broke and single at 45...

[jm2013]

I read through this a little bit.. It's sounds like you're in some sort of mixed mode. You know what needs to be done to get money but you're not doing it. You're being lazy but expect everything to fall into your lap. You should test yourself for a week of non stop work. Get off the forum, social media, tv and whatever distractions you've got and just put in the work. IF you do this I guarantee you'll have new clients and new income. I operate a couple online businesses and will always spend a portion of time in my marketing efforts attracting new business while also tending to my regular clients. If you rely on only a couple big clients you're in for failure. Cause it's unpredictable when they'll stop using your services/products. Not good to hold all your eggs in one basket, be diverse.

 

Do you have an email list? Sounds like you're a graphics designer or web developer. Why don't you send an email to ALL of the clients you've ever worked with offering them something they'll want to pull the trigger on. And in the mean time go to forums, blogs or offline places to drum up even more business. Then you'll need to start hiring people to free your time which will ultimately make you rich.

[High_hopes]

I read through this a little bit.. It's sounds like you're in some sort of mixed mode. You know what needs to be done to get money but you're not doing it. You're being lazy but expect everything to fall into your lap. You should test yourself for a week of non stop work. Get off the forum, social media, tv and whatever distractions you've got and just put in the work. IF you do this I guarantee you'll have new clients and new income. I operate a couple online businesses and will always spend a portion of time in my marketing efforts attracting new business while also tending to my regular clients. If you rely on only a couple big clients you're in for failure. Cause it's unpredictable when they'll stop using your services/products. Not good to hold all your eggs in one basket, be diverse.

 

Do you have an email list? Sounds like you're a graphics designer or web developer. Why don't you send an email to ALL of the clients you've ever worked with offering them something they'll want to pull the trigger on. And in the mean time go to forums, blogs or offline places to drum up even more business. Then you'll need to start hiring people to free your time which will ultimately make you rich.

 

 

I sent a marketing email out just yesterday to my list of almost 300 people.

 

I'm actually a freelance photographer. I had my best year last year and still need to double my business. I'm experienced but don't have the 25yrs of building contacts like some people do. The industry is dying but there is still money to be made just not as much. As much as people say it's a dying industry I still know people who make a pretty decent living and lifestyle off it.

[mario_C]

I'm very much in the same boat, OP. Guys our age get brushed aside because clients, employers and people in general make assumptions. We cost too much, we aren't in touch with modern times, we have negative attitudes, and on and on.

 

Have you considered expanding your photography repertoire? Do you do video production? If you have DSLR and an Adobe account you're practically all set. What about full service advertising?

[Astraea]

If you didn't mention you were in the creative business I'd think you were him.

 

Long story short, he owns a very seasonal business and basically works 4-5 months to cover the expenses for a whole year. The business hasn't been going well as he expected and he's been using up his savings. He's shy and hates networking, just like you.

 

Every winter he's depressed. Watching TV, surfing the Internet, sleeping, etc. Just like you he knows he needs to do something, but he's clueless and is too depressed to even want to think about it.

 

You said you wish you could have a girlfriend. Well, frankly speaking, it's a really irresponsible and selfish thought, because you are only thinking about what a girlfriend might give you -- unconditional love and support and encouragement, but not what you can give her.

 

I've been his girlfriend for three years. We went through three winters like that and we are on the edge of breaking up. Why? Not because I'm a heartless bitch that wants to abandon him, but because I hated it that he's escaping his own problem and does nothing.

 

When he's depressed he'd fall into silence. When I tried to be around and cheer him up, he'd think I'm too clingy and needy. When I tried to help him to figure out what to do, he simply interrupted me with "I don't know" and "I don't want to talk about it" and "I'll figure it out", and then, he'd dive into Facebook, Twitter, News, TV shows that he'd watched thousands of times, anything other than working on his problem.

 

He's totally in his own world, using his depression as an excuse of not being responsible to his life. He ran away from corporate because he wanted the freedom to be his own boss, yet he is not willing to take the responsibility of being his own boss because that means you have to do everything from a sales to an accountant to a worker. He only wants the benefit not the hardship, but sorry, that's not what life is designed, unless you have a rich dad.

 

Why do I have to break up? I'm now the one who has to get up early every day to go to work while he sleeps in till noon; I'm the one who comes home to a couch potato who did nothing and didn't care about my day; I'm the one who pay for dinners and buy gifts, and on my birthday, I came home from work with groceries expecting a romantic home-made dinner, and he's sleeping (yes, at 7pm). And he doesn't want to think about getting married and doesn't want to have kids.

 

So before you expect some woman to rescue you, please take responsible of your own life first.