I've been reading so many posts on social media from women saying that they feel too old to start a business..
YOU’RE NOT TOO OLD TO START A BUSINESS WITH A PURPOSE!
Meet Whang-Od Oggay, Philippines’ oldest mambabatok, a traditional Kalinga tattooist. She is 104 years old. Her true purpose in life has kept her living so long and she has no signs of stopping! She has said, the tradition will continue as long as people keep coming to get tattoos.
"As long as I can see well, I will keep giving tattoos. I'll stop once my vision gets blurry."
Oh and if that’s not motivating enough…. People venture from all over the world to get a tattoo from her and make a 15-hour drive north of Manila to the mountain village of Buscalan, which is only accessible by hiking a mile from the nearest dirt road through a forest and rice terraces.
This is not a time to beat yourself up about what you have failed to try, instead, it’s the time to take inventory of what you are good at or like doing. It’s not about comparing your success to someone else’s, but more about removing the limits that we put on ourselves.
By following these three steps, you can set yourself up for success and begin turning your dreams into reality at any age.
✔️ FOCUS ON WHAT YOU LOVE:
Everyone has a purpose, it's most likely the thing you love to do the most. If you are struggling with finding something you are passionate about, try starting with making a list of the things you love, and the things that you love to do. You may find that your purpose was right in front of you the entire time. Try not to judge what you love. Doing this can quickly help you figure out what exactly you are passionate about and it could be the kickstart to your business and new life.
For example — Ellen Curtis, 76 was a longtime psychiatric nurse based in Los Angeles who recently pivoted into retail. Her doctor told her last year that her blood pressure was too high and encouraged her to consider a career change. Curtis sells up-cycled jean jackets and hand-sewn face masks.
“From the time I was a little girl, I have been a fashionista. Now you can help spread joy and positivity with one-of-a-kind loungewear!” https://www.statementbyellenc.com/about
✔️ FIGURE OUT WHAT YOU’RE GOOD AT:
Once you find out what you love or what you love to do, try, and figure out how prepared you are to pursue these things as an entrepreneur. Figure out what skills you may have that can cross over with your passion. As well as figuring out what it will take to be proficient at whatever your skills are.
For example — Teri Cox, 73, started her jewelry business after she retired. Teri's passion for jewelry started as a child, she use to make jewelry out of string, bottle caps, buttons, anything she could get her hands on. People have taken that leap of faith to carve a niche for themselves, she said.
“The people that I’ve encountered are very happy. A lot of us said we should have done this long ago." https://www.teriacox.com
✔️ FIND A GAP:
This is the first step in creating any kind of business is to find a gap in the market. A gap in the market is a place or area that current businesses aren't serving.
For example — Angel Cornelius, 60, started her business making and selling beauty products as a side hustle while still working as a clinic manager at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston. At first, she only intended to make products for herself in her kitchen — she had a hard time finding products that worked for her silver hair. Then her friends started asking to buy her products.
“We older women are really tough, extremely competent, and definitely innovative because there’s so much we want to see in the world that doesn’t exist.” https://maison276.com
Well, there it is. All in all... If you love what you do and whom you serve— It’s a win-win from there AT ANY AGE! 🙌
📷: Brian Mark Barqueros Insta: @justbry16