I'm not retired. The vauge plan was at 65 I would stop working full time and go sort of part time, y'know a couple of days a week. More if necessary less if that was how it panned out.
Pension wise I don't have much to call on in all honesty, so I will need to be doing a couple of days a week anyway. That would be bringing me in as much if not more than a pension.
So here I am 65th birthday came and went some 9 months ago and I am still full time. 6 days a week at times.
I stopped all my advertising last year, no more local mags, no more Yellow Pages, Yell and associated web pages. Other web sites I knocked on the head. In reality things are slowing down but as one who has been self employed since I was in my early 30's, it comes hard, really hard, not jumping on enquiries like they are gold dust. Getting people to call you with an enquiry is hard and it's very costly. Even then you still have to go out and actually get the order.
The phone still rings of course, old customers and recommends one or two commercial contacts still want work doing. I have work booked out through until the end of September. After so much time of course I am fortunate to have lots and lots of old customers who come back time and again.
It is terrific, in a way. In a way it isn't. Those days in the sun seem almost to be as far away as ever they did. I only wish I had been this busy 15, 10 or even 7 years ago.
So going from working full time to part time isn't quite as straightforward as I expected. Of course I could simply stop and refuse all work, but money wise I know I can't do that, and it isn't as if I feel over burdened by the daily grind. I enjoy my work, it's satisfying, turning out work that people appreciate is good for the soul, and I like the people I meet. Work isn't a chore for the most part.
One reason I haven't been out riding so much is simply because I am so busy. I am getting there bit by bit and I know I'll get there soon, but it's been a long time coming.
