BabyBoomersBlueprint

Being a self employed entrepreneur and working from home has so many benefits.  Have you ever thought about the freedom you could have waking up without an alarm clock?  Working for awhile and taking an exercise break?  Coming back to work and not fighting traffic or paying for gas?  And now here’s another huge benefit… being able to work from anywhere?

Right now I am working from the patio of an apartment I’ve rented for a couple of weeks in Zihuantanejo, Mexico. You’ve got to love my office view!  What’s stopping you?

Until next time,  J.
“Take control of your destiny or someone else will”

It is no surprise whether you are retiring and looking for another career, or whether you’re stuck with this economy, more and more people are looking to start home based businesses.  This article by Cheryl Kimball and Entrepreneur Press list 55 business startup ideas. These are separated into 3 categories:

• Startups under $1500
• Startups under $3000
• Startups Over $3000 (but might not exceed $5000)

It’s worth looking at because they don’t just list the idea, but provide a short comment on how to get started.  It was interesting though, that I didn’t see much having to do with online marketing, most were service related.  Lots of great food for thought though!  Visit: www.businessonmain.msn.com

Until next time, J.
“Take control of your destiny or someone else will”

As baby boomers are rapidly approach what used to be defined as “retirement age”, a big concern often comes up about whether there will be enough retirement savings in place to be able to live a comfortable life later in life.  There have been plenty of rumbles from Washington that the Social Security system will not be able to bear up under the huge demand the boomer generation will put on it.  So few baby boomers are looking to depend on that money being there, even though we are all paying into it every month.

On top of that worry, the method our parents used of working for the same company for 50 years and retiring with a hefty financial package and a gold watch has gone the way of the dinosaurs.  Long ago corporate America began Read the rest of this entry »

Welcome back to the last part of how to start a side business without quitting your day job….

6.    Plan to act.

You now have all of the tools needed to get create a plan of action for your business idea(s). You may have 3 options or more on your list. Continuing with the exercises presented in this article learn more about what’s needed for your business. See what additional skills are needed to get started. Find out what fees and licensing if any are needed to get started with your business. Add additional columns if needed to your checklist so you can visually see the results.

Start a second page to make notes of your plan of action after completing your research. This is where you will list all of your tasks needed to achieve your objectives. You’ll also want to set small milestones for yourself so you can chart your progress.

As you are starting your side business share it with your immediate family as you’ll need their complete support. Only start sharing your plans outside of Read the rest of this entry »

Welcome back to the next part of how to start a side business without quitting your day job….

3.    Be realistic about funding.

It may seem a bit premature to think about funding before narrowing down a business idea, however, much like time it’s important to be realistic about what money you have available to invest in your business. Knowing this early on will help you to eliminate business ideas that do not match what you are able to invest. Consider not only what funds you have to invest, but whether you want to include partners or get a bank loan. Answering these questions helps to narrow or broaden your business options. The great thing about being an entrepreneur is that it doesn’t matter how much or how little money you have to get started, you can still get started. When being realistic about your funds have a ballpark figure of what you can invest. You may not need as much money as you thought, but it’s good to have a general budget to start.

4.    How do you determine business opportunities that work best for you?

We are building on the previous steps. At this point, you should have a list of things you are passionate about, you should know how much time you have to commit to your business, and how much you have available to invest. Looking at your list of passions make note of the ones in which business ideas can easily be developed. Remember my organizing friend? Her passion easily can be turned into a business. If you have not gotten your list together stop right here and complete your list.

Looking at your list of passions with business potential, make note of the time commitment involved on a scale of Read the rest of this entry »