Wouldn’t your business do better if you followed Lu’s example?  Try it for 30 days and let me know.  I bet you’ll be pleasantly surprised!  Thanks, Lu!

Curiosity opens our minds to new ideas and people.  Just because I own a web-based business for women over 55 doesn’t mean that is what I read about exclusively.  I read about fashion, decorating, architecture, travel, technology, cars, inventions, business, fiction AND almost all the books my grandchildren read so I will know what they are thinking about.  From this love affair with the written word I have “met” many of the fascinating women on my site, many of the fascinating women I have written about in my After 55 column or in these blog entries and have had more darn fun connecting with people at gatherings and being able to keep up my end of the conversation.  You know that these conversations lead to . . . who knows where?

Questions expand horizons.  Take a look at every part of your business and ask, “Why do I do it this way?  Is there a different/better way? What would be best for my client?”  If you take this step seriously, you may find some surprising answers.  You may not want to continue a product or process.  You may find a much better way of being useful to your client. You may discover a new profit center.

Being creative doesn’t require anything more than a curious mind, good questions, and pencil and paper.  Oh, the places you will go! — Thank you, Dr. Seuss!

Just last week, I went to a noon lunch and learn featuring a local movie critic.  I am not a movie fanatic like my husband, but I simply needed to get out of the house.  Wow!  It turned out that it was hosted by the library, and I made two new community contacts there. The informal talk wasn’t about movies. It was about the changing face of movie reviews and how he is responding by taking his work to the internet and his own website, the place of YouTube and his challenges in connecting with his followers.  Now this was far more interesting to me than I expected and I got some new ideas, contacts and a delicious lunch at a restaurant I had never visited.  When I say, “Get out!” I truly have your best interests in mind; I’m not being crabby.

See if they appeal to you–and let me know which ones you read . . . I’m always looking for good, positive information!

1. The awesome service at the Oxford House reminded me that excellent service provided with personality draws rave reviews and referralse.  I have already recommended the hotel to three people and written a rave review on their behalf.
2. Being open to meeting others enriches your daily experience.  We got to talking to the couple seated next to us at brunch on Monday (killer restaurant #1: Snooze!) and learned of a great place for dinner (killer restaurant #2: Fruition) and learned of two excellent film festivals we didn’t know about.
3. Expanded horizons.  At the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver we saw an exhibit on wind turbines that has expanded my interest in renewable energy and that will undoubtedly enrich my website SilverVixens. Because of the installation of another exhibit we learned of a totally different way of displaying art — even if we never use it, our perception was changed.
4. I read different things. I am an admitted magazine junkie.  This week I had time to read Real Simple thoroughly and there was an article about unitasking — forget multitasking!  The author was writing about something I have been thinking alot about lately…but that’s for next week!

What do you want your business to do in January?  Still be standing is not the complete answer.  Between now and January that will be your task–keep your baby healthy and growing. But what do you want to be able to start doing the first week in January 2010?  Now block out the tasks and systems that will get you there.  Good news!  You can do some of this planning while gardening and definitely put a game plan together on your morning walk.

I have my walking shoes on right now–gotta go!

1. Access to opportunity: Is age, gender or race a factor? How can you maximize those factors to your benefit?
2. Access to capital:  Make sure your business is well-capitalized and know where you will get the capital.
3. Be knowledgeable about being an entrepreneur: Know what it takes to start, build and grow a business.  Work FOR your business, not IN it!

Good points, Sharon!  Too many times we just start on a whim because we have read about some super-successful person who did . . . probably if we scratched the surface, we would find a different story. There are no born entrepreneurs–there are successful entrepreneurs who have succeeded because of Sharon’s pointers.

Wise salespeople know that selling is about finding a need and filling it. Networking is about finding a need and offering to help find a solution. People will always be glad to see you coming, you will build up enormous good will, you will learn a lot from a lot of people, and you will have more fun!  Networking isn’t working–it’s meeting new potential friends and increasing your knowledge base–sometimes with yummy muchies, too!  Go forth and network!

A friend of mine’s market research business has been very hard hit; she is now using the research skills she has honed over the years to do forensic research on companies and products.  Same skills, different focus–and the possibility of weathering the storm.  Keep thinking of new ways to offer your products, reposition your products and solve customers’ problems in new ways.  Your most important product is between your ears–THINK!

One the lighter side —

“Then remember the story of the poor farmer who lost his crops to a drought, battled disease in his cattle and watched his barn go up in flames after being hit by lightning. Somehow, he maintained his pleasant disposition and sense of humor. How did he stand it, his neighbors wondered.

“Well, it’s like this,” the farmer said. “In the Bible, it says, ‘It came to pass.’ But it never says ‘It came to stay.’ ”

Mackay’s Moral: Your biggest worry should be that you are worrying too much.
– Harvey Mackay

Oh, how right she is! Torres again competed at the 2008 Olympics at age 41 and won! I am always reminded of the woman who wanted to go to med school when she was 40 and was afraid she was too old to start at that age. A friend told her that in seven years she could either be a 47-year-old or she could be a 47-year-old doctor. Fortunately she chose Door No. 2.

Just think! You could be a 55- or 61- or 70-year-old successful entrepreneur–with many years left to enjoy your business. Age has little to do with running a business–get started . . . NOW!