Divorcee Seeks To Start A Business

May 4, 2015

Dear Cathy:

I am a 60 year old divorcee who recently retired.  I am interested in starting a business but I am not sure which would be the best for me.  My ex-husband and I have real estate holdings in 3 different states, however, I would like to do something else.  I am unsure of how to start a business so how do I proceed?  Unsure in Missouri

Dear Unsure:

First of all, everyone needs to look at their own skills or background.  Sometimes we don’t have to duplicate the wheel.  You don’t get to be 60 years old without picking up certain talents in your life so everyone has some type of talent or passion which is of value to others. 

You need to find out where the pain is at in the community and create a business that is going to solve problems in the community. But remember second careers are about passions so start a business around your passions.  

Some exercises you can take to help you look at your own skills and talents include: 

1)    Write down all your past titles:  As a business owner, you need to have a good understanding of your strengths and weaknesses.  Writing down your titles will not only help you realize your strengths and weaknesses, it will also help you see some of the skills you have that will help you market your business.

2)    Write down successes:  All of us have had small and large successes in our lives.  We need to celebrate those successes and apply that same type of behavior that we used to gain those successes to become successful business owners. 

To obtain a list of easy-to-start businesses you can read “The New CEO: 185 Easy-To-Set Up Businesses for Youth and Adult Entrepreneurs” – available as an e-book and paperback and coming soon as an audiobook.