Starting an online business in your later years has never been easier.
And that’s a fact.
There are millions of people who are benefiting from having a business that makes money online.
And there are probably just as many who would like to, but don’t know where to start.
This post is to show you some of the retirement hobbies that make money online and seniors have turned them into profitable online businesses.
And just think, if you started an online business before you retire, all that money can be put towards your retirement.
If they can do it, why not us!
Seniors Making Money Online Blogging
Margaret Manning, Sixty and Me – This blog was started by Margaret Manning to help other women her age to live happy, healthy and financially secure lives. Ms. Manning has a community of over 500,000 women and it just keeps growing. She covers health issues, travel, beauty, aging, money, mindset, dating, and just life in general. Ms. Manning doesn’t reveal her monthly income, but I would hazard a guess that it is quite substantial due to the fact she has over 500,000 followers.
Writing
Bonnie Nicholls, Hear Ye Writing – Ms. Nicholls was laid off from her corporate job at the age of 50. Ms. Nicholls states that age discrimination is a very real problem for anyone over 45. And according to AARP, 76% of respondents said ageism affects their ability to find full-time employment. As a freelance writer, Ms. Nicholls says her clients only care about whether she gets the job done. Because her writing business is online, she gets to spend the day at the beach if she likes, or she’ll take off and go camping (with her laptop of course).
Travel
Leyla Giray Alyanak, Women on the Road – In her mid-forties Leyla was dissatisfied with pretty much everything going on in her life — job, relationship, and had a severe case of wanderlust. So she did what she thought best — just took off to see the world. Leyla is still traveling, but now she helps women with the ins and outs of solo travel, all done online. Leyla shows women:
- How to Plan a trip
- How to stay safe
- What to take on your travels
- How to budget your trip
- How to avoid getting lonely
Leyla started her blog in 2006 and is still going strong.
Fitness
Debra Atkinson, Flipping Fifty – Ms. Atkinson is a fitness expert over 50 who helps women in menopause and beyond get the energy and the vitality they want, need, and deserve in their later years. Today she runs the first and only, exclusively dedicated to women in menopause fitness club “The Flipping Virtual Gym Membership”. Not only is Ms. Atkinson a busy entrepreneur with her online business, but she also is a speaker and life coach, encouraging women to stay active and understanding exactly what menopause does to our bodies.
Dane Findley, Over Fifty and Fit – I wanted to add Mr. Findley because he is a health advocate and developed his site to provide wise workouts, lifestyle tips and diet strategies to men and women who are middle aged and beyond. Mr. Findley wants to inspire adults to improve their mental and physical conditioning. Mr. Findley goes on to explain how he keeps his body the healthiest it has ever been. And he started his online business (you can sign up for his fitness course) because of his desire to help older people stay in shape, which is his passion.
Pets
Frankie Locallo, Puppy Love – Ms. Locallo’s love of dogs made her think outside the box to find a way to share her passion. And she found it in Puppy Love. Ms. Locallo started her business by providing puppies at children’s birthday parties so the kids could play with the puppies. Now her business has expanded and includes adult events and also video taping the interaction for later viewing. She even had to hire staff as her business has grown. Ms. Locallo does not have a website for her business as she keeps it local and it has grown just by word of mouth. And it all started because of her love of dogs.
Carol Gardner, Zelda Wisdom, Inc. – At the age of 52 Carol Gardner’s husband divorced her and she got hit with a huge amount of debt. Her attorney told her to find a therapist or get a dog. She chose the dog. Ms. Gardner entered Zelda, her sad-faced bulldog, in a greeting card contest and won. Zelda quickly became a greeting card sensation and eventually a licensing empire. The Zelda Wisdom product line has made Ms. Gardner a very comfortable millionaire. And it all started because her attorney suggested either a therapist or a dog.
Crafts
Mark Nelson, Way West Saddlery – When Mr. Nelson retired at the age of 60 he spent most of his time hunting, fishing, and messing with his horses. After about a year of doing this he realized that he needed to do something productive. He said play time was over. After an accident limited his working options, he thought about how much he always loved working with leather as a kid, and that’s when he decided to start making saddles. He invested money for a course in Montana where he spent six weeks learning how to make saddles. The saddles that Mr. Nelson makes now run around $2,000 each and they are made like the old western saddles of the 19th century. And it all started because he received a saddle making kit at the age of 13.
Baking
Franny Martin, Cookies On Call – Franny spent much of her childhood in the kitchen alongside her grandmother. When she got older her career choice was in marketing and at one point she was the national director of marketing and public relations for Domino’s Pizza. But she always just wanted to be back in the kitchen baking. When her husband commented on some cookies she had baked, stating they were the best cookies he ever had, well that was the end of her marketing career at the age of 56. Ms. Martin returned to the kitchen and established Cookies on Call. She started in her kitchen, then moved to a nearby school and now she owns her own facility. Ms. Gardner states she is making more money now than in the corporate world. And it all started with a compliment from her husband.
Gardening
Steve Wood, Senior Gardening – Mr. Wood retired as a teacher but always had a love of gardening, even as a child he would grow strawberries and sweet corn. Mr. Wood used to own a 40 acre farm, which he unfortunately lost, and now Mr. Wood and his wife reside at Senior Garden. Mr. Wood started his gardening blog because of his love of gardening, and also his love of building websites and writing. So now he teaches people about gardening, and he even covers some of his failures so people can avoid mistakes. All of the income that he gets from his site is mainly through affiliate marketing, so if you want to help support the Woods’, go to their site and purchase some gardening supplies.
Renovation
Bernadette Janson, The School of Renovating – Ms. Janson always had a love of taking old ugly properties and giving them new life. Ms. Janson states “Understanding and making the most of a property’s potential is more than a fun hobby, it has the power to save you from worry about retirement, replace a job that underwhelms you, help your kids get their start in life, let you splurge on the people you care about and do good in the world.” She goes on to say that you can turn your passion into a rewarding and fulfilling career.
DIY
Kathy Owen, Petticoat Junktion – Ms. Owen admits to being a junk addict. She loves taking the old and making it new again. Her favorite hang outs are junks shops and flea markets. Ms. Owen spent 35 years in the medical field and when the laboratory she worked in closed down, she took her passion of DIY and turned it into a full-time job. She shares photos of all her completed projects and offers tutorials on painting furniture and home decor ideas. And it all started because her job was no longer there.
What to Do After Retirement to Make Money
Starting a side job and turning it into a full-time business is not just something to dream about. It can be accomplished if you are willing to put in a few hours every day while still working full-time.
And I’m going to continue to show you that it can be done.
Have a Wonderful Day!
