Recently I have re-organized my business and the content I publish to address the specific requests I’m receiving from a very special group of customers, I group that is particularly dear to my heart since I belong to this group too and I went through – and still go through – the same frustrations, concerns, difficulties and obstacles they discuss with me. It’s the over 50 age group, also know as “Baby Boomers”. I’m addressing them specifically, but I’m sure everybody can relate to what I’m writing for them.
Recently I’ve been going to many networking events and I noticed that many participants in these breakfast, coffee, and connecting meetings are experienced 50+ business owners who want help getting new customers and understanding the “online world” better: they have come from a world of doing business in person, one customer at a time, which is now being replaced by doing business at a click of a mouse , a text message, or a video, a new way of doing things that often brings to the surface all sorts of resistance, concerns and fears.
Women, in particular, seem to struggle with 3 main fears:
1. Fear of feeling uncomfortable
I know you are going to be uncomfortable at first and that’s fine. If you don’t get started you are not going to be able to build your business and compete in the marketplace. Remember it’s never not too late to start. Get started. It’s normal to feel comfortable being uncomfortable learning new skills. Just because you cannot do things instantly doesn’t mean you will never be an expert. Start, learn, be patient with yourself and grow your business, one step at a time. And have fun!
2. Fear of being too old to compete in the marketplace
Remember you have qualities that your younger competitors have not developed yet: maturity, experience, patience, resilience, expertise. What you bring to your business is unique to you, and this uniqueness is the reason why your customers have chosen or will choose you over your younger competitors.
3. Fear of what they don’t know
Especially technology that in today’s world is growing and evolving at an unprecedented pace. As a middle-aged entrepreneur, I had to learn the latest technology and tools to build my online business and compete in the marketplace. Learning mobile marketing principles and strategies has allowed me to be part of this new way of marketing and connecting with customers. It’s something new, and, as everything else, it takes some time to learn and master new technologies. But it can be done: there are many people who have started using the new technologies in their 80s and 90s. You don’t have to do it on your own: ask for help!
Follow your passion: just get started! And remember: there are qualified experts and coaches who can help you, not only master the new technologies and the difficulties of building an online business from scratch, but also go through and overcome your fears.
Now I’d love to hear your opinion. As entrepreneurs or if you are thinking of bulding a business, what fears or difficulties are you facing?
Remember, may people come here every week for inspiration and advice, so I encourage you to leave your comments below. Your insights may inspire and trigger a meaningful change for someone else.
Thank you for reading, whatching and sharing
To your success and prosperity