What are your plans for retirement? Do you plan to relax in a comfortable chair, drinking tea, and watching the trees dance to the wind? Do you plan on reading all the books you have postponed because of lack of time? No? That’s actually a very good choice.
When they retire, most people wish to remain as active as before, with a little twist… they want to remain active while doing what they love. This is why many decide to start a business; they’ve got the time, the energy, the experience, and some money.
Retirement is the perfect stage to become your own boss, why?
1.First, money.
Most people don’t retire wealthy. By starting your own business, you can earn some money to add to your wealth, be it that you have enough to live comfortably or want some extra cash. You can use part of your retirement money to start your venture.
2.Second, time.
Accept it, after retiring you will have a lot of time on your hands. You can spend your time thinking about creative business ideas, and take your time implementing them well. You can choose your schedule, work part-time or full-time, so that you can still do other activities like traveling or relaxing, and you can take a vacation anytime!
3.Third, experience.
After so many years of life and living, you are indeed an expert on how the business world works. You know about good customer service, you can feel what people want, and you are a great communicator. You acknowledge the great feeling that comes from doing a job right, and you know how to take calculated risks.
4.Fourth, energy.
You are still full of energy and your mind is sharp, maybe even more so than before. You can put all your energy into a worthy project instead of letting it die while you sit in front of the TV.
5.Fifth, control.
You probably know what it feels like to have a boss and to have someone else make all the rules, whether these worked for you or not. If you start a business, YOU make the rules, and you will succeed or fail on your own terms, with your decisions and knowledge.
6.Sixth, passion.
Have you been lucky enough to work on something you love? Probably not, most of us settle for a 9 to 5 schedule doing something we don’t find appealing just because we have to make a living. Our passions are mostly left for weekends or free time, but not after you retire! Once you do, you can devote all your time to what you love, and get paid to do it.
To begin with, connect with what you are passionate about. The more passionate you are about something, the more people will want to buy from you, because passion can be felt.
Then, create a business plan for what you want to sell. Keep it simple, and if you need help, get some business coaching, hit the library, browse the Internet, or get some business books for small business owners.
If you want help running your business, ask other retirees. There are lots of groups and organizations of retirees that give free advice to anyone starting a business.
Today, retirement should be seen as the opportunity to have a new life; don’t let it slip between your fingers.
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Rachel Clarkson
Rachel Clarkson helps small business owners to grow their companies, increase revenues and become great leaders. Rachel’s articles can be found at the OneCoach blog: http://www.OneCoach.com/blog