Small Business Boomers

President Obama promised to “fix” the health care situation in this country by guaranteeing health care to everyone.  That’s all well and good, but the money has to come from somewhere and guess who’s going to pay for it?  Yep.  Baby Boomers.  Here’s why: The President’s plan is going to cost $623 billion.  So his budget proposal includes “savings” in Medicare and Medicaid to finance the plan.
What Does “Savings” Mean? Now, before I go on, remember that the word “savings” is misleading.  The budget calls for increases in all kinds of things, including Medicare and Medicaid.  But if some changes …read more

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We Baby Boomer business owners have been hiring people for a long time.  Many of us now use the Internet to hire and we have found some great employees, and some not-so-great.  Today’s cautionary tale is about using Craigslist to hire Gen X’ers and Millenials.
What is Craigslist. First, in case you haven’t heard, Craigslist is a free service that allows you to post ads for all kinds of products and services, or to read and respond to ads; it is city-centered, meaning you focus on one city, where you live.  Craigslist has become a popular place to post ads, and …read more

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I’ve been collecting good news and bad news – signs that we are in a recession (bad news) and signs that we are not (good news).  More bad news signs out there than good news ones right now.  Here are some examples:
On the bad news side:

A friend just returned from a big convention in Las Vegas.  Last year there were 60,000 people at this convention; this year there were 40,000.
He also noted that the casinos had many tables closed and the minimums on the tables are low, which means not as many gamblers.
My husband and I went to WalMart …read more

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If you are a Baby Boomer selling to Baby Boomer consumers, take note. A friend (mid-50s) has been on FaceBook for over a year, but in the last few months she has received several invitations to connect from people she knew in high school  Turns out a lot of Baby Boomers are now on FaceBook.
I receive many invitations to join “networks.”  Some on LinkedIn, which seems to be a big deal with the students and new grads I know.  But many are on FaceBook.   As you might guess, the majority of people on connection sites like these are people in …read more

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I write professionally, and I spend my life online.  Most of my work is done through online websites and blogs.  But for anyone who uses the web for their business, there are some websites you need to know about.  I couldn’t live without them. And the best thing about each of them is that they are free.
#1 – TinyUrl – I do a lot of Tweeting (posting) on Twitter and, like most people on this site, I like to send urls.  Since most are huge, they don’t fit in the constraints of 140 characters.  So I use TinyUrl to get …read more

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There are two schools of thought on pennies:
School 1 – I’ll call it the “old school” – Exemplified by an elderly lady I know who cannot pass by a penny anywhere – on the ground – on a table – in a store — without taking it.  She says that every cent is valuable and that the accumulation of all those 1 cent pieces adds up.  She’s obviously a child of the Great Depression (1929 variety), when people got used to hoarding things and stuffing money in mattresses.
School 2 – I’ll call it the “new school” – Exemplified by Valerie …read more

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The question has been asked, “Is it worth your time to try to reach Baby Boomers on social media?”  The answer is, “Yes.”  and “No.” I write a lot about Baby Boomers as business owners, but not as much about Boomers as consumers.  Today’s post is about both.
Donya Schweizer markets her Beyond Chocolate products using Facebook. 
What is Social Media? First, I need to define “social media.”  It’s one of those “if you don’t know what it is, I can’t explain it” kinds of things.  Social media involve the Internet and mobile technology (iPhones, cell phones, blackberries, that kind of …read more

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Henry Ford published this purpose statement in 1907:
“I will build a motor car for the great multitude.  It will be large enough for the family, but small enough for the individual to run and care for. It will be constructed of the best materials, by the best men to be hired, after the simplest designs that modern engineering can devise.  But it will be so low in price that no man making a good salary will be unable to own one-and enjoy with his family the blessing of hours of pleasure in God’s great open spaces.”
So what happened?  If …read more

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How many times have you moved? I counted 12 different homes in 4 cities since I graduated from undergraduate school. I have lots of experience in moving. If you have moved many times and you are an expert at packing, unpacking, dealing with moving companies, and finding places for all that stuff that doesn’t fit in the new place, maybe you should consider being a moving consultant.

People of all ages need moving consultants:

Young executives and their families
Empty-nesters who are are down-sizing
Seniors moving to condominiums

A moving consultant would help with all aspects of a move, including helping find …read more

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Now is the time for cruising. And you can get great deals.
Baby boomers have been the staple of the cruise industry for many years. But most of us boomers are holding on to our money right now. So the cruise lines are pulling out the incentives. Maybe it’s time to take a cruise.  You’re probably thinking I’m nuts – you just lost 30% of the value of your retirement funds.  But you know you can’t take it with you.  If you need some arguments to persuade your spouse (I’m working on mine) or significant other, here are …read more

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