You’ve accomplished one of the hardest jobs around: starting, running, and building a successful business. You probably started with the germ of an idea and over the past twenty-five plus years you have nurtured, loved, hated and loved it again. Although it was created in your image, it’s taken on a life of its own, not unlike raising a child. Through it all, you’ve learned so much! If only you knew then what you know now.
You finally have wisdom.
Perhaps you’re thinking it’s unfortunate that at the very time you have it all figured out and have so much to share with young people – you’ve run out of time to leverage that wisdom in your own company. Now you know the problems to avoid, lessons to learn, habits to develop, ways to beat the competition, how to use marketing to your advantage, how to motivate your employees, and how to make money.
It would be a shame not to share that wisdom whether you give it away or sell it.
Perhaps you don’t need the money after you sell your business, so offer to volunteer and share your hard-earned wisdom with young adults, those less fortunate or those looking to start a business. Wisdom is unique, in that the more you give away, the more you get in return. Working with others and helping them to benefit from your experience is an opportunity to give back. And the research shows that altruism is positively linked with life expectancy – it helps you live longer.
Among the organizations where you can volunteer your business wisdom:
- Junior Achievement, a non-profit group dedicated to planting entrepreneurial seeds and teaching the next generation of business owners.
- Endeavour, a volunteer group working with non-profits.
If you want to get paid for your wisdom there are options:
- Teach at your local college or university
- Act as a business advisor for the Business Development Bank
- Become a coach to other business owners. There are great organizations, like The Achievement Centre, looking for experienced people to help other business owners to transition.
Wisdom is like a muscle. Use it or lose it. Whether you get paid or not, the fact that you share your wisdom is more important than how you go about it.