Older Workers

Mike McCall

Mike McCall

Well-Known Member
Reaction score
1,073
Location
Silverton, Oregon
I read an article over on Spiceworks and followed a link to this article. At 56, unemployed, and no unemployment benefits left, I'm finding the current job market devastating. I haven't totally given up on finding work, but I've turned to using what I know to employ myself. I've started a computer business, registered with the State, and purchased the Computer Business Kit. As you know, it takes time to get any traction in a new business. Yet, I felt I had very few options left but to strike out on my own. However, desperation and lack of options is not a good business plan. Yet, that's where I find myself. According to the article, there's a ton of us older folks who find ourselves kicked to the curb. I guess I just find the circumstances discouraging. Time isn't on my side.
 
Mike, you are not alone. But, to be completely honest, the writing has been on the wall for many years. My last W2 was at CompUSA when they closed up on 2007 or so. I'd been wanting to do my own thing anyways and already had a number of customers doing side work. However when they were going through the closing process I took a long, hard look at the state of affairs for people our age. Of course I was younger but things don't get better with age when it comes to W2 employment. So I did not waste 2 minutes trying to get a W2. Just leapt into this with both hands and feet and have not looked back.

Have you put together a business plan?
Have you made decisions as far as what sectors of this business are growing and which are shrinking?

Those are amongst the many important things you should be doing to insure the success of your business.
 
Don't think of it as desperation and lack of options, but rather motivation & initiative! :p

You're right, it can take time to get things going. But read through the forums here for lots of ideas on getting the ball rolling and don't let fear or inertia keep you from giving it your best shot. Don't let analysis paralysis keep you from getting out there and getting customers. Some people come to these forums, buy the business kit, throw out a lot of questions and "what ifs?" and it seems don't move beyond that point.

You don't need a perfect business plan (or even any formal business plan) to get started. What you need are a few hardware tools, a few software tools, and a willingness to ask people for the work.

Your experience and (ahem) maturity will work in your favor. I'm 50 - and I'm absolutely certain it helps when generating a level of confidence and trust with my customers. Unlike a wet-behind-the-ears kid, there's NEVER a doubt regarding my experience and abilities. Grown-ups can relate to me. Younger people think I'm more experienced (and I am), and elderly folks aren't intimidated or embarrassed as they might be with a "kid".

Let the life skills you've acquired work in your favor. Stick to it, don't get discouraged. In time, you may look back at this as the greatest opportunity in your life.
 
Mike M. - desperation and lack of options have created some great things in this country over the years. Don't be negative on yourself for having those thoughts, do your best to turn that angst into action on getting your business going. Fortunately this business can be started with very little up front cash and can grow in a couple of years or less to be a sustainable source of income. it looks like you are close to Salem so you have a very sizeable potential customer base. TN has a lot of info that you will need and I believe most folks here willingly offer a hand to those that actually try to do for themselves.

Given the current economics in this country and the absolute lack of value placed on experience ( read: workers over 45) you would be best served by turning the corner and diving into a venture of your own. if it turns out that Computer Services isn't your niche do not hesitate to go after some other form of self employment. Just keep 2 rules in mind and you should be OK... Don't extend credit and don't utilize credit.
 
Mike,

For me, Im soon to turn 54 years old. I started my own business right after the economy took and dump. My employer for over 8 years told me goodbye. I was totally shocked for a while as I drew unemployment. I think we all go thru the same thing. So I decided that I would start my own business and hire myself :) . I havent really looked back except for some feelings of hate for my old employer for the way they treated me. Getting over that though.

I have also been thru the ringer starting my own business. If any of my old posts are still around you read some real horror stories and pleas for help here.

The thing is, This is your moment to shine. You can start your own business and you may suffer a bit the first few years. But with some hard work it will work out. The only thing right now is that the economy is pretty poor.

There are great people here on TN. Willing to help when you need it and thats a fantastic thing. Do not be afraid to ask.

Just remember, With places like Geek Squad around you should have no problems picking up customers (lol).

coffee
 
coffee said:
Mike,

For me, Im soon to turn 54 years old. I started my own business right after the economy took and dump. My employer for over 8 years told me goodbye. I was totally shocked for a while as I drew unemployment. I think we all go thru the same thing. So I decided that I would start my own business and hire myself :) . I havent really looked back except for some feelings of hate for my old employer for the way they treated me. Getting over that though.

I have also been thru the ringer starting my own business. If any of my old posts are still around you read some real horror stories and pleas for help here.

The thing is, This is your moment to shine. You can start your own business and you may suffer a bit the first few years. But with some hard work it will work out. The only thing right now is that the economy is pretty poor.

There are great people here on TN. Willing to help when you need it and thats a fantastic thing. Do not be afraid to ask.

Just remember, With places like Geek Squad around you should have no problems picking up customers (lol).

coffee
Click to expand...


I totally agree.
 
Thanks for the support. I suppose I would feel better about this if it was something that I had planned for, or at least intended. Unfortunately it was never on my radar. I've owned a business before and it left a bad taste. That's part of my apprehension too. Like many of you I started helping people with their computers a long time ago (1993), but I never charged for it and never documented what all I did. My technical focus was elsewhere so I never thought I'd be working in IT. When I closed my company in 2004, I took a 9-year hiatus doing something completely non-technical. That means I got left far behind the curve. In May of 2014 I lost that job due to health issues (Degenerative Disc Disease, Foraminal Stenosis, etc.). Initially I didn't qualify for unemployment because I was medically unable to work. Eventually they got ahead of the pain enough that I could say I was able to work, and then was able to collect unemployment. That opened the door for me to get into a retraining program where one of the options offered the chance to get my A+ & Network+ certifications. I saw that as an opportunity to update my skills and learn things I didn't know. I also thought it would allow me to prove I was qualified to screw-in a light bulb. They have proven to be about the same as a certificate saying I graduated from kindergarten when the employers want you to be in 3rd - 5th grade to work at a 1st grade job. I completed the schooling (cram courses) with only a few weeks of unemployment left and buried myself in the search for a job, but to no avail.

So, I've registered with the state as Shamrock Computer Services (SCS), bought the CBK, and now am lacking the money for the Local business license ($125). Until I get that I'm apprehensive about promoting the business locally. However, I signed up with Thumbtack initially, then found that I have to pay to bid on a job. I deleted that account and have registered with Geekatoo. Nothing there yet. I tried Field Solutions but all they want me to do is adjustable beds and Life Alert installations for next to nothing. The only web site I can afford is a Facebook page. This is not how one starts a business!

Alright, enough whining. It is what it is. So, what I need right now is enough work to buy food and get the business license. My options for generating that are Facebook and Craigslist. I've looked at both and it's ugly. Not a lot of return for the effort spent, and I'd look like all the other yahoo's who say they can fix your computer. No thanks. The local competition is a guy who's been established for years working out of his home, and a small company doing managed services that wouldn't even read my resume. No option there for overflow work. If I had the business license I could at least pass out a flyer locally. Ugh! Not thinking clearly. Need ideas!
 
Sounds like you are weighing all the options.

Mike, I wouldn't rule out the guy working out of his house. I am sure you have read many stories here of people who are ready to open a shop but not sure if they can handle the workload by themselves. Just a quick call will settle if it is "being in the right place at the right time" opportunity.

BTW..let me give you your first like and welcome to the community.
 
Mike, you are definitely with the right crowd here at TN. :)

Couple of questions...are you a software guy or hardware? If you edge more to software, you should learn remote support skills for sure as well as the current software that is keeping us all busy. I think though for you to get started, you can do a lot with your free time to get clients. I did a ton of stuff in my first year that is still working for me to this day.

Shoot me your email and I'll send over a copy of my ebooks, those might help you a bit to get going, or I hope so!

Then I have a huge list of marketing opps that you can do for free, I'll email you that info too.
 
and btw...I started my business after I was fired from a job in 2007, just as social media was getting going and I had no idea what I was doing, so I have been there friend, no joke. No client, no business plan, nada.
 
@OhioTech: Thank you for the like and the welcome. I'll get settled down soon and won't be so spastic in my thinking. :)

@callthatgirl: I'm pretty good with both hardware and software. I've been evaluating a few remote software packages and doing some test runs with friends. I'm not yet set up to process CC's so remote work is a bit premature. Local business license needs to come first. I'll send you my email and look forward to reading those books. Yes, I'm caught a bit flat-footed right now as I didn't plan on being in this position. But I'll get my balance back soon. :)

Again, thanks!
 
You're not alone brother. I danced in the corporate high-tech arena for 18 years. Made a great living until the downsizing started when I was 40. Then crap job after crappier job until I hit my 50's. Then nothing. At one point I sent out 150 resumes over a few months and got one response.

It's not your fault, it's your birth date. No matter what BS is spoken about age discrimination after 40 it gets hard. By 50, forget it.

I started my biz at 53. Never been happier. The money sucks but I'm not busting my ass anymore. I do res/small biz clients and got rid of my last server customer last year. I was also smart enough not to spend all I earned. I paid off a 30 year mortgage in 18 years knowing that dark days were coming. There's a lot less stress knowing you own the roof over your head.

My home office and part time income is perfect for me. Everyday is Saturday! You'll see!

Best of luck in your new biz venture.
 
Mike McCall said:
So, I've registered with the state as Shamrock Computer Services (SCS), bought the CBK, and now am lacking the money for the Local business license ($125). Until I get that I'm apprehensive about promoting the business locally. However, I signed up with Thumbtack initially, then found that I have to pay to bid on a job. I deleted that account and have registered with Geekatoo. Nothing there yet. I tried Field Solutions but all they want me to do is adjustable beds and Life Alert installations for next to nothing. The only web site I can afford is a Facebook page. This is not how one starts a business!
Click to expand...

Some others to sign up for. Obviously nothing is guaranteed but you never know. There is that old saying they can't say no if you do not ask.

craigslist.com
fieldnation.com
gurus2go.com
onforce.com
servicelive.com
workmarket.com

Just be aware that the market is flooded in many areas so the prices may be very soft. And you mileage will vary.

On doing work without the license. If I needed the revenue to keep the lights on and food on the table there is no question. I'd be actively looking for work. But I would not be doing any advertising as that might attract the wrong kind of attention. Just working on word of mouth and pounding on doors.
 
Another item on the sooner-rather-than-later list is at least a basic website. It doesn't have to be fancy or sophisticated but you need to give yourself an opportunity to be "found" when people are searching for computer help. $10 for a domain name, a few dollars for hosting and a nice wordpress template will get that done. Then you can improve it over time.
 
I haven't seen a thread gain this much traction in such a short time for a while, and it just goes to show the caliber of people here. Mike, you are definitely at the right place. The willingness here of others to help fellow techs and business owners is what makes Technibble such a shining example of what an online community should be.
 
markverhyden said:
squareup is free in the sense you can signup without a fee and all you need is a Droid or iOS smartphone. Their surcharge is a bit higher than regular merchant processors but still reasonable.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the tip! I've just gotten registered with them and the reader should be here in a few days. They do offer a free site to sell from, but it's preconfigured for either pickup or shipping with no way of changing that. So, I didn't turn that on yet and it doesn't show that I have anything to sell.

https://squareup.com/market/shamrock-computer-services

@mraikes: You're absolutely right about needing a website. Unfortunately, if I had $10 I'd have to buy food before a website, so I may have to use a free one at first. Hate them, but it's what I can afford.

@SilverLeaf: I'm humbled by the generous support. Thank you!
 
Mike McCall said:
Thanks for the tip! I've just gotten registered with them and the reader should be here in a few days. They do offer a free site to sell from, but it's preconfigured for either pickup or shipping with no way of changing that. So, I didn't turn that on yet and it doesn't show that I have anything to sell.

https://squareup.com/market/shamrock-computer-services
Click to expand...

Mike, you can specify your business as being mobile which is what I did when I signed up a couple of years ago. Just checked again. Log into your business account. In the upper right corner you should see your name/business name. Click on that and select Dashboard. The next page will have an abstract person kind of icon in the upper right corner, Click on that and select Business Settings. The next window that pops up you can scroll down a little, find LOCATION INFORMATION and there is a check box for This business is mobile. Select that and anyone hitting your main page on squareup will see it is mobile.
 
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