Am I too old to think about starting a business?

Your age is totally irrelevant. Do you have the stamina, is the question. Maybe your seizures won't interfere with the enterprise, but how's your dynamic energy? Startups tend to improve endurance; they're draining, but in a good way. How's your fitness level in the long run? If your friend made an offer, and she runs businesses, she has confidence in you!

There really isn't any 'right time' to start chasing your dreams.According to a study by the Today, she takes classes for mostly senior women and older men.

All kinds of people much older and disabled have started businesses. Don't believe your age will prevent you..many have been very successful, it just requires a lot of time and effort

If you're disabled it's going to be exceedingly difficult for you to run a restaurant. AND expensive. You'd do better to look for something else. Age isn't part of it, but your health needs to be very good to run a business like a restaurant.

I was going to answer until I read the comments. You seem to have come up with every imaginable barrier to keep from working.

It is very scary to take a risk. You are not too old, and I believe if you love to cook it would bring you a sense of pride and satisfaction to open a place.

My husband and I bought a pizzeria and we knew very little about business before we began. We have learned a lot over the years but it isn’t as dreadful as people claim.

The main mistakes we made were spending too much money in the beginning for advertising and upgrades to the building. When you first begin you want to make some money for a few months and then gradually upgrade a little at a time, gradually advertise.

Finding good employees has been the most difficult process. Make sure you do not need a huge staff, cause that is the biggest headache right there.

I hope you go for it. You only live once, and trying to follow your dreams is something everyone should try!!!

No, you are not too old. However, owning your own business is more than an 8 hour per day job. Since you have not worked in many years, you should probably find a job working in a restaurant and see if you have the physical stamina to do what it takes plus another 50% more effort as a business owner/operator.

You aren't too old by any means but the restaurant trade is a hundred times tougher than you think it will be, so it's not necessarily wise to take the enthusiastic advice of a friend. For sure if that friend is already in business it can help with some of the practicalities, but what you need is advice from others trying to make it with food. There's much more to it than just turning it out.

It should scare you. I think if you look at the statistics for restaurants that go bust in short time, you'll be shocked. Doesn't mean you shouldn't do this. You may be able to make a good living but is it risky? Very! And, as I said, not at all because of your age.

You are receiving SSI because you or someone on your behalf applied for it.

If you are able to work in spite of your seizures why have you been receiving welfare based disability payments for over 10 years?

Are you too old to start a business? Of course, not.

Should you open a restaurant when you have never done restaurant cooking? NO! Restuarant equipment (stoves, ovens, etc) is not the same as what you use at home, you don't know how to purchase the appropriate quantities, or how to get different foods out of the kitchen at the same to serve the party.

Work with your case worker to get a job in a kitchen or in to some kind of training program.

No way. I watched this show about a 70 year old who lost almost everything. He still could have afforded an upper middle class life but, he tirelessly worked to rebuild his empire.

I think a 49 year old man can have a reasturant.