9 Reasons Why Now Is the Best Time for Women Over 50 to Start a Business

And the best thing I’ve found to amplify your success.

Many women over 50 are at a crossroads. They feel unfulfilled in their current roles and want a deeper purpose.

We've had decades of life experience and tons of knowledge. But, society often misrepresents the power we have at this stage in life and doesn't recognize us.

Instead, it often portrays us as being past our prime or overlooks us. It undervalues our potential and our contributions.

It sounds so cliché and yet stings at the same time because it's a real thing we've all experienced.

Yet, I acknowledge that I contribute to it. I do so through my beliefs and views, which I can change.  

Plus, there’s a powerful shift happening. 

Women over 50 are embracing entrepreneurship. Women are seeing it as not a career choice, but a path to personal growth. 

Building your own business has huge benefits. It lets you make a bigger contribution. It expands your potential. 

You can use your gifts and gain autonomy, flexibility, and a self-directed life.

In this article, I share 10 strong reasons why now is the best time for women over 50 to start a business. And create profound empowerment and fulfillment in the process.

Here goes:

1. Influence and Autonomy: We can't control everything. But, we can sway the course of our work and personal lives. We can strengthen our ability to decide independently. We can also shape our work environments to support the kind of life we want to live.

For example, I love spaciousness. I structure my days to allow lots of freedom and time. I use them for reflection, planning, dreaming, and creating.  I limit calls, and times when I have to ‘show up’ and lean on my strengths. I had to learn to say ‘no’ and it was hard, but it has shaped my work well.  

When we're free from family and career demands, we feel the pull to pursue our passions. 

The kids are grown. Or we’re not in the corporate world anymore. But, that doesn't mean our value and contribution switch gets turned off.  It’s even greater than ever! 

2. Flexibility and Work-Life Balance: This one didn't hit me for a while.  I have tons of flexibility, which means I can spend the time I want and need on balancing ME.  Meditation, time in nature, and coffee with friends fit in wherever I want it.

3. Financial Security: Economic stability is a real concern. Not everyone has a retirement fund (I don’t).  So finding another way to create income is important for well-being and peace of mind.  We have the opportunity to create a revenue stream that can be as big as we want it to be.  

4. Personal Growth and Reinvention: This is the perfect time to focus inward and grow more as a human being.  We can grow alongside helping other people grow too.  Imagine how fun it would be to totally reinvent yourself!  I have a visualization of "Me 2.0"' that I use regularly.  The sky’s the limit!

It's important to note: growing a business is hard. This is true no matter your age, stage, or starting point.  It dredges up self-doubt, worry, and even fear.  However, growing a business is incredibly rewarding.  It’s the biggest personal growth journey you’ll ever go on.

Dr. Tara Swart says in her book, The Source:

"When we learn to use our minds' power, we can change our lives in ways we never thought possible. The key is to understand that we're the source of our power."

I also found the book, The 7 Primal Questions by Mike Foster super helpful.  We’ll get into this a little further along, but if you’ve not read it, I highly recommend it.

5. Positive Relationships and Community: We need community. Making a positive impact through your business means building positive relationships. You need them in all parts of your life.

By creating communities, we nurture them and they nurture us. They help us grow our relationships.  It’s a win-win.

6. Challenging Age Stereotypes: We desire better representation and recognition in media and society. We deserve better representation and recognition in media and society. If you’re over 50 and feel misrepresented, you’re not alone. We start change with our own beliefs.

7. Technological Empowerment: Okay, so we’re not all tech-savvy.  And truthfully, sometimes I’d rather stick my head in the sand than learn more tech!  It can be a little overwhelming. But I embrace technology in my business. I leverage AI to make tasks easier and think bigger. It levels the playing field a bit and is very empowering.  

If you’re tackling the tech and find it difficult, remember to go at your pace.  This is your time, your business, you choose the time you take to learn the tech you need.  You’re more than capable.  

8. Support Systems & Mentorship: Much like building communities, we get to build support systems.  Networking and connecting are necessities in business. Many women feel disconnected when they’re no longer "in the office". They’re at a loss for connection.  Business puts us back in the game.  And this time, it’s on our terms.

9. Legacy: There are many reasons why choosing to build a business after 50 is a GREAT thing.  Legacy is a big one. Having something that lives long beyond you means your voice can carry through time. It can impact people who aren’t even born yet.  Cool thought, right?!

If these 9 reasons have inspired you, I want to share an exercise with you. It can greatly impact your experience and outcome in building a business. 

If you already have a business, stop everything and do this now.  It’s mind-blowing. It’s the best thing I’ve found to amplify your success.

The book, The Seven Primal Questions by Mike Foster shares, as you can imagine, 7 questions. They tap into deep motivations that influence choices and actions.

According to Foster, we all have one primal question.  It is part of our primal gift and hints at our primal truth. And it drives everything we do.

Here are the 7 questions:

Am I safe?

Am I loved?

Am I enough?

Do I matter?

Am I wanted?

Am I successful?

Am I fulfilling my potential or do I have a purpose?

To succeed in business and fulfill your reasons for starting one now, do one thing first: find your primal question.

This action and the activities that follow, like building your primal map, change everything. 

The challenges, patterns, and beliefs you’ve had most of your life shape how you succeed. 

Now’s the perfect time to become aware.  And do something about it.

Let’s say that your primal question is “Am I enough?”. If left unaddressed, you'll unknowingly seek confirmation and validation through every client exchange, offer, email, and social media post to get a yes to that answer. 

And if you get a no, you’ll get caught in unhelpful patterns and negative self-talk. They'll likely hurt business growth.

If your primal question is “Am I safe?", you’ll avoid taking risks, struggle to be visible, and may even have difficulty connecting with potential clients. Businesses need all these things.

Neurosurgeon James Doty said:

"The power to change your life lies within your ability to change your mind. When you believe in your potential and take action with intention, you create the magic that transforms your reality."

We have incredible reasons to go after building a business after 50.  We can truly make an impact, take care of ourselves, and even change the way society sees aging.  

The key is to go into building a business with your reasons and understand what drives you, so you can succeed.

If you want a community, safe space, and marketing guidance for growing your business (and life), join us in the Happy & Successful Business Mastermind.

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