After55:

When it’s hot outside and all the news about the economy is bleak, what should you do? Sit somewhere cool and think about your business differently. That’s what.

One of the best parts of what I do is hearing suggestions from all of you. I’m not always quick to respond because, like you, I’m running a business. In May I got an e-mail recommending a book, and I need to tell you about it!

Thinkertoys: A Handbook of Creative Thinking Techniques was written by Michael Michalko, a creativity expert. I’m part of the way through it (an easy read) and have already applied and taught two concepts! If the well-worn definition of insanity is doing the same thing over again and expecting different results, then Thinkertoys is a terrific antidote to what may be ailing us! I think you will find reading it to be time well spent–especially if you apply it!

I’m in the middle of a dilemma. As always, I’ve been doing a lot of reading about our demographic. In the past two months a lot of studies have indicated that Silver Vixens will not be successful because we do not participate in social networks, we see no value in them, we don’t want to risk our privacy, we aren’t that technologically savvy–and on and on.

Late one night recently I found myself wide awake wondering what to make of all the negativity. Should I give up and pull down the website? Should I change my expectations? What to do?

Here’s what I decided:

1. I would take each of the negatives apart to see if there was something I could learn.
2. I would go back and check the sources and how they might have benefited from their gloom and doom. Did it make them seem more expert? We all know that bad news sells and good news languishes.
3. I would see how their points applied to my business in particular.
4. I would compare their findings with what I have seen and heard myself.

I felt much better. Isn’t it amazing how being proactive helps our outloook? Here’s what I learned:

1. Each of the points had merit, but they were also opportunities! In response, I have added solid information to the site and will continue to add more regularly; I added the ability to respond to each other anonymously. I will shortly be adding fun, clear ways to learn to use the website.
2. Some of the authors were men–very knowledgable, but they haven’t lived our experience and perhaps don’t know the correct questions to ask.
3. Where the points applied to Silver Vixens, I mined them for the gold I knew was there.
4. We all know how easy it is to trust “experts” over what we intuitively know. I remembered that the worst mistakes I’ve made occurred when I didn’t trust what I really knew. All my knowledge has worth!

Yes, it pays to see what the experts have to say, but let’s not blindly accept their “facts.” Silver Vixens continues to grow and to make a difference!

I usually write this on Thursday, but I spent the day yesterday at the Friendly Confines of Wrigley Field with Sweet Jack, his daughter and his grandson watching the Cubs beat the Atlanta Braves. It was a beautiful day for a ballgame. The hot dogs were great. Feeling guilty for taking a whole day off, I decided to think about what I might have learned while singing, “Take me out to the balllllgame.” I came up with three insights:

1. Show up. No matter what the batter did the previous time at bat, he still showed up. It made no difference whether he was having a good day or not, he showed up. It also made no difference that Soriano, one of the team stars, went onto the six-week injured list the day before; he showed up. It also made no difference when the crowd was on its feet screaming encouragement; he had a job to do, and he showed up and did his best.

2. Be prepared. Even though the game went extra innings, the Cubbies won in a totally unexpected way–with the bases loaded and no outs, the batter was hit by a pitch. Instant winning run! Yes, they won in a weird way. But the bases were loaded and there were no outs. Odds were, they would have won anyway. Keep loading the bases and you’ll score. I cannot believe I am using sports analogies! It must have been the sun.

3. Keep perspective. Yes, I felt guilty not working, but there was abolutely nothing more important yesterday than sharing my husband’s delight in being at a Cubs game with his daughter and visiting grandson. Sometimes using your time wisely means going to a ballgame.

Wow! All this wisdom and a red hot.

On a day when I was feeling particularly entrepreneurially overwhelmed, my coach suggested I reread Michael Gerber’s E-Myth Revisited. Of course I love this book! But what jumped out at me this time was–are you working on your business or in your business? For entrepreneurs, both are important.

If you are working in your business, you are doing the day-to-day tasks of keeping the business humming. This may include, but is not limited to, order taking and fulfillment, inventory control, manufacturing, customer service–you get the idea. Yes, absolutely, all these things need to be done. Do they all need to be done by you? Are they the best use of your time?

When you are working on your business, you are looking at the big, strategic issues–where do you want your business to go? What will it take to get there? These are the executive type of questions that determine the future of your enterprise. They are vitally important, yet often get short shrift because you are busy being an employee.

Take a minute and think about how you are spending your time. Are you spending too much time on the urgent issues at the expense of the important ones?

One of the great pleasures of being an After 55 entrepreneur is that, perhaps more than any other demographic, we can use our business to express who we are or who we want to be in the world. Being a for-profit business carries its own requirements, but a large percentage of us start businesses to give voice to our creativity–from painting or making jewelry to designing clothing for ourselves or our grandchildren, writing books or creating a business that has a life of its own. The examples are endless.

Every woman I have written about in my column has started or maintained her business not only to make money, but also because it is a true expression of who she is as a human being. These businesses model good business practices, but they are also a forum for expressing to the world how these women would like to be treated and viewed. I am sure there are exceptions, but each of the women I have interviewed is a fanatic about customer service. They have experienced the frustration of not having someone listen to them seriously about a problem and, at some level, vowed that if they had a business they would do it differently. My friend Barbara Luther, a very entrepreneurial intellectual property attorney, says that behind every successful woman is someone who dissed her (cleaned up here for younger eyes!). After I stopped laughing, I thought about it and find that it’s generally true.

In more ways than one, we are changing the world one business at a time. Now this is exciting!

OK. We know we are not 27, 34 or even 42. Should we start this business that we just can’t get out of our head or are we (gasp!) too old? I know you can’t believe I am even asking this question, but like the elephant in the middle of the room, we need to talk about this.

No, I probably can’t work a 30-year-old under the table–but, then, I don’t want to, either! I hope that in the ensuing years I have learned a thing or two about efficiency and effectiveness. Not everything worth doing is worth doing perfectly. Not everything needs to be done by me. Hard to believe, but I am not an expert in everything–I like to hire out for things I don’t like to do, too. But give me a task or project that taps into my Silver Vixen passion, and I have energy to spare!

Several of the women I have written about in my After 55 column started their business after this magical age. They are having a ball. So–if you want to feel alive, have fascinating challenges, feel the agony of defeat and the thrill of victory–start your own business. You will have great respect for yourself and your creativity, and others will, too! Have at it and let me know what you are doing!

In my previous blog, I mentioned the two After 55 additional entrepreneurial challenges–expectation and time. Today I want to look at expectations.

Let’s face it, by our age we have been around the block maybe more than once. Now we have an idea for a new business–or maybe it is a consuming passion. Like all entrepreneurs, we would like the instant gratification of quick success, but the truth could also be that we expect a little quicker return because we have so much life experience and perhaps even business experience. Prior experience of any sort may prove to be of enormous help, but I think our hard-earned wisdom may prove most beneficial in unexpected ways: patience and a sense of the ebb and flow of life.

Now, patience is definitely not my strong suit. I want what I want (or what I think I want) now! Yesterday might have been soon enough. And yet, I am also slowly coming to believe that, within reason, things happen as they should. Notice how many qualifiers there were in that sentence.

Another one of my daily quotes (this one from TheDailyGuru.com) last week had this to say:”Don’t think that you’ve lost time. There is no shortcutting to life. It took each and every situation you have encountered to bring you to the now. And now is right on time.” — Asha Tyson

On days or weeks when it seems we are barking up the wrong tree, we have the wisdom to know that there will also be times when everything seems made to order to make us happy if we can just hang on. Very few Gen Xers, Gen Yers, Millennials–or whatever label is attached–know this as we do.

By now you have figured out that I love thought-provoking quotes. Yesterday, this one appeared in my inbox from Heartmath.com:

“The vision must be followed by the venture. It is not enough to stare up the steps–we must step up the stairs.” — Vance Havner

As women entrepreneurs, particularly After 55, we must have the courage to step up the stairs. What a beautiful phrase. All the thinking, planning, consulting, networking and visioning are only lovely exercises unless we put our foot on the stairs and step up. Remember that babies try to go up the stairs, rock back and forth, fall back, watch, try again and again and then get up one stair. With more practice they get up more stairs until, within a few months, they handle the stairs as though they have always done it. Eventually they may learn to take two stairs at a time, slide down the bannister and venture all other permutations, but they always know how to go up the stairs.

I think we Women of a Certain Age have two additional challenges to face squarely in addition to those faced by all entrepreneurs: the feeling that because we have our life experience we should be able to accomplish our goals faster and the concern that we may have a limited time horizon. I’ll take a look at each of these in the next two messages.

Today I am writing this message from Israel, nearly halfway around the world from my home. I usually encounter absolutely no problems when I travel, but the first half of the trip has been full of surprises. My seat assignment on the first leg of the trip had no relation to the seat I actually occupied (the last row, window–glad I’m not claustrophobic!), I did not have an assigned seat on the overseas leg, and one of my two checked bags did not accompany me on my flight. I guess these are not unusual situations nowdays, but they were new to me.

In each case, I had a choice about how I would handle it. Over the first seat assignment I tried everything, to no avail.  I smilingly told the flight attendant that I was not a happy camper but assured him I was not going to be a complainer. This gave him the opportunity to give me outstanding attention and service.

The second leg of the trip was a bit tougher. I was given the choice of the last row of the plane (Oh no! Not again!) or middle bulkhead, with the warning I would probably be surrounded by kids. I chose the latter in hopes I could change it at the gate. There I was told the plane was totally oversold and there was no hope. I went off and ate some chocolate, then returned to the gate and another staff member. I said with a smile that I knew insanity was trying the same thing over and over and expecting a different result, but I laid out my situation for her. I got a far forward aisle seat!

Before we landed I was asked to identify myself–what could I have possibly done? That is when I learned my luggage was not with me. Fortunately, my clothes and laptop were carry-ons, but the luggage was full of gifts for my grandchildren. I smilingly told the lost and found attendant about my plight. He told me only one had not made it and quickly made arrangements to have the errant bag delivered to me as soon as possible. It arrived in under 24 hours in perfect shape.

Each time I received a very nice response. Had I ranted and raved, berated and complained would I have received the same service? I don’t think so. Everyone, and particularly those in the airline industry, craves acknowledgement, understanding and a kind word. Everyone appreciates a partner in the solution of problems. Front-line people may not have ultimate decision-making power, but they do have the power to make a difference. Our power is to make others feel appreciated and valued. The very best first step is a smile.

Today you are You, that is truer than true.
There is no one alive who is Youer than You.
Dr. Seuss

This quote appeared in my inbox this morning (thanks to AsAManThinketh.net/Daily Insights). Being a huge fan of Dr. Seuss and his wild creativity, both visual and verbal, I chuckled and then started to think.

Questions as you go about your work today:

1. Are you putting all of you into your enterprise?
2. Do your customers feel connected to you?
3. Does your passion for your business come through?
4. Is there something holding you back or is it you?
5. If you could do anything, what would you do?

One of the best parts of being an entrepreneur is doing something you think is worthwhile and trying different ways you think it should be done. This is one of the things that sets you apart.

So today what can just you do?
No one can make your business youer than you –

My apologies, Dr. Seuss, but I couldn’t resist.

Do your customers think about you? Sure, they buy from you, but do they think about you as you would like them to? The quickest–though not the easiest–way to keep in touch with your customers is an informative, reliable, regular e-mail or newsletter.

Make it informative by letting them know about one of your services they might not be using, an issue they may not be aware of or a new product that can help them. Ensure that it’s reliable by doing your homework so you know the information you are sharing is true and helpful. Keep it regular so they will come to expect hearing from you. That is one of your goals : to become a trusted resource.

The content needn’t be long or in depth, particularly if writing does not come easily to you. What’s most important is that you bring something of value to your recipients. Your sincerity will shine through. And use Spellcheck to make sure you are putting your best foot forward.

You probably already know about Constant Contact, a widely used program for just this purpose. Constant Contact will help you design professional looking missives easily. The company’s support is excellent. Sending a crisp simple e-mail will also work, but it’s not as eye-catching.

Like we tell our kids–keep in touch. The rewards are great.

I’ve been thinking a lot about balance this week. It’s a usual entrepreneurial week with website changes, interviews, financial considerations, taxes to be done and on and on and on. Adding to the mix this week are family interests–my daughter and oldest grandson are visiting for five days, and my husband is leaving for an overseas business trip, the first since his major surgery. Late every evening I try to assess what I got done or didn’t. It is at this time that my wise coach’s words come back to me, “Bonnie, balance is not a noun, it’s a verb. You will constantly be adjusting priorities and tasks. Sometimes you will be spending much more time in one area, notice you are neglecting another and adjust. That’s just the way it is.”

We After 55s, who have expected we can do it all, lose sight of this wisdom. We cannot only focus on one area at a time, but we can forgive ourselves when we get out of kilter. Take a few minutes, step back, assess your situation and make adjustments.