Sewing up Success Stories for Seniors

--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Starting a successful, profitable business is not just for the young or baby boomers. More senior citizens realize that they too can enjoy the comforts of sole proprietorship and a more flexible lifestyle, earning additional income even while working from home.

Emoke Forman, sixty-four, successfully runs her own business, Atlantic Coast Embroidery and Screenprinting, in Southampton, N.Y. Ms. Forman started her business in her forties after working in the financial industry. Making the transition from working in corporate America to running an apparel business involved learning everything about embroidery, especially how to operate equipment as efficiently as possible.

“I used computers while working in finance, but it wasn’t nearly the same thing. There were times when I felt like I was never going to learn how to use the embroidery software,” says Ms. Forman. “Luckily, I had access to free resources from the company I purchased my equipment from. They walked me through the technology, step-by-step, and were on hand at any time to answer even the most basic questions.”

According to the Census Bureau’s ongoing Current Population Survey, self-employed business owners like Ms. Forman have higher household incomes and wealth than do standard wage earners.

“It’s always a challenge for seniors, or anyone for that matter, to find a trustworthy business that will provide them the support they need while mitigating risk,” says Paul Gallagher, CEO of Hirsch International, the leading provider of advanced embroidery, screen-printing, and textile laser systems and services to the North American decorated apparel marketplace. The Suffolk, New York-based-company has helped many people like Ms. Forman successfully start their own businesses with their unique training and support programs.

Gallagher explains that training is the key to any new business start-up. Hirsch prides itself on being a veritable business consultant, hosting over three hundred educational seminar events each year, educating new customers on how to start their own businesses, and advising existing users how to grow their current businesses. In addition, Hirsch boasts twenty-five sales and support offices and thirteen state-of-the-art training centers around the country, including onsite product training with each equipment purchase.

“The speed of technology may seem a bit intimidating for seniors,” says Ms. Forman. “However, I believe that with the right support, age proves no barrier when it comes to starting a new business.”

For more information, please visit www.hirschinternational.com.