Communities of Interest Forum

[caption id="attachment_12" align="alignnone" width="300"] Two chefs in teamwork in a restaurant[/caption] Wayfinders Business Co-operative is creating a community of trust in the agriculture and food industry. We encourage the sharing of ideas and use of this space for collaboration on ventures and value chains. Some members are growers and food processors, while others are distributors, wholesalers, retailers and food services. Wayfinderss is building ways to help members become most productive. We do this by linking their businesses together in effective and efficient supply chains or supply networks. We are exploring new platform technologies to support our members business transactions. We encourage your participation by adding your thoughts. [wp-rss-aggregator]

A place to post educational material and links to external educational materials. This material includes education and training in management, leadership, governance, small business, co-operatives, citizenship and more.

What if you didn't have to work past 60 or 65, but you wanted to? What options are open for you? We know it gets harder to find a full time job as you get older. At the same time maybe you don't want to commit to a 40 hour week indefinitely. You want some flexibility in choosing your hours or your months or your location. Commitments might last a day or a year. Wayfinders is able to help match you to opportunities for you to put your years of experience, you wisdom and your passions to good use. There are companies, social enterprises and community organizations that need your services. Whether you would like to be a mentor, a consultant or a toy maker, you do have options. As a seniorpreneur you may not need a business plan or financing. You may not need a business partner or a sales person. But you might. Wayfinders is developing pathways to take you from where you are to where you want to be. This community of interest is for sharing best practices. Ask questions, make comments and suggestions for others. This is a learning community! [caption id="attachment_88" align="alignleft" width="300"] Senior Female Owner Of Gift Store[/caption]

Its not a new invention by a long shot, but many more people are now working from home, running their own businesses. It used to be the domain of women - mothers - in particular.  I've known mothers who bought toys and children's clothing at liquidation then sold them on eBay, for example. When I was a boy my mother kept a Watkins operation going from our house. Its still a popular  option. But for many people there is little good reason to pay for a separate office when your home will do.  When I was a consultant I kept my office in my home. I know of several home-based entrepreneurs who even have staff. Sometimes staff come to the employer's home to work, in other cases they work at their own homes. Home-based is a common practice in the service industry.  Management consultants often operate from home and meet clients at their own offices or meet out for coffee of lunch. You can rent meeting space by the hour at co-location suites which are getting quite popular in urban areas. Rural areas can be very homey. What is a family farm if not a home-based business? I had my hair cut once in a rural home-based business. On another occasion we bought a pair of moccasins at a village home. Some people wouldn't like to entertain customers in their homes. It may be a bit of an intrusion. If you don't have to meet your customers in person, or you're okay with visitors, and if your customers don't care, then why worry? As more work is being conducted over the web, it may not matter much where you are.  With a smart phone and a tablet or laptop computer, you can go anywhere and stay connected. And that is where Wayfinders cloud really comes in handy!