At the end of each month, I present a round-up of five posts that have been popular or have generated interest at Small Business Boomers. 
Here are 5 for December:
Develop a Business of Remembering Those Who Will Be Forgotten
Boomers, Take Care of Your Appearance
Christmas Cookie Journal – A Business Idea?
Preserving Family Memories as a Business
Online Shopping Appeals to Boomers & Those With Health Issues
Did you have a favorite post for December?

 
May you have a joyous Christmas Day and much success, health and happiness in 2010.
 
From Small Business Boomers!

In my family writing workshops (an offshoot of one of my small businesses), I often mention the importance of writing about the people in our lives who will be forgotten if we don’t do something about it. 
 I consider my aunt, who was divorced and had no children,  my uncle who was a bachelor, my brother who died young, and two other aunts and uncles who had no children.
Who in our family will remember them if I don’t write their stories, collect their memorabilia, and pass this along to my family? 
I thought of this again when I read the following in The …read more

Often when we reach a “certain age,” we’re considered old and incapable, rather than mature and wise.  Part of this can be dispelled by taking care of our appearance so we appear professional and capable.
Even when we operate an online business, we’ll feel better and sound better if we crawl out of our jammies, do our hair, shave (if a man) and put on make-up (if a lady).  We don’t need to dress like a teen to give the impression of being younger, but dress as though we care about ourselves, our business and our appearance.  Thus we don’t give …read more

Online businesses are ideal for boomers who live in areas of extremes in weather.  When you may not want to go outside into heat, cold and storms, being able to conduct your business inside your home fits in nicely.

Snow rages outside, but I can still write and post.
I can communicate with business colleagues and customers.
I can receive orders.
I can conduct online workshops.
I can conduct Skype or ooVooo workshops and consultations.

What other advantages of businesses conducted entirely or partially online for boomers?

Many Boomers are stirring up cookies during these days before Christmas.  They may be making them with grandchildren, by themselves, or for cookie exchanges.
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 …read more

Social networking, blogging, and a knowledge of the “new” technology is imperative to advancing one’s small business, especially if it’s Internet based. More and more Boomers are uilizing computers, shopping on the Internet, using them for communication and to promote their businesses. 
 If they do have a business, they’re discovering it’s becoming difficult to operate efficiently and effectively without being involved with social media. 
Even so, there are some Boomers who seem proud that they’re social media ignorant.  That may be fine for some people, but generally even communication with family will be more frequent if one does explore e-mail, instant messaging, and features like …read more

 
Many Boomers are at a stage where family memories have great meaning. 
They also are into scrapbooking and journaling.  They often are caregivers for parents or relatives and find themselves saving those persons’ memories for children, grandchildren and future generations.
They realize, as Mma Ramotswe did, in the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency, about her father:  His life was unrecorded; who is there to write down the lives of ordinary people?
There are members of my family, who have died without children or spouse or anyone to record their lives.  If I don’t do it, who will?  Will they be simply a statistic …read more

In my substitute teaching world, I had a student ask me my favorite word.  I thought a moment, then said, “Happy.”  (She went on to ask my favorite color, number, and name and said she liked to ask questions.) However, later I wondered why I responded with “Happy.”  For the rest of the day I found myself trying to think “Happy,” whenever something challenging occurred.Our days, I’ve realized over the years, can be as happy or as miserable as we want to make them.  There are some things we can’t change.  There are some things that do make us sad and discouraged.  …read more

Those in the Baby Boomer category were born just after World War II ended.  The older Boomers probably remember their parents and grandparents talking about this era.  Many may have relatives who fought in the war and those at home who contributed to the war effort in some form.December 7 was a tragic day that capitulated the United States into the war and led to a frantic fight for freedom.  Men like my Uncle Al, were proud to have played a role in the war.  He saved his dress uniform and requested he be buried in it.  He wanted his medals …read more