Status: 12/22/2022 11:00 a.m
In the corona pandemic, many people lost their jobs. In old age beyond the middle of life, a new beginning is not easy. Some have ventured into self-employment – with success.
Angelika Klaes offers her customers a very special service: she puts together the dream holiday according to the specifications of her customers. “They call me or send an e-mail and tell me what they would like to do for their vacation. Then I start to prepare it a bit and then drive to the customer and then advise him at home”, she describes her job.
She calls it a mobile travel agent. For 14 years she worked as an employee in a small travel agency in downtown Leichlingen. But due to Corona, business was no longer running. In July 2020 her boss has to close the travel agency, today there is a hairdresser in the shop. Klaes suddenly had no more work.
Losing a job forces you to start over
The Leichlingen resident has been a travel specialist for 30 years. Although the general conditions are anything but good, in January 2021, in her mid-50s, she dared to take the step into self-employment. Again and again she had asked herself whether she should really dare at her age:
When I was 30, I would certainly have been more relaxed. I had imagined my last ten professional years differently. Suddenly there was something new.
But she also realized how much she loves her job. “And here self-employment was the only way. Because in Corona times I would not have gotten a job in any travel agency.”
“It’s going really well this year”
First she registered as unemployed for six months and was then able to apply for a start-up grant. She tried to draw attention to her program via social media channels such as Instagram and Facebook. She also distributes classic flyers.
In the meantime, her business has established itself in the region and customers are also becoming aware of her offer through word-of-mouth propaganda. “Last year was actually the start-up year, when everything was still a bit slow and sales weren’t quite right, but I have to say: This year is going really well,” she says happily.
Fresh start in the middle of the pandemic
Matthias Gölitz from Solingen works as an industrial designer for a medium-sized company when the pandemic breaks out. Until then, he was on the road almost constantly in his job. The Solingen native made the decision to start his professional life again in March 2020, in the middle of the peak phase of the pandemic – he was in his late 50s. In his previous job as an industrial consultant, the pressure of competition and stress had increased significantly. When Corona breaks out over the world, it all becomes too much for him:
Which then led to actually looking at it completely and considering whether I wanted to continue doing this for the rest of my life or whether I wanted to go another way.
Privately, Matthias Gölitz has just separated and has to sell the property, which was intended as a pension. The proceeds enable him to restart his career.
E-bikes instead of industrial consultants
Selling e-bikes in the Bergisches Land seems to him a promising business model. And so he puts everything on one card: he quits his job, invests all the money he has and becomes self-employed as a franchise entrepreneur with e-bikes. At the age of 57, he also takes out another loan. The bank gives it willingly because it believes in the business model. However, he has to do a health check. “Everything that was relevant at that age was asked. But as a businessman, I can understand that. They also need security,” explains Gölitz.
He invests more than one million euros, for example in fitting out his shop and renting it. He now has nine employees. Nevertheless, this step was not easy for him. “There were a few nights where I started to ponder whether it was the right decision, what would happen if things went wrong,” he recalls.
The pressure to succeed keeps him awake at night – but on the other hand, the new task is also like a kick: “I thought to myself, now I’ll really step on the gas again, that released a lot of energy.” He will open his shop in January 2022, business is now up and running and he is happy to have taken this step.
“Have the courage to dare”
Travel consultant Klaes also wants to motivate others to try the step into self-employment. “You just have to have the courage to dare,” she says. “You have to make yourself known, stay on the ball, then it will work.” In the meantime, when times are good, she sells a trip every day, making many holiday dreams come true.
Most of all, however, she presents herself with it. The new job has given her a whole new sense of self-esteem. Every day she tells herself anew: “I can do this, I can do this, I am responsible for myself”.