Emotional Challenges Facing Older Woman Starting Their Own Business

By Ted Riley
Posted Saturday, September 11, 2004

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/)