Over 50 and unemployed, tick tock...Better Build Your Own Business

blog 2017
Written By Andrew Ford

If you are over fifty in the modern economy and out of work, you may well be thinking why is this so hard!

Andrew Ford, Social Star, Over 50 blog

With artificial intelligence and robots taking jobs faster than my son can eat M&Ms plus Gen Y and Millenials hot on your heels, it's harder than ever to secure quality employment once you hit the magic age of fifty.

Remember when fifty was the golden age or approaching retirement? I sure do. Now with housing prices higher than your dad's pants line and people living until 100, you are expected to keep working indefinitely. Easier said than done in a digital-based economy.

The job market has changed. Companies don’t want to hire you as you are expensive and had to get rid of when their business dips. Therefore the future isn’t full-time work, it’s contingent or contract based work. In Australia, 30% of jobs are now contingent and it’s expected to grow to 40% by 2020.* In the USA it’s already 40% and forecast to be 50% by 2020. ^

This is a fantastic option if you have your house paid off, kids have finished school and you have a strong CV and network. You can relax and take a few jobs here and there, whilst smelling the Superannuation roses.

For those not fortunate enough to have those benefits, it’s tough. Just ask my 55 year old friend that has taken to Uber driving after been retrenched from his magazine editor job after twenty years of service. He started a blog as a new business, but there is no money in that. Hence, the Uber shifts. If you can’t cut it as an entrepreneur, work for one!

So what’s the answer? If you can’t beat them join them.

Get ahead of the curve and build your personal brand, network and consulting skills before you get retrenched. LinkedIn is your core asset, so start treating it with some respect and put some effort into your profile. Develop your digital skills as one day you might not have a team to do it for you.

If you do the work now, prepare and get skilled up, the transition from full time to contingent work can be liberating. No more office commutes on overcrowded trains set your own hours around your family time and choose whom you surround yourself with.

The choice is yours! Prepare for the oncoming tide of contingent work or not. As Master Yoda said “Do or not do, there is no try”.

*http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/6333.0

^https://www.forbes.com/sites/elainepofeldt/2015/05/25/shocker-40-of-workers-now-have-contingent-jobs-says-u-s-government/#859e44514bee

Andrew Ford
Marketing expert Andrew Ford, the founder of Social Star, has discovered the secret of ‘Powerful Branding’. With a fire for unleashing people’s inner brand and developing business models to generate profit from an individual’s passions, Andrew leverages ground-breaking digital and social media marketing techniques to create digital strategies for clients to attract maximum opportunities. Having established a strong name for himself in the field, Andrew blends traditional business techniques with now-necessary tools for entrepreneurs to achieve scale, quality, and influence in their niche. Andrew’s comprehensive business background and qualifications consist of a Bachelor of Business (Marketing) (RMIT 2003), a Graduate Certificate in Management (MBA Executive Program, University of Sydney 2005), and a Masters of Entrepreneurship and Innovation (Swinburne University 2011). Continually on the cutting edge of his own education, Andrew has tested his marketing theories in forums such as the BCG Business Strategy Competition, which he won in 2005 against all Victorian MBA schools, and the Venture Cup Business Plan Competition (Swinburne University 2003), which he won in the Masters category. With experience working at Hewlett-Packard, Sensis (Telstra) and IBM, Andrew also has mentored dozens of junior staffs to help them achieve their professional goals. Meeting and influencing high-profile public figures helped Andrew to realise just how many professionals require more understanding and control of their public brands or appearance, and need help with the skills to use the many amazing free tools at their disposal to generate success. At Social Star, Andrew consults with clients to uncover their personal brand – both where it is today and where it can be tomorrow – and refine and define how that should be displayed in social media in order to attract their perfect target audience. Andrew mentors his clients to rapidly grow their business’ audiences, resulting in larger potential client bases and higher revenue. Applying formulas that integrate over twenty years of Andrew’s business experience and fifteen years of formal business education, Social Star specialises in building clarity and velocity for clients’ brands using the ‘Understand, Build and Leverage’ methodology. ‘Having a Personal Business enables people to have an authentic, congruent connection with their valued clients and partners, using their brand as the bridge,’ says Andrew. ‘I’m highly driven to work with the new breed of entrepreneurs and small business owners – people who have a passion for making the world a better place. Traditional business models are stepping aside as people follow their innermost dreams and my role is to see them operate within their values while creating wealth. Some people think you have to sacrifice what you love to be successful in your business, yet it is actually the opposite. Follow your passion and success will come.’ Lecturing at Swinburne University from 2009 to 2011 on brand dynamics and digital marketing, presenting at numerous conferences, and consulting to hundreds of clients, Andrew has seen his philosophy work that if you follow your unique path, based on your skills, experience, values and goals, you will automatically attract the opportunities you desire and achieve the success you deserve. Living his mantra, Andrew has created a successful business and attracts high-profile clients including musicians, athletes, authors, models, entrepreneurs, professionals and small business owners, helping them find their ‘why’ in their business and fulfilment in their lives. Business for Andrew is more than work, it’s personal. Running a personal business means that he is able to fulfil all of his values rather than separating his life from work. It supports his two boys while providing social opportunities, educational development, fitness opportunities, spiritual fulfilment and many valuable friendships. Social Star has now become the vehicle for Andrew to crystallise his mission in the world, to help people love what they do, supporting his ‘why’, that if more people loved what they did, the world would be a better place.
http://www.andrewford.com.au/
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