Pentlands client Dr Isabella Moore CBE is the founder and director of The Olderpreneur Alliance and also the founder and a co-Director of Comtec Translations.
The aim of this innovative programme supporting later-life individuals (50+) into entrepreneurship is to prevent the loss to society of the skills and experience of people in this age group with their premature withdrawal from economic activity.
Speaking at an online event in January, Isabella drew on her own entrepreneurial experience as well as the results of her doctoral research into later-life entrepreneurship.
With UK life expectancy at an all-time high, the number of pensioners predicted to rise by 40% over the next 40 years, and a shrinking tax base, Isabella illustrated the very real risk to the financial viability of adequate state pensions – particularly relevant to the 70% of older women of all social classes who have no private retirement income.
But as well as income generation, she also highlighted a range of reported motivations for older entrepreneurs, from the need for flexible working to the desire to fulfil a long-held ambition or idea.
After reviewing the real and perceived barriers that older people face in setting up their own business, Isabella then looked at the unique resources which they bring to the challenge, as well as the help which is available to support them – including The Olderpreneur Alliance’s forthcoming pre-incubation and incubation programmes for later-life entrepreneurship.
