Curtain call: Entrepreneurship for older adults

Older entrepreneur Bo McCall started his keg delivery service NexKeg after working in aerospace and logistics for 20 years. (Photo by Miriah Hamrick)

Joe Clerkin officially retired almost 10 years ago, but he hasn’t really stopped working. 

It helps that Clerkin, whose career has been in K-9 detection services, likes his coworkers – furry, floppy-eared dogs. 

“You get to train a dog and then see your end product, so it’s fun,” Clerkin said. “Where else can you go and take your dog to work and play with them?” 

Clerkin’s latest post-retirement endeavor is entrepreneurship. He is building a business in Wilmington called DK9S.LLC, which will use dogs to find weapons at homes, events and other places where people gather. Clerkin said he was inspired to put these skills, first honed during his time as a police officer and bomb technician, to use again in response to a spike in gun violence in recent years. 

After doing his research for more than a year, Clerkin said he is aiming for the business to officially start operations early next year. 

Clerkin is an example of a trend more common than you might imagine: entrepreneurship for older adults. Jerry Coleman, director of the Cape Fear Community College Small Business Center, said 75-80% of the center’s clients are older adults in the community. Many of them are people who, like Clerkin, are ready to work for themselves in the next chapter of life, often in pursuit of a hobby or passion. 

That was what spurred Bo McCall, the “55 years young” founder of NexKeg, to open his keg delivery service in Wilmington after a 20-year career in aerospace supply and logistics support. 

“I supposed I got a little bored. I wanted to get into something that was more fun or creative, and the beer industry is fun.” McCall said. 

Now McCall’s days are spent talking about beer and sharing it with others. His company provides kegerator rentals for weddings, events and more.

“We deliver it to wherever they are and set it up. Whatever beer they bought, we get it tapped and dialed in,” he said. “So all they have to do is pull the tap and drink a beer.” 

McCall said his previous work experience memorizing inventory numbers for airplane parts has equipped him for success in his newest venture.

“I have a mind for inventory and for numbers,” he said, adding that he can always answer questions about what kegs the business has in stock. Furthermore, McCall reported having more confidence in himself in this stage of his life. 

“It helps me to act without fear, to have belief in my ability,” he said.

Experience and passion are two of the important assets that Coleman identified as part of the “three-legged stool” necessary for a successful business owner. The other ingredient is one where older adults again have an edge over their younger counterparts: financial resources.

Coleman said older entrepreneurs, particularly those already in retirement, operate from a position of strength in the early days of opening a business. 

“It takes time to build momentum in the business. If you start something, you’ve got to become known in the community. You’ve got to promote yourself. That takes time,” Coleman said. “And while you’re doing that, it’s costing money to provide services or products or whatever it is you’re doing. If you don’t have a lot of resources, that could become a challenge.”

While older business owners bring many assets to the table, Coleman said age might pose a setback if the business reaches a level of success that requires more time and cultivation to scale its growth.

“If they’re successful and get to a point where they just don’t want to go any further, time can be a restraint,” Coleman said. 

Coleman advises all entrepreneurs regardless of age to have a detailed plan that includes a measure of the business’s success and next steps after the goals of the business have been achieved. This is one of the services provided by local resources like the community college’s Small Business Center or the UNCW Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. 

“It’s having a plan around all these things, for the succession of the business when it’s time to move on to something else or to retire officially for a second time,” Coleman said.

McCall has his plan in place. He envisions honing his business until it is a replicable model in other cities in North Carolina. While he enjoys this work, he looks forward to accomplishing that goal and retiring one day. 

“It is fun,” McCall said. “Fishing from the back of a sailboat in the Caribbean is also fun.” 

Info: Cape Fear Community College Small Business Center, Brunswick Community College Small Business Center, UNCW Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, SCORE Cape Fear Region