East Tennessee Residential Communities : Holrob Communities : Private Communities near Knoxville, Knox County, Blount County, Anderson County, Sevier County

Across the country, many are trading in their retirement plans for new careers. Studies have shown that a growing number of Americans prefer to continue working beyond the traditional retirement age of 65: "In 2006, nearly 30% of Americans ages 65 to 69 belonged to the workforce, up from 18% in 1985, according to the Employee Benefit Research Institute." In addition, a "recent survey by Thrivent Financial of adults ages 45 to 64 found that 43% overall — and nearly half of all men — plan to work full or part time in retirement." Many of these people will leverage their skills, experiences, and even hobbies into a business of their own, joining "an expanding army of workers who continue working long after they become eligible for Social Security benefits." Now why the heck would they do that? Extra income, a sense of purpose, and longer and healthier life spans top the list.


Photo by Erik Mallinson.

For many, starting a microbusiness is the answer. "A microbusiness is a small business with fewer than five employees (including the owner) and less than $35,000 in start-up costs." Most microbusinesses operate out of the owner's home and have no employees at all, the owners choosing to outsource needed services rather than hire and manage employees. Successful microbusinesses have included a wide variety of goods and services. Some examples include child care, house cleaning, delivery services, catering, web design, consulting, writing and editing.

Like any business, a significant key to success is location. Not only will a good location offer sufficient resources to help with planning and funding needs, a good location will also have a growing and diverse population, a stable economy, an affordable cost of living, and an expansive talent and customer pool. Knoxville has all of these. Ranking fifth (out of 200 competitors) on Forbes' 2007 list of Best Places for Business and Careers, Knoxville enjoys a unique mix of creative and educated citizens, low costs of business and living, high technology, low taxes, and great cultural, recreational, and educational opportunities. For a quick reference sheet offering area statistics and many other awards and achievements click here. For further inquiries submit your questions here.

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No matter how excited you are, moving brings many challenges: a new home means a new mortgage for most; perhaps the move means a new job; old routines are disrupted; and often friends or family are left behind. Even a move across town can bring significant stress. While there's no way to eliminate all the stress from your move, you can certainly minimize it. Here's 5 things you can do to make your move feel less like one of life's major events.


Photo by thornypup.

1.    Sort and dispose of, donate, or sell unnecessary clutter and furniture well before the big day. How to know what is 'unnecessary'? Here's a checklist to help you sort. The big tip here is to know the capacity of your new home and not take too much - and don't move anything dirty or that you'll throw out when you get there! Clean everything before you go and be honest with yourself when struggling with your decision to part with that broken chair you've been meaning to fix!

2.    Start packing really early. My most recent move was scheduled nine months in advance and I began packing six months before the trucks pulled up. Sorting as I went, I packed in this order: Garage first! Sort and pack as much as you can and make sure to save room to store additional completed boxes as you finish them. Next, scour your house for items that you won't "miss," such as extra dishes, files for storage, and decorator items from the tops of cabinets and shelves. As time draws closer, pack up the rooms that are the least used such as formal living rooms, libraries, under-utilized offices, formal dining rooms, and guest bedrooms. Finally, many suggest that you double the time you think you'll need for final packing. There's always more to do than you think and packing all night before the trucks arrive is no way to combat stress. How to pack? There's a guide here and a list of essentials to keep handy here.

3.    If you have children and/or pets, consider their care before you go. Here's a few tips: Young children might be better off with family or friends; besides the additional stress that caring for them while moving will bring, their safety should be considered, as well. Older children might be helpful, but for shorter periods than you would probably like. Patience, food, and entertainment will ease their stress and yours! Pets may need to be kenneled or kept in an empty room in the house with food and water for their safety. Post a sign on the door to remind everyone who's inside!

4.    Consider your family's feelings - and yours, too! Small children, teens, spouses, and extended family are affected in different ways and so need to cope in different ways. Knowing what you are feeling and how to help them is an important part of a smooth transition - before and after the move.

5.    Know your limits. Recognize and acknowledge when you feel anxious or stressed and practice these exercises to reduce your stress response. Keep a sense of humor, too! Laughing lightens any load!

For additional information, submit your questions here. 

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In his latest book, Who's Your City, best selling author Richard Florida claims that where you choose to live is more important than ever before. Florida points out that economic activity, innovation, types of people, and creativity is concentrated in relatively few places and that those places will offer better jobs, quality of life, and services. Florida uses a series of maps to show how the world's population is distributed, and where the most productive and creative people live and the strongest economies are in the United States. The Southeast shows prominently on these maps.

Photo by sleepless aquarius.

Florida recommends considering a number of factors when deciding on a new community - opportunity and basic services are among the most important. The Knoxville Metropolitan Statistical Area, home to the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the University of Tennessee, and numerous medical and technology-based businesses, reflects our government and community leadership's commitment to quality economic development and quality of life. Recent awards and rankings speak for themselves:

• 2008 - Knoxville ranked 4th on the "Best Cities for Relocating Families" list for Mid-Size Markets. Source: Worldwide ERC and Primacy Relocation May 2008

• 2008 - Metropolitan Knoxville named No. 10 on the list of Forbes Magazine "Best Places for Business and Careers." Source: Forbes Magazine March 2008

• 2007 - Expansion Management magazine named the Knoxville Metropolitan area 3rd among all mid-sized cities in the nation in its annual "Best Metro for Business and Expansion" competition. Source: Expansion Management Magazine August 2007.

• 2007 - Boating Life Magazine named Knoxville as one of the "10 Best Places to Live And Boat." Source: Boating Life Magazine July 2007

• 2007 - Metropolitan Knoxville named No. 5 on the list of the best metro areas for business and careers by Forbes Magazine. Source: Forbes Magazine April 2007.

• 2007 - Knoxville ranked 1st on the "Best Cities for Relocating Families" list. Source: Worldwide ERC and Primacy Relocation May 2007

• 2007 - Expansion Management magazine named Knoxville one of "America's 50 Hottest Cities," cities that are best places to expand or relocate a business. Source: Expansion Management Magazine February 2007.

If you would like more information about Knoxville, click here and request more information.

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