Intuit QuickBooks Puts Aira to Work to Empower Small Business Owners: One Entrepreneur’s Perspective
October 17, 2018
Anyone who has started and run a small business will tell you what a daunting process it can be. From establishing a name and logo to filing the correct paperwork and securing the first client, it takes a lot of work just to get things off the ground. But being an entrepreneur can be an empowering and uplifting experience, which is why Aira and Intuit QuickBooks are committed to helping more people make their dreams a reality by providing assistive technology to increase independence and confidence.
Despite low unemployment overall, the rate in the blind community is estimated to be around 70 percent. In the face of this unacceptably high statistic, many people who are blind or low vision have decided to launch businesses of their own.
Kristen Steele is one of them. As a licensed massage therapist in Omaha, Nebraska, her work goes far beyond providing a relaxing and rejuvenating experience for her clients. She must also stay up-to-speed on her appointment bookings for the day, process transactions at the end of each service, and complete paperwork to comply with state and local regulations – tasks she often performs with the help of a sighted colleague.
Now, thanks to a new partnership between Aira and Intuit QuickBooks, Kristen can use Aira to help her get her work done more efficiently, and on her own terms. The new small business owners offer, which went live today, allows anyone who is blind or low vision to access on-demand visual assistance for business activities, completely free.
For Kristen, this means peace-of-mind. “Having Aira will alleviate the anxiety of always wondering if a coworker will be in the office to help with anything visual that I may need.”
As someone who has been able to build a successful business as an independent contractor, Kristen is excited about the possibilities for other people who are thinking about pursuing this path. “The Intuit QuickBooks offer is an exciting promotion that will empower the BVI community to begin or enhance their self-employment dreams and to follow their overall passion. Intuit QuickBooks and Aira’s dual partnership can assist in leveling the playing field in terms of small business ideas as a way to earn an income.”
For people like Kristen, who are not just self-employed but are also already Aira Explorers, the small business owner offer has another benefit: minutes spent on work tasks will not be deducted from her regular plan, which means more “personal” minutes to use for fun, leisure, and education. “Because I will no longer have to be cautious about minute usage for business-related tasks, I feel that Aira can make my day-to-day work flow more smoothly and seamlessly.”
And she has big plans to accomplish some of the bigger projects on her to-do list. Her first order of business: “I plan to organize my client charts into an online system that is more convenient and easier to manage.”
Now, Aira will be there to help.
See the Results
Last updated March 14, 2019
Learn More
- To learn more about our partnership with Intuit QuickBooks, and to read FAQs, visit aira.io/intuit.
- To see what tasks are eligible for the Intuit QuickBooks’ Small Business Owners offer, click here.
- To see what tasks are eligible for the Intuit QuickBooks’ Aira Access Product offer, click here.
Talk with us
While our initial focus is the blind and low vision community, if you think you’d benefit from live human remote assistance, we’d love to talk with you.