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Most retired people don't want to work full time. After all, they are "retired". But many find themselves in a situation like an acquaintance of mine, John, whom I was surprised recently to meet in the aisle of a big box home improvement store.

John was wearing an orange apron, which immediately identified him as a company employee. Now, John is a very knowledgeable guy. He is a good carpenter and has other homebuilding skills he can tap when needed. He had done an extensive remodel of his house a couple years ago, and that is where I first met him.

"John, you're working here?" I said. He smiled and asked how I was. And I queried him further.

"How do you like it here?" I asked.

"It's not bad," he said. "But pretty long hours."

We chatted a little while and then I went on my way. My first thought was that the store had a prize of an employee in John. His expertise regarding construction and his personal drive would be a great asset. But John was supposed to be retired. And here he was commuting some distance from home and working full time. Was that really what he wanted to do? Somehow I didn't think so.

I wonder - how many Americans of retirement age have left careers behind and are now forced to work at relatively low-paying jobs just to be able to survive financially? I see them all the time, and I think there MUST be a better way to make up for small Social Security pensions and inadequate retirement savings.

Here I want to highlight a possible way out for many of our older senior citizens (and can work for younger folks, too).

One thing a long working career gives someone is experience, and probably expertise to go along with it. Is there a way he or she can turn that hard-earned expert knowledge into income without resuming full time work? And better yet, with an income potential that may exceed their dreams?

In fact, there is. Developing a thriving home grown business is one real option. But with a caveat.

A lot of home-based and online business opportunities exist out there in cyberspace. But how do you find a genuine, WORKABLE business idea that is a good fit for YOU?

In one sense, the answer is simple: develop your OWN business based on your personal experience and expertise. (Or maybe based on a strong interest or hobby.) The personal fit is assured; now it is only necessary to come up with the workable part.

With the internet, the world of opportunity has opened wide. It is now quite possible to take your personal expertise/passion and develop a unique and thriving online business providing an income in some cases greater than your previous career income.

But, you might say, I'm no internet or website expert. How do I do this? Where does the money come from? I really don't see how this could work for me at all.
All legitimate concerns and questions. And fortunately for us there are good workable answers. The internet is a gold mine of great information and tools that even an utter newbie (like I was) can take and use to create something to be proud of.

What you will be aiming at is to find a niche market that you can exploit with your own unique knowledge. A market waiting for the input that perhaps only you, or not too many others, can provide.

For the most part, people go online first to find information, not to buy stuff. You as an expect in your niche provide them with GOOD USEFUL CONTENT - the tips/information they are seeking. Your visitors will come to see and trust you as an expert. So when you do offer them something to buy that will take them that last mile to what they want, they are much more willing to lay down their money.

Good programs exist to teach you how to do market research, how to see if your niche idea has real monetary potential, how to build and structure a website that is attractive and welcoming to potential customers, how to drive lots of traffic to your site, how to set up ways to earn money from the site.

Plus free courses to teach you how to write good content, how to set up profitable relationships with other online business people, and much more.

Setting up your own profitable online business is a real adventure. Many, many people - old and young - are doing this successfully. Will you be one of them?