Small Business Boomers

With the current economic crunch, more boomers seem to be delaying retirement (if they have this option), getting another job (possibly parttime) or starting their own business. 
Perhaps they have a mix or two or all three of these.
Do you fit into any of these categories?  Has life affected you differently in recent years than you had planned?
We can either moan about it or treat it as an exciting adventure!
I took a parttime job in a supermarket delicatessen this summer, and it’s continued into winter.  It actually takes me back to my roots, since I worked in my mother’s small grocery …read more

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To move your business forward, to meet your deadlines, to reach your goals, to develop new customers/clients…do something each day beyond the ordinary.
At a business development conference I attended recently, many of the speakers talked about doing something every day rather than getting stymied by this recession and freezing where you are.  So many people react to a challenge or change by stopping what they’re doing, even panicking.
You need to so something, anything business related that will help you regain or continue your momentum.  Sometimes you need to change direction a bit, take a look at what’s in the future, …read more

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Small businesses could be the reviving factor for our current economy, according to a recent survey. 
More than 47 percent of Americans have considered the small business route since the economic downturn, according to this survey commissioned by the the online marketplace, Alibaba.com, and reported by Sterling Marketing Group. 
Also, the survey determined that more than three fourths of Americans conclude small businesses will be a major factor in reviving the economy.
In the present economy, boomers have begun to consider small businesses as their way to make ends meet, supplement their retirement and savings, and give them a way to contribute to improving today’s economic …read more

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I’ve discovered that many boomers and retirees don’t like change.  They have a preconceived idea of what their life should be like as they reach the “mature” years and then are discouraged when life doesn’t fit that mold.
Especially in today’s world, with the economic situation in disarray and retirement money often much less than expected, change is inevitable.  The change can destroy or buoy us.  We can meet the challenges as an adventure or  fall through the cracks in the sidewalk.
This can be a time for boomers to explore the small business options, those that don’t involve a great deal of …read more

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As more and more people struggle with the downturn in the economy, many businesses have been affected negatively.  Some may be in the right place at the right time to help and encourage others and provide necessary services.
However, often if people need your services, they have less money to pay for them, so you don’t get paid so readily.  Trying to collect what’s owed you can be a challenge.
How have you been beating the odds in your small business and keeping it going profitably?  How about sharing some tips with us?

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According to recent reports, boomers and others eligible for Social Security, could receive decreased Social Security checks in 2010.  At least they won’t be increased.  If you have prescription insurance taken out, that amount is scheduled to increased, so your net will be less.  It’s likely, too, that Medicare premiums will go up…they have every year.
If you plan on Social Security to help with your living expenses, you may have to reorganize your budget and priorities. 
How will this affect your small business?

You may need to draw more for your personal living from your business.
If your customers/clients draw Social Security, they …read more

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Bed and breakfast businesses have taken a big hit with the recession.  As you probably have experienced first-hand, travel is the first discretionary spending to be cut when people are feeling a pinch, and baby boomers, the big travelers, are guarding their 401-k’s like crazy.
My favorite B&B has experienced this problem.  I wrote about Olde World B&B last year, after the new owners took over.  They are gone now, victims of the downturn and the very slow travel market.  The old owner took over the business, for which I’m thankful.  But I got to thinking about how difficult it must …read more

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Many of us Baby Boomers are heading back into the job market, either as a result of retirement finances that don’t meet our income needs or because we have been laid off from our jobs.  If you aren’t ready to retire yet, you might be surprised to learn that those young recruiters and HR people think you should be.  And your big resume could be a negative instead of a positive.
Too Qualified? The Wall Street Journal reports that many former high-level business types are finding it difficult to make the transition to smaller level jobs.  In my case, with an …read more

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If you are a Baby Boomer who is trying to sell a business, this is obviously a difficult time. I know of several professionals who are trying to sell practices, and they are finding that they must “be the banker” for the transaction, since the buyer cannot get bank financing.
A recent Wall Street Journal Small Business Link article notes that small business owners are increasingly forced to provide contracts for buyers.  If you need to sell your business, here a couple of tips:
Get Your Business in Order. I mean, clean up.  Clean the offices and your production areas before …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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