Posts by Karen Wylie
Can Your Business Survive Without You?
Thinking ahead to your business’s future without you is one of the most important things a small business owner can do to get and keep their business in shape. And it really doesn’t matter if you’re not ready to retire. Because safeguarding your investment in your business, its value as well as its ability to…
Read MoreTrials and Tribulations of an Aging Entrepreneur: When You Realize You Can’t Do It All Anymore
Saturdays are the busiest day at our retail shop, especially during the summer tourist months along the Blue Ridge Parkway. And this was the last weekend in July, absolute peak season, so we were expecting quite a crowd. My husband Tim and I were up early to get ready for our hectic day, and just…
Read MoreRight-Sizing Your Business After 50: The Minimum Viable Startup That’s Just Right for You
When it comes to creating a business at midlife, bigger isn’t always better. Or even what you really want. As you begin to reimagine your life after age 50, clearly envisioning what your lifestyle might be like becomes even more important to your new business planning. Doing this planning requires having a good handle on…
Read MoreBounce Back Better than Ever: How to Develop Your Resilience after Age 50
How do you cope with change? Do you handle all demanding situations with the same self confidence, emerging on the other side of change with an even better circumstance than before? Are you quite calm while you tackle one particular change, but freeze up or fall apart when facing other types of changes? Have you…
Read MoreEntrepreneurship after 50: Is It Right for You?
Many midlife entrepreneurs choose to create their businesses backwards. They back into entrepreneurship after 50 rather than actually choose it. After trying to find a job without success after a year or two, I’ll hear a midlifer say, “I guess I’ll just have to start a business.” And that statement right away lets me know…
Read MoreTake The Test: How to Know When Your On-the-Side Business is Ready to Go Full Speed Ahead
We often get our ideas for a new on-the-side business or product as we go about our daily life, noticing what we can’t find easily (or at all) or how something could be improved to work better. As we keep mulling over these ideas, a potential business idea is born. Before long you’re bookmarking website…
Read MorePart Time Business: Getting Your Side Gig Off to a Great Start
Do you dream of starting your own business but hesitate out of concern you’ll be unable to replace your existing income and support all your family and financial commitments? If you’ve been an employee most of your life, you’ll probably agree that quitting a well-paying job cold turkey is rarely desirable, nor realistic. Staying employed…
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I’ll Know It When I See It:
Creating A Business Logo With 99 Designs
Please take note: In this post I describe an online graphic design process for a business logo we went through with 99Designs. Because businesses evolve over time, the process may now be different than what we experienced, or describe in this blog post. Please visit the 99Designs website to view their current prices and services offered.…
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Finding Your Business Idea:
Taking the Short Cut at the Intersection of What & Who
Knowing What you want to do is one part of creating your business. Identifying Who you want to serve, and figuring out your Where, When, Why and How are also crucial to your success. These are the same ‘5 Ws’ we learned back in English class. The keys to write a news article just like…
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Etiquette and the Start Up Spy:
Learning from those who already have the kind of business you want
When you get a new idea for a business to start up, it can be hard to contain your excitement. Conducting market research and gaining an understanding of your competition is absolutely essential to good business start up. And identifying those who are already doing what you want to do — so you can learn…
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