I'm a 57 yo mwm, and I'm ready to enter this hobby.  

I understand and fully support the need for verification. The problem is, I'm semi-retired, and the work I do is self-employment income (from a building I own, plus some freelance writing).

Two agencies declined to see me because I couldn give them neither employer info nor provider references. (Remember, I'm just starting out...)

What might be the best way of getting established? Again, I totally get the need for verification, and I'm willing to provide other info that can help establish my bona fides.

(I'll let somebody else pick up on the potential for a pun on "bona fides"...)

Thanks in advance for any sage advice.

One of the verification sites like Date-Check or Preferred411. They will both work with you, and take alternative methods of verification. After you are a member, you'll find that a lot of the ladies on the sites also have reviews here, and the reviews are linked directly.

Good Luck