What's the Best Business for a Baby Boomer to Start?

Discussion time!

This question came up last night while I was having coffee with some friends and fellow boomer entrepreneurs.  What is the best business for a baby boomer to start?  There were five of us present and each of us does something different - coaching, network marketing, wedding planning, graphic design, and public relations.  And of course, each of us thought our business was perfect - which it is - for us!  But is it the best - the absolute BEST - for any boomer to start? 

So, now I'm asking other entrepreneurs the question. In your opinion, what is the BEST business for someone from our generation to start?

A few guidelines for this discussion:

1.  We are looking for the best BOOMER business so target your ideas to that age group.  The youngest of us is turning 49.  The oldest of us is nearing 70.

2.  Legitimate business ideas only, please.

3.  Explain your reasons.  Don't just say you think fitness consultant is great.  Tell us why.  The more you can explain, the more help you can be to others.

Let's get this discussion rolling and see if we can't supply some inspiration to those of us who are looking for something but just are sure what.

I have given this much thought since last night and I do have my own opinion.  But I will save that for another day.  Right now I'm curious to see what you all think.

Networking Marketing Tip - Buying Leads is a Waste of Money

I've been involved in network marketing for years. Melaleuca, Amway, and countless others. I jumped from one opportunity to the next, spending a few months in each one.  I made very little money.  In fact, sometimes I LOST money.  Nothing worked for me. I was beginning to believe that network marketing was just one big scam - until I learned the proper way to build a business.

One of my team members called me last night to ask if I was interested in partnering with her on purchasing some leads. They were a little expensive, but they were "qualified" leads so they had to be good. And she wanted to buy several hundred so she could get the best deal. But she couldn't afford to and besides she'd never call all of them. That's why she wanted to share.

I can promise you - buying leads doesn't work. I have bought lots of leads over the years. I have made hundreds of calls every week. Want to know how many people I actually enrolled in anything that way? Two.

No fun. This is what frightens people away from network marketing. Either you shove the business down the throat of everyone you know. Or you spend lots of money and countless hours buying and calling leads to people that really have no interest in your business. They are looking for that "get rich overnight without any effort" business that doesn't exist and they fill out every form on every website for information.

So how do you find team members and/or customers? Simple. Make them come to you. Once you can do that, you've got it made. How do you make them do that? You have to understand some basic principles.

First, you are not selling your business or products. You are selling yourself. How do I know this is true? Easy. I have watched successful network marketers move from one business to another and take their entire downlines with them.  Sometimes these people didn't know anything about the business they were joining.  But they went anyway.  They weren't following the business.  They were following their leader.  They were making the move simply because their leader said it's a good thing.

Second, people follow leaders. If you are not a leader, you need to learn how to become one - soon. I'm not saying there isn't a place for followers. Sometimes we all need to follow and without followers we wouldn't need leaders. But if you want to build a successful team, you have to take the lead.

Third, leaders are valuable people and the more valuable you are to others, the more they will seek you out.

If you aren't bringing any value to your team, why should they join you? "But I haven't been in the business that long", you say. "What value can I bring?" Fortunately, you can learn the skills to become a person of value no matter what business opportunity you are in. I'll tell you how in a minute.

Two steps are necessary to becoming a successful network marketer. Education and marketing. You must become the leader and increase your value. That's the education part. Then you must learn to show your prospects just how valuable you are. That's called marketing.

Now I promised you I would share with you how to learn much of what you need to know to become a leader in network marketing. You can learn it the same way I did. Mike Dillard, one of the (if not THE) most successful network marketer of all time, has a fabulous course. I took it and it changed my life. It's called "Magnetic Sponsoring." It will teach you how to attract endless new business partners and customers to you. It's how I teach everyone on my team to build their businesses. Those that follow these principles excel. It's how I bring value to my team - by sharing what I've learned. You can learn these secrets one of three ways. 

1. Join my team and I'll teach you myself. Email me here if you're interested and I'll be in touch.

2. Join my mailing list. I'll send you all kinds of good stuff to help you build your business and I promise not to overload your inbox or share your information with anyone...ever!  You can sign up here.

3. Join my free Facebook Group, Ninja Marketers. Tips, advice, challenges...all designed to help you learn the skills you need to build your business. 

The New - and Improved - Boomer Biz Tips

I've been working really hard on my latest project.  And now it is finally ready for its big reveal.  The new - and greatly improved - BoomerBizTips newsletter!

When I started in business, I subscribed to several newsletters and mailing lists.  But as time went on and I became busier running my own business, I had less time to read these.  I started weeding out the ones that were not useful to me.  The ones that were nothing more than a glorified sales letter each week.  The ones that didn't really share anything except how successful the author was.  The ones that were obviously just a rehashing (or sometimes just an outright reprinting) of the same information found on a dozen different sites. 

To keep others from doing the same to me, I took a look at my own recent mailings!  BORING!!!  And so the revamp got underway.

What's changed?  Well, of course I will keep you apprised of new Boomer Business Coach products and services.  What's a newsletter for?  And it will still offer tips and advice for building your business.  But there will be so much more - case studies of successful Boomer entrepreneurs, introductions and referrals to friends and experts, opportunities to work with other members of the Boomer Business Coach community, exclusive invitations to workshops and events, guest articles from business experts, Q&A issues where you can get specific advice on your issues, and much, much more.

How do you get in on all that we have to offer?  Simple!  Simply fill out the form below.  Then sit back, relax, and get ready to enjoy.  Oh - and don't forget to check your email!

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Then Don't worry — your e-mail address is totally secure. I promise to use it only to send you Boomer Biz Tips. We do not share your information with anyone!

9 Things Baby Boomers Need to Know Before Starting a Home Business

Perhaps you have been downsized, laid off, or just plain terminated and you need to find another way to make a living.  Perhaps you are facing retirement and realize you won't have enough income to live comfortably.  Or perhaps you are still working and intend to do so for a while but you just need more money.  Whatever your reason for wanting to start a home business, there are nine things you need to know first.

1.  Are you ready to start your own business?  You may need the money.  You may not be employed,  But there are risks involved in any business and becoming an entrepreneur is not for everyone.

2.  Your financial status.  How much will you need to make?  How much can you risk to get there?  You need to know the answer to both of these questions before you take one step towards starting your business.  If you are unemployed, your goal is to replace your previous income but you may not want to risk what retirement savings you have on a business venture.  If you are simply supplementing your current income, you may feel able to invest more freely and can take more time to build your business.

3. What will you do? Will your business be online or will you open a brick-and-mortar business? Will you start out on your own, buy into a franchise or other opportunity, or join a network marketing company?

4.  Are you physically able to do the work?  Let's be real.  We're Boomers.  Which means some of us are getting up there in years.  The oldest of us are over 60.  And that means we may have a few more aches and pains, move a bit more slowly, see a bit less clearly, not hear as well as we used to.  Our fingers may stiffen up when we type too long.

5.  Do you have the skills necessary to do the work?  If you are starting an online business, do you have the computer skills necessary?  If you are going to do coaching or consulting, do you have the experience and/or certifications necessary in your field?

6.  Is there support available? If you don't have the necessary skills, where can you acquire them?  If you need financial assistance, where can you find it?

7.  What are the legalities?  Do you need a special license or permit?  Insurance?  Should you be bonded?  What will be the legal structure of your business? Sole proprietorship? Partnership?  LLC?  Corporation?  What tax ID will you need?  

8.  Do you know how to write a business plan?  A marketing plan?  If not, do you know where to find help?

9.  How will you exit gracefully?  I'm not suggesting you plan to fail.  But as I mentioned earlier, we are Boomers.  The time may come when you don't want to run the business or are no longer able to.  Will you leave it to your family?  Sell it?

Baby Boomers represent an ever-growing percentage of entrepreneurs.  It may be the perfect solution for you.  Just make sure you have all the facts necessary to make the right decision.           

WordPress, Connecting, and a Home Grown Lifestyle

I have a few blogs that I read regularly.  No matter how busy I get - or how lazy - I always make sure I find time for them.  Coincidentally, two of them are written by the same person.  I have learned so much from both these blogs - and from my relationship with their author.  I am talking, of course, about Heidi Caswell and her blogs WordPress 101 for Boomers and Connect Simply.  She is the only person who authors more than one of my favorite blogs - which is why I decided to share them.

Let me start by saying that I personally don't use WordPress. But I have clients that use it and so I need to know at least the basics. The first thing I did was turn to Heidi. She is a wealth of information on the subject. Her site, WordPress 101 for Boomers has information on everything from keeping spammers out of your contact form to uncluttering your sidebars. With the information available here, I am often able to help my clients solve their WordPress problems.

You can gain helpful information here even if you don't use WordPress.  Recently she did a post about sneaky plugins.  She described how one of her favorite plugins was adding spam links to her site.  While her article was devoted strictly to WordPress plugins, I forwarded the link to my mailing list and it got some of my none WordPress clients thinking.  They checked their sites and sure enough, some of them found plugins they used were doing the same thing. 

In addition to being a WordPress whiz, Heidi has also served as a reminder of the value of staying connected. If you're anything like me, you have contact lists with more names than you can remember. And when was the last time you actually connected with any of them? Can't remember that either can you. Well Heidi is an expert at helping me "create a personal touch in a high tech world." Thanks to her inspiration, I can honestly say I do keep in touch with family, friends, and clients on a much more regular basis. You might want to take a lesson from her as well because since I have started following her advice, I have seen a definite increase in my business. Go to Connect Simply and read her blog and you too will become an ardent fan.  Heidi hasn't been updating this blog as much lately as she explains in her last post.  But the information on it is still current and I find myself still going back to reread something.  You can find everything here - Face to Face Networking Tips, how to get bloggers to review your book, even a lesson in self-improvement.

I have recently discovered Heidi writes another blog - Home Grown Lifestyle.  I found it when she posted a recipe for Pork Cabbage Stir Fry with Peanut Sauce on Pinterest.  So far I have learned how to make my own laundry soap, that you can plant cabbage in February, and that it's never too early to start gardening.  I'm still discovering all this blog has to offer, but I think I'm going to become a regular here as well.

Three great blogs - one great blogger.  What else have you got to share with us, Heidi?

Get the Constant Contact Advantage!

How can you grow your business with email campaigns, manage event promotion and registration, turn fans into customers, and get new customers with local campaigns - without spending lots of time, money, and energy?  Get the Constant Contact advantage! 

When I first started my own business, I had a list of approx 10 people. So it was easy for me to send my own emails and newsletters.  I never dreamed of hosting my own events.  Facebook was someplace my kids hung out.  And the local campaigns craze had taken off yet. 

Fortunately, things have changed since then.  My list has grown substantially. Events have become second nature.  I am actually on Facebook.  And even I have used services such as GroupOn and Living Social. 

Unfortunately, all of this has made it necessary for me to have help.  Luckily, I was already prepared for this. Because I discovered a great resource called "Constant Contact". I was fortunate enough to learn about them back in 2007 when I was just starting. And I have been impressed with them ever since.

Constant Contact offers email marketing, social campaigns, and other products and services. The email marketing service is one of the best I've seen. The templates are easy to use. And they have an anti-spam checker so your email actually gets delivered.

Do you host events for your business?  Constant Contact's EventSpot provides all of the tools necessary to manage your events online.  Create invitations, registration forms and event webpages, process payments, and track RSVPs all in one place.  I wish I know about this when I was an event planner.  I would have recommended it to many of my clients!

I have only recently signed up for the Social Campaigns service. Social campaigns are special landing pages created and published to your Facebook Business Page. If you don't have a page yet, they will even create one for you! I must admit, I am not a huge Facebook fan. But I do understand its value. So the Social Campaigns service is perfect for me.

In addition to email and social campaigns, there is a new service call SaveLocal. SaveLocal lets you sell shareable deals to your customers that they can then share with others who may not yet be customers. It sounds like a great way to build more business. I can't wait to give it a try.

Constant Contact's leading email marketing, social media marketing, event marketing, and local deals help all types of small businesses and organizations find new customers, drive repeat business, and generate referrals. Today, more than half a million customers worldwide trust Constant Contact to help them drive success.  I am one of them.  You should be too.  In fact, I am so impressed with them, that Constant Contact is one of the affiliate products I promote.  So if you do click on the link and sign up for their services, not only will you have made a wise investment in your own business, you will help me earn a commission.  Thanks!     

6 Steps to a Stress-Free Organized Office

Working from a home office can be challenging.  Space can be minimal, making it difficult to find places to work, store files, or place equipment.  Rid yourself of this stress by following the following tips for organizing your office space, no matter how small. 

1.  Declutter.  Get rid of everything you don't need.  This includes old files, equipment you don't use - everything.  If you haven't touched it in a year or more, remove it from your office.  If you think you may possibly need some of the files, put them in a box made specifically for storing paper files and move them into the garage, attic, or some other out-of-the-way place.  Equipment (like the old desktop computer I never use anymore) can be given away or sold. 

2.  Store.  Find places for everything you decided to keep.  Install some sturdy shelves to hold books and office supplies.  Use file trays to organize and prioritize work in progress.  Place materials in a basket that you can place on a shelf when not in use.  Use storage boxes on your shelves to organize files.  You can purchase these in a wide variety of colors, designs, and sizes to bring some color and
personality to your office while still keeping papers under control.    

3.  Save space.  If you don't have a room for your office, don't worry.  A roll top or drop-leaf desk in the living room can give you work space when you need it but be unobtrusive when not in use.  My first office was in my bedroom.  An armoire gave me a place to work and store my supplies, but could be closed up when I wasn't working.  A sturdy shelf in the corner of the laundry room, a file cabinet next to the kitchen counter, roll-away file cabinets that can be placed near the kitchen or dining room table when needed but moved out of the way when necessary can all turn any room in the house into a home office.

4.  Organize your workspace.  Keep items that you use regularly such as pens and pencils where you can easily reach them.  Use old jam jars or glasses, small baskets or tins, or even the old soup cans covered in wallpaper or wrapping paper (remember making those as a kid?) as an inexpensive place to hold pencils, pens, rubber bands, paper clips, or other small supplies.  My husband mounted a pegboard inside one door of my office armoire and corkboard on the other which gave me a place to keep things organized right within reach.

5.  Schedule your workday.  Use a desktop calendar, the organizer on your smartphone, or whatever means works for you.  I borrowed an idea from my daughter that she uses to keep track of her family's busy schedule.  Since my schedule can change quickly, I have a dry-erase calendar in my office that I can erase and update as needed.  Make a daily to-do list to ensure you take care of the most important items each day.  Have your daily or weekly goals posted where you can see them to remind you of what you need to put on your schedule. 

6.  Don't take work home.  I know this sounds impossible when you work from a home office, but I mean it.  First, by keeping everything in its place in your office you will be more organized when you are at work.  Second, part of being organized is finding time for your personal life while running your business.  When the work day is finished, then it is time to close up your office, leave work in its place, and concentrate on family, friends, and yourself.