Bizeinstein

Laid Off At 50?

The December Issue of the AARP Bulletin contains an article about individuals who were laid off from their jobs after the age of 50.   Some were 60 and older.  It tells the story about how the individuals started their own enterprises and found satisfaction in them.

The article also reported that 15 percent of workers ages 50-64 are self-employed and that 25 percent are 65 or older.  Are you in this age category and out of work?   Do you still feel you have the knowledge, skills and vitality to be a contributing member of the workforce?  I’m sure you do.  Why not consider starting your own business. It doesn’t have to be large.  Maybe just you.

Where do you start?  Well how about a hobby you’ve enjoyed.  Can you turn it into a paying enterprise?  Or can you take your business skills from your previous employer or employers and turn that into a business enterprise?  Not sure how to do it?  There are many organizations out their that can help gain the knowledge you need to get started.

  There are Small Business Development Centers around the country with excellent counselors that can help you. The organization SCORE can also help.  The latter two organizations are sponsered by the US Government and are free.  There is this web site which offersfree information and  you can also go to our LINKS button and you’ll find a “link” to many more sites.

You may be laid off and  Over 50 but you can start a successful business venture and find great staisfaction in doing so. The opportunity is not without risk certainly, but you have a lot of help out there. Take advantage of it and good luck.

Posted in 50+, Faces Over 50, General Business, Home Based Business, Self employment, Technology, entrepreneurship, global business | No Comments »

Business Plans and Road Maps

Although we use a GPS now more than we do roadmaps, I was looking at an old map recently and got to thinking about its similarity to a business plan.

Main thouroughfares or interstates are your basic idea.

Intersections or exit ramps are options you must decide to take -sometimes it is even necessary to reverse course a bit when you make a wrong turn or take a wrong exit just don’t back up the “off” ramp.

Corners or curves can be handled unless you’re going to fast or not paying attention; then you can lose it.

Above all, a map shows you were you started and where you are going. This is the same focus for a business plan.

A business plan won’t keep you from making mistakes but, like a map, it helps you to stay more or less on the right road until you get where you want to go; even with a few corrections along the way, Like our old maps, or the new GPS in your dash, it’s always good to have a plan ready and to actually use it.

Posted in 50+, Business Info, Economy, General Business, Management, Self employment, Success Principles, entrepreneurship, family business, finance, marketing, networking | No Comments »

Pride versus Confidence

Being proud and being confident sound pretty similar and can be mistaken for each other.

We see someone who is proud of their accomplishment and they show it by raising a fist, flashing a “We’re number one” or otherwise letting you know “they done good”, at least according to them. We see others who face a situation, take a deep breath and “just do it” look at their result and move on. 

Are these the same things? I don’t think so. It’s a short journey from proud to arrogant. All too often it seems today we see more of the later than the former. Also, we see a lot of our business leaders today who don’t seem to take pride in what they do as much as they put forth a defiant stance.

Confidence is also sometimes confused with arrogance. People act out of a sense of arrogance and entitlement. Confidence is not putting others down and “slamming” your opposition. It’s acting on your beliefs in a manner that demonstrates to others that you are following your beliefs with a fairness and openmindedness.

We seem to have put these two concepts on the back burner these days. Isn’t it about time we dusted them off and returned them to our business conversation.

Posted in 50+, Business Info, Economy, General Business, Success Principles, entrepreneurship, family business, finance | 1 Comment »