Urban, who worked in government for most of his life, took a class in real estate development, for instance. \u201cThis was a skill set I needed,\u201d he says. \u00a0<\/p>\n
His presentation landed him a consulting visit to Hong Kong, where he brought his idea for building cities up instead of out, with elevated plazas, parks and streets. \u201cThe first thing to do is to find a need you\u2019re passionate about,\u201d he advises fellow would-be entrepreneurs.<\/p>\n
\u00a0But learning the basics is essential, Urban adds. \u201cIf you\u2019re going to be an entrepreneur, you\u2019ve got to be computer-literate. You\u2019ve got to have social media.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Some of the options that help older adults start working for themselves \u2014 such as professional consultants and advisers \u2014 cost money. Others, including consulting with volunteer mentors, are free or inexpensive.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The yearlong ASU program, for example, charges $20,000, which includes auditing up to six ASU courses and being paired with faculty mentors. Scholarships are available.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Many business programs are free or low-cost for older adults<\/p>\n
Another route: Career outplacement services sometimes included with severance during corporate layoffs increasingly include advising workers who want to become entrepreneurs.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Entrepreneurs\u2019 Organization<\/a> offers tips and tools with membership, plus a chance to participate in executive education seminars at Harvard Business School and elsewhere. In addition to paying a fee, members are required to have annual sales of at least $1 million, though the EO posts information free online on a range of topics for entrepreneurs at any stage.\u00a0<\/p>\n Short-term certificate programs in business topics are proliferating, many at community colleges. In most states, residents over 60 (or 62 or 65, depending on the state) can get free or reduced tuition at public colleges and universities. For entrepreneurs who haven\u2019t reached those ages, the courses are usually inexpensive. The National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship<\/a> has an online map of member campuses that offer entrepreneurship courses.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cStart with self-education,\u201d online or by reading books, advises Donna Kelley, a professor of entrepreneurship at Babson College. \u201cThen take one course about how to start a business. That might help identify areas where you need to brush up, maybe on marketing or financing, and you could take another course in that.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n The Service Corps of Retired Executives, or SCORE<\/a>, provides free workshops, webinars, online guides and local networking events to small-business owners, plus an army of volunteer mentors. \u00a0<\/p>\n Having mentors is essential, entrepreneurship experts universally agree. People who have them are five times more likely to follow through with starting a business and three times more likely to succeed in it, with higher revenues and faster growth, research shows.\u00a0<\/p>\n Independent, nonprofit groups of mentors have been popping up in many cities. Many also offer webinars, which they archive online for people to watch any time, and some are in the process of forming a national consortium. One, Boston Business Mentors<\/a>, plans to compile a directory of members. \u00a0<\/p>\n