Auction sows seeds of acumen

A Laguna-based entrepreneur hopes his company’s online auction on Mother’s Day will help disabled people get ahead in the business world.

Andy Leaf is the founder and CEO of the Seed Business Network, a nonprofit organization helps disabled people to develop social and life skills to become successful in business.

The auction, which includes CD’s from local musicians, a coffee thermos from Stylistic Intervention and one night at the Inn at Laguna, will run from April 27 to May 7. Proceeds will go to the Seed Business Network.

“We’ve had our Website for a year and a half. This is the first time we’ve done an auction,” Leaf said.

The items for auction will be on eBay, which can be linked to through Leaf’s site at www.seedbiznet.org.

Leaf became a quadriplegic in 1964 after breaking his neck in a diving accident. He has since run several small businesses and served as president of the SEED Institute (Self-Employment for the Entrepreneuring Disabled) from 1995 to 2003.

The conditions which affect Leaf’s clients may be anything from being confined to a wheelchair or bed, to dyslexia or chronic pain.

“One of the things we do is see if they’re fit to be an entrepreneur,” Leaf said. “We don’t push any type of business.”

Many of Leaf’s clients have learned to be productive through the Internet. Web design is one of the more popular occupations, Leaf said.

Networking capabilities of the Internet have also play a key roll, Leaf said.

Blogs, webinars, community bulletin boards, interactive workbooks and coaching programs have brought the disabled community together, Leaf said.

“Transportation is one of the biggest problems for people with disabilities,” Leaf said. “Home-based businesses have become very popular.”

Leaf claims one of the more successful clients he has had is a partially blind photographer.

Assistive devices that allowed the photographer to adapt to viewing the photos put him back in business, Leaf said.

Leaf tells his clients the first thing they need to take care of is themselves.

“Once they’re healthy the business can be healthy,” Leaf said.