Starting a Business on Social Security - Why You Shouldn't Be Afraid to...

A lot of us who are disabled feel nervous about starting a business while receiving Social Security Disability (SSDI). The biggest fear is, “What if I lose my check?” That fear is real—but let’s break it down in a logical way.

Comparing a Job vs. Your Own Business

If you get a regular job while on SSDI, your income can change quickly. If you lose that job, you could also lose your disability check because Social Security might say you’re “able to work.” Then, suddenly—you have no paycheck and no disability check. That’s scary.

Now compare that to running your own business. When you’re self-employed, you can grow your income at your own pace. Social Security allows people with disabilities to try self-employment. You report what you make, and if you earn over the limit, yes, your check may eventually stop—but here’s the difference:

• With a job, your income depends on someone else hiring you. If they fire you, you’re stuck.

• With a business, your income depends on you. Even if your disability check ends, you’ve built something that can keep making money for you.

  
  

Why You Shouldn’t Be Afraid

Think of it this way: Would you rather risk losing your disability check to an employer who can let you go at any time? Or risk losing it because you became successful in your own business—something that you control, that can grow, and that can eventually make you wealthy?

If you’re going to take a risk, take it on yourself. Disability doesn’t mean you can’t succeed—it means you have to be smart, strategic, and patient.

Final Inspiration

Starting a business while on SSDI isn’t easy, but it’s possible. You don’t have to be afraid. Every great entrepreneur started with uncertainty. The difference is, they chose to believe in themselves.

So ask yourself: If I lose my check, would I rather lose it because of a boss—or because I built my own freedom?