Retirement in 3 years and I want to start/try something new business or career related wise.

johnthewomble

OK, I know this is a long shot, but I have been looking for ideas and suggestions for 18 months now and not come up with very much.
I have a small electrical installation business which at it's most busiest had four people working for me and where at the age of 63 I am now slowing up with now just me and some reliable help from a past trainee who helps me out when I am too busy.
I have three and a bit years before official retirement which I am not going to take because I love working, even though I am slowing up with annoying arthritis which can flare up a little, but I get by if I am sensible and I just work with it rather than fight it, I keep healthy and do the right things and I am actually a very young 63 year old and can still do triathlons even with my condition.

My finances are going to be OK for when I retire, not mega wealthy but very comfortable and my intentions a decade ago were to keep doing two/three day weeks and just keep busy enough to feel useful and keep in with the lads.

Also 18 months ago I was left/blessed  for the first time in my life with a little inheritance which also has given me far more financial freedom in my autumn years. I won't go into too much detail about what I intend to do with a lump of that money, but it 100% revolves around having a little adventure and being an outdoors and exercise nut job I was looking in that direction, a boat or Yacht and even a small holding in Central Portugal, all of those ideas really excited me to a point but left me worrying a little for one reason or another, none of those ideas were cheap. I also thought about something creative, You Tube content on various interests I have using white board animation etc, or something web based, since I was in shorts I have been an information junkie.

But constantly I keep coming back to the idea of starting a little business, new career in something I have never done before(at my pace with my arthritis),  sales maybe(which I have never touched except for my own electrical business), but if I do invest in myself I have £30,000 to start up and even if I make a fool of myself and lose it through stupidity it will just be a punch in the ribs rather than finishing me off.

Not working is not an option for me at 67 and going into my 70's even with my hobbies and also I am not interested it stocks and shares and that type of thing which to me is just unpleasant work where I would get no enjoyment from. I am still pottering away at my electrical installing business and when I get ill I am in a position to rest until stronger, but in 3 years it could get worse.
I don't need this business idea to bring in a big income and that is not really my major goal believe it or not, but it all helps with some income trickling in.

Anyway it's a long shot, so if anyone has any ideas I am all ears and ready to listen.

P.S  This has happened before, anyone who PM's me with a message asking me to "go in with them" on something will politely be told no.

Bookworm225

long post, but your actual question appears to be can someone suggest a business idea that is going to involve little physical work but might be the next big thing?

customs officer collecting tariffs?

born_again

where at the age of 63 I am now slowing up with now just me and some reliable help from a past trainee who helps me out when I am too busy.

Would this person be interested in taking over the business & you help them as & when required?

lincroft1710

Sorry to say, but from experience, the arthritis will worsen as you get older, so what you can physically do today, you may not be able to do tomorrow.

mlz1413

If you enjoy boats and yatchs why don't you look at doing something based around that.
Could you teach any skills in sailing?  Or look for one off jobs that are a fews weeks work at a time? I'm assuming yatchs need crew for various trips. 

If you still enjoy your electrics could you look at doing an inspectors job?  The trade bodies that rule electrics have to do annual check ups so there will be jobs linked to that.

You have also separately posted on a different thread about moving near Stamford.  Maybe you could buy a cheap house that needs fixing up.  Do that for a year and sell a year later so you get a chunk of money to buy the next house.