tandej

You're right Canopus, self-employment HAS to be seen as a viable option for people with AS. So many of the 'symptoms' of the condition are of value to businesses and industries, yet the practicalities of working in those environments prevent the employee with AS from staying the course, let alone reaching their potential. There is a considerable movement in the working population to self-employment and 'remote working', which allows the operator to set up their workplace and practice to suit them. There are also work-hubs, serviced offices and business services operators offering to run the office-side of business to the entrepreneur. But there is nothing in the process to help people with AS in the Customer Services, Sales and Marketing, Publicity and PR aspects so vitally important to the success of a business, and so very often the most difficult areas for someone with AS to handle. We hope that our enterprise will make a difference, we are taking on 500 members in our first year. That's 500 adults off benefits and into meaningful employment, in control of their own business, and on their way to financial independence. We are fundraising now for the working capital to get the recruits into the programme. If you would like to support us. Please visit: http://www.indiegogo.com/4SquarePegs?a=951486 and please help us to spread awareness of this new employment option for adults with AS. Thank you

Thanks for the replies guys! We've put a lot into this, and we hope people will soon see the value. The statistics for unemployed adults with Asperger's is frightening! and set to get worse with the new WCT. It's such a waste of skills and talent when we can make self employment an option. Sorry about the malicious warning. There was another website on the same host about a year ago that set it off, but it keeps looping up on their register and so they put warnings on all the websites! I'll get onto our webhost rightaway, and thank you for pointing it out!

We've been researching this topic for some time. It's clear many ASpies would choose self-employment if they could; it also goes without saying that there are many areas of running a business that would be difficult; especially the social interaction, marketing, sales and PR. With two ASpies in the family, we've struggled alongside them to find and maintain meaningful employment. We've been stressed and frustrated by the lack of support available for people wanting to run their own businesses. As non-AS family members, we've had our own working lives restricted as we stagger work commitments with caring for our children. Our sons are enterprising, resilient and capable; It's the social barriers that let them down. Yes there are programmes in place training companies to be more AS-friendly, but just like in schools, the environment, the lighting, the noise and the people can't all be changed to help our ASpies. When it comes to self employment, the ASpies have to sell themselves, first, when trying to get help setting up their business, and again when trying to reach their market audience. So what if we take charge of things ourselves? Build a business network made up of ASpies who make and produce the goods, and non-ASpies who market, sell, and handle the customer-care side? Well we've gone ahead and done it! We've invested every penny of our own money; created the Social Enterprise, bought and furnished its first centre and set up business partnerships; now 4 Square Pegs is open for membership. We don't have all the answers: that's kind of the point. We wanted to create an enterprise where every member has their say and the business model is adapted to suit the members rather than trying to make them fit into a set programme of support. We will no doubt get critics, but the point is, at 4 Square Pegs we're DOING something to make a change. There's more going on at 4 Square Pegs than we can explain here, so come and find out what we're doing and how we're doing it at http://www.4squarepegs.co.uk Whether you join us as a member or support us as an investor, you'll be helping to change the futures of hundreds of ASpies in the UK and presenting supported self-employment as a viable option for work choices. 4 Square Pegs - we're making square holes!