Youngsters writing poetry image: sxc.hu

I also enjoy teaching writing and poetry to youngsters and adults.  I feel I can utilize this poetry book as a teaching tool.  (I also would like to publish a book of my grandfather’s poems, some of which have appeared in publications, but not all together.)

However, as with many of us boomers, life continues to pull us in other directions.  But we don’t have to give up our dreams.  We look for opportunities to move forward.

I’ve been having great fun throughout the past year reading and teaching poetry to children, frequently when I substitute teach, as well as in workshops for home schooled youngsters.  These experences help to keep me current with children and learning, as I find out how they continue to respond to poetry writing and creating pictures to accompany their work.

By drawing upon these opportunities, I remain excited about my projects and developing my business.  I also hope I contribute to the youngsters’ enjoyment of poetry and writing.

Post from: Small Business Boomers

To many Boomers, recycling or repurposing is an extension of a philosophy they were raised on.  Their grandparents, and probably their parents, experienced some phase of the Great Depression.  In those days, you didn’t throw much of anything away.  I didn’t experience the Depression, but my parents carried over that way of living from their experiences.

Not much was thrown away if we could find some use whatsoever for it.  You also saved anything you thought you might have a future use for. Those of us who now have to clean out our parents’ homes, as they must move to more dependent ways of living, often find so much saved that puzzle us.

I also recall making toys and games from used materials because in those days on the farm we didn’t have much extra money for these items for children, except for a few at Christmas time.  I find myself still saving items for future use and realize I’m right in step with today’s “repurposing” world!

You also might be able to use repurposed items in your business or office and thus save on overhead.

How are you repurposing these days?

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Image: sxc.hu

Many Boomers now are empty nesters without the need for vans and larger vehicles.  As they face retirement, there may be a need to downsize.

Where do you stand on this?

Personally, I prefer something larger, usually an SUV.  For a number of reasons:

I feel safer.  We were in a serious accident several years ago and hit head on by a tractor trailer.  If we had been in a small car, the vehicle would have gone right under the truck.  As it was, all four of us were seriously injured, but not beyond healing.

We live in snow country.  I like the idea of a four-wheel drive and a vehicle that’s a bit higher off the ground for maneuvering in the deep snows we get.

We have occasion to haul building supplies, yard supplies and other bulky items for our business, so a small vehicle would present problems.

My husband is tall, so small cars are very uncomfortable for him.

We are conservative with our driving, try to combine errands and forego unnecessary trips .

My husband maintains our vehicles to get maximum mileage.

If we lived in a different part of the country and didn’t have a business, we might have other thoughts about the type of vehicles we drive (used SUV and used Cadillac).  However, safety still is high on the list for me.

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image: sxc.hu

However, there has been a delay because Mother doesn’t have a Motor Vehicle issued ID or a passport. 

It’s impractical to drive Mother those many miles, so they planned to fly.  Because Mother doesn’t have the proper ID (never thought of getting one when she didn’t renew her driver’s license), she can’t fly on the airlines in this day and age.

(I recall several years ago having to get my mother-in-law an official ID so we could take her and Dad on a flight across the country to visit relatives.  Mum had never driven so didn’t have a license.)

This is something to keep in mind for yourself, if you give up driving.  Also, since many baby boomers care for parents and elderly relatives, they may want to be sure they have an ID for those family members.

Now my friend’s daughter must fly to Florida, take Grandma (who’s in a wheelchair and her Alzheimer’s world) to the Motor Vehicle Dept. to have her picture taken.

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Deli job image: sxc.hu

Perhaps they have a mix or two or all three of these.

Do you fit into any of these categories?  Has life affected you differently in recent years than you had planned?

We can either moan about it or treat it as an exciting adventure!

I took a parttime job in a supermarket delicatessen this summer, and it’s continued into winter.  It actually takes me back to my roots, since I worked in my mother’s small grocery store when I was in high school and college.

From wondering if I’d fit in and could do the work that younger people were accomplishing at the deli, I’ve found it a delightful experience.  I’ve made new friends with co-workers.  Some I’d known previously while others are new friends.

I also get to see customers/friends I’d not caught up with for several years.  This work also keeps my mind active and me fit  physically.

This parttime work also gives me time to keep my home business going.

What about you?

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Boomer exercise image: sxc.hu

As they age, they begin to realize their vulnerability to ailments they hadn’t considered in their youth and middle years.  They may find they’re slowing down, tire more easily, and thus discover it’s a chore to run a business.

However, with attention to health and healthy living, they also may find they’re in better condition and have more endurance than they did in younger years. 

“How do you keep going the way you do?” friends and business colleagues often ask me as I sprint around from business to outside job and still am involved with family. 

I try to educate myself about healthy living and practice what I discover.  Not jumping from fad to fad, but being sensible…and listening to my doctor, too.

What about you? Perhaps you, too, find you have more energy in these boomer years than you did in earlier life. 

What secrets have you discovered for healthy living and taking care of your health?

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Image: sxc.hu

Some business owners may be participating in parades today (a lovely warm sunny one in NH), may be watching parades, may have flags flying in the breeze, and may be sharing with their families their military heritage.  I’ve traced veterans in my family heritage back to the Revolutionary War serving their country so that I can enjoy my life today and develop my businesses.

Post from: Small Business Boomers

Small steps image: sxc.hu

At a business development conference I attended recently, many of the speakers talked about doing something every day rather than getting stymied by this recession and freezing where you are.  So many people react to a challenge or change by stopping what they’re doing, even panicking.

You need to so something, anything business related that will help you regain or continue your momentum.  Sometimes you need to change direction a bit, take a look at what’s in the future, brainstorm some ideas, try something new, or just move forward in what you’re normally doing instead of bemoaning, “Why me?  Why me?”

• Write down a list of ideas
• Jot down goals you’d like to achieve
• Try making a prototype of a new product.
• Research trends for your type of product or service
• Consider how to reach new customers
• Create new displays

What daily steps are you taking to move your business forward?

Post from: Small Business Boomers

Image: sxc.hu

More than 47 percent of Americans have considered the small business route since the economic downturn, according to this survey commissioned by the the online marketplace, Alibaba.com, and reported by Sterling Marketing Group. 

Also, the survey determined that more than three fourths of Americans conclude small businesses will be a major factor in reviving the economy.

In the present economy, boomers have begun to consider small businesses as their way to make ends meet, supplement their retirement and savings, and give them a way to contribute to improving today’s economic situation in our country.

Have you been considering a small or home business?  What is your business?

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Boomers in retirement Image: sxc.hu

Especially in today’s world, with the economic situation in disarray and retirement money often much less than expected, change is inevitable.  The change can destroy or buoy us.  We can meet the challenges as an adventure or  fall through the cracks in the sidewalk.

This can be a time for boomers to explore the small business options, those that don’t involve a great deal of investment or overhead, but will give them some much needed income.   This is not to say it will be easy, finding avenues of income that will make up for that lost.  But boomers are up to the challenge!

What are you doing to adjust to change in today’s world? 

(Remember, President Obama said we were going to experience “change” with him!  It may or may not be what you expected, but change it certainly is.)

Post from: Small Business Boomers