1.  Write about it.  Many boomers are writing books describing their experiences in business.  Or write an e-book and sell it online.  Or write that “Great American Novel” like Stephen King.

2.  Volunteer.  Use your experience to help others.  Join the Peace Corps, volunteer with SCORE or ACCION International or one of the thousands of great organizations that need your experience.

3.  Start a Business.  After having worked for many years in a large company, I can tell you first-hand how much fun it is to start your own business.  I was tired of having to go through a committee to get anything done, when I knew from experience the best way to do it.  Starting your own business can give you the mental challenge you need, but be prepared for hard work!  If you need help figuring out what to start, look into your experience and interests, and get going.

4.  Consult.  Many companies need consultants, and your experience can pay off big-time as a well-paid consultant.  Many companies re-hire former employees as consultants, paying you better than you made as a full-time person.  Or go to your company’s competitors and offer to share your experiences (be careful not to violate any non-competes or copyrights.)

5.  Work part-time for a company.  My husband retired in July, is getting a pension, and he is working part-time with a small company.  He is using his experience to help them, and he’s getting additional money.  The big benefit to this kind of work is the flexibility – we can take off on trips when we want to.

6.  (I thought of another one) Work for your family. Sometimes this is tricky, but you could work as an employee in a business your children are running.  Or let them take over your business and work part-time as a consultant.

There are probably a thousand ways you can use your experience in a second career or volunteer work.  What appeals to you?

Post from: Small Business Boomers

(photo: Amazon)

King tells his story of how he started writing as a youngster, how his wife Tabitha fished his draft of Carrie out of the trash, and the rest is history. He also tells of his drug and alcohol addiction and his family’s intervention, and his life since then.

The advice comes in the second part of the book. If you want to write, here is what King urges you to do:

1. Read. Read everything, good and bad. Read the bad so you can see why it’s bad. Read the good and think about what you’re reading. If you don’t read a lot, King says, you can’t be a good writer.
2. Write. All the time. Before his accident in 1999, King wrote every single day, 365 days a year, at least 2000 words a day. That’s commitment. If you don’t write a lot, you’re not a writer.  King has slowed down a little (haven’t we all); he says to start out, you should commit to writing 1000 words a day, at least 6 days a week.  Can you do that?

I was inspired by King’s thoughts and advice.  I have lots of things to write about.  I am committed to finding the time.  Are you interested in writing?  What have you done to make that happen?  What kind of writing would you like to do?

(Book image from Amazon; Stephen King photo: picapp.com)

Post from: Small Business Boomers