The Challenges of Being a Neurodiverse Businessperson – When ‘just get on with it’ doesn’t work.

The Challenges of Being a Neurodiverse Businessperson – When ‘just get on with it’ doesn’t work.

We help quite a few neurodiverse businesspeople here at Able Admin and frankly, they are some of the most creative and talented people you will ever meet.

That said neurological differences such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and dyspraxia, to name but a few, also bring some unique challenges. It is like there is a sort of yin/yang situation where the incredible benefits of diversity sometimes feel like they come at the cost of associated challenges.

If you don’t mind, (and experience tells me you won’t), I would like to talk frankly and realistically about what being in business, and also being neurodiverse means to many people. I could sugarcoat it, but I suspect that as a businessperson you would rather have things laid out as they are.

So here is a simple truth:

'A neurodiverse business owner must ensure the same daily tasks and business functions happen as a neurotypical one.'

The admin and processes have to happen. It just isn’t practical to take the approach of ‘Oh I am not good at this because I am neurodiverse’ when it comes to important administrative tasks and you certainly can't just let them slide. You need to recognise your challenges and deal with them for the good of your business.

 

Specific challenges faced by neurodiverse entrepreneurs

Firstly, we always need to remember that everyone is unique. Secondly, a successful business, regardless of who owns it, will reach the stage where the administration becomes overwhelming and that signposts that you need help. See our article here for some red flags that indicate you probably need help regardless of your neurological positioning.

When it comes to the neurodiverse businessperson though, there are some common areas where we see that need for help developing either more rapidly or with more impact.

Executive functioning is a rather fancy way of describing all those processes such as planning, organising, and prioritising tasks that need dealing with daily. These make up a lot of your ‘job role’ when it comes to running a business. For a neurodiverse business owner managing deadlines, maintaining schedules, and handling time-sensitive responsibilities can feel overwhelming. The extra time taken, (and often less than satisfactory results that additional effort produces) can build over time until they feel more than just an inconvenient job to be done. They become a real problem.

 

The daily grind of administrative tasks—such as managing emails, invoicing, filing paperwork, bookkeeping and scheduling meetings—can be particularly taxing for neurodiverse individuals. These activities often demand sustained focus, meticulous attention to detail, and strong organisational skills, which may not align with your particular cognitive strengths. A missed deadline or disorganised paperwork can create unnecessary stress and negatively affect business operations. Even worse it can create stress and worry that overflows into your performance in areas where you are much stronger.

 

Some neurodiverse individuals experience heightened sensory sensitivities. This can range from an irritating distraction to a complete overload. The issue is more than just the response to the environment though. Excessive noise, bright lights, or clutter are unwanted distractions. They can further complicate your ability to focus on tasks that require precision such as bookkeeping, diary management and even compliance-related paperwork.

 

Written and verbal communication can present challenges. For instance, a dyslexic business owner may find proofreading time-consuming, while someone with autism might face difficulties interpreting social cues or navigating complex and ambiguous written work in emails or contracts. Communication gaps may lead to misunderstandings, creating obstacles in client relations or team collaboration.

These are just a few of the more common issues, and yes, many of them are also issues for a neurotypical businessperson. The difference is, as I mentioned earlier, in the speed and severity of the impact they can have on your growing business.

Highlighting the positive is important.

While it’s important to address challenges, it’s equally vital to celebrate the unique strengths of neurodiverse individuals in business.

Here are a few examples:

Innovative Thinking:

Dyslexic individuals for example often excel at lateral thinking, generating ideas that disrupt traditional industries.


Laser Focus:

Many autistic entrepreneurs can maintain an intense focus on tasks that interest them, making them highly effective in specialised fields. The distraction of day-to-day admin in which they have little interest is really not going to help with this.


Boundless Energy:

Individuals with ADHD frequently channel their high energy into entrepreneurship, driving creative projects and initiating bold ventures. To ask such a high-energy person to slow down and work on a spreadsheet, for example, is simply not the best use of their talents.


When these strengths are supported by strategic responses to the challenges, and the right organisational tools are in place, neurodiverse entrepreneurs can achieve remarkable success.

One effective strategy for overcoming these challenges is outsourcing administrative and routine tasks to a human virtual assistant (VA). Unlike software tools or AI, human VAs provide a personal touch. They bring the adaptability, and emotional intelligence that makes them ideal partners for neurodiverse business owners. It is important to not just farm tasks out to just anyone though. Ideally, you should look for a VA who understands you and your needs as well as the wider issues faced by neurodiverse business owners. That understanding, the human element if you like, is the key to integrating your VA effectively into the needs of you and your business.

 

Neurodiversity facilitates success… if you let it.

Neurodiverse individuals possess extraordinary strengths that are often overlooked in traditional business settings. These talents need to be targeted and applied for the best effect though and the demands of running a business are multifaceted. As a result, not all of them match up with your skills and abilities. From financial management to customer communication, daily administrative tasks can pose significant hurdles for neurodiverse business owners. They can distract you and that will potentially impede your growth - both personally and as a business.

I am not in any way saying that neurodiverse business owners are not capable of dealing with these tasks or that they are seeking to avoid them, and I'm certainly not saying that they cannot put coping methods in place to deal with them if needed. However, it only takes a moment to see that spending time on work that you neither enjoy nor have the skill set for when you are so strong in other areas is just not good business sense.

Whatever mechanism you use to deal with these barriers, whether that is using us as virtual assistants to help remove the burden or compensating in some other way, it simply makes sense to ensure that you release your potential.

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