Seniors Working Online from Home – What you Need to Know
Many older folks, especially seniors, are clamoring to learn about computers and the Internet. They didn’t grow up learning about computers since they were little tots like the younger generation. If they are computer literate they can make money to supplement their retirement incomes and socialize with others.
They’re part of a movement which can keep seniors working and independent for the rest of their lives barring severe health problems.
You Need a Computer and Access to the Internet
If you have a computer and access to the Internet, you are already well on your way to building a home-based business.
A home-based business lets seniors set their own hours and be their own boss. How efficient they are, and how much effort they put into it determine how much money they’ll make.
Many seniors already have valuable skills learned from jobs they’ve had throughout their lives. Thanks to the Internet, seniors can now put some of those skills to work. Not by going off to work, but from the comfort of their own homes. This was essentially unheard of until about the 1980s.
You Will Need a Little Money to Get Started
Although it is probably possible to get online for free and even set up a website, don’t count on it. There will always be some expenses you’ll have to bear. First there’s the cost of being connected to the internet.
If you have a website, and that’s a good idea, there is a cost for your domain and website hosting. Even if you use WordPress, and that’s recommended, there could be costs for premium themes or plugins.
Those costs are small, and of little consequence once you start making money. There are other costs you may eventually incur. Just don’t get caught up in all the bells and whistles you could have. The object is to make money. All else can be put aside until you are actually making money from your online efforts.
What can seniors do Online?
Work in areas such as sales, administrative, finance and research can be done online. Not only that, but you could easily have your own blog or other kind of website. That opens the way to making money from ads on your site. Then there is eCommerce where you can sell products from your own site.
More and more companies are outsourcing jobs to home-based offices. This cuts down on their overhead. They don’t run the risk of having a full-time employee who doesn’t have enough work to keep them busy all the time.
Seniors can capitalize on that scenario. They can develop relationships with several companies – keeping as busy as they would like. Setting your own hours and taking off when necessary is a big plus if working on a computer from home.
Whether you know a lot or little about computers or the Internet, there are local and online classes for beginners. There are both free and paid learning options available. Learn all you can. When you’re ready you’ll know the type of business you want to start.
Age has no Bearing on an Online Business
Don’t be afraid you’re too old to start a business. There are more Internet entrepreneurs now who are over the age of 55 than those between the ages of 20 to 35. The startup costs are very small online compared to “brick and mortar” businesses.
You will likely be able to add an Internet connection to your television package for a small fee. That is, if you don’t already have one. If you’ve had children you probably already have an internet connection. Working from home means you’ll have no startup costs such as office space or employees. Of course there will be some much smaller startup costs in most cases.
You can be your only employee until you decide to branch out and then you can enlist the help of many available freelancers. You’ll find social media full of boomers, retirees and seniors who are also looking for ways to earn money from home.
Your Own Business Online at any Age?
Even though they may have planned for retirement, most seniors are finding it difficult to make ends meet. Often their income depends on what they’ve saved during their main productive lives. You can work full time or part time, depending on your needs.
If you’re not sick or heavily incapacitated in some way don’t let age stop you from going online. A good example is myself. Being three-quarters of a century old hasn’t stopped me. In fact I’m essentially starting over online after a decade of “fooling around.” Read some of the articles here on my Yolky blog.
I’ve had a lot of experiences in several fields, plus business that I could easily share, some of which I have. The point is, age shouldn’t stop you from going online if you are a senior.
Build your business to be a part time way to supplement your income. You could be a freelancer working for other online entrepreneurs. Alternately you could shoot for the top and go for the gold and build an empire. It’s all within the realm of possibilities if you’re willing to learn and do the work!
If you’re a senior and have gone online enter a comment about your experience below.
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