Why the Internet is Great for Seniors’ Income

Whether you’re considering how you can just bring in a few extra dollars each month or maybe thinking about starting a part-time or full-time business, you’ve probably found that there are quite a few different ways you do that. Let’s look at what I consider an excellent option for most of us in our “advanced” years, and what I myself have done for quite a few years. That is, making money on-line. Using the Internet. Possibly creating your own website, but not necessarily. Here are some of the reasons an online business makes sense for most seniors.

1. First of all, whatever your age, the Internet offers opportunities for just about any type of business. You my want to sell home-made crafts, sell your vacation photos as wall art, do business consulting, start a blog about stamp collecting, or sell any type of product by drop-shipping. These are just a few ideas of the hundreds of ways to make money on the ‘Net. Any type of business can be done on-line. Moreover, even if you prefer to start a so-called “brick and mortar” store with a physical location, you most likely will do best by also having an on-line presence. (I talk in more detail about many of the popular and profitable businesses for seniors in some of my Advantage Business Guides for Seniors.
2. But, more specifically regarding seniors, there are additional advantages to being on-line. For instance, one of the main advantages is that you can work solely from home. No need to drive across town to a business location. Who needs the aggravation of being on the freeway at 5pm?
3. You can also set your own hours. You do not have anyone telling you when to start or when to go home. If you want to take the day off, you can. Have an doctor appointment at 10 a.m.? Fine. Take care of your business later that day. The Internet is available 24/7. And, you can work at it part-time or full-time.
4. Working on-line is not physically stressful. Let’s face it. Most of us are done running marathons at this stage of the game. Someone is not likely to hire me working in an Amazon warehouse, managing packages. But, with an on-line business I can sit at my desk, stand up to work if I want, take a break whenever I want. It’s easier. And, in fact, no one knows or cares what I’m wearing at the moment. PJ’s are ok. (Unless, that is, if you happen to be in a teleconference on Zoom.😊)
5. It’s an easier and less-costly way to start a business or create independent income. To open a franchise or a physical location store can cost big bucks. Franchises, like McDonalds or other well-known retail businesses can cost into the millions. Opening your own bar or restaurant? Likewise. Millions. But, you can open up an on-line business for next to nothing. Even free in some cases. No franchise fee. No rent to pay. No employee salaries. And, so on. Oh, you will have some costs usually. Probably a domain name. That will be about $20 per year. And, hosting your website can be anywhere from free to $20 per month to begin. Your marketing costs can be whatever you want them to be. You can choose to market with ads or to do less costly marketing by, for instance, being active in social media platforms like Facebook. Now, this does not mean you won’t want to eventually expand your business at some point and invest more money into it. But, the point is, opening an online business can be done very inexpensively. And, that means you can experiment, learn, and determine whether or not the Internet is a good money-maker for you.

So, an on-line, Internet-based business can be the best choice for a senior entrepreneur. And, it’s never too late to start.