I keep getting interrupted. This staggered series of posts about entrepreneurs was supposed to be maybe three or four entries – but interesting things are always popping up.
The 60-Something Entrepreneur: Can a Start-Up Pay for Retirement?
Americans ages 55 to 64 started some 10,000 businesses a month in 2007-08, more than any other age group…
Not sure about the silly picture (that’s a pretty big board and recording studio for a ‘home business’ – which is what the piece is mostly about) but the points in the article are pretty good ones.
The case for old entrepreneurs
In 2008, I led a research team in exploring the backgrounds of 652 U.S.-born chief executive officers and heads of product development in 502 successful engineering and technology companies established from 1995 to 2005. These were companies with real revenue -- not just the start-ups founded by the college dropouts that some venture capitalists like to fund. We learned that the average and median age of successful founders was 39. Twice as many founders were older than 50 as were younger than 25. And there were twice as many over 60 as under 20.
Not a big surprise for me. I wrote a book in 2005 that was partially for entrepreneurial Baby Boomers. NostraChuckus knew they were coming – even before the financial meltdown.
Baby boomers will be assets, not liabilities
By Chris FarrellThe economy will eventually gain traction and the unemployment rate will come down. Many older workers will decide to go into business for themselves. For instance, 55- to 64-year-olds had the highest rate of entrepreneurship of any age group from 1996 and 2010, according to the Kaufmann Foundation … The bottom line: It's time to change the conversation about aging boomers from the decline and fall of the economy to a focus on boomer productivity and creativity…
I can’t even link to all the excerpts from my book – along with blog posts over the years about this. Just one:
The Creative Art Of Growing Old
When does creativity peak? The second-act aces make a case for middle to late age. Take a look at some of the people who have not simply performed well but done their best work in their later years.
Last but not least …
Wish I had been there:
The Rise of the Grey Market
The theme contemplated in this session is the enormous opportunity and challenge created by the aging demographics of the United States and Europe. What are the trends that define this opportunity? What industries are affected by it? Who stands to win, and who stands to lose? Who is at the forefront of creating solutions to address this market, and who is investing in them?
Entrepreneurs & Baby Boomers I
Entrepreneurs & Baby Boomers II
Entrepreneurs & Baby Boomers III
Entrepreneurs & Baby Boomers IV
