Emm McAndrew Shows Women How To Start A Business With Chronic Illness
- 5 days ago
- 4 min read
By Emmaline McAndrew
The Slow Businesswoman
Starting a business can feel exciting and impossible at the same time. If you live with a chronic illness or an energy-limiting condition, the usual advice to push harder and work longer is not only unhelpful, it can be harmful. This is your guide to how to start a business with chronic illness, in a way that respects your body, your time, and your life. It is the approach I use at The Slow Businesswoman, where women build businesses that fit their energy, not the other way round.
Start With Your Energy, Not A To-Do List
Traditional start-up lists focus on speed. Swap that for an energy-first plan. Map your good hours, your okay hours, and your recovery hours across a typical week. Put work in your good hours to make sure it gets done. Then, put admin and low-lift tasks in your okay hours. Ring-fence recovery time and treat it as non-negotiable. When your plan matches your energy, consistency gets easier and flare-ups become less disruptive. This is the foundation of the Slow Business Method, my step-by-step approach for women who want sustainable progress without burnout.
Choose A Simple Idea
You do not need ten services. You need one clear offer that people understand in seconds. List three problems you can solve without draining your energy. Pick the easiest to deliver and the fastest to explain. Price it to cover your time, tools, and rest. If work feels heavy, consider a productised service or a tiny digital offer that you can fulfil in batches. Simplicity protects both your income and your health.
Design Boundaries That Do The Heavy Lifting
Professional boundaries reduce decision fatigue. Set office hours, even if you work from your sofa. Use templated replies for enquiries, scope creep, and late payments. Add a short FAQ to your website to set expectations up front. If you offer calls, cap their length and number per week. Boundaries are not about being difficult. They are about keeping your energy for the work that matters most.
Build Quiet, Consistent Marketing
You do not need to be everywhere. Choose one channel you can keep up with on a bad week. For most, that is a simple mix of one weekly post, one short video, and one email. Share the same message in three formats. Repurpose, do not start from scratch. If you want a gentle starting point, download my free guide, Break The Rules, and get a practical roadmap for slower, steadier growth: The Slow Businesswoman.
Make Money In Ways That Respect Your Body
If your condition limits real-time delivery, avoid models that rely on live calls every day. Favour options like asynchronous consulting, templates, guides, and short pre-recorded lessons. If you enjoy client work, set fixed delivery windows and build in buffer days for rest or flare-ups. You can run a serious business with fewer meetings and more written or recorded work. The women I serve often earn more when they switch to calmer formats that let them focus.
Use A Waitlist To Grow On Your Timeline
Pacing matters when you are working with a chronic illness. A waitlist lets you manage demand, plan your energy, and launch when you are ready. It also builds interest while you finish assets. My 8-week course, The Slow Business Method, uses this model so I can keep quality high and honour my own health needs. Join the mailing list to hear when doors open and to access new free resources: The Slow Businesswoman.
Proof That You Can Do This Differently
I created The Slow Businesswoman after years of navigating work while living with energy-limiting conditions. I saw how hustle culture excludes women with disabilities, long-term conditions, and caring responsibilities.
My approach blends 27 years of strategy with lived experience and social psychology. The aim is simple. Help you earn well, protect your health, and feel proud of the pace you choose.
A Gentle First Step You Can Take Today
If you are wondering how to start a business with chronic illness and you feel overwhelmed, begin with one light action.
Pick one business idea that feels kind to your energy.
Write a one-paragraph description of the offer.
Tell one person who might want it, or post it once on your best channel.
Rest. Review tomorrow. Adjust the offer based on what you learn.
Small moves compound. Your health comes first. Progress counts even when it is quiet.
Where To Get Help And Free Tools
If you want ideas that match low or changing energy, download my free “25 Income Ideas For Women With Chronic Illness” guide.
When you’re ready for structure and community, join the course waitlist on my site so you hear first about dates, scholarships, and bonuses.
Final Word
You can build a business without sacrificing your health. Start by matching your work to your energy. Keep your offer simple. Protect your time with clear boundaries. Grow at a pace your body can support. If you need a calm companion for the journey and more guidance on how to start a business with chronic illness, you will find step-by-step help on my website.
Connect With Emmaline
Comments