Business Ideas for the Industrious Baby Boomers

By Anna D. Banks ( www.annabanks.com )

There are literally hundreds of ideas that can be transformed into successful small businesses by diligence and industrious hard work. Some of the business ideas for industrious baby boomers may be as simple as:

• Starting a kids’ clothing resale business. You can begin by looking through your kids’ closets. Find rejects and clothes that no longer fit, and sell the discards on eBay. You can soon expand this to a full time business. Most people would like to buy fashionable and quality clothes for their children, but may not be willing, or able to spend a large amount of money on them. You can help parents keep up with rapid growth, without the need for a lot of expense on clothes. Sell used, but proper clothing either online or consider opening your own store from home. Think about adding other baby necessities such as strollers, bassinets, cribs and so on to your product line. You can either buy the items outright, or take them from neighbors, family, dress makers and knitters or buy as bulk from thrift stores or garage sales in the areas around you.

• Become a virtual assistant. A virtual assistant is an independent contractor who provides administrative support or specialized business services through the Internet, fax, or telephone. They can provide special skills for some particular project; or fill the gap during sudden business growth. The virtual assistant can become indispensable to the office staff. You can work as a secretary, an executive assistant, a data entry operator, a clerk, a tax advisor, an accountant, or a medical transcriptionist. You could play a role in web designing and promotion and much, much more. A VA is not an employee but is a small business owner who handles the work on a project basis. Experience in office management and in handling computer systems and software can be of immense help.

• Taking up professional pet-sitting or house-sitting. People today feel a greater need for security, especially in view of growing crime and terrorism rates. A House-sitter provides reassurance and peace of mind while the homeowner is away. Becoming a house-sitter does not require any special skills, only trustworthiness and reliability. Personal references and reliable transportation are a must. Pet-sitting is also a growing business field. People have to go out of town for various reasons, and they find it impossible to take their pets along all the time.

• Starting a home-based child care business. A home-based daycare business is fairly simple to conceive, but do consider all the issues before you start. Think about the age group of kids you can care for because that will decide what kind of support staff and childcare you need to provide. Also include ideas for activities for the kids, discipline and guidance tools, help you need and food or refreshments (depending on how long they stay with you).

• Trying the Usborne Books At Home (UBAH) program. The UBAH program allows you to build a home business by becoming a contractor, and independently selling the line of award-winning children's books. You simply take care of the marketing of the books through events like book fairs, and library sales, along with direct sales.

© Anna D. Banks, GCDF

Author's Note:
Do you have any questions about career development or lifestyle changes for Baby Boomers, which you think others, like you, would want to know the answers? Please email your questions or comments to me at Anna@AnnaBanks.com or post a comment to my Baby Boomer Pre-Retirement Tips blog.

ANNA D. BANKS, GCDF -- is an adjunct professor at Essex County College; career development and marketing coach; speaker and author. Ms. Banks serves on the 2007-2008 Educational Development Committee of the International Association of Workforce Professionals (IAWP). Anna helps individuals design a game plan for an extraordinary career or business. Since 1996, Anna has helped hundreds of job-seekers, managers, business owners, and sales professionals achieve career success.

For more information send an email to Anna@AnnaBanks.com.

Visit one of Anna's blogs...

Boomer Entrepreneurs After Work

Boomer Women After Work

Boomer Careers After Work

Baby Boomer Pre-Retirement Tips