After55:

My new website is up! www.silvervixens.com. The columnists are terrific, the rewards will be great, the neat women will be so cool, and on and on and on. I can see wonderful things happening if we can connect neat women, shine our lights, share our knowledge and have fun.

The process had ups and downs, took longer than expected–OK, so I was out of the country 31 days in the fall–and turned out to be quite complicated. But it is incredible to actually see what I have had in my head.

Please take a look at it. I hope you find it and its potential as exciting as I do. I would more than appreciate if you would tell anyone you know who fits the Woman of a Certain Age description. I hope you will join and consider giving the membership as a gift to a family member or girlfriend. The more of us, the merrier we can make it.

Dreams do come true–not to those who wait, but to those who work hard and persevere.

It seems all of the media are highly focused on helping us spend like crazy. We are portrayed as having 1 million social events, being hostesses with the mostest, fantastic home decorators with our to-do lists totally under control–of course, all of this is on top of running our businesses! True confession time. This is not what my December looks like. My holiday celebrations are small and simple. On the business side, December is focused on taking a good, strong look at my business plans. I am not just talking about goals but rather revisiting the plans, metrics, marketing, publicity and connections I want to make happen. I am also taking time to organize, read and think. I am feeling energized rather than exhausted. What are you doing this holiday season?

Do you read the newspaper announcements of promotions and new positions? I always do, both out of curiosity regarding what companies’ positions are experiencing changes and to see if anyone I know is mentioned.

What I have noticed more and more lately is that fewer women are pictured than men. This is not a scientific sampling. However, if there are four pictures, generally at least three will be men. One reason could be that the women don’t have a professional photograph at the ready to submit with their good news.

Have you ever had a professional photo taken? It’s great fun to be made up to look your best and then play fashion model for a while, looking this way and that. The cost is generally quite reasonable.

The most important benefit is that when opportunity knocks, you are ready with a great photo to share your good news with the world. A picture is worth a thousand words… How about making sure your picture tells a great story?

Over the months I have been writing for WomenEntrepreneur as both a columnist and a blogger, I have been on the same personal journey that many of my readers are traveling. My short bio at the end of my column says I am a lifelong entrepreneur. I am in the throes of it again! I have written here about finding what would make your life easier or more fun and filling the need. Yep. I did that too. Remember the one about thinking like a young techie? That has been an important component too. So what on earth have I been doing?

In June I remarried after eight years on my own. Seismic shift. My new husband is semi-retired and accustomed to wintering in Scottsdale. Seismic shift. One of my daughters and her family, who I am used to seeing at least 6-8 times a year moved out of the country. Seismic shift. How could I reconfigure my life to maintain the professional part of my life that I so love and yet totally uproot it?

I knew I could have a totally mobile business, because I had co-owned a direct selling business that I ran my part from my laptop, but my current business had been structured on relationships in the Chicagoland area. So I looked at what I had. For the last two years I have had a cute little, do-nothing website that I couldn’t figure out how to describe what I wanted it to be, though I had built two corporate websites before and two since! I would spruce it up from time to time, but couldn’t find the vocabulary to move it forward. In early May, Lena West, the Tech Forward columnist, and I had occasion to talk about it. She gave me the vocabulary!

I used the process from my IT’S REINVENTION workshop and looked at my strengths (ugh! my weaknesses, too) and what I love to do. One of my very strongest qualities is that I am a connector. I am fortunate to meet someone interesting everywhere I go and somehow we are connected or I know someone who has been looking for them. (Last week in the airline lounge in Hong Kong a Chinese woman looked at me and asked if I was a writer because she is looking for a woman to write a book with her! Why me? But it happened I know a good resource for her). I love telling peoples’ stories. I love to laugh. I love business. I have friends who are experts in their fields. I love to share information I learn. I love to give dinner parties. I love color. I like to learn new things. I love to travel. I’m independent, rather fiercely I’m afraid. I think I’m smart and I like to be around intelligent accomplishing women. These are not unique, rocket science kinds of qualities, but they add up to me. So what did I do with this? I designed an online community for women over 55!

As I just typed the above qualities, I am astonished at how many of them are visible in the site (I’ll let you know when it goes live - SOON!). It not only meets my needs to meet women like me, but it also meets my need to be mobile. Over the last 5 weeks I have been in Italy, Israel, England, Hong Kong, Macao and Vancouver — and you didn’t know it. We have been connected though you may have been travelling too. How cool is that?

Just you know — your columnist is actively using the same processes she suggests for you.  Stay tuned.

We all dream of having the multimillion dollar company or enjoying first class travel to exotic locations to wrap up a big deal, but the latest Marketingto Women Datafile from EPM brings me back to reality:

“43% of all businesses owned by women have revenue of $10,000 or less; 70% have revenues under $50,000, according to the Women Presidents’ Organization. ”

The vast majority of women owned businesses have fewer than 10 employees and most are home based, sole proprietorships with no employees.  Many of us After 55s work to “keep our hand in” to make up the difference between retirement income and wants, or to keep our personal networks alive.  While this may fly in the face of our pipe-dreams, it is oddly liberating.

We are in great company if we don’t aspire to have a huge business. We have figured out how to make entrepreneurship fit our every changing lifestyle.  Good for us!

Remember when your mom told you to write your thank you notes?

The quickest way to “stand out in a crowd” is the handwritten note. Do you remember the last time you received one? Neither does your client, potential client or colleague. I admit to being a notecard and fun pen junkie. I can hardly walk by a display of colorful papers and pens, but that is part of the fun.

A quick thank you note takes about two minutes to write and one minute to address and stamp. The best part is you can even develop a formula if you like:

Dear ____,

Thank you for ___________ (taking the time to see me, your order, your help). It was a ______ (pleasure, very helpful, very interesting) to __________ (meet, learn more about your company). I look forward to ____________ (meeting again, working together).

________________ (Warm regards, Yours, truly),

See? That was easy. You’ll feel good, and the recipient will be shocked and will definitely remember you. Huge rewards for a small amount of time. Mom was right — it is a good thing to do.

I don’t usually use this precious space to rant, but owning a company named Silver Vixen Enterprises, I am understandably interested in articles about silver hair. I cannot believe that Time Magazine devoted four full pages in their September 10 issue to the topic! To give them a modicum of credit, men were mentioned, but the main import and most pictures were devoted to assessing how women would look with or without gray hair.

Surveys were done and it was determined that those with grey hair are perceived as less intelligent, less attractive, and less believable. They are also deemed at a disadvantage in their personal social life and in the workplace. Ugh! Not only do we have to worry about our age and weight, we also have to add our hair color! To compete, we need to look 20 years younger. So much for wisdom, experience, and street smarts.

After being at the forefront of the women’s movement, proving ourselves for over 30 years, leaping tall buildings, exceeding all standards for advancement — now “they” want to pick the color of our hair!!! Pardon me while I get off my soapbox.

I had a delightful lunch last week with Holly Kahan, the owner of Holly Barry House. You and I have heard of a lot of gift basket companies , so I was a bit skeptical when I learned of her business. By the time our lunch was over I was ready to start pounding the pavement to bring in more accounts! Holly positions her company differently. Rather than be a gift basket company, Holly Berry House is a company that helps others celebrate the difference that people have made. Hers is a celebration company that offers gifts and gift baskets that are tailored to the recipient.

This really got me to thinking. First , here is a woman who has been in business for 10 years and still is excited about what she brings to the marketplace. Second, she has positioned her business uniquely and third., I love the premise of her business…acknowledging the people who are too often ignored. How do we recognize others for their help in myriad ways? Many times we simply don’t go to the trouble of publicly thanking someone for a job well done.

Think of how terrific you felt the last time you received acknowledgement of the effort you made. Do you communicate that same acknowledgement to those you come in contact with? The celebration concept has been getting a bit of a bad rap in the press lately because of younger workers seeming need for constant acknowledgment, but that is not what I am talking about. Acknowledgement can be looking a service worker in the eye, saying a heartfelt “Thank you” rather than a rote response, a simple true compliment on something that someone is wearing.

Kindness, courtesy, connection — call it what you will makes everything flow more smoothly and you feel great. I think Holly’s on to something — let’s celebrate the difference we make in each other’s lives.

Yesterday I went to a breakfast seminar co-hosted by Entrepreneur Magazine and State Farm Insurance.  It has been about three months since I went to any type of informational/networking event.  I am on two not for profit boards and a member of an executive women’s forum, so I am not a hermit, but this was different.

While I was driving to the event, I had three new and different ideas for my business.  While there, I connected with three women who, I am sure, in some way inform future articles for my After55 column.  I am really looking forward to spending time with them.  I met a very interesting business coach with a terrific high tech background and, while paying my parking fee at one of those infernal machines, got to talking to a man who gave me a totally different solution to a problem that has been nagging at me.  If that wasn’t enough, I put the top down, turned up the CD and had another insight for one of my websites!  All this before lunch! As I pulled into the garage I muttered, “I’ve got to get out more often!”

For those of us who are home based, that is a major truth.  When we put on our lipstick and go to events where no one knows us or our businesses, it opens doors to new insights, contacts, potential partners and ideas.  By the way, the speaker, Cliff Ennico,  was well worth the time too — I even learned something!

James Surowieckiof The New Yorker Magazine writes Philips Electronics reports that half of all returned products have nothing wrong with them, but that consumers simply can’t figure out how to use them. I know I don’t use all the features on my cellphone, digital camera, or MacBook. I enjoy each of them, but would like to be able to use all the cool features. I think it would be great to have a choice of learning styles for each product. Instead of only written instructions, many only available on the internet, I think having an instructional video also available would be an effective sales tool. Apple does a great job of having videos on their website. The current one explaining the use and features of the iPhone is excellent. After watching the video it makes it much easier to think about spending $500-600 for that awesome looking phone.

I just lost nearly two days because my Entourage program lost all my contact management information! I spent otherwise very productive time trying to recreate contact lists and find other sources for important information I had stored in my email folders. Mac guru Jeff at Lapin Systems found all my lost folders, but the lost time and the subsequent clean up were very time consuming.

Clear, easy to follow instructions will increase the loyalty of our customer. Everyone’s frustration level seems to be at a high, so clarity could be considered a new facet of customer service! What are your thoughts about dealing with confusing technology? Have you ever returned a product because you couldn’t figure out how to make it do what you expected? What does this confusion do to your productivity?

All budding entrepreneurs seem to be looking for that one great idea that will make them millions. Unless you have a product or service you are so passionate about that you can’t help bringing it to market, one of your burning questions must be — what is a great idea that will make my fortune? Where will I find that idea?

For the After 55ers, sit down with your favorite cup of coffee and the well known yellow pad and make a list of what would make your life easier or more fun. Try to fill up at least one page. You now have a list of at least 30 ideas that could change your life and the life of many others! Probably any one of these ideas will add to your bank account. Try it and let me know how you fare…

With all the excitement in the last week over the much anticipate launch of the iPhone, I suddenly see more ads for Jitterbug — the cell phone that is a cell phone. Their marketing message is no bells, no whistles, no camera, no games just a cell phone that makes and receives calls. Revolutionary!

This really got me to thinking about what my core business is and what I really want it to be. I challenge you to do the same.  What business are you in?  What business do you want to be in? Are you offering what your customers want or what you think your customers want? Great questions to think about over the long hot summer.