The 50+ Entrepreneurial

Boomers are fundamentally transforming retirement and as a group are almost 80 million strong and are quickly becoming a major entrepreneurial force. That's because as more and more baby boomers retire from their jobs, they're either immediately starting their own businesses-or coming out of retirement to launch their own ventures. In fact, according to the Labor Department, today's boomers (ages 42 to 60) and older entrepreneurs (60+) account for 54 percent of self-employed workers. You may not want to or be able to retire at 65 or 67, but so what. If you're doing work you enjoy in your own business, setting your own schedule, fulfilling goals you've set yourself -- it may not even feel like work. Pursuing their professional dreams while working for themselves has enabled many older self-employed workers to secure their financial future.  http://www.sba.gov/content/50-entrepreneurs 

New Business, Buying Business and Franchising-What could be more exciting, satisfying, or richer with possibilities than owning your own business-one that fuses what you do for a living with what you love to do? As daunting as the idea of starting a business can be, chances are that turning your business dreams into reality is one of the best thing you’ll ever do, but how exactly to do it-well turning your passions into profits will strike deep at the heart of this question.  There is a very practical step-by-step approach to starting your own business and numerous online resources-be certain to check out www.sba.org and www.score.org for many free online resources!

 Consulting/Contracting: More and more people are choosing a contingent work style — temporary work that may be project-based or time-based. One reason for the increase in consulting/contracting consideration is involuntary: not everyone can find full-time employment. But, surprisingly, more and more people are choosing a contingent work style. Some contract workers say they are seeking better work/life balance; others want to create or design their own careers by choosing the kind of work or projects that encompass their unique set of skills, making them more desirable to prospective employers. Contingent employment can expose individuals to a broad variety of challenges, demanding constant learning and new skills, which make work more interesting for them.  You also get to add to an organization's intellectual capacity and provide instant expertise as needed. Additionally, many companies already have significant experience hiring on a task basis-compensating individuals according to tasks performed, not time-and a growing number of people are now employed as knowledge workers, paid for analyzing, advising, designing, researching and countless related functions.  Consulting allows boomers to use the knowledge they've gained in their corporate lives and share it with other business owners- putting to good use that lifetime of expertise and knowledge!