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Online Businesses Popular for Senior Citizens to Start

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StrategyDriven Starting Your Business Article | Online Businesses Popular for Senior Citizens to StartRetirement does not need to mean the end of work for senior citizens if they don’t want it to. There are many businesses that even those in need of in-home senior care can start. These businesses can give retirees extra income while still allowing them the flexibility to enjoy their retirement.

These 6 online businesses are good for retirees to start.

Senior Citizens Can Start an Online Genealogy Researching Business

Genealogists research the history of a family, and they can use the Internet to access genealogical records and create a detailed family tree for clients. This work is research-intensive so people are willing to pay others to do it for them. This makes it an ideal home business for retired seniors with time on their hands.

Although much of the research can be done online, genealogists sometimes need to go to libraries, churches or courthouses. They may also need to conduct interviews with people. This part of the job is excellent for seniors who enjoy getting out and socializing with others.

Starting a Virtual Assistant Business Can Help Retirees Earn Money

Virtual assistants are like administrative assistants who work remotely. They can help a business with a variety of tasks such as research, social media management, bookkeeping, data entry, managing email, booking travel, calendar management and more.

Senior citizens who want to start an online virtual assistant business need to assess the existing skills that they can offer and then decide if they want to learn new skills to add them to their offerings or just focus on the ones they already have.

Retirees Can Start a Writing or Blogging Business

There is a great need for quality content online, and senior citizens who want to start their own business can call upon their years of experience and knowledge to write that content. In fact, writing is an excellent home business for seniors who want to work entirely from home because all writing, research and telephone interviews can be done from the comfort of a home office.

Retirees who want to start a writing or blogging business should create a website with samples of their writing, perhaps creating their own blog that touches on the subjects they can write about. This will give them a portfolio to point potential clients to.

A Photo Business is Great for Senior Citizens with Tech Skills

For an older adult who knows their way around Photoshop or other photo enhancing tools, starting an online photo business is ideal. The business can offer services such as photo restoration of old or damaged photos, digitizing slides, negatives or prints, touching up digital images and more.

An investment in some hardware and software may be necessary for a senior citizen to start this business. Once that investment is made, a creative senior can make extra retirement income helping others enhance and preserve their photo memories.

Retired Teachers and Professionals Can Start an Online Tutoring Business

The ability to connect with others through video chat makes online tutoring easy. Former teachers and other professionals can offer their expert knowledge in subjects that students need to be tutored in and do that tutoring online.

This is one online business seniors can start that they might be able to get underway just by word of mouth. An older adult who announces on social media that they would like to tutor others in a subject they qualify to teach may find students very quickly.

Senior Citizens with Web Design Experience Can Start their Own Business Designing Websites

There are many website building sites such as WIX or Squarespace that make it simple to get a website up and running quickly. Tech-savvy seniors who take the time to get to know a couple of these sites can start a business that builds websites for others.

A senior who wants to open a company that helps other retirees may even consider starting a website designing business for other senior citizens that want to start their own online businesses.

About the Author

StrategyDriven Expert Contributor | Kelsey SimpsonKelsey Simpson enjoys writing about things that can help others. She lives in South Jersey and is the proud companion to two German Shepherds and spends her free time volunteering in dog shelters.

Can A Leased Car Be Used As A Taxi?

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StrategyDriven Starting Your Business Article | Can A Leased Car Be Used As A Taxi?Although it isn’t a question we get asked too frequently, someone occasionally asks whether or not a leased car can be used as a taxi. Whether you are just beginning to drive a taxi or have been driving for years, you may be surprised by how inexpensive it is to lease a vehicle. Can you lease a car for use as a taxi?

It depends. The section below examines the different circumstances under which a leased car can or cannot be used as a taxi.

Can Leased Vehicles Be Used As Taxis?

The answer is yes, but only in certain situations.

You most likely won’t be able to find a vehicle to lease from a standard broker. Some businesses, however, specialize in vehicle leases for cars that are going to be used as taxis. In close to three years at the OSV, I only happened upon one company that had specific deals in place for private hire vehicles.

Even though it may be challenging, there are ways to make it happen. The key is to find a company that specifically offers leases on vehicles that can be used as taxis.

Can I Use A Personal Contract Purchase Vehicle As A Taxi?

These vehicles can only be used as taxis when they are leased under a special agreement from a company that deals specifically with these types of leases. What happens if you have a personal contract purchase, though?

Even though personal contract purchases and personal contract hires are similar, they differ in what happens at the end of the contract. At this time, you can choose to:

  • Buy the car for a specific predetermined amount
  • Exchange the vehicle in part for a new one
  • Return the vehicle (you still will need to pay for any condition problems or extra mileage)

Based on that, can a personal contract vehicle be used as a taxi?

Sadly, it can’t. The vehicle is technically owned by the company providing the financing until the end of the contract. At that point, you can buy the car, making you the owner. If you don’t wait until the contract is up to begin using the vehicle as a taxi, it will depreciate too quickly. There is no way for the finance company to know whether or not you will buy the vehicle when the contract is over. After the contract ends, however, if you decide to purchase the vehicle, it can then be used as a taxi.

Can You Use a Leased Vehicle As An Uber?

The popularity of Uber, a ridesharing app, has exploded over the past few years. Unfortunately, leased vehicles cannot be used when driving for Uber. There is one exception, however. Toyota has invested in Uber so that Uber drivers now have special leasing options. Although you can’t lease a vehicle from a regular company, you may be able to find one through companies that deal specifically with leasing vehicles to Uber drivers.

In the US, Uber partnering with a company to provide drivers with leased vehicles is an interesting development. Currently, however, there aren’t any signs that the same options will be made available in the UK.

Why Aren’t Leased Vehicles Allowed To Be Used As Taxis?

Cars that are used as taxis typically travel much greater distances and experience more wear and tear than standard vehicles. These are the primary factors preventing leased cars from being used as taxis.

Vehicle leases always restrict both the mileage and the amount of wear and tear the vehicle can experience during the lease period. For instance, some leased vehicles are only allowed to be driven 50,000 miles per year. Financing companies may provide further restrictions, limiting the annual mileage to anywhere from 35,000 to 45,000 miles. Taxis are driven for hours at a time, which causes the miles to quickly add up. Cars that have high mileage generally don’t retain their value. Financing companies don’t want to take the risk of owning a car that is worth very little after the end of the lease period.

A similar concept applies to the condition of the vehicle. Because taxis are driven so much, they are more likely to experience excessive wear and tear. This decreases the value of the car and may result in the need for costly repairs. If you read the lease, it usually will state “not for hire or reward”. As a result, you are not allowed to make money off of the vehicle itself.

Ultimately, financing companies don’t want to lease cars that they can’t recoup their money on at the end of the lease term.

How Can I Obtain A Lease For A Vehicle I Can Use As A Taxi?

As was already stated, most brokers don’t offer lease deals for vehicles that allow them to be used as taxis.

There are companies out there, however, that specialize in leasing vehicles to people who want to use them as taxis. You may have to dig a little bit to find these companies, however.

A good place to start is by speaking to your broker. If you don’t already have one, find an experienced broker in your area. Talk to them about whether or not they know of any companies that offer vehicle leases on cars that can be used as taxis.

Websites such as CarLoanWarehouse, ethosfinance.co.uk, and TheTaxiShop provide lease deals and financing options for taxis. We can’t comment on the quality of these companies, however, since we have never worked with them before. If you decide you want to give them a try, do careful research ahead of time so that you can make sure they are the right choice for your needs.

If you want to find a vehicle that you can lease and use as a taxi, you will need to look for a company that specifically deals with these types of leases. Everyday leasing companies and brokers generally don’t offer deals like these. That means that you will need to do quite a bit of research to find well-respected companies that handle taxi-related lease deals.

When you find a vehicle compare you taxi insurance for the best price.

How to Decide if a Franchise is Right for You

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Many entrepreneurs wish to start a business based on an idea they have that they believe fills a gap in the market – or creates a new market. However, in many cases, you might wish to start a business but lack a viable opportunity in your location. This is where franchises come in. The basic idea is simple enough; you pay an established company for the right to use their business model and brand and run your own business under their umbrella. Some of the biggest commercial names run on this model, but how do you know if this would be a good fit for you?

Advantages

The main advantage of a franchise is that you don’t need to establish your business in a competitive marketplace. One of the main strategies of a new business will be to run effective marketing campaigns, which can be time-consuming, costly and a lot of work. With a franchise, you have that brand awareness in place already, and the marketing burden is largely taken off your shoulders. There is still a requirement for a degree in marketing, depending on the contract you sign, in which case you could look at social media marketing for franchises for example. The other key advantage is that the business model, including supply chain, IT systems, and personnel management is already in place, saving a huge amount of work compared to starting a business from scratch.

Disadvantages

The first thing that might spring to mind is the initial investment required for a franchise. This can be a sizeable sum for a major chain, and you will need to have a sound source of funding to be able to take on a franchise. However, before you dismiss the idea on these grounds, consider how much you would need to invest as an individual if you were starting from scratch. Factor in the costs of running marketing campaigns to the set-up costs and you may find that this puts the franchise cost into perspective.

One main issue is not so much the finance, because to start a business you will need investment anyway; rather it is your perception of the loss of autonomy. You will be bound by your contract to operate within the company regulations, normally with very little freedom to go your own way. Franchisors want their customers to be essentially unaware that the branch they are in is a franchise, so if you’re in an establishment in Delaware, it will be exactly the same as the one in Richmond, or Boulder. If you would find it hard to function with this lack of control, then franchising is probably not your best option. If, however, it is the challenge of being productive and profitable that is your passion, you could find franchising a perfect fit.

When considering the pros and cons of franchise opportunities, remember that with so many potential franchises to evaluate, there will be corresponding variations in the degree of control you have, so there could well be a business model out there that fits you. Read more on how a tree service franchise opportunity could be the business you are looking for.

Key Areas To Focus On When Starting A Manufacturing Business

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StrategyDriven Starting Your Business Article | Key Areas To Focus On When Starting A Manufacturing BusinessThe manufacturing industry is one which is always in demand, so it is easy to see why so many entrepreneurs look to start a business here. Manufacturing can also be a complex industry to work in and highly competitive, so success is not as straightforward as it may seem, especially when you consider how hard it is to compete with the much larger manufacturers.

This is why it is so important to focus on the right areas when you first start out so that you can hit the ground running and find some success early on.

Market Research

Much like with any new business venture, the first stage will involve thorough research. This will help you to determine if it is a viable business idea, which sector you should operate in, who your competitors are and who your target customer is.

Business Plan

With this information, you can then create a detailed business plan which will act as a blueprint to your success and guide you through the early stages of the startup. In addition to this, a business plan will also be important for securing funding which will be crucial for getting the operation up and running to a high standard.

Premises & Location

Manufacturing operations often require a lot of space so you need to find suitable premises that will allow your team to work safely each day. In addition to being a large enough space, this should also be somewhere that is easy to access with plenty of parking so that staff and suppliers can easily reach the site each day.

High Quality Equipment

High-quality equipment is essential for any manufacturing business so that you can create products of the highest standard. For those working with liquids, this is likely to include float switches designed by a specialist, so that you are able to increase productivity and allow staff to work to a high level each day.

Staff

Following on from this, you also need to make sure that you take the time with recruitment as it will be impossible to succeed without a skilled and hardworking workforce. A good way to keep costs down is to outsource certain areas of the business, but for the key parts of the operation you need to find the right people for the job and keep them happy in their role.

Marketing

It is important to start marketing your manufacturing company early so that as many people are aware of your business as possible from day one. As previously mentioned, it can be hard to compete in this industry, which is why marketing is so important and also why you should use the services of an experienced agency to raise awareness about your new business.

Focus on these areas when starting a manufacturing company and it should pave the way for future success, as well as help you to hit the ground running in what can be a challenging industry to succeed in.

 

Ensure Your Clinical Practice Wants For Nothing

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StrategyDriven Starting Your Business Article | Entrepreneurship | Ensure Your Clinical Practice Wants For Nothing

Every business has a responsibility to its client and staff, but this is perhaps the most true when considering the daily operation of a clinical practice. The work conducted here, no matter the healthcare specialism being administered, is of the utmost importance, and completely sensitive in nature. Of course, we’re not here to lecture healthcare providers as to the ethics of their practice, nor to recommend any basic advice that could be misconstrued as patronizing. We’re certain that clinicians are more than qualified to make vital decisions themselves.

But when it comes to outfitting their practice, and ensuring a greater level of daily effectiveness, it can be worthwhile to rely on several timeless business pointers, those that require an understanding of the mechanics of business to fully put in place. When you are able to approximate this in the best sense, you may find that your practice is as well oiled as can be, but perhaps with a more hygienic metaphorical material.

With this in mind, please consider how your clinical practice can want for nothing:

Excellent Healthcare IT Outfitting

While any excellent clinician is of course well versed in his/her practice and can commit to intensely important work, it’s important for them to utilize a healthcare IT consulting firm to equip them with the right digital infrastructure. This can not only help them keep their clients/patients confidential information well protected, but also outfit their practice with the essential and nuanced elements needed for tracking said treatment approaches. This means taking the time to invest in the best structural network, keeping your work focused and organized at all times.

Clinical Hygiene Practices

Essential hygiene is, of course, essential in any practice. This means hiring the best specialist cleaning services to ensure that your office and practice room is spotless each and every time you arrive at work, that this work is carefully inspected, that your sterilized tools are prepared, and that hand gel dispensers and worthwhile soaps/tissues are found around the waiting room and restroom areas can be essential. When you can ensure that your practice is a veritable haven of hygiene, you can ensure that the best standards are being kept, and that only positive care is experienced within your building.

Essential Receptionist Staff & Suites

Receptionist staff are extremely valuable, helping your business manage visitors and correspondence alike. It’s important that you’re careful when hiring them, and be sure to vet them, as this is a sensitive role that requires a high degree of integrity and excellence in management. A receptionist is a great boon to any excellent practice, and so it’s important that you hire as well as you can and work closely with them to ensure the goals of the practice are well pursued, and that your patients or clients are met and spoken to with the utmost of respect as you develop your approach.

With this advice, we hope your clinical practice can want for nothing.

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