Workplace software company Gusto released results of a study on Tuesday that found disabled entrepreneurs were twice as likely to say technology “lowered the barriers to start their business.” Gusto senior economist Nich Tremper wrote in the report’s introduction “it is unsurprising” disabled people comprise “a meaningful share of entrepreneurs” given 1 in 4 American adults cope with some disability.
In an exclusive interview ahead of the announcement, Tremper, who has worked nearly a decade in academia, governmental, and private sector research shops, explained to me entrepreneurship excites him because “it’s what keeps the economy dynamic and provides pathways for people to take more ownership over their career,” adding the focus on small- and medium-sized businesses “align with Gusto’s stakeholder base.” The survey, he said, is part of the company’s annual new business formation survey, telling me this one in particular looks specifically at entrepreneurs with disabilities. He called the report “optimistic,” pointing to the aforementioned figure that a quarter of the American population identifies as disabled. The report is optimistic because, according to Tremper, a National Disabilities Institute survey from 2019 found that 17% of disabled people in the workforce were entrepreneurs. Five years on, and Tremper said Gusto’s latest survey “shows an upward projection,” which he said is important because “entrepreneurship has long been a power” of the country’s economy. Tremper caveated that of course, entrepreneurship is only a boon to the economy if it’s accessible to all, saying disabled people indeed are “taking their seat” at the proverbial table when it comes to feeding their entrepreneurial appetite.
“Entrepreneurship offers people the opportunity to create and own their professional lives, and it’s important that folks have the ability to do that,” Tremper said of the benefits of self-starting a business. “I’m excited with our findings to see [disabled] folks are doing exactly that.”
Tremper said Gusto “follows a framework” of prioritizing diversity and inclusion in everything it does, whether internally or externally. As much of his work is public-facing, Tremper told me his role revolves around helping people better understand entrepreneurship and who exactly these trailblazers are. In context of its new report, Tremper said Gusto is trying to help people understand that technology can help make entrepreneurship more accessible to the disability community. Technology is the driver that affords such opportunity, with Tremper saying with the right tools “embedded and available,” will help strengthen entrepreneurship and “help folks understand that entrepreneurs come from everywhere in society… to start a business.”
Gusto’s survey had 1,300 respondents, with Tremper telling me the work began last February to ask about people’s experiences in 2023. Having such a large number of participants is “really nice,” he said, because it ensures Gusto has good representation such that people “really understand the experiences of different demographics.” People were asked to self-identify their condition(s), invisible or visible, for the study.
Tremper offered insight into why entrepreneurship is on the rise. He told me a big appeal in self-starting a business is the flexibility it allows in terms of how and when a person works. For someone with a disability, having the autonomy to dictate how and when are significant factors to doing anything, but are especially important when it comes to making money. Likewise, starting one’s own business gives people agency they didn’t have in the workplace when it comes to accommodations and the like. Entrepreneurs aren’t beholden to traditional practices (and problems) that often arise in conventional employment environments.
“The lived experience of people with of disabilities is coming into their entrepreneurship experience,” Tremper said. “They’re able to use technology to work in ways that benefit them and their work and also create opportunities for their employees as well.”
Feedback towards the study has been positive. Gusto received no word from anyone they refused to participate or declined to disclose their disability. “Our tabulations show folks with disabilities were responding at levels we would have expected them to for this survey,” he said.
Looking towards the future, Tremper lamented the fact there’s a lack of data about disabled entrepreneurs. It’s yet another reason he expressed excitement over Gusto’s report, telling me “we’re able to expand and show this optimistic story of folks who are harnessing technology and harnessing their lived experiences to bring their ideas to market.” Representation matters, he added, and the disability community deserves more of it. Gusto’s report, Tremper said, portends good things to come in the future—both representationally and economically.
“[Today’s report] will provide opportunities for accessibility to entrepreneurship and lead to more access for folks,” he said. “It makes the market more dynamic [and] makes the economy work better for everybody. It allows us [at Gusto] to keep shining a light on the good work folks with disabilities are doing in the entrepreneurship space.”