You Don’t Have to Build Everything Yourself to Start an Online Business After 50

Why the arrival of our IKEA furniture reminded us of one of the most important lessons we’ve learned about business, retirement and knowing when to ask for help

A New Office, a Mountain of Boxes and a Rather Good Lesson!

There’s something rather exciting about creating a new home office

Especially when you’re in your 70s, living in Spain and still building businesses together!

This week, the IKEA delivery arrived at our new home in Desert Springs, Almería

Desks, shelving, cabinets… and what seemed like a mountain of flat-packed boxes! 📦😂

Now, we’re reasonably practical people

But the thought of spending the next several days trying to decipher instructions, sort through hundreds of screws and assemble an entire office wasn’t particularly appealing

So we did something rather sensible

We called in the experts

And while the IKEA assembly team got to work, I sat outside on our terrace, enjoying the sunshine and writing our latest newsletter

Meanwhile, the experts were inside transforming a room full of boxes into a beautiful, functional workspace

They had the right tools

They understood the instructions

They’d done it all before

And they knew exactly what needed to happen next

Watching them work reminded me of something we’ve learned over many years in business…

Just because you CAN do everything yourself doesn’t mean you SHOULD

Every new beginning starts somewhere… ours arrived in flat-packed boxes!

We’ve Been Building Businesses Together Since 1994

Chris and I celebrated our 33rd wedding anniversary this week❤️

We married in November 1993, and a year later, Chris was made redundant

At the time, I already had my own business

Rather than starting something completely new, we decided to combine our experience

Chris brought his accountancy and business development skills into the business, and together we expanded it into a management consultancy

Nothing fancy about the name… just our own names!

Over the years, we worked with businesses, learned new skills, navigated challenges and experienced our fair share of ups and downs

Then came the financial crash of 2008

Like so many people, we discovered that the retirement we’d carefully planned wasn’t going to look quite the way we’d imagined

We needed another way forward

And in 2010, in our mid 50s, we made a decision that would eventually change the way we lived and worked

We began learning how to build an online business

Starting Again Doesn’t Mean Starting From Scratch

When we first ventured into the online business world, there was a lot we didn’t understand

Technology was changing

Marketing was changing

And the way people were building businesses was changing too

We had years of business experience, but that didn’t mean we automatically knew how to build an online business

We had to become students again

And we were fortunate to find people willing to teach us

People who had already done what we wanted to do

People with experience, knowledge, systems and tools that helped us avoid some of the mistakes we might otherwise have made

Of course, we still made plenty! 😂

But having guidance made a difference

And that’s the lesson our IKEA furniture reminded us of

Done For You Doesn’t Mean Done Without You

Think about it

The IKEA team didn’t decide what kind of office we wanted

We did

We chose the desks, the shelving, the layout and how we wanted the space to work for us

The experts brought the tools, skills and experience to help make our vision a reality

And that’s how we believe a good online business system should work

Done for you doesn’t mean done without you

You still need to make decisions

You still need to learn

You still need to take action

And you certainly need to be willing to put in the effort

But you don’t necessarily need to spend months figuring out every technical detail or reinventing something that already works

Especially when you’re approaching retirement, already retired or simply looking for a different way to create additional income

Your time matters

And so does your peace of mind

The experts assembled the furniture… but the vision was ours

Why We Chose Two Different Business Models

Today, Chris and I work with two businesses that complement different aspects of our Hybrid Retirement Lifestyle

One focuses on the practical skills and systems needed to build an online business

The other focuses on health, wellness and the opportunity to build a business by sharing products and helping others

Both involve building relationships, developing skills and creating the potential for ongoing income

But they work differently

We wrote about this recently in an article titled “Why We Work With Companies Who Genuinely Care About Their Partners And Customers”

You can read it here

Home Business Academy: Learning the Skills and Using the Systems

Through Home Business Academy, we help people explore affiliate marketing and the tools and training available to build an online business

This includes practical education, marketing tools, funnels and systems designed to simplify some of the technical work

And as technology evolves, so do the resources available

For someone over 50 who’s worried about having to become a technology expert before they can even begin, that can be reassuring

You still need to learn how to connect with people, communicate effectively and build trust

But you don’t have to create every tool yourself

Want to explore the Home Business Academy?

Amare Global: Wellness, Relationships and Community

Our second business is with Amare Global, a company focused on mental wellness and the connection between health and overall wellbeing

This business model is different

It combines products, customer relationships, community and the opportunity to develop a business as a brand partner

For us, health and financial security have always been closely connected

After all, what good is having the freedom to enjoy retirement if you don’t feel well enough to enjoy it?

And what good is feeling wonderful if you’re constantly worried about how you’ll afford the lifestyle you want?

That’s why both businesses have a place in our lives

They’re different routes, but they support the same bigger picture

Of course, neither business guarantees income

Results depend on many factors, including effort, skills, expenses and individual circumstances

If this sounds interesting to you, we’d love to share a little more.

We’ve put together a page that explains what Amare Global is all about… from the wellness products and the people behind them to the business opportunity and the community that makes it so special

You can take a look in your own time and see whether it’s something that might be right for you

Just let us know on our “Get in Touch” page

The One Thing Technology Can’t Replace

Here’s something else we’ve learned

You can have the best tools in the world

You can have excellent training

You can even have a system that handles many of the technical tasks

But there’s something incredibly valuable about having a real person to talk to

Someone who understands what it’s like to start something new later in life

Someone who remembers what it felt like to be uncertain, overwhelmed or afraid of getting things wrong

And someone who’s willing to share what they’ve learned

That’s why, alongside the business systems we use, Chris and I believe so strongly in personal guidance and mentorship

We’re still learning ourselves

We’re still adapting to new technology

And we’re certainly not pretending to know everything!

But after more than three decades working together in business, and over fifteen years in the online world, we do have experience worth sharing

Speaking of technology, our mantra is Human first. AI assisted. Always.

Your Next Chapter Doesn’t Have to Look Like Your Last One

One of the biggest misconceptions about retirement is that you have to choose between working full time and stopping work completely

We don’t believe those are the only options

Our philosophy is what we call the Hybrid Retirement Lifestyle

A way of creating a life where work, income, health, relationships, travel and personal fulfilment can fit together

Not necessarily in equal proportions

And certainly not in the same way for everyone

For some, that might mean building a small additional income alongside a pension

For others, it might mean developing a new skill, starting a business or finding a renewed sense of purpose

And for some, it might simply mean having the freedom to choose how they spend their days

The important thing is that you get to decide what works for you

A little behind-the-scenes glimpse of our new office at Casa Beesley… where the next chapter is already taking shape!

Can you really start an online business after 50?

Absolutely

Starting an online business after 50 doesn’t mean you need to be a technology expert or have years of online marketing experience

You can build on the skills, knowledge and relationships you’ve developed throughout your working life

The important thing is finding a suitable business model, learning the necessary skills and having realistic expectations about the time and effort involved

Frequently asked questions

Am I too old to start an online business at 50, 60 or 70?

No

Age itself doesn’t prevent you from learning new skills or starting a business

Your existing experience may be an advantage, although success still requires effort, learning and consistency

Do I need technical skills to start an online business?

You need some basic digital skills, but you don’t have to build every website or marketing system yourself

Training and ready-made tools can help simplify the process and we make sure you have these given the companies we work with

Can an online business provide additional retirement income?

Potentially, yes

Affiliate marketing and other online business models can generate income, but results vary and aren’t guaranteed

It’s important to understand the costs, risks and work involved before starting

So, Back to Those IKEA Boxes…

Our office is now taking shape

The desks are assembled

The books are finding their way onto the shelves

And we’re beginning another exciting chapter of living and working here in Spain

But perhaps the biggest reminder from this week’s furniture delivery is this…

You don’t have to do everything yourself to build something meaningful

You need a vision

You need to be willing to learn

You need to take action

And sometimes, you need the right people and the right systems alongside you

The furniture may have been done for us…

But what we choose to build from here is entirely up to us❤️

And the same could be true for you

If you’ve been thinking about exploring an online business after 50, but aren’t sure where to begin, we’d be happy to share what we’ve learned and help you understand the different options

And we left details that you can review

Because your next chapter might be closer than you think

Work A Little • Live A Lot • Leave A Legacy.

Chris & Susan Beesley

Living The Hybrid Retirement Lifestyle ❤️

Still learning, still building and still enjoying our Hybrid Retirement Lifestyle in our 70’s

Thank You

Thanks for reading today’s blog

You Don’t Have to Build Everything Yourself to Start an Online Business After 50

And would love you to share your thoughts and feedback or any questions you have

Just reach out to us here

And if you prefer to talk to us personally you can book a call here or chat with us on WhatsApp

It’s Fr.ee 😀 to talk and we’re not going to “sell you” just answer your questions and give you some clarity on what’s next because nothing would give us more pleasure than seeing you succeed