If you're a baby boomer about to retire, an employee worried about recession or are simply frustrated by making someone else's dreams come true, chances are you'll start a small business in 2008.

According to a recent AARP study, only 20 percent of retiring baby boomers plan to stay retired. AARP research consistently found that so-called "retirees" plan to continue working, at least part-time, past the traditional retirement age of 65. In 2006, the number of workers older than 55, including those who are self-employed, reached a record 24.6 million (one-fourth of them were 65 or older).

In addition, the economy is currently showing signs that it is slowing down. Whether you talk to Wall Street or the Fortune 500, no one is willing to eliminate the possibility of recession. The ongoing mortgage and credit crisis, as well as slowing payroll growth and two-year record-high unemployment, are fueling the mood.

Whether you are a retiring baby boomer or a recession-motivated entrepreneur, starting a small business is a popular and rewarding choice. Each year, more than 671,800 small businesses open their doors. The 50-plus crowd now accounts for about half of all small-business owners, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration.

So, where do you turn?
Many resources are available to help newly formed small businesses succeed. One option is the one-stop resource called zana Network, which combines an online marketplace with essential business services and all the information a small business would ever need to know. Sellers can advertise their products and services worldwide and buyers can find anything they need. ZANA Network has information ranging from business structure to legislative impact and from finding new business in the form of 7,000 government contracts to 101 tips on how to successfully market your company. In addition, the company offers access to microloans from $5,000-$25,000, with money arriving in as few as 72 hours, as well as various other business loans ranging up to $2 million.

"2008 represents significant economic change for America as we begin to adjust to 72.8 million retiring baby boomers, an unstable economy and an election year," said Howard Keating, zana Network founder and CEO. "We exist to provide stability for small businesses through direct access to essential resources to start, build and grow successful businesses." (NAPSA)-

To learn more, visit www.zananetwork.com.

A recent study shows that only

20 percent of baby boomers plan to stay retired.