I’ve had my own home business for 20 years.  There are a lot of misconceptions about home businesses.  Twenty years ago, saying you had a “home business” often conjured up the idea of either a casual part-time business, or a business that was really just a “hobby” and didn’t make any real money.  However, I’ve always called my business a home business, because that’s what it is.  I have a business.  My office is in my home.  Most of my business is conducted from my home .  And while I might not work 40 hours a week most weeks, it’s always provided a full-time income for me and met my obligations in supporting my family.  So today I’m starting a series on why a home business is a good idea, no matter who you are! This first topic is near and dear to my heart though!

In Home Business, Your Age Doesn’t Matter

Image by jscreationzs freedigitalphotos.net

As I’ve written before, recently my husband quit his engineering job, just shy of his 59th birthday. While he’s been an engineer for his entire career, this particular position lasted 17 years. Most of the people in his office probably assumed that he would be there until “retirement”, simply because at 58-11/12, where are you really going to go?  The idea of looking for a “new job” is very daunting as we age.  And quite honestly, it doesn’t matter if you are working for an hourly wage or bringing in a 6 figure corporate income, the fear of having to “start over” when you have passed the age of 50 is a real one.

Home business doesn’t care how old you are.  And before you start saying “but I’m too old to take the risk/learn new skills/start new endeavors” let me remind you that the biggest risk you can take in today’s job market just might be relying on that “lifetime job” to get you to retirement.  So, even if you have a job that you just love, and assume you’ll be there until the end of your career, making some adjustments in your thinking can keep you from panicking if for some reason the day comes when you are faced with finding income with dwindling job opportunities.

Home businesses can range from contract work/consulting in the field in which you currently work, taking a passion you have (health, fitness, photography, writing, teaching, etc.) into a business, or even delving into affiliate or relationship marketing.  The sky really is the limit.

Don’t wait until there is no choice though!  As you’ll see in future posts in this series, there probably isn’t anyone (at least in the US, and most other countries as well) who cannot benefit from a home business of some kind.  So start thinking about what you can do for a home business today!