Top 40 Reasons To Start A One-Person Business Over Age 40

The other day I was thinking….

What would I tell someone if they asked me why they should start a one-person business?

Especially when there are an endless amount of opportunities in the world.

You could go back to school, look for your dream job, buy into a franchise, marry a rich sugar momma (if you are single or newly divorced of course), etc.

Why a one-person business?

And what if this person was in their 40s, 50s, or 60s?

Isn’t the Solopreneur path a bit risky? Wouldn’t it suck to have to start ALLLL over again?

Well, I dug in, started racking my brain, and consulted with some experts, past and present (via books, blogs, and podcasts).

I found way more reasons than I expected, and today I will share them with you.

I list 40 reasons why you should start a one-person business in your 40s, 50s, and beyond.

But first, I need to give credit where credit is due…

One-Person Business Mentors

I didn’t invent the concept of the one-person business. And, even though I’ve experienced many of the following reasons first-hand over the past ten years, I didn’t invent them either.

I was introduced to the idea in the mid-2000s when I started considering a career change.

Here is a list of people who have convinced me, and continue to reinforce the idea, that being a Solopreneur and running a one-person business is a viable, lucrative, and future-proof option;

Tim Ferris - His book The “4-hour Work Week” showed everyone what was possible. It should be on every aspiring entrepreneur's must-read list. He is likely the one person who’s influence many future solopreneurs.

Perry Marshall - Not a one-person business expert per se’, but someone who has led by example. I and thousands of others started following him when he was THE go-to Google AdWords expert. But his name (personal brand). represents so much more these days. He’s is one of the world's most expensive business strategists and now is a recognized name in science. Plus, he is a shining example of career change (e.i. second acts), having gone from engineer to self-employed businessman (all while having young kids and bills to pay btw).

Paul Jarvis - Read his book “Company of One,” He might be the first person who started openly discussing this idea of a one-person business.

James Altucher - He has a bunch of great books, but his first one, “Choose Yourself,” really got my juices flowing. He also has a great podcast and is great at asking questions that nobody else asks in interviews.

Brian Clark - One of the OG’s of content marketing who founded CopyBlogger way back in the early days of social media. His current solopreneur-focused projects are Unemployable and the 7-Figures Small podcast. Refers to a One-person business as a “personal enterprise.”

Naval Ravikant - I’ve shared his quotes multiple times. His Joe Rogan interview is a classic and a great intro to his thinking. You can also check out the book “The Almanack of Naval Ravikant: A Guide to Wealth and Happiness.” it is one of those books I keep coming back to when I need a hit of wisdom.

Dan Koe - I just started following him early this year. He is sort of the next generation of Solopreneur (in his late 20’s I believe). Dan speaks to my artist-philosopher brain. As a singer-songwriter, I appreciate the emphasis on practicing the principles in the pursuit of authenticity and 100% originality. Reminds me of how an artist studies and performs covers to practice but ultimately aims to forge their own sound.

Justin Welsh - Another of the newer generation of Solopreneur teachers. Justin speaks to my engineering brain. As a former draftsman & guy in charge of standard product documentation, I admire his approach.

Those are just a few, and I could list dozens more but I had to cut it off somewhere.

To keep a running list of Solopreneurs and One-person business advocates, I’ve been compiling a Twitter list that you can check out here; Solopreneur Twitter List.

So, for those reasons…

39 Reasons To Start A One-Person Business