Experts Will Help You Start or Grow a Small Business

For immediate release                                 Contact:     Richard Swearinger

April 11, 2013                                                                   515-697-1005

                                                                                          rswearinger@aarp.org

 

Experts Will Help You Start or Grow a Small Business

During AARP and SBA
Encore Entrepreneur Mentor Month

SBA and AARP team up to promote entrepreneurship among

individuals ages 50 and older

  April 11, 2013 – (Cedar Rapids) AARP together with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), will host an “encore entrepreneur” event 6 p.m., April 25 at Coffeesmiths, Westdale Mall, 2300 Edgewood Rd SW, Cedar Rapids. To register visit events.sba.gov and click on the map of Iowa.

  “AARP supports developing opportunities for older Americans to pursue entrepreneurship as a means to generate income, boost financial security and assist others in meeting needs,” says Kent Sovern, AARP state director. “AARP creates real possibilities by connecting experienced workers with the practical information and guidance they need to start or grow a small business.”

  AARP and SBA are teaming up to host National Encore Entrepreneur Mentor Month in April targeted at individuals over the age of 50 who want to start or grow their own business. Building on the success of a joint AARP and SBA Mentor Day last October, the two organizations will match these “encore entrepreneurs” with successful business owners and community leaders for advice and assistance.

  Throughout this month, Iowa, and other AARP state offices, SBA District Offices and SBA Resource Partners will host more than 150 events around the country.  Events include speed mentoring, which allows mentors and entrepreneurs to share information for five-minute sessions, and mentor lunches for entrepreneurs to learn best practices from successful small business owners.  For an interactive map of events nationwide, go to www.aarp.org/startabusiness .

  “Many new entrepreneurs are saving their best acts for their encore performance,” said Joseph Folsom, SBA district director.  “They’re using their decades of expertise and their rolodexes to start new businesses and to finally pursue that venture that has been stirring their dreams for all these years.  The SBA and AARP are once again focusing our efforts during Encore Entrepreneurship Mentor Month to help transform those dreams into a reality.”

 

M entor Month is part of a larger effort by AARP and SBA to provide a range of resources to more than 100,000 entrepreneurs and small business owners over the age of 50 this year.  The events will help connect encore entrepreneurs, and individuals interested in becoming one, with mentors such as those from SBA’s network of Small Business Development Centers, Women’s Business Centers, and SCORE chapters who can help throughout the life of an entrepreneur’s business.

 

Small business ownership is a good option for many baby boomers. One in four individuals ages 44 to 70 is interested in becoming an entrepreneur and 63 percent of Americans plan to work during retirement, according to the website www.encore.org . 

 

AARP and SBA are also producing two webinars this month to help current and potential entrepreneurs.  For more information, and to register, visit www.aarp.org/startabusiness .  You may also go online to www.sba.gov/encore for other resources available for entrepreneurs over the age of 50. 

 

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AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, with a membership of more than 37 million, that helps people turn their goals and dreams into real possibilities, strengthens communities and fights for the issues that matter most to families such as healthcare, employment security and retirement planning. We advocate for consumers in the marketplace by selecting products and services of high quality and value to carry the AARP name as well as help our members obtain discounts on a wide range of products, travel, and services.  A trusted source for lifestyle tips, news and educational information, AARP produces AARP The Magazine, the world's largest circulation magazine; AARP Bulletin; www.aarp.org; AARP TV & Radio; AARP Books; and AARP VIVA, a bilingual news source.  AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to political campaigns or candidates.  The AARP Foundation is an affiliated charity that provides security, protection, and empowerment to older persons in need with support from thousands of volunteers, donors, and sponsors. AARP has staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Learn more at www.aarp.org.