The Silver Tsunami – Encore Entrepreneurship Part 2
America’s older population, the “baby boomer” generation who are now 65 and older, numbered 39.6 million in 2009 (the latest year for which data is available). By 2030, there will be about 72.1 million 65+ seniors living in the good “old” USA—more than twice the number in 2000. In 2000 they were 12.4% of the population, in 2009 12.9%, but by 2030 people 65+ are expected to be 19% of the population.
This tsunami of silver-haired Americans will hit the economy with an impact that will be hard to calculate. A joint congressional hearing of the Committee on Aging and the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship—attended by the CEOs of SCORE, Counselors to America’s Small Business, AARP, the Small Business Administration, and others—highlighted a report from the Kaufman Group that Americans between 50 and 60 would continue to dominate the entrepreneurial segment of American business. And a partnership between the Small Business Administration (SBA) and AARP has counseled more than 120,000 Encore Entrepreneurs
Mike Arriola, Senior Area Manager for the Asheville SBA office, says, “The SBA recognizes that encore entrepreneurs are a growing small business segment. So, back in May 2012, the SBA and AARP entered into a strategic alliance to provide Americans over fifty with the information and tools they need to start and grow a small business.”
Arriola will be a guest on Radio WRES-100.7 on Thursday, April 17 at 11:00 a.m. to discuss the SBA-AARP partnership. Then, on Monday, April 21, the SBA and AARP will host an Encore Entrepreneur Fair at A-B Tech’s Enka Campus.
The event kicks off Small Business Week locally and will begin with a panel of successful small business owners. The panel will include Karen Caruso of Mind Your Business, Inc., who was Small Business Person of the Year for the state of North Carolina in 2011.
After the panel talk, attendees can participate in “speed-coaching sessions,” with experts in subjects like business planning, funding, marketing, business organization types, and social media. Arriola says, “SBA resource partners including Asheville SCORE and the Small Business and Technology Development Center (SBTDC) at W.C.U. will be on hand for professional assistance during the event.”
To register for the free event go to http://aarp.cvent.com/SBANC or call 1-877-926-8300.
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