Good Ideas
One Retired Persons Home Based Mini
Business
by Ian Bird
Here is a list and brief description of home-based small/micro businesses that
could appeal to a retired person looking to fill in his/her time and earn a bit
extra.
OK, now you are retired - Congratulations on reaching this milestone in your
life!
I guess like me, you did the things you wanted to: traveled, saw some of the
countryside that you had always been meaning to see, and finally ended up at
home again.
I'd done all the family things, like "helping" out our kids and annoying the
grandkids until being told to stop it by my wife, and had looked at various
hobby things, but couldn't find anything that lasted very long, or I got bored
with them.
Well, having done all the other things that retired people do, now comes the big
question - What the hell am I going to do now?
This was the time when I stopped and looked back over my working life, and,
believe it or not, found that I did still have an urge to 'do a bit', not full
time, but perhaps a bit of part time or casual 'work'.
After studying the local newspaper on a Saturday and also on a Wednesday, I
found a couple of casual jobs to apply for. After turning up, all spic and span,
I was eventually told 'you're too old we need younger people'.
That was the end for me - never again would I apply for a job!!
Before retiring, I had my own business, so I thought that maybe I could create a
small/micro business working from home on the internet. Why not - everyone else
seems to be doing it, or at least trying to!
So I decided to tackle the internet - that could be a work-from-home business,
couldn't it?
I reckon it is, so I got involved. Now it doesn't matter how old you are when
you're on the internet, because no one can see you, and therefore can't assume
you're too old, except if you're stupid enough to put your photo on your home
page.
It didn't take too long to learn the ins and outs of creating a web site.
However, having a daughter who was involved in website design and operation did
help enormously.
Having eventually set up my own web site - which I thought was magnificent! - I
then began to look at what I could do to earn a crust.
So, I found a couple of firms who needed to have some changes made to their
construction plans when they finished their projects, and before they got their
final payments. So I set up a part-time mini business doing this, using email to
transfer plans between my customers and myself. This went well for quite a while
(about four years or so) until it began to slow down, and I decided to get
involved in affiliate marketing, to fill in my time.
Having the time to search on the internet for areas of interest to me has been a
great way to fill in time.
One thing that caught my eye on the internet, was the concept of affiliate
marketing. It has been growing on me as I watch what's happening on the
internet. Couldn't be very hard - could it? A lot of people are doing it, some
full time, some obviously part time. The hardest part has been information
overload, one person says to do this, not that, and someone else says hey,
that's not right, do it this way. So it has been quite a long road to follow.
But, and there's always a "but", I accidentally discovered a website that was a
breath of fresh air to my knowledge of internet marketing. This person was an
English lass named Sara Brown and together with her business partner, Tony
Shepherd, have laid out the simplest and most effective way of becoming an
internet marketer, that I have ever seen.
At long last I'd found someone who seemed to have similar kinds of thoughts on
how the internet should work, and to not have to spend heaps of money to achieve
my ends.
If you do nothing else, subscribe to their monthly newsletters - they are
superb, with interesting articles, descriptions, etc., on how to set up simple
internet businesses, among other things. (By the way - they're FREE!)
Sara Brown's newsletter: http://www.sara-brown.com
Tony Shepherd's One Month Magnate newsletter: http://www.one-month-magnate.com
Now, if you're interested in doing any of these things for yourself, the list of
recommended products are below. (And yes, they do have my affiliate links,
that's how I make a few extra bucks now and then.)
The two things you'll need are a computer and an internet connection. Coupled
with those, you will need to have an interest in having a small/micro business
that you can work at. By setting up one small/micro business, say affiliate
marketing, you can then duplicate the process and end up with multiple sources
of small incomes which, when added together, make a reasonable total income.
By the way, none of this is expensive, if you look hard enough, you can usually
find a free version of whatever you need, or at least a very cheap version that
works just as well as the more expensive ones.
Should you decide to do this, bear in mind that you'll need to pay tax at some
stage, so if your income becomes fairly big, you should get in touch with an
accountant to help you - they can be worth their weight in gold when it comes to
tax.
I have used all of the above and am still using them to earn a few extra dollars
so that I can really enjoy my retirement, and hope I you can enjoy yours too.
Recommended Products:
The Worn Paper System - The "average" person's guide to making real money on the
Internet. The ebook takes you through: how to find something to sell, how to use
free promotional products, and how to get traffic. (The "worn paper" blueprint
is included in the book!) (www.tinyurl.com/326kbu)
The One Month Magnate - How would you like to create an online business in 30
days? This product is set out in a real step-by-step format, with no fluff or
filler, and is a very realistic method. (www.tinyurl.com/3blpft)
Quick Cash Injections - This is a collection of methods used by one of the UK's
top internet marketers when a cash amount is needed in a short time period. Only
needs a PC and an internet connection. (www.tinyurl.com/2tczlm)
The Magic Formula - Discover 14 of the Biggest Marketing Mistakes and How to
Correct Them: (www.tinyurl.com/2amsmk)
4 Steps to Online Profits - Earning Money online doesn't have to be a difficult
process. In fact, all it takes is four easy steps. Whether you're a newbie, or
have some experience under your belt, this system will enable you to generate an
income online! (www.tinyurl.com/yq7jqp)
Warm regards,
Ian Bird http://www.ian-t-bird.com
About the Author
Ian Bird is a "retired" person who now runs his own Home Based Business Site.
http://www.ian-t-bird.com You could do the same or similar - it's easy!
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