Some people take to retirement like a duck to water, but others like to keep their options open to be able to stay active and boost their income. Going freelance or becoming self-employed in your older age can be an excellent way to make some additional money, while getting to choose your hours and working days to suit you.

For many people, a self-employed role can be a great way to balance retirement while still wanting to make some money, with several different roles available to you.

Find out more about becoming self-employed to support your retirement below.

Look out for community roles

You’d be surprised at the number of roles that people undertake in the community on a self-employed basis. Becoming an invigilator can be a great way to pick up some seasonal, ad-hoc work that pays well and gives you the chance to meet new people. Other occasional roles include election day vote counters/polling station attendants that can top of your income without you having to go full-time. Take a look at the different roles that exist within your community and see if you could make some money while helping to provide a much-needed service.

Become a copywriter

Copywriting can be an excellent way to make some extra money. You can start copywriting easily using jobs portals like Copify, Upwork and People Per Hour to look for suitable roles. By becoming a freelance copywriter, you’ll get to choose your hours and the type of work you do, and can either write about a variety of subjects or stick to a niche. Provided you’ve got great writing skills and the time, you could make a healthy income as a freelance copywriter after you’ve retired.

Launch a dog walking venture

If you love dogs, then dog walking could be the perfect venture for you. Many people are unable to own a dog of their own because of circumstances or their living situation, but that doesn’t mean you can’t offer some time and love to a dog. Many dog owners lack the time to walk their dogs, especially if they’re in work for most of the day. By starting a dog walking business, you could have a great excuse to give love to some dogs who’ll appreciate it, and give their owners a valuable service too.

There are plenty of reasons to become a dog walker. But one of the best ones is that it helps you stay active and gets you out of the house. Dog walking is a great excuse to meet some new people, so if you’re finding life quite lonely or boring after retirement, this could be a much-needed remedy.

Qualify as a personal trainer

There’s no age limit on getting fit, and if you enjoy being active then becoming a personal trainer could be an excellent way to make some money after retirement. Many people are put off hiring a personal trainer who’s a fraction of their age and are in impeccable shape, but hiring someone who’s closer to their age can make them feel more comfortable and at ease. Personal training will help keep you mobile and introduce you to new people too.

Personal trainer courses can help you get the qualifications to become a personal trainer and help you provide specialist training plans to those with mobility or certain needs. Personal training can be a lot of fun and you’ll feel much healthier in yourself too. Helping people make a difference to their health can be very rewarding, and sometimes the money is just a bonus!

If fitness isn’t your thing, why not try life coaching instead?

Teach

Do you have any useful skills that you could pass onto others? Why not teach in your retirement? From teaching an instrument to teaching a language, you can make some much-needed extra income by teaching something that others will find useful. Many parents look for tutors to help with school subjects, so if you’re a former teacher or you’ve got experience in a certain subject area, then tutoring could be the perfect fit for you.

With several self-employment or freelance routes out there to explore, you could find your perfect fit. While making some extra money can be important for living a comfortable retirement, it’s also important that you don’t overwork and find yourself back in a full-time role without realising. Find a role that uses your existing skills, or learn how to do something new altogether. There are a lot of ways you can become self-employed after retirement, so check out what’s out there and start enjoying giving your income a boost.

Ceri Wheeldon

Ceri is Founder and Editor of Fabafterfifty.co.uk She is a frequent speaker at events and in the media on topics related to women over 50 , including style and living agelessly. With 20+ years experience as a headhunter Ceri also now helps support those looking to extend their working lives.

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