Work for Yourself@50+

Aspiring Entrepreneurs

Work for Yourself@50+ will help you decide if entrepreneurship is right for you, and point you to additional resources to help you get started on your self-employment journey


Ready to work for yourself? AARP Foundation’s Work for Yourself@50+ provides free tools and resources to help you get started. Work for Yourself@50+ has a free toolkit, Five Simple Steps to Get You Started, to help you think through your big idea. Work for Yourself@50+ also partners with local economic development organizations around the country to host introductory entrepreneurship workshops for aspiring entrepreneurs. The partner organizations have programming in place to provide on-going support to participants post-workshop.


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Who We Serve

AARP Foundation and its partners host inclusive workshops to empower aspiring entrepreneurs. Whether you’re approaching retirement and exploring your next steps, chronically unemployed, or employed yet in need of additional income, Work for Yourself@50+ can help you figure out if self-employment is right for you.


Success Stories

More than 26,000 people have benefitted from Work for Yourself@50+ resources and programming.

Are you interested in starting your own business? Read real stories from Work for Yourself@50+ participants to get inspired.

Success Stories


Getting Started With Self-Employment

  • Explore Your Options

    Decide if self-employment is right for you

  • Find Your Focus

    Information, exercises and checklists to help you pinpoint your areas of interest

  • Make a Plan

    A realistic overview of startup considerations, strategies and preliminary steps required for successfully moving onto the self-employment track

  • Watch Out for Trouble

    Stumbling blocks along the road to self-employment can put the brakes on your dream. Pinpoint ways to avoid some of the major pitfalls.

  • Find Support

    Self-employment doesn’t mean you have to do it alone. Get guidance on the services and support that will help you accomplish your goals.

  • Take Action

    You’ve explored your options and made your choice — now bring it all together and get ready to work for yourself!


Discover all of the resources you need to get started. DOWNLOAD TOOLKIT

Additional Resources