A great many older adults find that after retiring from their careers, too much free time and a fixed income isn’t what it was cracked up to be and want to re-enter the workforce. But with roadblocks like ageism stacked up against seniors, more are creating their own jobs with entrepreneurial endeavors. In Ontario, Canada, a pair of retirees recently started their own painting business that focuses on hiring and training employees between the ages of about 50 and 70.
According to a recent CBC News report, the problem of ageism in the corporate world prevents many older adults from finding work but with fewer pensions and greater longevity, seniors must be creative in funding their old age. That’s where The Senior Touch comes in. The venture currently employs five older adults but the owners are hoping to grow their business that specializes in spray painting kitchens which beautifies and improves resale value at a fraction of the cost of a new kitchen.
The Senior Touch is hoping to develop one city at a time across Canada, expanding its services to include cabinetry refinishing as well as booth spray painting by trained senior craftsmen.
Finding skilled workers, especially for smaller home renovations, can be difficult. Finish carpenters, electricians, plumbers, landscapers, refinishers and furniture upholsterers and repairers always seem to be in high demand but hard to find at a reasonable price. Older adults with skills and experience, or the desire to learn, may have the ideal opportunity to start their own business and find new meaning and fulfillment later in life.
According to Statistics Canada, more Canadians are working past age 65; nearly 1 in 5 older adults worked at some point during 2015. This is more than double the number of seniors who worked in 1995 and as well as staying in the workforce longer, more older adults are also working part-time to supplement their income and feel useful. Check out more business ideas for seniors, baby boomers and retirees by visiting Retired Brains here.
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