Continuing to work after retirement age has become a financial necessity for many. Life expectancy has increased at the same time we've watched retirement benefits shrink and the cost of living rise. Americans are expected to live into their late 70s, but those who reach age 65 are expected to live until their early 80s. Most of us don't feel we have enough savings and retirement benefits to be financially secure for that many years.

Many who choose to continue working will look for an alternative to their life's career or work. Self-employment or business ownership is an attractive alternative. It allows for a lot of self-control over the type of work as well as time and finances.

Starting a business when you're 50 or 60 years old is quite different from starting one in your 20s in 30s. Many of the online work at home resources seem to be geared more towards younger entrepreneurs, especially, stay at home moms. But perhaps in response to the first Baby Boomers approaching retirement age, more self-employment resources for those starting businesses later in life are beginning to emerge.

We'll explore some business ideas and resources for mature, business-minded women and men.

First some words of caution

Work at home and Internet business schemes and scams abound. Before joining any opportunity be sure to thoroughly research the company, its founders and principals, and the products. Use your common sense and never pay for anything before you are absolutely sure of what you get for you money.

This is not the best time of life to be risking even moderate sums of money on a business. There are many avenues for self-employment that can be started with very little investment and operated on a tight budget. You should plan for expenses, but remember that all business is risky and you don't want to jeopardize whatever financial future you've already secured for yourself. Don't ever invest more than you can afford to lose.

50 Plus Entrepreneur makes every effort to present accurate, legitimate information, however all the information is provided "as is" and we do not make any express or implied warranties, representations or endorsements whatsoever. Please read the rest of our disclaimer below.

When selecting your business, be sure to keep all of your non-retirement or semi-retirement goals in mind. If you want to travel or take off to pursue a hobby for a month at a time, don't choose a service business that requires a consistent time commitment to satisfy the needs of your clients.

If you are going to be solely responsible for the business, choose one that will not fall apart if an illness, family emergency, or the pursuit of your hobby or travel dreams prevents you from attending to the business for a few weeks or more.

Of course all businesses will require regular attention, but there are quite a few that can operate without constant attention.

Here are some of the types of businesses that lend themselves to success for a 50+ entrepreneur.

When I was presented with the opportunity to interview master programmer and Internet business owner Will Bontrager, I started out by saying, "You are living many people's retirement dream.... on the road and still earning an income from your own business." Will was quick to respond, "Well, first, let me mention that we are far from being retired. Our Internet businesses are our full time job."

But he was gracious enough to answer my questions anyway.

For many boomers, the ideal retirement will include some work, yet allow time for travel or pursue a favorite hobby, leisure activity, or social cause. Will can offer a good deal of insight into managing an Internet business while pursuing a personal dream. Will and his wife Mari run their businesses while living and traveling full-time in their motorhome.

So I asked, "How did you do it? What are the pros and cons of your life on the road?"

Will responded...

"Mari and I are both footloose. When we got married, close to 10 years ago, we looked around to find what may best fit with our personalities.

An Internet business was the answer. We could run it from anywhere. Mari is a great designer. I'm good with software engineering. Mari is awesome with bookkeeping. I like to write. We decided to provide design and software services for the small Internet business person. It was perfect.

The software aspect grew so much that we decided to remove design services from what we offer. And we have other income avenues, also. One thing we have learned is that little is consistent on the Internet. Relying on only one income stream is the not the best idea.

So we developed our business. Every so often, once or twice or more a year, we moved to a different place, usually in a different state. After 5 or 6 moves, we decided loading and unloading furniture around is not our greatest joy. So we moved into a motor home. You can read about our first day at the "The First Day" article. (Things generally go better than that.)

(continued below)

Will goes on to explain some of the technical aspects of running a business from a motorhome and talks about the pros and cons of life on the road.

"At first, we had Internet through a cell phone. That was before cell phones had broadband. It was slower than molasses on a cold day. Very frustrating.

After a year or so of that, we looked about for satellite Internet and found a company that could provide what we need, MotoSAT. And we haven't looked back since.

The biggest drawback to this lifestyle is that I can't drive and write software at the same time. So we often park in one place for extended periods. It is a business we're running. And it needs our attention.

Even though we live in a motor home, we're not on perpetual vacation. In fact, we have to proactively schedule vacations just to get away from work. Vacations are generally going somewhere we haven't been at or attending family functions, always with the self-stipulation that the satellite dish would remain stowed on the roof except for email."
-----
So there you have it... a great example that it is possible to run a successful business while pursuing a dream to travel. With know-how, ingenuity, and the right niche you can do it too.

Learn more about Will and Mari's business (and find some excellent tools for your own sites) at Willmaster.com.

And get more great tips from Will and ask your own questions about building a successful website at
http://www.squidoo.com/AskWill

There are two ways to turn your hobby into a business. You can produce products to sell or you can sell your expertise or creative ideas.

Let's use photography as an example. There are many ways to sell your original photographs including selling prints, creating and selling products such as stationery and calendars, portrait photography, pet photography, and selling digital images.

>>> Resources
> Sell your photos on sites like Fotolia or iStockPhoto
> Design products using your photos (T-shirts, calendars, etc.) at CafePress

Alternatively, you could write and sell an e-book or develop a website to teach others the art of photography, especially if you have a particular area of expertise (such as bird photography or portraiture).

>>> Resources
> Sell your crafts on ebay eBay.
> Sell handmade items at Etsy.

If you have a set of skills that companies in a particular industry need on a limited basis, you can offer your services as an independent contractor or freelancer. For example you might consult on a marketing campaign or offer your writing talent or computer programming skills for a particular project.

There are as many ideas for home based service businesses as there are personal services people need%u2026. handyman, babysitter, companion, running errands, housekeeping, organizing, home inspection, personal trainer, personal coach, tutor, dog walking, pet sitting, and much, much more. Whatever your skill or interest you can probably think of a related service you could offer.

>>> Resources
> Great article at Entrepreneur.com - 105 Service Businesses to Start Today.
> Paul and Sarah Edwards' book referenced below has many great ideas too.

As you begin to research home businesses, you'll undoubtedly come across many direct sales and network marketing business opportunities. There are hundreds of companies you can join to market their products either through home parties or by recommending the products to family or friends. While these can be very viable businesses, in my opinion, they probably aren't the most well-suited for 50+ entrepreneurs. Many of these companies offer cooking and storage products and food, home décor items, jewelry, and products for children%u2026 not the kinds of products our peer group tends to be collecting at this point in our lives.

Additionally, you may not want to be in the position of asking friends to part with money when they may be trying to cut back as they approach retirement themselves.

One exception may be health and wellness products. Baby boomers tend to become even more health conscious in our 50s and because we're living longer we want to be healthy and strong as we age. If you explore the health and wellness industry please be very careful about your product choices. Also be aware that there may be a yearly or monthly fee to participate and in addition you may be encouraged to commit to a monthly product order. Don't put yourself in the position of having more product than you need.

>>> Resources
> Free Guide - How to Find the Perfect Business Opportunity for You

A better choice for selling other people's products may be online affiliate marketing. There are affiliate programs for all types of products and for many well-known companies such as Amazon, eBay, and Best Buy.

Some companies run their own affiliate program and others are offered through an affiliate marketplace such as ClickBank or Commission Junction.

Affiliates are provided with a specially coded link to the company sites and in most cases earn a percentage of purchases made by referred customers. Some companies also pay a few cents for leads.

Because someone else handles billing, shipping, returns, tech support, and customer service, affiliate marketing allows you a great deal of flexibility with your schedule. Even when you're on vacation you can be earning because your sites and links are working for you 24/7. While you will be able to take time off for relatively extended periods, don't be lulled into complete complacency%u2026 you will need to update and market fairly regularly for continued success.

There are many ways to market affiliate products and to be successful you'll need to develop your own strategy. Simply placing a link or banner on a website may produce a few random sales, but in order to make a living you'll need to learn how to promote online.

Some inexpensive and effective methods for affiliate marketing include writing articles, product reviews, how-to reports and tutorials. You can submit your material to free content sites, but you will most likely need your own website. At least initially, select products and build your website and programs around one topic%u2026 one you know something about. As you become successful with one subject, you can branch out to others, building a series of sites to promote different products.

However you market, I highly recommend collecting contact information and regularly emailing your referrals. That way you can stay in touch with your referrals to let them know about new products and programs you find.

What are the best products and programs to promote? The ones you use yourself and know are high quality. Your best customers will be the ones who trust you and who will buy again and again on your recommendations. You want to be sure you don't betray that trust. Eventually you'll be comfortable recommending other products that have been developed by or recommended by your own network of trusted marketers and resources.

50 Plus Entrepreneur makes every effort to present accurate, legitimate information, however all the information is provided "as is" and we do not make any express or implied warranties, representations or endorsements whatsoever. Use of this information is at your own risk and we are not liable for any cost or damage arising either directly or indirectly from the use of this material or the material we link to. It is solely your responsibility to evaluate the accuracy, completeness and usefulness of all opinions, advice, services, merchandise and other information provided through the service or on the internet generally. 50 Plus Entrepreneur makes no representations whatsoever about any other web site which you may access through us or which may link to us. When you access other web sites, please understand that they are independent from 50 Plus Entrepreneur, and that we have no control over the content on that web site. In addition, a link to a web site does not mean that we endorse or accept any responsibility for the content, or the use, of such web site. In some cases 50 Plus Entrepreneur may receive compensation for referring visitors to other websites or for purchases made at websites we link to.