Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 11

Thread: Ideas for side retirement Business

  1. #1
    Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Posts
    67

    Ideas for side retirement Business

    My parents are recently retired but are looking for some hobby business ideas. They currently sell dogs that they raise and my dad does random carpentry work.

    Anyone on here have a nice low stress business that they do in their retirement?

    -Dave


  2. #2
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Posts
    117
    Some ideas I've given retired family members (businesses and jobs);

    Pet sitting
    Crossing guard
    Teaching courses at college/university
    Flower delivery (often just on-call, occasional work)
    Gift basket making
    Pet photography

    One retired guy who was a train hobbyist I saw running a business taking a portable layout to kids parties. He dressed as an engineer and everything, looked like he was having a blast.

  3. #3
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Toronto
    Posts
    3,053
    Do crossing guards get paid? For some reason I always thought it was a volunteer position.
    Mike Holman
    Money Smarts Blog Investing and Personal Finance

  4. #4
    Senior Member the-royal-mail's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Posts
    3,411
    Sell stuff on ebay. Go to auction sales, learn about the various collectibles markets, know what to buy, learn what stuff is and isn't worth, see how it does on ebay presently and try to make a few dollars on the side. You'll need to be good at packing things properly for shipment (so stay away from larger items that are not easily boxed) and the paypal and ebay fees and shipping costs will take a significant chunk of your income. You won't get rich unless you become big and successful but the best part about this is you can sell whenever you want, if you want to go away for a few months simply don't list anything once your previous batch of items have been received. And you'll also want to stock up on shipping containers, free from many stores as they stock shelves and recycle most of the boxes!

  5. #5
    Administrator FrugalTrader's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Newfoundland
    Posts
    1,206
    Since it's their retirement, I would suggest doing things that they enjoy and have the side benefit of getting paid for it.
    Million Dollar Journey - Follow my journey to one million in net worth..

  6. #6
    Banned
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
    Posts
    419
    Quote Originally Posted by Four Pillars View Post
    Do crossing guards get paid? For some reason I always thought it was a volunteer position.
    In winnipeg they do. Its 15 an hour, 2-3 times a day, an hour at a time.
    Mostly retired people looking for something to keep busy.

  7. #7
    Member
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Location
    Windsor, ON
    Posts
    35
    Quote Originally Posted by Four Pillars View Post
    Do crossing guards get paid? For some reason I always thought it was a volunteer position.
    They do down here. I think they're even part of a union but not 100% sure. I might be thinking of somewhere else. They get paid well enough though for what they do
    Last edited by yupislyr; 2010-03-23 at 04:00 PM.

  8. #8
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Posts
    1,614
    Quote Originally Posted by swoop_ds View Post

    Anyone on here have a nice low stress business that they do in their retirement?

    -Dave
    I don't know if "business" and "low-stress" go hand in hand. It's more a question of "cost-recovery hobbies".

    But as another poster said, it's mostly a matter of what their interests are. If they are people-persons". maybe Walmart Greeter?

  9. #9
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Location
    Dallas, Tx
    Posts
    2
    I wholeheartedly agree with frugal trader. If there are looking to monetize their hobbies, I would focus on that. Maybe create an interent business of how they raise and sell dogs or carpentry?

  10. #10
    Member
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
    Posts
    38
    Speaking of entrepreneurship and getting part time or full time income via the internet, I recently received an interesting invitation to attend a conference (with a meal of course) on the subject matter. I am thinking that this could be a good way to supplement retirement income.

    It is presented by storesonline.com. Anybody out there that can share good or not so good experiences with this group?


Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •