Expanding VIAble Employment for Adults with Autism: A Systems Approach to Increase Nonprofit Sales

Across industries, people with disabilities face barriers obtaining and maintaining employment. Our project addresses this issue through a partnership with VIAble Ventures, a microbusiness run by the VIA Centers for Neurodevelopment. VIAble Ventures sells spa products like candles and bath salts, all of which are made by artisans with autism. The program provides on-site job training and a source of income for adults with intellectual and developmental disorders. The goal of this work was centered on increasing VIAble Venture sales to expand employment opportunities for autistic adults in the local Charlottesville area. Currently, sales depend heavily on availability and seasonality of in-person sales and limited online sales. Our team used a systems approach to increase online sales on VIAble Venture’s website by: (1) analyzing past transactions, and (2) redesigning the website. Using data analytics, we projected top selling scents seasonally and identified high margin products that VIAble Ventures could prioritize to increase profits. Additionally, our team conducted focus group testing on the navigation of their original website to identify pain points, notably the salience of navigational tools and clarity of the company mission. These findings guided the final redesign of the new Square website. By increasing production during currently lower sale months and streamlining the online user experience, VIAble Ventures could increase sales and thus increase the number of adults with autism employed.