Retirement Doesn't Mean Stop

As a matter of fact in today’s technology driven world, for many, it can be a brand new start.

I remember when my Dad retired back in 1995 (sadly he passed away due to health issues), he worked for a large international company. There were actually a number of people retiring from that company in 1995. So the company brought in therapists, councilors and psychologists to help the new retirees deal with the trauma of going from the daily routine of work to the sedate and for some, a directionless new lifestyle. We’ve all heard the stories about “Joe Smith” who retired after 42 years of service and six months later he’s passed away. Tragic!

Well, today is a whole new ball game! We’ve got the internet (heck, my 81 year old Mom sends me e-mails every week). For some retirees it can be the start of a whole new career, making money online. As a matter of fact, in many cases it’s a chance for those folks to actually make more money than when they were employed in the offline world. There’s no question that the task of setting up a money-making web based business can seem daunting. From the website creation to the opt-in boxes, autoresponders and web-hosting, it can be very intimidating.

Some companies have recently addressed these issues in their products, making user-friendly website creation software (you don’t need to know html or php etc.), built-in autoresponders and the like. A business-in-a-box, if you will. These products are not designed around retirees but rather for all people who have a desire to have their own e-business but don’t have the technical background to create all this stuff from scratch. Without these new “all in one” packages the learning curve can be years long and cost $3000 and up!

However, like everything else that’s worthwhile you must put forth effort and dedicate yourself for 2 - 3 hours each day, a comfortable part-time pace. Set goals, make a plan, work the plan. Find a program or software bundle you like and stick with it. Don’t bounce around looking for the next best thing or “get rich quick” programs, because there aren’t any! Yes there are many snake-oil salesmen on the web. Beware of them and run fast in the other direction. You know the old adage “If it seems too good to be true…” Having said that, there are also a lot of good, honest and real people who are willing to share their knowledge to help you get going. You’ll find these people in marketing forums, blogs and various groups, amongst other venues.

Who knows, if my Dad was still here he would probably have something going on the internet. Maybe a “reviews site” on his hobbies, electronics or cameras. I think he would’ve enjoyed that. There is definitely business to be done after retirement and the web has made this simpler than ever before.

Yep, gone are the days when the internet wealth was reserved for a handful of techno-savvy computer-heads. There’s enough for everyone and it’s all within reach. Last year alone, billions of dollars were paid out to internet marketers in affiliate commissions and web-hosting. The internet pie is huge and growing so go out and take your slice, even if it’s a thin one it will be worth it!