Retirement....Then What?

Pityme1

Obviously it can be done, but I think if I was you, I'd also be considering other ways to potentially boost income - for example, could you do any freelance consultancy work related to what you do now, a part time job or possibly offering services like gardening / DIY / computer troubleshooting etc in your local area.[/QUOTE]

The freelance consultancy thing is a possibility for me after retirement but I'm looking to start something now and the only thing I can earn from consulting on my current work is instant dismissal. I've been selling on Ebay and other sites for a decade but I'm looking for an income not a few quid here and there. The car boot sale thing is really fun and quite rewarding but it's really hard to make anything decent in this part of the world. I read "Ebay Confidential" a few years ago and that was my first experience of the useless, pie in the sky drivel that people pay good money for when they start researching this subject. The most depressing thing is I went to a locally based government funded organisation set up to help people start small businesses and frankly, they were no more help than the shysters that sell you a false dream via the net.

Looks like a part time job in Sainsbury's until I die I'm afraid or selling crap down the market like Del-boy and Dave!

tgon

It's a difficult situation no matter what path you choose and I wish I had an answer. Consultancy, NED's or trustee opportunities are fine if you've a network of contacts to work. I found that this network was nothing more than a people I have known list and not of marketable value for my subject matter expertise, especially in a part time capacity.

eBay selling seemed a good idea to move from amateur to professional seller but discounters and drop shipping was not an area I'm comfortable in and there seems to be a lot of warnings for the unwary to steer clear.

I've sold most everything of marketable garage-tat value on eBay, gumtree or Magpie, etc. but its pocket money stuff really. I've tried proofreading, web searching and I make beer money from surveys but it would be good to be in the part time sub 10k work at home to cover a small shortfall in pension income in 4 years time.

Fact is, being a great ex senior manager with great success stories counts for nowt if I can't identify a part time market in which to exploit and profit from the skills that made my career successful. But these arnt transferable skills that lend a hand in early retirement (compulsory redundancy at 59), so it seems.