According to the “experts”, five main benefits of work have become needs- income, purpose, time management, status, and a social network. When people plan for retirement, they should consider ways to replace these. As a retiree and a retirement coach, I have discovered a sixth work benefit that, though not as significant as the five above, should also be built into a successful retirement plan – office support services.
Depending on the job, office support services might include an administrative assistant, a student assistant, a paraprofessional, a tech support person or team, a graphic designer, a print and/or multimedia team, and more. Granted, a retiree, by definition, should no longer need these services, but with a large number of retirees returning to some version of work, the need still exists for many. A client who retired after 50 years, closed his office but retained his assistant part-time to help him organize his business papers. My husband found the support team he missed most in retirement was the “techies”, who took care of all his computer and Internet needs. I really appreciated the wonderful print department at Grossmont College that could scan, enlarge, design, and copy any document I needed. What are some ways you can replace these support services as you transition into a successful retirement?
The first decision is whether you want to invest the time and energy yourself or have the money to hire someone else. Many times it’s a combination. If you’re the DIY type, lots of classes assist with learning or upgrading computer skills, keeping up with the latest cell phones, or managing the rapid changes in social media. These are offered through community colleges, adult schools, Oasis, OSHER, and other private institutions, as well as online. If there is a very specific question or challenge, an Internet search may provide the answer through an instructional video.
If budget and resources allow, hiring an assistant is the way to go. Maybe one of your current work support team would be interested in part-time work. An ad on Craig’s List, Nextdoor or in a local paper can help find someone new. If you prefer a virtual assistant for the task at hand, many capable ones are out there. A couple of websites where you can find virtual help with most tasks are www.fiverrr.com and www.upwork.com (Elance). A friend recommended the patient virtual assistant who helps me with my website and this newsletter.
Of course, the hardware to set up a home office is another expense if you don’t want to run to an office supply store constantly. Finding capable and reasonable people to keep this equipment running smoothly is another challenge that takes some research. Friends and neighbors often have suggestions, and asking them is a good way to expand your social network too.
After reading these suggestions for replacing a support team, you may decide to stay at your job,a while longer, where they already exist! Yes, it does take some energy and expense to replace this work benefit, but it can be done, and after retiring, you will have the time to devote to this!