Job ideas for 60 year old builder out of work

mike5678

mike5678

mike5678

Associate
Joined
6 Jan 2008
Posts
607
Hi there,

Doing a bit of brain storming for something that my dad can do to earn a bit of cash before he retires and to stop living off of his savings and capital. He has been a self employed builder, plumber, carpenter, electrician, landscaper, the lot for the last 45 years since he left school. Work has dried up and even his regular customers aren't asking for any work.

He's been in this slump for quite a while now and is only surviving because the mortgage is paid off and has no debts. Any ideas as to what he could do? Builders firms I assume won't take him on due to his age, he's not the most physcially fit any more, is not computer literate at all (he struggles with a mobile phone) and has never been employed by anyone, ever, so no references and has no educational qualifications. Building is his life.

Best idea we'ce come up with so far is mini cabbing, though not sure how it works with working for a firm or yourself and insurance implications? I suggested delivery driving for UPS or the Post Office or something, but doubt it without job references?

Any ideas or previous experience? (Live in North London by the way)
 
B&Q is a good idea, thanks guys will suggest that one to him. Will have to see what he could do there as I'm not so sure he'd be any good at merchandising etc, but could advise customers on exactly what they need for any job at they could imagine.
 
Sukh said:
Where is he based?
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Enfield, north London.


I'm thinking the idea of a general handy man for larger service places is probably more his kind of thing than B&Q.

I feel sorry for him, worked constatly his whole life until now, he's just retiled my kitchen and laid 40 sq/m of solid wood oak flooring for me to a much higher standard than any profit hungry chain company would do and can't find work, despite ads in local papers, which only lead to a few phone calls. Previously extended his house and did the loft conversion too. Such a great talent going to waste.

The problem is that his cash flow is getting lower and lower and doesn't want to have to sell any assets yet to release capital, as that is his pension as he doesn't have a private one.
 
lambda said:
Get real, its fine for a 18-23 year old, but anyone above that needs to really question what they did wrong in their lives.
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lol, he has done nothing drastically wrong with his life. He's slowed down his work over the last 10 years as he got older and having paid off his mortgage in his 20s he's never needed to worry about work since, just enough to pay a few bills here and there and for holidays and luxuries, now though, that work just doesn't seem to be coming in.
 
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