Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Jennifer Rovet, founder of Retire Ready Canada, located in Toronto, ON, Canada.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Retire Ready Canada is a retirement coaching service. My clients generally range in age from 52 to 70. They are anyone who is thinking about retirement, whether that's a few years or months away or are already a few years into their retirement. I work closely with each client to help create and design a retirement lifestyle that is right for them. Retirement can be a very daunting and overwhelming time in people's lives. Many people simply don't know what they are going to do once they say goodbye to their traditional 9-5 job. It's my job to listen, ask questions, and guide my clients so that they feel empowered with their decisions and are excited as they enter into this next stage of their lives.

Tell us about yourself

I have always been interested in working with and helping people. I obtained my Bachelor's degree in Psychology from McGill University. I later went on to pursue a Post Graduate Certificate in Human Resource Management from Humber College. After a few years of working as an HR Generalist, I decided to focus on recruitment as I found it very fulfilling to help people find their perfect job. As time passed, I started having more and more conversations with people who were in the later stages of their careers and started to see a need to help people who were transitioning into retirement. I noticed that people were really struggling as they left their traditional jobs and now had all this time on their hands, but they didn't know what to do with it. I decided to pursue retirement coaching, got my designation in 2018, launched my coaching business in 2019, and haven't looked back since. What motivates me and keeps me going is when I am working with a client, and they have that 'aha' moment. Something just clicks, and they see all the pieces come together. I get such a sense of accomplishment and joy when that happens.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Of course, landing my first client after I launched my business in 2019 was very exciting and a huge accomplishment for me. I also consider being featured in Zoomer magazine a very large accomplishment as well. Zoomer is the go-to magazine for Baby Boomers, so it was a perfect fit for me and my retirement coaching business.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

For my business, it's all about finding prospective clients, so I am always thinking of new ways to captivate and engage my particular demographic and potential client base. I've learned that you have to be patient with this process. Nothing happens overnight.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. If you have an idea for a business, explore it - if you think it's a good idea, most likely it is.
  2. Determine if there is a need for your business. Who are your clients? Will they pay for your service or product?
  3. Be patient and don't give up. There will be some ups and downs when starting any business but working hard and persevering through those challenges is what's going to make your business stand out and thrive.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://retirereadycanada.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/retirereadycanada
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/retirereadycanada/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/readycanada
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/retire-ready-canada/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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