How to Use Age to Your Advantage When Starting a Business Online as a Senior

When using age to your advantage it’s much more than a number

Using age to your advantage took me a long time to fully understand as a senior citizen. You’re so focused on your career and getting things done that few people really start to think about their senior life.

Then comes retirement, and not until you one day break your routine for many years will you be hit by the fact that you actually are retired. By taking measures time before retirement and preparing your new way of living, the “hit” at least will be softer.

Some will go crazy when going from an accelerated lifestyle to a calm and, for many, an “empty” new reality. For others, the “sh.t hits the fan” when the first pension check arrives. It’s hard to face the reality of a monthly income far below what you used to get. If you put these two “hit in the face” realities together, the probability of depression is high.

Thanks to technology and the digitalization of the world, the chances to create income streams online are higher than ever.

“Yes, but that is for younger generations who know all that new technical stuff” – is a common excuse not to even give it a fair chance.

There are many reasons in favor of starting an online business in life. What about this one?

Studies show that your chances to launch a high-growth startup are twice as likely if you’re over 55 years old than those under 35 years old.

Using Age to Your Advantage is About Your Mindset

We are all impressed by those younger “gurus” going from zero to hero in record time. Mark Zuckerberg, Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, and Elon Musk are just a few examples of highly successful entrepreneurs having a significant impact on your mindset.

It’s easy to use these examples as an excuse to not even try, but…..

…..why don’t having a look at some other very successful entrepreneurs.

Ray Kroc started McDonald’s in his early 50ths. Carlos Sanders started Kentucky Fried Chicken at the age of 65. What about Gordon Bowker, who founded Starbucks at the age of 52? The more you search, the more you’ll find.

So, let’s kill once and for all that age should be an obstacle to starting a business.

If you still are doubting and maybe arguing that doing business online at your age would be a valid argument, just look at this.

What is then holding you back?

“Look in the mirror. That’s your competition.”

With the mindset correctly in place, let’s dive into the steps to take to mold your age to your advantage.

Experience

A long career behind, of course, will leave some sort of footprint. The daily work for many years often fades out the enormous advantage of your life experience. Stop for a minute and make a review of your life so far. Think about all the mistakes you made. What did you learn from all the failures? What success stories are you proud of? In what particular area do people see you as an authority?

Take this exercise seriously, and you will find plenty of skills and knowledge with your experience and age to your advantage.

Financial status

Wealthy or not, all years of working are accumulating some sort of funds. You’re not starting from scratch like back in your early 20ths. Your experience is also teaching you how to be resourceful. Use this unique knowledge!

Particularly in today’s online world, it’s easy to fall into the trap of the so-called “shiny objects.” No one is better “trained” than mature adults with years of experience to avoid those traps.

Whatever business you would like to start, you’ll always need startup capital. Nothing is for free! (If you come across something for “free,” get away from it as quickly as possible. It’s pore fake!)

The advantage we have today with the online industry is that the investment is lower than ever. You don’t need an investment of millions like the franchise opportunities you can find in the market.

Time

The third unique advantage as a senior is that you will have a lot of available time. I mean, the day you officially retire, you will have 8 hours a day to fill up with something.

The immediate reaction will be that when you have time as a retiree, you will do things you didn’t have time to do when working. You will spend more time with your spouse, children, grandkids, and friends. All that is good news, but there are 40 hours of released free time every single week.

According to some sources, retirees are 40% more likely than workers to suffer from clinical depression. The boredom of not having much to do is the main reason.

Become an Online Entrepreneur with Age to Your Advantage

Suppose you tie together these unique characteristics you have as a senior. In that case, you’ll probably start to perceive the unique opportunities just in front of your eyes. Your experience, particular financial status, and time available will make you competitive in the fast-growing marketplace for digital entrepreneurs.

Now the last question mark to bend out before going ahead. What kind of business will suit you best as an average baby boomer with little or no technical skills at all in the digital environment?

Once you’re committed to doing something, you will quickly notice that there are many options to choose from. You can do eCommerce and sell physical products through Amazon, eBay, Shopify, or similar platforms.

If you have specific skills, you can become a consultant and find your potential customers on the Internet. Perhaps, you already have a product ready for commercialization on the web.

Whatever your idea is, and no matter what attracts you the most, I always recommend every single candidate who still is with me in this article to always start with an…..

Affiliate business

There are many reasons why affiliate marketing is so popular among all people entering the online environment. Here are some of the most important ones:

No need for your own product
No inventory tieing up capital
All necessary marketing material already done for you
You don’t have to care for the necessary customer service
A flexible model allowing you to work on your terms
And many more….

Of course, there are plenty of different affiliate programs out there. You must do your research to end up right from the beginning. Checkpoint to tick off:

Clearly establish commission system with monthly payouts
Reliable customer service available
Set up allowing you to build your customer list with leads coming in
Money-back guarantee
Complete system and platform where you get all you need, including
Training
Coaching
Support
Platform to build your website
Community with likeminded entrepreneurs

If this sounds good to you, check this out and go for it.

If you would like to learn more about affiliate marketing, check these articles:

“How to be Successful in Affiliate Marketing 2021”

“Why Affiliate Marketing is the Best Option for Seniors Starting an Online Business”

“How Seniors Starting Affiliate Marketing Can Change the Way of Living”

A new episode in your life

After reading this article, you have two options:

Continue as before, with a possible downgrading of your lifestyle as a retiree
Click here to give your own future as a retiree a fair chance to maintain your lifestyle and even upgrade it. Start doing all that you have in your planning as a retiree, but that so far not have been possible to materialize due to….yes, you know what.

If you still have some more years to go before retirement will be a reality, start acting now. It’s a perfect moment to prepare for your retirement and have a flying start when the age is there.

“Dream Big. Start Small. Act Now” – Robin Sharma

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