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Emotional Challenges Facing Older Woman Starting Their Own Business Copyright
2004 Android Technologies, Inc.
INTRODUCTION
In the age of the
Internet, people of all ages and abilities are trying and succeeding in
starting their own home based business. A surprisingly large number of
these people are older workers and retired female workers who are looking
to make extra cash to supplement a current income that is less than
desirable.
OBSTACLES
There are many obstacles that can and will be
placed in the
path of anyone who is trying to learn a new type of business
method and these increase by a large amount when the person attempting to
start a home based business is a retired female worker. Learning to become
fluent in the world and language of the Internet or even just
computer literate can be challenging enough without having to be faced
with the younger generation who think it is purely their domain.
It is
easy for work at home mothers, or WAHM as they are
more often referred to
these days, to be led into the pattern of thought that a work at home
business is not something they should be attempting to do and to get
into some form of wage or salary earning job. This could not be further
from the truth, as the benefits that this type of business will provide
cannot be matched by even the most generous employer. There are many benefits
of being a WAHM, such as not having to pay large amounts for childcare.
Or the benefits to the older worker or the retired female worker such as
not having to deal with the discrimination of employers not wanting to employ
them because of their age, just to name a few.
FEELINGS OF
ISOLATION
Older workers and retired female workers often have
the
problem of being isolated from their community and this can
lead to
many undesirable psychological affects which can be
hard to combat. This has
been proven to have a large impact
on the life span of retired workers. The
boost that running your own business can provide to self esteem can be
huge and a work from home opportunity can be the window for retired female
workers to make a good income for themselves and have greater contact with
the world around them. By the natural networking that takes place as you
build your business and interact with others, can be a perfect solution to
your social and economic needs.
DISCRIMINATION
Another great thing
about a home based business is the
relatively small start up cost involved in
getting the work from home opportunity to the point of fruition. It can
be achieved for as little as a couple of thousand dollars and in doing so
will get around many of the problems that retired female workers are likely
to encounter when attempting to get financial support or backing. Not
many financial lenders will lend large amounts of capital to anyone who is
not in the work force already. Add to that the fact that most of the people
who decide whether or not
money will or will not be lent are young males who
are most
likely to have a discriminatory point of view towards either
retired female workers, an older worker or any mature person who wants to
start a home based business.
RESOURCES
There are many
organizations out there that will help to provide information and assistance
to retired female workers that are looking to start any sort of business,
not just a work from home opportunity. AARP is a North American based
organization that is providing information on health, investment and
insurance to older workers and over fifty's where they can be assured of not
being met with a discriminatory attitude.
The fact that a home based
business is an option open to the older worker now has proven to be a godsend
as it has
enriched the lives of many people who thought that they where
destined for the welfare scrap heap. Many have now realized that they are
capable of making a good living that not to long ago would have been
impossible for the retired female worker.
About the
Author:
Ted Riley is an entrepreneur and educator interested
in
teaching others on the benefits and rewards of having your own home
business. He writes frequently for the web site "A Grandmother's Business",
a web site dedicated to the needs and equirements of the mature woman
entrepreneur and job-seeker. To see more articles like this visit: http://www.grandmabiz.com/
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