Small Business

People love stories, especially when they reinforce our own beliefs and prejudices. This is true in life and in business. Well, today, I want to talk about one narrative that is not only killing our dreams as older adults but is also damaging our economy – the story of the young, hacker entrepreneur.

Like the protagonist of Joseph Campbell’s “The Hero with a Thousand Faces,” we have heard the story of what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur a hundred times. Read More

So, you’ve decided to start your very own side hustle? Good on you! From my conversations with hundreds of people in their 50s and 60s, I can tell you, without hesitation, that working as a freelancer or consultant is…

Over the last 6 years, I have spent over $50,000 on freelance writing services. I have hired $100-per-hour specialists and $6 per hour transcribers. I have worked with some of these freelancers for so long that they feel like friends. Others have provided work so poor that I didn’t even bother to post it. Read More

Just before lockdown, I ran into a student whom I’d worked with a year ago. She was in the office of a local university where I coach PhD students on how to write their dissertations. She was there to pick up her diploma…

My first “real” job was as a waitress at a pizza joint in Boulder, Colorado. But, like many kids of my generation, my childhood was filled with odd jobs – delivering newspapers, babysitting and cleaning…

There was a time, not so long ago, when retirees could expect to live comfortably on their previous employer’s defined-benefit pension plan. With their monthly payments…

I am a BIG believer in passive income. Why? Because, in today’s low interest environment, $1 in yearly passive income can be worth $20 in retirement savings (or more!) So, even if you have never thought of yourself as an entrepreneurial person…

So, you’ve retired. Congratulations! All that’s left to do now is to book a tee time and sit in front of your pool with a glass of champagne in one hand and the Sunday Times in the other. Yeah right! Unless you are one of the “lucky” few who have saved millions…

If you look up “jobs for seniors” on Google, you are likely to find dozens of articles with jobs that require no experience are easy to do part-time and that you can do at home. While there is no doubt that these attributes are appealing to some retirees, overall, I believe…

If the lifestyle gurus are to be believed, starting a side-hustle is one of the surest paths to wealth at any age. But, on the whole, it is Millennials who have truly embraced the “Four Hour Workweek” and similar books.

Rejecting yesterday’s conventional wisdom – “Do well in school, go to college, get a good job, work hard for 45 years and retire” – younger workers are embracing freelancing, following their passions and planning their next job during the orientation for their current one. Read More