Metro photo Everyone hopes to retire someday — if they haven’t already — but the steps to retirement for entrepreneurs may look different than the steps for people with more traditional forms of employment.

Retirement planning is on the mind of most, especially in these changing times. Those who work for big companies turn to HR departments for guidance. However, retirement planning looks different for self-employed entrepreneurs and dreamers working for themselves at various ages.

We asked several financial planners/experts to share their advice about how dreamers and entrepreneurs should secure their future.

Meet the experts:

Jenna VanLeeuwen, CFP®, Financial Planner for Online Entrepreneurs, Principal at Aligning Wealth.

Becky Neubauer, Millennial Money Expert and Founder of TwentyFree, host of Find Your Freedom Podcast

Ryan Firth, CPA/CFS, Founder and President of Mercer Street

Melissa Mittelstaedt, Accredited Financial Counselor Candidate with MelissaMitt Financials

1) What advice do you give to dreamers and entrepreneurs?

Jenna VanLeeuwen: When thinking about retirement for dreamers/entrepreneurs… the most important thing is just to start. Even when cash flow is tight, I suggest trying to set aside a small amount like $25/week just to begin investing for the long term.

Beyond that, I would focus on building up the business to the point so you can pay your bills, live the life you want, and save for retirement. As an entrepreneur, you have the ability to earn more – so I would focus on earning enough to save vs. cutting back. Calculate how much you would need at age 65 to retire, then turn that into a monthly savings goal, and aim to earn that extra each month.

One thing that people in their 20s can do: Push really hard in the corporate world to get a little bit of a nest egg and let that keep growing in the background as you invest in your business. It will give you the flexibility to build your business the right way. It can cushion any fluctuations in income. If you have a head start on retirement at a young age, let time work its magic so your nest egg can compound. You’ll be able to save less just because you started saving early, and that frees up your cash flow to do more things in your business and in your personal life.

Becky Neubauer: If you’re an entrepreneur, then you may have a less traditional plan for retirement. My advice for anyone on this path-regardless of age-is to start saving as early as possible and to make sure you have a solid financial plan in place. When you aren’t working for a company, you have to be more diligent about keeping track of savings. For this reason, I also strongly recommend speaking with a financial advisor to get a better understanding of your options and what will work best for you.

Ryan Firth: I think the thing to understand is that entrepreneurs tend to be bigger risk-takers compared to employees who receive a steady paycheck from their employer. As the entrepreneur’s business matures… a growing share of the entrepreneur/owner’s wealth may be tied up in the business because profits are usually reinvested back in the business (the business generates a higher rate of return on capital than the owner can generate anywhere else). It can be a high-risk, high reward proposition. So in essence, the business becomes the owner’s retirement plan. That said, if a successful solo entrepreneur wants to diversify her wealth and not have it become so concentrated in her business, there are lots of tax-advantaged savings vehicles at her disposal like individual 401(k)s; Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), Individual Retirement Arrangements like a traditional or Roth, Simplified Employee Pension (SEP), SIMPLE; and defined benefit plans. Outside of these options, there are taxable brokerage accounts and permanent life insurance. A CPA financial planner can work with the entrepreneur to identify and set up a plan that best fits her retirement goals.

Melissa Mittelstaedt: As an entrepreneur, it’s often easy to overlook retirement savings because you’re not forced into a meeting with HR to discuss your 401(k) plan. However, it’s one of the most important pieces of the puzzle when it comes to financial stability. Do you want to revel in the freedom of owning your business only to have no freedom later in life? A few retirement account options to consider as a business owner are a Roth IRA, Traditional IRA, Simplified Employee Pension (SEP), or a Solo 401(k). That may look like alphabet soup to you, so talk with a Financial Planner if guidance is needed.

2) For someone that starts over or starts a business, what do you advise about retirement? What if they don’t “care” about ­retirement?

VanLeeuwen: If you are doing something you enjoy doing, why would you even care about traditional retirement? I think it’s great when people can create a wonderful life doing work they enjoy and living a life they enjoy right now. Even so, I would still try to consider what you’ll need to take care of when you can no longer work at all. It’s much better to have the choice to back off of working than to be sick and just no longer able to properly take care of yourself.

Neubauer: Make sure to stay disciplined with your savings and investment plan and remember retirement is not an exact science. There is no one-size-fits-all approach, so be sure to tailor your plan to fit your unique circumstances. Also, keep in mind that you may need to adjust your plan as your life changes. Even if you are someone who doesn’t want to plan for retirement, having some sort of financial safety net for the future is encouraged to… plan for the unexpected.

3) How should these workers handle family members and friends worried about their future?

VanLeeuwen: Many entrepreneurs do face concerned family and friends worrying about their financial future. If you personally are worried about it, I would say get started on creating that retirement plan for yourself! How to save for retirement looks much different for you as a business owner than a traditional corporate employee. You can’t just submit a form to HR – you’ll have to figure the details on your own. But once you do, you’ll be in a much better place to be able to actually take care of yourself when you are older. Then when other family members worry, you can confidently tell them you are taking care of it for yourself.

Neubauer: Anytime you approach something in a non-traditional way, there is bound to be pushback from those around you. For those who are concerned about your unconventional path, explain that you have a solid plan in place and are confident in your ability to achieve your goals. Remind them that you are taking control of your future and are making an active choice to pursue your dreams. Finally, assure them that you are not alone in this-there are many other entrepreneurs out there who have found success by following their own unique paths.

Mittelstaedt: “We all know what it’s like to have the ‘we don’t know what we don’t know’ experience. That is what your family is going through. They don’t understand the fire, the passion, the spark that makes an entrepreneur – and that’s okay, they don’t have to. One of the best ways to show them you’ll be okay and that you know what you’re doing is to establish a retirement account. Planning for your future is not only the right thing to do for you, but it’s the right way to show your family that you can have your cake and eat it too.

4) Do you have experience with people who want to just “work until they die?”

VanLeeuwen: I do have experience with the just work until you die approach. It’s honestly a sad, sad thing when someone is in their 70s, 80s, or 90s with very little money in the bank. It’s hard to earn money at the same rate in those later years. How stressful is it to have to move because you can’t afford your home, or to be wondering about how to eat and pay your bills, or to be weighing which medical treatment you will get and what you will skip because you thought you’d be able to work your entire life? I ask them to focus on how they can earn more, so they can live the life they want now and also take care of their 80-year-old self.

Neubauer: There is no right or wrong answer when it comes to how you approach retirement as an entrepreneur. Some people choose to work until they die, while others take a more traditional route and retire at a certain age. There are pros and cons to both approaches.

Working until you die means that you will never have to ‘worry’ about money for retirement because you’ll always be working. However, this approach does come with some risks. Health is always a factor to consider as you may not be able to work as long as you want to. Additionally, if your business isn’t successful long-term, you could find yourself in a difficult financial situation.

Retiring at a certain age may provide you with more financial stability, (with) a nest egg to fall back on. This approach also allows you to enjoy your retirement years without having to worry about work. ”

Although not everyone takes the traditional path to retirement planning and may not even have matching funds to fall back on, there can be a planned route for anyone for a successful retirement. No matter the situation or the business model, there is a financial planner out there who can assist with those goals. This is where Wealthtender comes in. Their comprehensive guide to financial planners can help you locate one which meets your needs.