Still Learning

A great benefit of early retirement is having the opportunity to learn about professions and businesses through part time work. In addition to getting paid for working, I'm learning new skills and learning a lot about running a small business.

Here are some of the new skills I am learning:

Teaching and tutoring. I had spend a career in R&D and majored in engineering. I thought it would be interesting to teach and tutor science and math. Even though I have no formal training in teaching, I was hired to teach an after school science program and tutor students for the SAT/ACT tests. Fortunately, many of my coworkers are teachers who have given me many coaching tips.

Mostly, my teaching experiences have taught me the skill of patience :-)

Owning a franchise. Two of my part time jobs are with franchises and a third part time job is with a company office of a franchise business. I am getting first hand exposure to the benefits and challenges of owning a franchise business. In addition, I have direct contact with the franchisee for each business.

Customer satisfaction. All my part time jobs involve working directly with customers to provide a specific service. Their satisfaction is highly dependent on my interactions with them. I've become better at learning about customers needs and providing a service exceeds their expectations.

At this point, I plan to continue learning through my part time jobs. However, in the future, I hope to leverage these new skills in a business venture still be determined :-)

For more on Reaping the Rewards, check back every Friday for a new segment.

This is not financial or business advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

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