Christmas cookies image: sxc.hu

Cookie making usually brings back memories of these sessions in our childhood, with our children, with community groups, or with the entire family.  We may pull out recipes used throughout the generations.  We may try new recipes.

All of these activities create memories, especially if you take photos to accompany the cookie making sessions.  One of my favorite photos shows my then 2-year old daughter and me making cookies at the kitchen table.

So…why not start a Christmas Cookie Journal with photos, memories, current activities and recipes?  Then you can make copies for other family members. 

Or…you could develop this into a business and create Christmas Cookie Journals for others.

Have any of you done this?  Either for yourselves or as a business?

Post from: Small Business Boomers

Youngsters writing poetry image: sxc.hu

I also enjoy teaching writing and poetry to youngsters and adults.  I feel I can utilize this poetry book as a teaching tool.  (I also would like to publish a book of my grandfather’s poems, some of which have appeared in publications, but not all together.)

However, as with many of us boomers, life continues to pull us in other directions.  But we don’t have to give up our dreams.  We look for opportunities to move forward.

I’ve been having great fun throughout the past year reading and teaching poetry to children, frequently when I substitute teach, as well as in workshops for home schooled youngsters.  These experences help to keep me current with children and learning, as I find out how they continue to respond to poetry writing and creating pictures to accompany their work.

By drawing upon these opportunities, I remain excited about my projects and developing my business.  I also hope I contribute to the youngsters’ enjoyment of poetry and writing.

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Image: sxc.hu

Of course, those which you begin or operate entirely from your home won’t have the overhead that a store front entails.  Some of these may involve equipment that you don’t have on hand.  Also, you may have to look into permits, licenses, and insurances. 

1. Developing a hobby into a business
2. Selling a product or service over the Internet
3. Pet sitting
4. Skincare and make-up consultant
5. Party planning
6. Lawn and garden care or raising flowers to sell
7. Dressmaking and alterations
8. Home decorating consultant
9. Accounting
10. Woodworking
11. Tutoring
12. Teaching classes about your craft
13. Editing and proofreading

What others do you suggest?  What have you developed into a business?

Post from: Small Business Boomers

I think it is important to think about your interests and what kind of business could be started from there. It’s also important to research and see if there is a market out there looking for what you want to offer and willing to pay for it.

It can be great fun (and challenging!) to start your own home based business. By choosing something that really fits you, you can have a great business for years to come.

Laurie is correct.  In addition to having talent, you need to have a market and become proficient on promoting your products/services and yourself.  So before you invest too much into developing your small or home business, check to see if there is a viable market out there for what you have to offer.  Or become creative in marketing your products.  Find a need for them, then capitalize upon it.

Post from: Small Business Boomers

Image: sxc.hu

• Draw upon your talents and interests:
• Quilters might start giving lessons and selling their wares.
• Knitters could do the same.  Or they might open a small shop of supplies.
• Writers could go in a variety of directions…blogging, writing a book, giving talks and lessons involving writing.
• Carpenters could scale down from a big business and do mainly small scale repairs they could handle themselves.
• Become a consultant in your field of expertise.
• Get involved in tutoring students at a college, local school, a continuing education department.
• Teach online classes

What other ideas do you have for expanding upon your talents?

Post from: Small Business Boomers

This even can be an aspect of a small business for boomers…writing family memories, teaching it, and ghost writing for others.  I’ve been teaching classes in Writing Your Family Stories and having a great time sharing mine and showing others how to compile theirs.  This also often includes scrapbooking.

I’ve discovered that many people enjoy hearing about one-room school memories, so have begun sharing mine on a blog, My One-Room School Heritage, because many of my family attended or were teachers in these small abodes of education.

I’m so pleased my mom took time, before she passed away, to write down for me some of her teaching experiences, especially those at her very first school when she was 19-years old…and in the town where she met my dad.

How are you sharing your memories?  Are you incorporating it into a business?

Post from: Small Business Boomers

For some people, success comes sooner because:

• They’ve given more thought to planning their business before starting
• They have more investment capital of their own
• They have business knowledge
• They have a product or service that appeals in today’s market (often because of their previous research)
• They are willing to put in hours and hours of work themselves
• They get advice and try to avoid the pitfalls of others

However, no matter what you’re doing or how well you seem to get started, be sure you have patience.  Most businesses take time for success and to earn you money.  So many people give up when there’s not immediate success because they’ve heard about the seemingly “instant success” ones.

What have you found that helped you keep going midst odds?

Post from: Small Business Boomers

Find a need and fill it as the mom did who makes reusable lunch bags to eliminate the need for so many disposable sandwich bags.

Is pet sitting a possibility?  I heard someone else mentioning that it was hard to go on a trip because it was so expensive to leave their pets at a kennel. 

Is there a need in your area for companions for the elderly?  Two friends were discussing the fact that someone they knew was looking for a reliable person to spend time with an elderly person when family wasn’t there.  They thought another friend, who had lost her job, would be a perfect fit. 

The world is into “green” and “environmentally safe” items.  Is there anything you can do or make that falls into this category?  People seem more willing to pay money for this type of item than otherwise.

Expand upon a hobby that will provide a necessary service or product.

Continue looking for some type of job, parttime if necessary, to fill in the monetary gaps while you get a business going.  Don’t insist one you’re trained for or what you’ve done in the past.  Be willing to learn something new as I have by working at a deli.  You may even find it fun.

How have  you found creative ways to expand your small business, to start one or work at a parttime job?

(Image:sxc.hu)

Post from: Small Business Boomers

I operated a dressmaking and alterations business for a number of years that evolved into a quiltmaking business.  These enabled me to be at home when our daughter was small. 

At Home Biz Notes, I’m writing a series, with tips on operating these businesses, that you might like to follow.  The tips also will apply to many arts and crafts businesses as well.

Let me know what tips you have to add.

(Image: sxc.hu)

Post from: Small Business Boomers

• Some business ideas grow out of a hobby.
• Some may be a venture you explore with a partner
• Some may be a new idea with low initial expenditure
• Others may develop over the years as your circumstances change

Do you think an entrepreneur should follow one path of business regardless of circumstances, pursue it and hope you’ll experience success?

Do you think an entrepreneur should be aware of changing times and circumstances and be willing to change as necessary?

(Image: sxc.hu)

Post from: Small Business Boomers