3 Keys to Beginning a Business At Any Age

By Donald Sonn

Starting your own business as a is a great way to stay active and to earn extra money.At home businesses are ideal for those who need to be agile and for whom situations may change. Other benefits include: minimal up-front investment, flexible working hours, the ability to scale up or down quickly. Let’s examine how you can start and how you can succeed.

Marketing your home based business:

Online marketing is a cost-effective way to advertise your businesses and services. It all starts with a great website. This allows potential customers to easily find you online. Mobile-friendly websites rank higher in Google searches, so you want to make sure you have a platform that is user-friendly on both desktop and mobile devices. If you aren’t a pro in web design, you can easily find a freelancer to do the job for you.

There are many job boards such as Upwork where you can find affordable services. Upwork freelancers include web and graphic design experts, among many other types. Here you can find someone to design your logo, program your website, and even create business cards. Outsource these tasks, and you’ll be able to focus on your core business area.

Preparing your home office:

You want your home office to be comfortable and equipped with all your business needs. If you plan to use your smartphone frequently for work, consider a plan that has unlimited talking and texting, DVD-quality streaming, and unlimited mobile hotspot. If you prefer to keep your hands free to do other things while you chat, get a headset for your telephone use.

Consider getting a large monitor to hook your computer up to if you are experiencing problems with your eyesight. A larger screen will make reading easier; just make sure to sit with the monitor 20 to 28 inches away from your face to reduce eye strain. You can also get computer glasses, which have a different focal point than normal reading glasses and alleviate tension on your eye muscles.

If you will be sitting at a desk for extended periods, invest in an ergonomic chair. A bad chair can increase pressure on the spinal discs and stress the surrounding ligaments, resulting in aches and pains. Get an office chair and set it up properly. The height should be set so your knees are at a 90-degree angle and thighs are parallel to the floor. Your elbows should also be at a 90-degree angle when typing (forearms parallel to the desk).

 Don’t forget the essential business details:

 As a small business owner, you need to declare earnings accordingly when filing tax paperwork. Your business income should be reported under Schedule C and added to your personal tax return income. If you make more than $400 per year, you also need to complete Schedule SE. Note that as of 2010, the IRS allows those who are self-employed to deduct Medicare Part B health insurance premiums from their self-employment earnings.

To keep track of your general business expenses, look to invoicing software for help. Business News Daily provides a selection of affordable tools like QuickBooks, with prices starting at just $9 per month. You can use this to keep track of invoices as well as outgoing expenses. Come tax season, all your paperwork will be neatly organized and accessible via this tool.

Follow the above steps, and you will be able to find success in self-employment. Even generating a small amount of extra income can be beneficial. Many seniors worry about running out of money during retirement. With the added income of your own home business, you won’t be burdened by this stress. You will also enjoy the benefits of staying active and productive in your later years, assuring a healthy mind as you age.