Monday, June 6, 2011

Life After Retirement: Starting A Business

Older entrepreneurs are rewriting the book on retirement. There are no rules, just fun! If you are looking for renewed purpose, starting your own business may be right for you.


Many of us are looking forward to retirement – that time where we can leave the rat race behind for good, sleep late and do what we want – all while still collecting a check. It sounds like the epilogue to the American Dream, a suitable ending to a fairytale life. However, things rarely work out quite that way.

Pensions and Social Security don’t seem to pay enough or we find that retirement leaves us with a little too much time on our hands. If you seem to have more month than money or just seem to be at a loss as to how to spend your time, and you aren’t quite ready to leave the race just yet, consider looking into the possibility of starting your own business.

Re-entering the workforce after retirement is growing increasingly popular. In 2005, U.S. labor force participation by men and women aged 55 and older was 70 percent, up from 64 percent in 1970. It has been suggested that those who work well past retirement age can expect to live longer lives with fewer health issues than those who do not. So while the benefits may be financial, working past retirement can also have physical benefits as well.

So how do you decide what your new career or business is going to be? Well, it might be better to keep things simple. Start with your interests. Like baking? Think about starting a home based business specializing in baked goods. Love to garden? Offer your services as a landscape consultant. Are you a great golfer? Why not offer some lessons at your local club? Whatever your interests and/or talents, you just might be able to make money while still doing what you love - and that my friends, is the trick to enjoying your latter years while still feeling productive!
You could also look into the possibility of owning a local franchise of an existing business. Or perhaps consider purchasing the business of someone else who is retiring.


If you decide to start your own business, try to keep your start-up costs at a minimum. Even if you have a substantial life savings, it would be unwise to risk huge amounts of it until you know your business is being successful.

Also, to keep from feeling overwhelmed, limit your work hours at first. We all like to think we can still do five things at once and keep up with the rest of the world but the reality is that as we age, we need to pace ourselves.


In the end remember that these are still your retirement years and you should be allowed to enjoy them!




*NOTE: There are also opportunities to work on line, which are great for seniors because it is not even necessary to get dressed, let alone leave home to make some money. Be very careful, however, because there are so many people on line who can't wait to get their hands on your hard-earned money. Before you get involved with any on line business, be sure to check it out with the Better Business Bureau.





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Don’t Just Live Life; Be A Part Of It!

The importance of continued socializing over 50 cannot be underestimated. Interacting with others is vital to your mental and emotional health. It can also be a whole lot of fun. What follows is some info to help you live a more satisfying social life as a Boomer!.


It’s all about helping you become more involved in life rather than sitting on the couch watching the world go by.


Continued socialization not only keeps your mind active, but it also helps you manage stress. We’re not talking about throwing a big party every weekend. We mean getting out of the house, meeting old friends and new people on a regular basis. Too many seniors fall into serious depression because they have no one to talk to, participate in activities with or share their lives with.

Being socially active also encourages you to take better care of yourself – making sure you bathe, practice oral hygiene and get dressed up once in a while. If you know company is coming, you are much more likely to tidy up the house and perhaps even cook or bake something special as well!

Often when we get older, we develop a sedentary lifestyle where we spend the majority of our spare time in solitary pursuits such as reading, playing computer games or watching television. For some people, the only time they get out is on special occasions when they visit with family and friends. It doesn’t have to be that way. There are many groups, activities and clubs that will welcome you and where you can be an actual part of life instead of sitting on the sidelines.

If you have an affiliation with a particular local church, you can get involved in their social activities. There are also senior’s clubs that hold card nights and/or dances. Most communities have one or more of these clubs. If you don’t feel comfortable with that idea, call your friends and get together one night a week, meet for lunch, take a nature walk, visit the local art gallery, enjoy a live theatre show or see a movie. Often families forget that getting together should be more than meeting for special occasions. You can do any of the above things with them too!

You might also consider taking up a hobby that will get you out and meeting people, such as golf, swimming or astronomy. You could also join a fitness club, take a class, learn to dance, join a choir, volunteer or even get a part-time job. If you find yourself over 50 and alone, you might also consider an over 50 singles group. Many of these hold such activities as dancing, card nights, picnics and general chats. As well, you could look into activities offered through libraries and local community centers. Any one of these things will give you a change of pace, help you meet others and provide you with a more optimistic outlook on life.

Of course, not all of your social interactions have to be active. This is most important for those with disabilities or other limitations to know. However, it is still necessary for you to feel social in some way, so why not just invite friends over for tea and a chat once a week. Even this small effort on your part will not just give you something to look forward to, but make all the difference as to how you view your world.


”And in the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.”

Attention Boomer Travelers!

Twitter has become a great way to find just the right people and information you need. If you're a boomer who enjoys traveling, take note of this Facebook site that I just learned about through a fellow Twitterer! Lots of good info here that you should take note of before you leave.

Just go HEREto see Baby Boomers Traveling.
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Monday, September 13, 2010

I just had to share this One!

Stranger In My Mirror
By Rose Madeline Mula

Please be careful. This person has found her way into my house and could also get into yours.
A very weird thing has happened. A strange old lady has moved into my house. I have no idea who she is, where she came from, or how she got in. I certainly did not invite her.

All I know is that one day, she wasn't there and the next day, she was.

She is a clever old lady and manages to keep out of sight for the most part, but whenever I pass a mirror I catch a glimpse of her. And whenever I look in the mirror to check my appearance, there she is hogging the whole thing, completely, obliterating my gorgeous face and body. This is very rude!

I have tried screaming at her, but she just screams back.

The least she could do is offer to pay part of the rent, but no.

Every once in a while, I find a dollar bill stuck in a coat pocket or some loose change under a sofa cushion, but it is not nearly enough. I don't want to jump to conclusions, but I think she is stealing money from me. I go to the ATM and withdraw $100 and a few days later, it's all gone!

I certainly don't spend money THAT fast, so I can only conclude the old lady is pilfering from me. You'd think she would spend some of that money to buy wrinkle cream.

And money isn't the only thing I think she is stealing. Food seems to disappear at an alarming rate-especially the good stuff like ice cream, cookies and candy. She must have a real sweet tooth, but she'd better watch it, because she is really packing on the pounds.

I suspect she realizes this, and to make herself feel better, she is tampering with my scale to make me think I am putting on weight too.

For an old lady, she is quite childish. She likes to play nasty games, like going into my closets when I'm not home and altering my clothes so they don't fit.

And she messes with files and papers so I can't find anything. This is particularly annoying since I am extremely neat and organized.

She has found other imaginative ways to annoy me. She gets into my mail, newspapers and magazines before I do and blurs the print so I can't read it.
And she has done something really sinister to the volume controls on my TV, radio and telephone. Now, all I hear are mumbles and whispers.

She has done other things - like make my stairs steeper, my vacuum heavier and all the knobs and faucets harder to turn. She even made my bed higher so that getting into and out of it is a real challenge.

Lately, she has been fooling with my groceries before I put them away, applying glue to the lids, making it almost impossible for me to open the jars.

She has taken the fun out of shopping for clothes. When I try something on, she stands in front of the dressing room mirror and monopolizes it. She looks totally ridiculous in some of those outfits, plus she keeps me from seeing how great they look on me. Just when I thought she couldn't get any meaner, she proved me wrong.

She came along when I went to get my picture taken for my driver's license and just as the camera shutter clicked, she jumped in front of me.

I hope she never finds out where you live.

I really do!
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Friday, September 3, 2010

Thoughts on Getting Older



What follows is a short article written by an anonymous person. However, it contains some great insights into how one person felt about the process of getting older. I hope you can relate. I know I can.

I would never trade my amazing friends, my wonderful life, my loving family for less gray hair or a flatter belly. As I've aged, I've become kinder to myself, and less critical of myself. I've become my own friend.. I don't chide myself for eating that extra cookie, or for not making my bed, or for buying that silly cement gecko that I didn't need, but looks so avante garde on my patio. I am entitled to a treat, to be messy, to be extravagant.

I have seen too many dear friends leave this world too soon; before they understood the great freedom that comes with aging.

Whose business is it if I choose to read or play on the computer until 4 a.m. and sleep until noon? I will dance with myself to those wonderful tunes of the 60 &70's, and if I, at the same time, wish to weep over a lost love ... I will.
I will walk the beach in a swim suit that is stretched over a bulging body, and will dive into the waves with abandon if I choose to, despite the pitying glances from the jet set.

They, too, will get old.

I know I am sometimes forgetful. But there again, some of life is just as well forgotten. And I eventually remember the important things.

Sure, over the years my heart has been broken. How can your heart not break when you lose a loved one, or when a child suffers, or even when somebody's beloved pet gets hit by a car? But broken hearts are what give us strength and understanding and compassion. A heart never broken is pristine and sterile and will never know the joy of being imperfect.

I am so blessed to have lived long enough to have my hair turning gray, and to have my youthful laughs be forever etched into deep grooves on my face.
So many have never laughed, and so many have died before their hair could turn silver.

As you get older, it is easier to be positive. You care less about what other people think. I don't question myself anymore..

I've even earned the right to be wrong.

So, to answer your question, I like being old. It has set me free. I like the person I have become. I am not going to live forever, but while I am still here, I will not waste time lamenting what could have been, or worrying about what will be. And I shall eat dessert every single day (if I feel like it).
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