The New Silver Standard For American Business

The silver juggernaut has begun.

That thundering sound you hear are the legions of Silver Bulls – Baby Boomers – who are now reaching retirement age at the rate of 11,000 each and every day.

But don’t expect a generation brought up on sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll to follow meekly in the footsteps of their parents and pack themselves off to a beach in Florida on their 62nd birthday.

This generation has never been “traditional” and they apparently find no reason to change their attitude just because they’ve put on a few years.

In fact, according to several recent surveys by AARP, www.aarp.org fully 70% of Baby Boomers see their 60s as an exciting opportunity for taking the bull by the horns and starting their own business, buying an existing business or acquiring a franchise of their own, with fewer than 17% opting for the more traditional view of retirement.

Several reasons have been advanced to explain this generation’s lack of enthusiasm for simply “taking life easy.” Probably the most compelling reasons are the simplest: this is one of the healthiest, most active generations in history and most of them apparently want to continue their active and productive lifestyle as long as possible. The idea of being “put out to pasture” is simply unthinkable.

Take 61-year-old grandmother Barbara Jennings, for example. In 2004, with very little in the way of business training, she began her own internet business, providing an on-line decorating service. Today, three years later, her company, www.decorate-redecorate.com grosses about $8,500 a month.

“This business will provide a decent retirement income, and it's also something I can pass down to my two adult children,” she says with a smile. “I'm able to go on trips, play, go shopping, sleep, and do anything else I want. You can't beat that.”

Or how about Melanie Boudar, who was down-sized at the age of 50? Rather than take early retirement she took what savings she had and started her own bed and breakfast on the Big Island of Hawaii. After only 6 months she was showing a profit of $8,000 a month while doing something she enjoyed and living in a tropical paradise.

One of the things almost all silver-entrepreneurs have in common is a need for business advice to help them get started on their new ventures. And that’s where our Fast Track to Marketing Mastery www.boostyourbottomline.com/fast_track/ comes in.

It’s been a kick to work with silver entrepreneurs and those catering to the Silver Bulls to help them create a business they can brag about. We'll share their stories in upcoming posts.

© 2007 BoostYourBottomLine.com

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Marketing Spitfires Holly George and Leslie Hamp are creators of the Fast Track to Marketing Mastery program. To learn more about the step-by-step program, and to sign up for their *FREE* Marketing Mastery Success Kit, visit www.boostyourbottomline.com