"Some people believe that when you get past a certain age of 50 that it’s all over. Well, they’re wrong, they’re totally wrong." Sir Alan Sugar
PRIME provides free information, events and training to help you start your own business or become self-employed.
You can sign up for a free start-up pack and newsletters by clicking on the flower symbol to your right. And you can find PRIME support partners in your area by typing a town name or post code into the “Find Nearest” box, also to your right.
“Enterprise isn’t just about youth”, says Laurie South, PRIME’s Chief Executive. “People of any age can set up in business, but it’s particularly useful for the over 50s as there are not a lot of other options. Older people still face difficulty finding an employer willing to give them a job.”
A selection of the best articles are shown below. To find more use the search box at top right, or to see the most recent items go to News.
PRIME’s service promise can be found here, and there’s more about the charity itself at About PRIME.
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Cecile Trijssenaar has secured the first loan under the Zopa-PRIME Olderpreneur loan scheme. She is using it to help her set up her dating site TopMatch West London, which she hopes to have live in August.
Cecile, who is just 50, requested £13,000 to buy into and develop an online dating franchise called TopMatch, which she will operate [...]
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Anne Walsh, 53 from Manchester, went from BT operations manager to quirky craftswoman, when she applied for voluntary redundancy.
BT operations manager Anne Walsh was the breadwinner for a disabled husband and three children. Fed up with her office job, Anne promised herself she would change her life when she turned 50. Anne applied for voluntary [...]
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Anne Martis, 58, from Banbury started her own walking holiday business after being made redundant in the summer of 2008. Less than a year on, Walk the Landscape is in full swing offering over 15 different guided walks. Anne says that ‘walkers get to know about England’s rich history and nature, as well as getting [...]
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Made redundant at 52, and suffering from Myalgic Encephalopathy (ME), the Job Centre told Tony Palmer that his chances of paid employment were slim. Tony took matters into his own hands and started his own engraving business.
Crystal Mountain Glass sells engraved awards, wedding gifts, decanters, bowls, and paperweights, as well as rock tablets with multilevel [...]
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Date: Thursday 28 May 2009 - Friday 29 May 2009
Time: 10am to 5pm both days
Venue: ExCeL London, One Western Gateway, Royal Victoria Dock,London E16 1XL
Status: PRIME exhibiting
PRIME has a stand (740) at this excellent free show. Come and talk to us.
Business Startup 2009 is a large event with 230 exhibitors and a programme of [...]
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Gill from Wigan asks:
Are there any tax incentives to run a business from home?
Emma Jones, Business woman, author and editor, replies:
Hi Gill
There are many incentives to run a business from home! If you’re already doing so, you’ll be feeling the benefits of low overheads and no commute. But yes, on top of that and in [...]
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Expect the fear of a pandemic and measures taken to combat it to have an impact well in advance of the disease itself, if or when it arrives.
Most of the advice so far seems to be aimed at large businesses, but many of the principles still apply. Have everyone’s mobile phone numbers to hand, backup [...]
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A father’s wish to help his daughter with her school work was the spark that led to the creation of a growing international business. Anthony Hemmings’ Swan Neck Pen is now sold in over 24 countries.
Being left handed, daughter Amy could not see what she was writing. She suffered from bad wrist pain and began [...]
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William Cawley, 53 created a heritage walk with a terrifying twist, when he invented the Shriek in Leek ghost tour.
Bill first did the ghost walk in November 2005 as a fundraising event for Children in Need. Over 40 people turned up to be spooked, raising the charity £100. Seeing the opportunity to make money from [...]
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Last week the basic state pension went up to £95.25 for a single person and £152.30 for a couple. This isn’t much, and the earliest you can get it is when you reach 65 if you’re a man (so you’d qualify if born on or before 5 April 1959) or 60 if you are a [...]
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Sue Jones from Leeds asks:
I am unemployed and receiving jobseekers allowance. I have so far spent approximately £3000 on my new business. I cannot go any further because I need funding to run my business for the first couple of months. How can I get a loan or help with funding with a not too [...]
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Rob Goddenough from Crawley asks:
I am a gutter cleaner. What is the best form of marketing with a low budget? I have thought about leaflet distribution and local newspaper advertising. Are these the best methods to use?
Robert Tull, Chartered Marketer and Business Link expert replies:
There is an old saying that half of advertising money is wasted. [...]
