Self employment and the 50-plus

For ages I have been talking about the business opportunities that exist for companies to assist older people start their own business.

Either because of necessity (i.e. being made redundant) or because it seems like a good idea, an increasing number of the 50-plus will finish their working life working for themselves rather than somebody else.

This project researches the number of new independent companies set up by older people (the report uses the term “third age founders” – not my favourite) and compares their growth and innovative performance compared to businesses set up by younger entrepreneurs.

This table is taken from the report and shows that self-employment is a way of life for 22.8% of the 50-plus-to-retirement, economically active male population. I will be coming back to this project and research that has been completed by Standard Life on the subject. Dick Stroud