Yes, contribution counts at any age. And there are mentors, courses, and tools to learn what you need. The key is to find a community and coach that solves your problem as it arises so you don't get stuck and disheartened on the learning curve.
Love this message - you can do anything, yes even start a business, at 50!
Many of my clients are 50+, experienced former corporate executives who have decided they want more from their lives and have turned to entrepreneurship.
I will take exception to your one point - anyone can run a business. Yes, those with previous experience are likely to succeed again (though not always).
But, nope, not everyone can. Most people (specifically those who've never been in business before) need experienced guidance to avoid costly mistakes. Having a mentor (paid or otherwise) who has the experience, can make all the difference in the success of your business :)
Running a business requires learning new skills and making independent decisions. Most people will never do this because the education system, jobs, and families teach us the opposite—obedience, dependence on the environment, and others. Entrepreneurship challenges social norms and a predesigned lifestyle.
I agree that mentorship can help. Having a mentor who guides you, enables you to avoid mistakes, and speeds up success is priceless.
Yes, love the bit about niches. We are solopreneurs. We are not large corporations. That means that we can niche down to a topic we can reasonably manage and go deeply on. It's amazing how - when wisely done - seemingly small niches can support a solopreneur business very well.
Ageism is the only ism that still seems to be endorsed, isn’t it?
I did a short course on how to organize ideas for writing and I was amazed that the younger presenters were talking about going on line to find ideas and information.
All my information is in my head, from over 40 years of being in the workforce and experience.
That is why we must become more vocal and visible to change people's perspectives about aging.
I love your short course story. That is why I always talk about the decades of real-life experience that can never be replaced, even by the best online research.
Hi Jerry this is a great article and I am recalibrating my offering at the moment. What I realised is that … less is more and it took me years to reach this conclusion. When one is very creative one tends to suffer from the shiny object syndrome. Clarity is needed and I am going for a walk to muse a bit over your article and where to focus my attention! 😀
Thanks, Karina. You are absolutely right. We tend to overcomplicate everything. It is better to simplify the offer and overdeliver.
I agree - clarity is the key. Once you simplify your offer, validate with a warm market first, and based on the feedback, you may even tweak it slightly. It is part of the process. Good luck, and let me know how it goes. :)
This is solid advice Jerry! Thank you for your words! I am refining the offer .. always tend to want to do/offer too much! Hmmm time to change the pattern.
We all believe in some lies, and they stop us from achieving our full potential. Mindset is crucial to success. That is why we need to debunk those lies to take action and move forward.
Yes, contribution counts at any age. And there are mentors, courses, and tools to learn what you need. The key is to find a community and coach that solves your problem as it arises so you don't get stuck and disheartened on the learning curve.
That is very true, Jeanette. Finding the right community or coach can speed up the process, avoid common mistakes, and save frustration.
Yay to reinvention after 50!!
I couldn´t agree more, Michelle!
Love this message - you can do anything, yes even start a business, at 50!
Many of my clients are 50+, experienced former corporate executives who have decided they want more from their lives and have turned to entrepreneurship.
I will take exception to your one point - anyone can run a business. Yes, those with previous experience are likely to succeed again (though not always).
But, nope, not everyone can. Most people (specifically those who've never been in business before) need experienced guidance to avoid costly mistakes. Having a mentor (paid or otherwise) who has the experience, can make all the difference in the success of your business :)
Running a business requires learning new skills and making independent decisions. Most people will never do this because the education system, jobs, and families teach us the opposite—obedience, dependence on the environment, and others. Entrepreneurship challenges social norms and a predesigned lifestyle.
I agree that mentorship can help. Having a mentor who guides you, enables you to avoid mistakes, and speeds up success is priceless.
I appreciate your comment.
I already run my own business, but thank you for the reminder that great things can still be achieved after 50.
That is fantastic, Cathy! I am so happy to see more success stories like yours.
Yes, love the bit about niches. We are solopreneurs. We are not large corporations. That means that we can niche down to a topic we can reasonably manage and go deeply on. It's amazing how - when wisely done - seemingly small niches can support a solopreneur business very well.
You are so right, Julie. As solopreneurs, we can sometimes tackle very narrow and weird niches, which fascinates me.
Ageism is the only ism that still seems to be endorsed, isn’t it?
I did a short course on how to organize ideas for writing and I was amazed that the younger presenters were talking about going on line to find ideas and information.
All my information is in my head, from over 40 years of being in the workforce and experience.
That is why we must become more vocal and visible to change people's perspectives about aging.
I love your short course story. That is why I always talk about the decades of real-life experience that can never be replaced, even by the best online research.
Thanks for your comment, Wendy!
The hurdle to start was never so small. Reading and learning about unknown ways to do things should become your best friends.
I started after 50 and after a heart attack. So, what's your excuse?😎🤔
That is so true. Thanks for sharing your story . It is truly empowering.
Hi Jerry this is a great article and I am recalibrating my offering at the moment. What I realised is that … less is more and it took me years to reach this conclusion. When one is very creative one tends to suffer from the shiny object syndrome. Clarity is needed and I am going for a walk to muse a bit over your article and where to focus my attention! 😀
Thanks, Karina. You are absolutely right. We tend to overcomplicate everything. It is better to simplify the offer and overdeliver.
I agree - clarity is the key. Once you simplify your offer, validate with a warm market first, and based on the feedback, you may even tweak it slightly. It is part of the process. Good luck, and let me know how it goes. :)
This is solid advice Jerry! Thank you for your words! I am refining the offer .. always tend to want to do/offer too much! Hmmm time to change the pattern.
Refining the offer based on the feedback and data is part of the journey. You got it, Karina!
These are great pieces of advice and I’ve definitely been stuck believing all of the traps at some point. Thank you for putting them out there!
We all believe in some lies, and they stop us from achieving our full potential. Mindset is crucial to success. That is why we need to debunk those lies to take action and move forward.
I appreciate your comment.