Starting an Online Business After 60: Why I’m Still at It

ByMary Emmer
A small European apartment balcony abroad in the morning light: a café table with a half-finished coffee, a paper map folded beside it, and terracotta rooftops and shuttered windows

After more than 40 years in the travel industry, you might think I’d be ready to put my feet up, retire, and spend my days doing absolutely nothing.

Well, apparently, I’m not very good at that.

I’m over 60, I spend months in Europe whenever I can, and I’m still building online businesses. Not because I have to, but because I genuinely enjoy creating things, learning new skills, and seeing whether my latest brilliant idea turns out to be… well, actually brilliant.

Some have. Others? Let’s just call them educational experiences.

But here’s the thing. I’ve been self-employed for decades, so I’m not someone who suddenly decided to start a business at 60. What has changed is how I think about work, money, and what I want the next chapter of my life to look like.

For me, the goal isn’t to build an empire or spend every waking hour chasing the next dollar. It’s to keep doing interesting work while having the freedom to travel, explore, and enjoy the life I’ve worked so hard to create.

And that’s what makes starting an online business after 60 worth considering. Not because everyone should do it, but because it might offer a way to learn, earn, and stay engaged without organizing your entire life around work.

Of course, it isn’t for everyone. And there are a few things worth thinking about before you jump in with both feet – preferably wearing comfortable shoes.

Before You Start, What Do You Want the Income For?

Before you start building an online business, I think there’s a question worth asking that has nothing to do with websites, affiliate marketing, or which shiny new AI tool you should learn next.

What do you actually want the money for?

But before you start dreaming about six-figure incomes, maybe it’s worth asking what a little extra money could actually do for your life.

  • Spend a month in Europe without dipping into your savings.
  • Cover airfare, hotels, or a few extra travel adventures each year.
  • Give yourself a little financial breathing room.
  • Fund a hobby, passion project, or something you’ve always wanted to try.
  • Simply enjoy the satisfaction of earning money doing something you created yourself.

The important thing is that your income goals should fit the life you want, rather than the other way around.

There’s a world of difference between building a small website that might eventually earn enough to cover a vacation and trying to replace a full-time salary.

The second is a much bigger undertaking, with considerably more work, time, and uncertainty involved.

And here’s something I’ve come to appreciate over the years: not every business needs to become bigger and bigger. Sometimes enough really is enough.

Of course, deciding what’s enough is the tricky part. Especially when your never-ending travel bucket list keeps getting longer. Mine certainly hasn’t gotten any shorter. 😂

A small European apartment balcony abroad in the morning light: a café table with a half-finished coffee, a paper map folded beside it, and terracotta rooftops and shuttered windows across a narrow street, in warm golds and soft blues.

If extended travel is one of your goals, I’ve also written about the true cost of spending a month in Europe, which can help you put a realistic number on what you’re working toward.

Why Traditional Employment Doesn’t Appeal to Me

I’ve been self-employed for most of my working life, so the idea of having someone else decide when I can take a vacation has never been particularly appealing.

Especially when my idea of a vacation might involve disappearing to Europe for two or three months. Try putting that on a vacation request form!

Of course, there’s plenty to be said for traditional employment, particularly the reliable paycheck. Anyone who’s been self-employed can appreciate that!

But after more than 40 years of running businesses, I’ve also learned that being your own boss doesn’t mean doing whatever you want, whenever you want. Clients have needs, deadlines don’t disappear, and sometimes your carefully planned day goes completely off the rails.

The difference is having more say in how you manage those responsibilities.

And at this stage of my life, that flexibility matters more to me than ever. I’m not interested in arranging my life around someone else’s schedule. I’d rather find work that fits around the life I want to live.

For Me, Time Matters as Much as Money

One thing I’ve come to appreciate over the years is that having money to travel doesn’t do you much good if you don’t have the time to go anywhere. I’ve seen this firsthand during my years in the travel industry, working with clients who try to squeeze two weeks’ worth of sightseeing into a five-day vacation. Having the money to travel is one thing. Finding the time is another!

And when your idea of a European adventure involves staying for two or three months instead of two weeks, having control over your calendar becomes pretty important!

For me, longer stays in Europe aren’t just extended vacations. They’re an opportunity to settle into a different place, explore at my own pace, discover favorite cafés, and experience a little of what everyday life is like somewhere else.

I love being able to spend a morning wandering through a medieval town, take a train somewhere interesting, or simply enjoy a leisurely coffee without feeling like I need to squeeze twelve attractions into the next six hours.

That kind of travel requires more than money. It requires flexibility.

And that’s one of the reasons online businesses appeal to me.

Much of the work can be done from a laptop, whether I’m at home or sitting in an apartment somewhere in Europe. I can work when it makes sense, take time off to explore, and arrange my schedule around the things I want to do.

Of course, there’s a catch. Just because you can work from anywhere doesn’t mean you should be working everywhere. There’s not much point in spending two months in Italy if you’re so glued to your laptop that the only thing you see is the inside of your apartment.

A wall calendar on a kitchen wall with several consecutive weeks left blank and a suitcase standing open on the floor beneath it, a passport and a pair of reading glasses resting on the lid, in soft afternoon window light.

For me, the goal is to find a balance where work remains interesting and productive without becoming the main event.

Because the whole point of having more freedom is actually getting to enjoy it.

Why I Prefer Building an Online Business

There are plenty of ways to earn extra money later in life, and starting an online business certainly isn’t the only option.

You could take a part-time job, do some consulting, freelance, or even start a local business. All perfectly reasonable choices, depending on what you enjoy and what you’re hoping to accomplish. But each comes with its own trade-offs.

A part-time job might provide dependable income, but it could also mean working around someone else’s schedule. Consulting or freelancing can be lucrative, especially if you’ve accumulated decades of experience, but clients still have deadlines and expectations.

And a traditional brick-and-mortar business? Well, let’s just say it’s a little difficult to run a shop in Wisconsin when you’re spending three months wandering around Europe.

For me, online businesses offer an appealing combination of creativity, independence, and flexibility.

I enjoy building websites, researching topics, writing articles, and figuring out how all the pieces fit together. And yes, I’ve even developed a rather ridiculous enthusiasm for learning new technology. Who knew I’d become a computer geek at this stage of life?

But here’s the good news. You don’t have to be a geek to start an online business. Platforms like Wealthy Affiliate, which I’ve used for years, provide training, website-building tools, and AI assistance to help you learn as you go. And believe me, having some guidance beats staring at your screen wondering which of the 47 buttons to push next.

What I especially like about niche websites is that an article you publish today can continue attracting readers months or even years later.

Of course, building an online business isn’t a quick or guaranteed way to make money. And sometimes…..you fail.

From My Business Graveyard: Loved the Gift!

I once started a website called Loved the Gift!, creating gift guides for just about every occasion and every conceivable recipient. The plan was to earn Amazon affiliate commissions. Simple enough, right?

Except I soon found myself writing endless lists of gift ideas for people who apparently already owned everything on the planet.

It became an enormous amount of work for very little return. Eventually, I realized I wasn’t enjoying the process nearly enough to justify the time I was spending on it.

Rest in peace, Loved the Gift! 😂

And that’s another advantage of being your own boss. You get to decide when something is no longer worth your time.

But I enjoy the creating, learning, and experimenting. And occasionally discovering that something actually works!

For me, that makes the effort worthwhile, even when the results aren’t immediate.

Four wooden signposts at a village crossroads pointing down different paths: a cobbled shop street, a quiet office-block road, a driving route with a parked car, and a footpath curving toward a distant hillside, under a bright late-morning sky.

When Flexible Work Starts Taking Over Your Life

Here’s something I’ve learned about working for yourself: Just because you can work whenever you want doesn’t mean you’ll know when to stop.

Especially when you actually enjoy what you’re doing!

I can sit down at my computer intending to make one tiny change to a website, and three hours later I’m still there, redesigning something that probably didn’t need redesigning in the first place.

And don’t even get me started on all the new AI tools. There’s always something else to experiment with, another feature to test, or some supposedly brilliant shortcut that takes twice as long as doing it the old-fashioned way.

That’s the tricky thing about building an online business. The work is never really finished. There’s always another article to write, something to improve, or a new idea begging for attention. And when your work is also something you enjoy, it’s surprisingly easy to let it take over.

I’ve had to remind myself that the freedom to work whenever I want also includes the freedom to stop working.

That doesn’t mean I’m particularly good at it. Some days, closing the laptop requires considerably more willpower than opening it! But I’m increasingly aware that there’s not much point in building a business around the life you want if you’re too busy working to enjoy that life.

Especially when that life includes spending months in Europe. I’d hate to travel all that way only to discover that my most memorable view was the screen of my laptop.

A laptop closed on a sunlit garden table beside a kitchen timer, a notebook and a cup of tea, with a hammock and a packed day bag visible just beyond, suggesting work set down for the afternoon, in gentle green and cream tones.

Is Starting an Online Business After 60 Right for You?

Just because I’m still happily building online businesses doesn’t mean I think everyone should be doing the same thing.

For some people, the idea of learning new technology, creating websites, and figuring out how to attract visitors sounds exciting. For others, it probably sounds about as appealing as assembling IKEA furniture without instructions.

And that’s perfectly fine!

Starting an online business after 60 isn’t really about your age. It’s about your interests, expectations, and what you want from this stage of life.

So before jumping in, I’d ask yourself a few questions:

  • Would you enjoy the work itself? Building a website involves writing, researching, learning, and solving problems. If none of that sounds appealing, there are probably better ways to spend your time.
  • Can you live with uncertain results? Some online businesses eventually earn money. Others don’t. You need to be comfortable investing time in something that may never provide the return you hoped for.
  • Do you have the time and patience? Even a small website takes ongoing effort, and meaningful results can take a long time.
  • What would success look like for you? A little extra spending money? A creative challenge? More independence? Your definition doesn’t have to match anyone else’s.

And one important consideration: If you need reliable income right away, building a niche website probably isn’t your best option.

But if you’re curious, willing to learn, and like the idea of creating something of your own, it might be worth exploring.

You don’t have to build an empire, become a technology expert, or prove anything to anyone. You just need to decide whether it fits the life you want to live.

Starting Something New Doesn’t Have an Expiration Date

After more than 40 years of working for myself, I still enjoy building websites, learning new technology, and occasionally coming up with an idea that seems absolutely brilliant at the time.

Whether it turns out to be brilliant is another matter entirely.

But that’s really why I’m still doing this. It’s about staying curious, doing work I enjoy, and creating opportunities that fit the life I want to live.

If you’re thinking about starting an online business after 60, my advice is simple: Start with what you want your life to look like, then decide whether an online business has a place in it.

You don’t need to have everything figured out before you begin. You can learn as you go, change direction when something isn’t working, and decide for yourself what success looks like.

As for me? I’ve still got websites to tinker with, places to explore, and probably a few questionable ideas waiting to happen.

Apparently, I’m not quite ready to retire from being curious.

With more than four decades in the travel industry, Mary Emmer has seen enough of the world to know what’s worth the trip – and what probably requires a nap afterward. At Still En Route, she writes about travel, second acts, flexible income, and figuring out what comes next after 60. She’s still working, still traveling, still learning, still trying new things – and definitely still en route. Because there are plenty of places left to go, both on the map & off it. (Snacks encouraged.)