small business Archives - Nuggets of Wisdom from 40 Years of Self Employment

Boomers: Stay young. Start a business.

April 16, 2022 No Comments

We all know that as baby boomers we are the largest group in the population. As a result as we age there has been no end to products and services directed at us (I’m a boomer born in 1950. You can do the math to figure out how old I am.) There are ads on TV and in magazines that will help you look young. There are articles about how to stay young. There is even software you can buy that will stimulate your thinking and keep you young. Everything is about anti-aging.

Have you ever thought that starting a business will keep you young? Not the “bricks and mortar” kind but a service business like consulting, photography, event planning, virtual assistance or pet sitting.

I know that running a business is a lot of work but women business owners that I have interviewed all said that what they like most about being self employed is the freedom it gives you. How does freedom relate to staying young?

Why start a business to keep young?

Every article I’ve read says that you need several things to keep you young (look at Betty White, Don Rickles, William Shatner and Christopher Plummer) and having your own business provides all of them.

learning about the variety of work that clients do
building relationships with clients and colleagues (and relatives)
time flexibility – you choose when to work and how much
learning new things like a language. Self-employment, your bookkeeping, accounting, marketing and technology have languages that are new to you.
feeling and knowing that you’re useful. In business you’re always helpful to your clients.

Don’t listen to your friends and relatives. Check it out for yourself. One of the women who I interviewed, Janet Williams was influenced by another student in her reflexology course who was 71. When Janet asked her why she wanted to start her own reflexology business she said: “You’re never too old.”

Listen to the words of the song Young At Heart. I just heard the version by Frank Sinatra on the radio and have a CD of Jimmy Durante singing it. My mom always sang it to me when I was a child, too. I guess that’s why I think young.

What are your thoughts? If you haven’t started yet, what’s stopping you? Any of the many women entrepreneurs can motivate you. If they can do it then why not you!

Originally posted June 14, 2012

Marketing

How to choose the right networks for you #3 of 3

September 25, 2021 No Comments

Business owners all network but which ones are right for you?

We business owners all do it. It’s one of the best ways to get you and your business known. You can do it anywhere – at formal networks, conferences, workshops, or in line at the bank or grocery store.

One of my clients was at a dental appointment. The receptionist made a comment about liking her purse and asked where she got it. She said it was something she sold and that she would get one for the her. She hurried home (fortunately nearby) after her appointment and came back with one for the woman. What profitable networking!

All of the women I interviewed in the past for blog posts , I’ve met networking. It really works.

But this post is about finding the right networking groups for you. In a previous one I described the 11 Characteristics of a Network. Read that one first. Then this is the next step after that one.

What should you know?

There are several questions to ask about a network to see if it’s one that you like, resonate with, and has your ideal client in it.

But before you begin this process you need to answer these three questions: Who is my ideal client and target market?, What is the outcome that I want at this event? and What do I want people to do as a result of meeting me?

Now you’re ready to ask yourself the following questions.

Who referred you to this network? Was it someone you know well and trust? Have they gone to it? What did they say about it?
Does this network demonstrate the values that you have?
What is the organizer like? We know that we attract people like ourselves. Be sure your values are similar to his or hers.
Has it come up often in conversation with other business owners as a network you should attend?
How many of the characteristics in my post 11 Characteristics of a network meet your criteria? One? Two? Several?
What is the purpose that the owner has? Do they want to connect you with lots of others? Are they interested in helping you get to know people? Are they just doing it to make a substantial profit?

Now go to a meeting. How do you feel about it? Trust your gut. No matter whether you’ve checked off all the boxes and decided it’s right for you, you don’t know until you’ve attended in person.

I had my own network which I held for seven years for women solopreneurs and I was often asked by attendees which other networks I’d suggest. I always asked them the same question – Who is your target market?

What networking groups do you already attend?

Write your comment and let everyone know which ones you attend and why.

Originally posted February 9, 2015

Marketing, Small Business, Startup

Networking: what do YOU want out of it? #1 of 3

July 5, 2021 No Comments

Networking is a marketing activity you need to do in business.

Do it regularly and frequently especially when you have a startup business. Should you expect to get leads from it right away? Yes and no.

Here are two stories. Deanne Kelleher of Kaos Group has talked about getting business from someone 8 years after she met them while networking. Instant gratification? Nope.

Laurie Bell of Moving Seniors With a Smile has talked about going to LOTS of networking events to talk about her business when it was new. Does she go to as many now? No – she doesn’t need to. Does she still go? Yes – to continue to be known.

What is your main reason for networking?

The first thing you need to do is think about your business and what you want to get out of attending the event. Decide whether you want to:

meet new people
promote your business
promote a particular product, service or workshop
get seen everywhere
check out the network to see if you can speak at it
hear a particular speaker
learn about a topic you’ve been studying
connect with others in the same situation as you
get a solution to a problem you have in business
or just get out of the house!

In order to do any of these (except the last one) you need to know your target market.

I’ve written two other posts you should read as well “11 Characteristics of a Network” and “How to Choose the Right Network for You”. This one should be the first one you read.

To sum up

decide why you’re going (this post gives you several reasons)
review what characteristics are important to you in a network (Read my post called 11 Characteristics of a network)
choose the right network for you (Read my post called How to choose the right network for you)

Does that help? Do you know why you’re going now?

To repeat – go to more than one session of a group. You can’t judge after just one visit.

Originally posted March 18, 2015

Marketing, Small Business

Where were you when you talked about your business?

January 29, 2021 No Comments

When you talk about your business, you don’t know who is listening.

You could be in line at the grocery store, at a health club, on the phone with someone trying to sell you a newspaper subscription, having a coffee or tea with a friend, picking up your dry cleaning or in a drug store ordering a prescription when you mention your business.

You never know what the person you are chatting with is interested in or who they know. And you don’t know who is listening in AND what they are interested in or who they know either.

Talk as if you are being heard (that doesn’t mean louder) or be very quiet if you don’t want to be overheard.

A colleague of mine was buying paint for her kitchen and while in the paint store, overheard the conversation that the couple ahead of her in line were having with the cashier. She interrupted them and suggested what colour paint they should get. They bought the colour she recommended and then invited her for coffee at a nearby coffee shop to talk some more. Voilà – they became her first client in her new interior decorating business!

Talk about your business

I ALWAYS mention my business no matter where I am or who I’m with. I’m proud of it.

Always be marketing no matter where you are or who you’re with. Have a marketing mindset as your way of thinking and seeing the world.

You never know who’s listening or where you’ll be when you get an idea. Tell me one of the most unusual places you were when you got a prospect.

Originally posted March 30, 2012 .