You could take to your front-porch rocking chair and watch traffic go by. Or become a snowbird and spend half of your golden years on Florida golf courses. Or start your own business.
That last possibility isn’t among the most obvious post-retirement options, but it’s a viable one. Especially if you focus on opportunities that carry low risks, minimal investment, and maximum satisfaction. After all, it might not be so much a matter of needing the income as it is welcoming the challenge (in addition to increasing your net worth).
You wouldn’t be such an outlier today. After all, 37% of American businesses are owned by those who are in their boomer years or older. But why?
Why Starting a Business in Retirement Makes Financial Sense
First of all, your financial needs are probably smaller than they once were. You’re not saving for your first home, raising kids, or sending those same offspring to college. Perhaps your home is paid off, so you don’t have a mortgage, and you’re likely to already have some income sources lined up. That could mean a combination of Social Security, a pension, or proceeds from a retirement plan.
You might also have some special tax advantages due to your age. For instance, the IRS currently has a new deduction of $6,000 for citizens 65 and older. Ask your tax preparer for details.
Of course, that doesn’t mean every business enterprise is the right one for you. That’s why you’ll want to take your time and choose wisely.
Top Service-Based Retirement Business Ideas
You don’t necessarily want a concept so complex and expensive that it requires Wall Street investors and multiple partners. You also don’t want to work 80 hours a week, as you might have cheerfully done when you were decades younger.
You probably don’t want to have to rent space for offices or a warehouse, or immediately hire a workforce of dozens or more. You’d prefer to be your sole employee (at least initially) and be able to work from home if you prefer. Your start-up costs should be as low as the risk factor.
That’s why the following category recommendations are all service businesses. Your capital needs will be minimal, there’s little or no inventory or equipment to buy, and you can operate on your own terms, in your own time. Check these out.
Consulting Services
What did you do in your career-active years? If you were an accountant or bookkeeper, you could keep the books for small businesses or do tax preparation services for individuals.
If you were in law enforcement, you might be able to market security services to businesses or commercial property owners. Offer creative consultative services if you were in advertising or promotion.
In other words, senior consultants market their acquired wisdom. Whatever knowledge you picked up can be passed along to parties in need of that same information and guidance. Your experience is valuable.
Tutoring and Educational Services
You might teach kids to play guitar or improve their math skills. You could help high schoolers prepare for their college admissions exams or law students pass the bar.
Much like consultants, you’re passing along your acquired wisdom as a tutor, but it’s more one-on-one, and your “clients” might be younger than if you were a consultant. Your life experiences and patience are your assets.
Concierge Services
“Concierge” means simply personalized assistance. You’re helping someone do something. As such, you could aid homebound seniors by running errands and doing light housekeeping. You might be a dogwalker or someone’s personal shopper or driver.
There are several advantages to such services. First, you’re doing important work in helping others. And there’s rarely any special equipment, supplies, or gear. You’ll work from home and likely find good demand for what you do.
Tech Advisor
Yes, a tech advisor. The cliche is that old folks hire 12-year-olds to handle their technical needs. Or they’ve never seen a computer up close in their lives. Not true. Many of today’s seniors are quite technologically advanced — and there’s a need for their expertise.
A good starting point is to work with other seniors, who might feel more comfortable with you as a teacher than with a high school student. You can work alone or through various online educational platforms such as Udemy, Skillshare, or Coursera.
However you do it, you’ll bust the stereotype of seniors being lost in today’s complicated digital world. You’ll prove yourself to be an expert in high demand.
Insurance Franchisee
When you own a business franchise, you’re the boss. You own the company. But the company is part of a network established by a corporation with a track record of success in its field. If you join the right franchise, you get the benefit of a strong and proven name and all of the training, 24/7 support, and guidance you need. A good franchise operation can even help a first-time business owner (of any age) succeed.
But why insurance? For one thing, you won’t have such intense capital demands as a building, signage, inventory, or workforce. You can operate out of your own home. There’s no physical stock to buy or store, and no immediate workforce needs. You can work by yourself, at least until your business grows to the point that you must hire help.
In addition, insurance is a product and a concept you know well. Over your life, you’ve probably bought auto, homeowners, and life insurance. Maybe other lines as well. Millions of other people do the same, and are prospects every day. Everyone you know requires coverage of one kind or another (or several products). The need is truly universal.
Just make sure that your franchisor has a known and trusted name and that you get a protected territory so that you’re not competing for the same customers with other franchisees.
Getting Started: Essential Steps for Retirement Entrepreneurs
Think carefully about it. Plan ahead. Figure in your financial resources, and only seriously consider a post-retirement business opportunity if it feels like something you want to do, would be good at, and can find the right low-risk, high-reward blend to stay secure.
Here’s what else you need to do or consider.
Upfront Research
Some opportunities look great until you look closer. Don’t impulsively buy or start any business. Take your time and do your research. How many hours a week do you want to work? Will you have to work weekends and holidays? Would that be a problem? And most of all, what will your opportunity cost? What will it really cost?
If you have investors or partners in mind, bring them in early and listen to their insights. And definitely get your accountant involved.
If any business seller puts on the rush, back away. If you don’t get comprehensive answers to every question, consider instead the next opportunity.
Legal and Insurance Requirements
This is where you bring in the experts. Put a lawyer and an insurance advisor on speed dial. Every business enterprise carries different legal roadblocks and business insurance needs. Get all of this information upfront so you can add these costs to your start-up estimate and see what kind of initial funding you’ll need.
Marketing Your New Venture
How will you introduce yourself and draw an audience? You’ll need most or all of the following: a company name, logo, ads or commercials, website, business cards, and leave-behind literature.
If your career wasn’t in advertising, you might definitely need the help of an agency or a freelance team that includes at least one copywriter, graphic designer, web developer, and ecommerce advisor. Add those resources to your start-up budget.
Franchise Planning
Are you seriously considering becoming a franchisee? That might be your most obstacle- and hassle-free option. You could forget about the marketing resources, because a good franchisor has spent years — or decades — launching effective marketing campaigns. That’s why your audience knows and trusts your brand. (Oh yeah, no need to come up with a company name or logo.)
A quality franchise comes with a built-in audience that is likely to already know what you sell, and to want it.
But not all franchise operations are the same. Shop carefully. If one particular franchise sounds like it could leave you operating the kind of business that might excite you, contact the franchise rep. They should be easy to find online. Ask the awkward money questions early in the chat. You don’t want to waste anyone’s time (especially your own) if you can’t afford the franchise fee and other upfront expenses.
Get a franchise disclosure document, or FDD. It’s required by federal law that franchisors have such a document, detailing the costs, responsibilities, and other relevant details of the corporation and the franchise relationship. Pass along your FDD to your advisors for their input.
Then chat with other franchisees just to make sure the story is the same “on the street” as it is from the lips of the franchise rep. If you contact franchisees far outside of your own desired territory and make sure they understand the lack of competitive conflict, they’ll be likely to talk frankly with you. Ask them about their time commitment, investment costs, and relationships with their franchisor. Do they get the help and support they need, when they need it?
Consider Freeway Insurance for Your Low-Risk, High-Reward Retirement Business
One of the best business ideas for retirees might be a Freeway Insurance franchise. We’re among the nation’s top personal lines insurance resources, with a name that’s known, trusted, and preferred. And we’re looking for talented business owners in franchise-ready markets all across the country.
There are no inventory, equipment, infrastructure, or staffing costs to worry about. You can start from your home office with you as your solo employee. Best of all, we’ll support you every step of the way, with top-tier training and ongoing guidance when you ask for it. We’ll even help you identify and obtain the certification you’ll need to operate as an agent in your state.
Furthermore, you’ll receive renewal and residual income for every sale. That means you continue to earn commissions for as long as your policyholder continues to pay premiums. How’s that for a retirement plan?
Among senior entrepreneur opportunities, we think Freeway might be your top choice. If you’d like to further explore the opportunity, call your Freeway Insurance franchise representative today at 1-877-822-3024.
Or give us your contact information online, and we’ll check in with you.
