Small Business Boomers

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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Over the past two days, I have been talking about Financial Independence for Baby Boomers.
First, I discussed the vital step of DSATM (Don’t Spend all the Money) so you can have enough to invest, and
Then, I talked about why you need to Start a business to generate income, to keep more of your money and grow your wealth.
Step Three: Park Your Money in the Right Places
This is the trickiest part, as we’ve seen from the current financial debacle. You need to find a place to park your money so it will grow at a reasonable rate with a reasonable …read more

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Baby boomer business owners, Gen Y business owners, and everyone in between needs help with their businesses.  And a new business reality show on A&E is here to help.  The show:  “We Mean Business” (sponsored by Dell).  The episode I watched was about a Baby Boomer named Doug of Outback Catering.  Doug needs to get his 20-year-old catering business back on track.
The format:  kind of a “make-over” show for businesses.  You know the kind.  Like “trading spaces” and “extreme home makeover.” Only for businesses.
The people:  Business owners with attitude and 3 experts with more attitude.  Bil Rancic, the original “Apprentice” …read more

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Over the weekend I read a story about woman in North Carolina who has a thriving business as a bookbinder.  For someone who loves books, this would be a great business. And for a baby boomer who is looking for a creative business, it would be lots of fun.  Book binding is also a recession-proof business, because it caters to people who have money, and who aren’t worried about getting laid off.
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Of course, I had to  check out places where you can get training in how to do book binding.  I found that the Guild of …read more

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Sarah Palin confesses she shops at consignment stores.  And many other smart shoppers are doing the same.  With the downturn in the economy, consignment shops are booming.  Lots of people are looking for bargains in clothing, furniture, toys, you-name-it.
What is the difference between a consignment store, a resale store, and a thrift shop?  According to the National Association of Retail and Thrift Shops (NARTS), a retail store buys outright and resells, while a consignment shop takes merchandise and only pays the consignor when the merchandise sells.  A thrift shop is usually a non-profit that accepts donations and re-sells …read more

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A few days ago I talked about Baby Boomers getting back into the job market and some possible networking resources, if you decide to start a new business or to go back into the work world full-time or part-time.   So how do you make contact with people at networking events and expand your network of possibilities?  Here are some tips for networking:

 Attend local networking events.  It’s been said that 90% of success is just showing up.  That’s true with networking.  Showing up gets you talking to the right people.  Some possible networking events/meetings: Local chamber of …read more

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After my blog about pet sitting as a great business for baby boomers, I decided to explore this idea more.  I contacted Pet Sitters International and talked to Beth Stultz.  Here is what I learned about the pet sitting business:
Q: First, the big question. With the terrible economy right now, is this a good time to start a pet sitting business?
A:  Pet related businesses are pretty stable, despite economic conditions.  In 2007 in the U.S., people spent $41 billion on their pets, and 63 percent of U.S. households own a pet.  For many people, their pets …read more

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We are not in a recession.  For proof, I offer Exhibit A:

I was in a “big box” national pet store on Friday (Halloween) to get my cat groomed.  I couldn’t believe how many people were there buying Halloween costumes for their pets.  If people still have enough discretionary income to buy this stuff, we aren’t in a recession.
For a recession-proof small business, run a pet store.
Image source: Newscom

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Over at Home Biz Notes, Mary Emma Allen talks about a business Baby Boomers might enjoy having: Pet Sitting and Dog Walking.  If you are an animal lover like me, this would be a great idea for a business.  I agree with the the comment, though, that walking dogs in Iowa in the winter might not be a lot of fun, but you never know.
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Here are some considerations for starting a pet sitting/dog walking business:
You can set up this type of business simply, as a sole proprietorship.  Then all you need to do is get a …read more

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When I write posts, like the one I wrote last week about starting your own “For Sale By Owner/FSBO” business, I tend to forget that countries other than the U.S. might be doing the same thing.
May commented on my post and sent me the link to a website “BuyMyHome” for Australia.  Thanks, May.
Other inventive entrepreneurs have created a FSBO site for U.S. military (militaryfsbo.com) and a restaurant FSBO site (http://restaurants-fsbo.com/ ).  The posibilities are endless!
Do any of you know of similar sites in other countries or for other types of businesses or buildings?

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