Guess what? If you’re a freelancer or are otherwise self-employed, with no paid vacation, no 401(k) match, and no regular work schedule or salary, in certain circles you’re considered an entrepreneur—the same as somebody boldly starting up a business from scratch. And guess what? The number of “entrepreneurs” rose last year, especially among folks 55 and older.
In the NY Times, Robert Reich explains:
Another term for “entrepreneur” is “self-employed.”
According to an analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics by an outplacement firm, Challenger Gray & Christmas, the number of self-employed Americans rose to 8.9 million last December, up from 8.7 million a year earlier. Self-employment among those 55 to 64 rose to nearly two million, 5 percent higher than in 2008. Among people over 65, the ranks of the self-employed swelled 29 percent. Many older people who had expected to retire discovered their 401(k)’s had shrunk and their homes were worthless. So they became “entrepreneurs,” too.
Everybody knows how difficult it is to start up a business. It’s especially difficult to do so when you never wanted to go into business for yourself in the first place.