How to Turn Hobbies and Interest into a Small Business

Jani Bryson

Did you know that one in four individuals between the ages of 44 to 70 are interested in becoming entrepreneurs? In fact, entrepreneurs over the age of 50, also known as encore entrepreneurs, are one of the fastest-growing groups of entrepreneurs in the United States.

A growing number of workers age 50-plus are turning interests, hobbies or skills into a small business.  Whether you are interested in starting a small business right away or are intending to wait until after retirement, now is the time to explore the possibilities.

Whether your target market is global or just your neighborhood, AARP, in partnership with the Small Business Administration can help at every stage of turning your entrepreneurial dream into a thriving business.

June 1 begins the Summer of Encore Mentoring. Encore entrepreneurs over the age of 50 are one of the fastest growing groups of business owners.  If you are an individual age 50+, then entrepreneurship can offer an opportunity for you to use your knowledge, passion, life and professional experience toward creating a small business.

For the Summer of Encore Mentoring, AARP South Carolina and the SBA have teamed up to conduct “Encore Entrepreneur + Mentor Matchmaker” events in the Palmetto state. These free matchmaker workshops will connect small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs with a variety of business experts through a series of roundtable mentoring sessions.

Topic categories will include starting, running, marketing and financing a business. Business experts on hand will include successful local entrepreneurs and consultants from SCORE, Small Business Development Center, and the SC Women’s Business Center.

Our next Encore Entrepreneur workshops are tentatively scheduled for July in Greenville and August in Columbia. For more information scaarp@aarp.org