speaker 4 00:08:52 Well, it's not just the crochet that I wanna do. I, um, I just like all sorts of craft. So paper mache, something that's on the agenda. I've been getting people to save newspapers for me. So I wanna do these paper mache, torsos, paint them, or cover them with different fabrics and paper or glass tile. I don't know.
Speaker 3 00:09:13 Why do you think having a marketplace like this is important for people with disability?
Speaker 4 00:09:18 Um, well it supports each other because on our own it's tough to just go out and do something and having the support of the, be your own boss. We're not on our own. Like we've got people helping us guiding us in, you know, the direction that we need to go for whatever we're doing. And I think, you know, there's always power and numbers
Speaker 1 00:09:42 Want to know more about the national disability insurance scheme, a chat with a local area coordinator can help you understand the N D I S whether it's right for you and how to apply for access book a spot at, in community, a free service from carers Queensland. Find out more check for events coming up near you and book your spot
[email protected]. You can also call us on 1300 triple 9, 6, 3 6. Bella Parisi is a special Olympics, equestrian and loves horses and everything to do with them. And that's turning into her career. Bella has three equine related businesses as her mom. Emma explains.
Speaker 5 00:10:27 So she's doing three businesses. She's got cleaners, a bell rug washing. Yeah, that's my rug wash and bells, beautiful bites, which are horse treats. Yep. And then, um, adjustment. Uh, so she can have horses and look after them on the, um, a daily basis. So that was her first client Fundy funding and stay for a week.
Speaker 6 00:10:47 Not you,
Speaker 3 00:10:49 Your business is just pretty new, but where do you see your business in the future?
Speaker 6 00:10:54 Way ahead, way flexible and a lot of money <laugh>.
Speaker 5 00:10:59 And we're hoping to, with the adjustment that we can, um, in time install a proper arena. And then hopefully we, we were thinking that, you know, you could have clinics or RDA, um, days and things like that. And, and VE could further get some further education in being like the lead handler and working alongside the coaches that, you know, could come and have clinics and things like that. So therefore it would be more of a, um, a draw card for people to adjust their horses here that they could, you know, use in a proper arena. And Bella would obviously then mainly help maintain all that as well and big plans. But yeah, we've got crawl before we walk. Yeah.
Speaker 6 00:11:39 Cool.
Speaker 3 00:11:41 And what do you think you need to do to be able to get there? Do you know, to get more cause you get those resources a bit more training or skills,
Speaker 6 00:11:49 Put it out on Facebook and
Speaker 3 00:11:50 Stuff. Bit of marketing.
Speaker 6 00:11:52 Yeah. I done that already.
Speaker 5 00:11:54 We're in the process of getting a website done for Bella and um, yeah, I think marketing's probably going to be our big thing to really push it. That's how I see the business going, cuz it is pretty much in the horse industry. It's word of mouth, but then again, like that's more for the adjustment side, but for the, the rug washing and the beautiful bikes, I think more markets would be in place for
Speaker 6 00:12:18 That quite lately and stuff on
Speaker 5 00:12:20 That. Yeah. And it's also finding the targeted markets too, cuz obviously going to a craft market really won't suit Bella's business.
Speaker 3 00:12:31 And so now we're talking about the carers Queensland be your own boss marketplace in iwi in December. Why did you Bella decide to take part in that?
Speaker 6 00:12:41 Because I guess Monica can be my own boss and just don't have to work front people and you know, just be me and I like to work courses and that my job and it's a good opportunity too.
Speaker 5 00:12:52 Yeah, it was great. It was uh, all a bit quick, but uh, we got it together, but yeah, so it was a really good opportunity for her to, um, get an idea what a market was like and
Speaker 6 00:13:02 Um, not easy.
Speaker 5 00:13:03 No, it's not easy, but it was good. And it was in a great position. It got really good exposure and I really enjoyed the day. I thought it was fantastic.
Speaker 6 00:13:11 Me too, just a lot of experience with my anxiety and stuff like that. A lot of great things. Like I now realize that crowd that that's scary. So if the only one any you wanna go out there just do it is great.
Speaker 3 00:13:26 Why do you think having the be your own boss marketplace is important for people with disability
Speaker 6 00:13:33 Because you always have a chance if you always make good opportunities, it's grateful. I recommend going there and it's one of the kind things I really knew like it, and they're really friendly people.
Speaker 5 00:13:44 I think it's, um, really important because it, it gave Bella a safe place to go and, and try and, um, be supported, not just, you know, being thrown out to the wolves in a normal market, you know, like you guys were fantastic. It was so you were there, you gave us the bias ideas on what to do and it's something that I think they need. And, and it's great that, you know, Bella doesn't want to sit at home and not do anything. And, and for us we need a bit of guidance in it too, because as say we've never done marketing like markets. And so yeah, it's a bit daunting for us at times as well. So yeah, no, your support's been amazing,
Speaker 6 00:14:23 Especially all you, you and me,
Speaker 1 00:14:27 If you'd like to find out more about the, be your own boss micro-business program, head to our
[email protected], whether you are a person with disability looking to start your own business or find out if it could be a good option for you or you are from the business community and potentially interested in becoming a mentor for the program. We'd love to hear from you and have a chat about how carers Queensland is supporting with disability to become their own boss. Thanks for joining us at choice and control a carers Queensland podcast. For more information about the national disability insurance scheme or carers Queensland, contact us
[email protected]. You can call us on one, three hundred nine, six, three, six, or head to Facebook and look for carers Queensland, N D I S.
