🇪🇸|🇬🇧 • A los 50, el apoyo vale doble • At 50, support is worth double

When you decide to start a business after 50, and before too, the first thing you realize is that it's not just a matter of having a good idea.

It's also about knowing who we're going to surround ourselves with, because yes, we can have tons of experience, have worked all our lives, and know exactly what we're doing... but when it comes to starting a business, doing it alone can be exhausting.

That's why having a support network is key.

Sometimes we think that because we're older, we have to prove we can do anything, that we don't need help, but that's a trap. Starting a business with someone doesn't make us lesser, it makes us smarter.

Having someone to talk to, someone to give us advice, to tell us "this isn't clear," or to simply listen when we have doubts... that's worth its weight in gold.

And that's where the importance of having a mentor lies. NOTE: It doesn't have to be that brilliant personality featured in books or conferences; sometimes it's someone who's already walked the path we're currently following.

It could be a friend, a former boss, someone who once had their own business and knows how much it hurts when things don't go as expected. In fact, there are platforms that connect entrepreneurs with mentors, some even do it for free, just to help. But you can also look around; sometimes the advice you need comes from someone you already know.

Now, let's not just talk about mentors because there are also allies. Those fantastic people who lend a hand without asking for anything in return, who recommend us, who introduce us to someone, who believe in what we do.

It happened to me that, while talking to someone over coffee, without really looking for it, I ended up with a contact who resolved something that had been stalling for months. But of course, that doesn't happen if you don't talk about your project and keep it a secret.

You have to share what you're doing, show enthusiasm; that sparks interest in the people who can push you forward.

Then there are the collaborators. I know that we always want to do everything: manage the networks, build the website, serve clients, do the accounting... and that's tiring, exhausting, and almost always doesn't turn out well.

We don't have to be experts in everything, and luckily for us, there are many people who work on a project-based basis, who can lend a hand without having to hire a permanent employee or spend a fortune.

The important thing is that we can focus on what we do well and leave everything else in the hands of someone who can do it better.

And be careful, this isn't just practical advice; it's also emotional.

Starting a business can be lonely; you often hesitate and get frustrated, and having someone around you who tells you "Go for it, you're doing well" changes your day. You don't need a big team at the beginning, but you do need people who push you, listen to you, and contribute.

So if you're starting a business and you're over 50, or not yet, I recommend that you don't do it alone.

"Go out, talk, connect." The experience you have is worth a lot, but being with someone is worth twice as much.

Because dreams have no age, but they need company to go far.