You know that you have a choice to stay in that dead end job or start your own business, right? If you’re thinking about starting something, do you know what you want to do? Right now, your job is paying at least some of the bills and you’re barely making ends meet. To encourage you to continue thinking about alternative income generating ideas, think about this….
Did you know that most women after the age of 40 will experience some form of ageism in the workplace – be it subtle or overt. In fact now that the Great Recession is essentially over, most of us can get a job — a job with no power, low pay, and absolutely no social prestige! If you’re okay with that don’t read any further!
It’s a known fact that ageism at work begins for women at 40 when your boss no longer considers you for promotion or training! Imagine that! You’ve given 10+ years of your life to a boss, who after you get to a certain age decides that due to your age you are no longer promotable! Does that get you pissed off? It should!
Do you want to know the real reason the job market bounced back? Millions of Americans have simply left the workforce to strike out on their own as small business owners – specifically middle aged people – and leading the charge are women over 40!
Now obviously starting a business is NOT EASY at any time in life, much less when you’re at this age! You also need to KNOW yourself.
To that end, which statement sounds more appealing to you?
“I want the comfortable life. I want or need stability in my life. I do not want to risk my well-being, and I value my free time to be able to relax.”
OR
“I bet on myself and that excites me! I like taking risks because I want the rewards they offer. I love to work, and I want to keep growing. I am very ambitious, and I can handle being in a position of discomfort a while.”
The first statement best describes employment. It is an easy path to follow because you know all the steps, and if not, you can find all the steps. You will encounter comfort if you are doing your job right, and if you don’t age out of the work and get laid off as the work force gets younger than you. You have a set schedule, and you know exactly when you switch your mind from work to family (usually 5PM Mondays to Fridays).
The second statement describes entrepreneurship. To be an entrepreneur you kind of need to embrace the fact that your schedule will be all over the place, and you will be thinking about 100 things at the same time while usually never knowing when the next time to relax will be! Additionally, the work is a grind – but you love it as you’re pursuing your dream because you love that what you are creating is yours! Your life will be unstable and unexpected, but you will love everything about it because your ambition and dreams are too big not to be pursued.
As you can see, these lifestyles are very different.
Entrepreneurs and employees are both necessary in this world, so no matter what path you choose, understand that you are still valuable to the society.
My name is Felicia Lopes and I am the founder of an online business where I coach Women Over 40 to re-establish and re-invent themselves as entrepreneurs through my online classes, small business services and opportunities, as well as events. I can help you!
Bottom line, if you’re looking for a great idea for a business, download my FREE booklet The Top 40 Small Business Ideas for Entrepreneurial Women Over 40 which is jam packed with million dollar ideas for new businesses and links to get you started. https://itiv6yfr.pages.infusionsoft.net