As of July 1, 2006, males outnumbered females through age 41. Starting at 42, women outnumbered men. At 85 and older, there were more than twice as many women as men.
$61,081 is the median earnings of women working in computer and mathematical jobs, the highest for women among the 22 major occupational groups.
5.6 million was the Number of stay-at-home mothers nationwide in 2006, up from 4.6 million a decade earlier.
84% is the proportion of women with computers in the home in 2003 who made use of that computer, 2 percentage points higher than the corresponding proportion for men. This reverses the computer use gender gap exhibited during the 1980s and 1990s.
American internet users have embraced online shopping because they say it’s convenient and a time-saver.
Two-thirds (66%) of online Americans say they have purchased a product online, such as a book, toy, music, or clothing. Attitudes and perceptions play a key role in whether online users choose to purchase products online…
**78% of internet users either agree (53%) or agree strongly (25%) with the proposition that shopping online is convenient for them.
**68% of internet users either agree (47%) or agree strongly (21%) with the notion that online shopping saves them time.
At the same time, most online Americans have high levels of concern about sending personal or credit card information over the internet.
While the number of e-shoppers continues to grow, there is still widespread concern in the internet population about the safety of financial and personal data online.
Maybe things don’t come so fast and easy to us “Grannies” when it comes to the technical parts of making things happen with all this Web 2.0 stuff. We need some hand holding for sure. When I got started online, there weren’t many women outthere willing or able to teach and mentor. So naturally, I learned from men, most ofthem under the age of 40.Not that there is anything wrong with that, but since us “Grannies” are already intimidated by computers and technology, these guys tended to make us feel even worse about our ability to grasp and carry out the essential actions needed to be successful in this new online world. Every now and then we lucked out and found a guy who would be patient with us and walk us through.
For those unique individuals we are forever grateful!
Because once we started catching on, the ripple effect is now taking hold with a vengeance! Not only are we “Grannies” coming out of the virtual woodworks, but we’re teaching and training others like mad! Baby boomer women, as well as their Mom’s, are now gaining the confidence and skills they need to at least enjoy all that this virtual world has to offer! Some are even discovering how to benefit financially, personally, or spiritually from all the new Web 2.0 capabilities as well as the proliferation of all the new “fast and easy” software.
A FEW EXAMPLES OF LEADING GRANNIES:
For example, my friend and mentor, Patti Serrano, AKA “La Gringa”, “Call Your Grandma”, “Patti–with-an-i” and Entrepreneur Club Founder, started out her online journey podcasting because of her previous experience in and love of radio. That led her to blogging, live video broadcasting and twittering like a madwoman.
Here is an over 60 woman who started out teaching more traditional guerilla marketing and live networking strategies of business building, public speaking, etc. Now you can find her at a local internet café and on the phone walking women step by step through the process of setting up their own blogs and podcasts! Now Patti’s bringing in other trainers to cover all aspects of business building in events such as All Day Think Tanks (First is in Colorado Springs this weekend!) and Seminars at Sea, both of which I will be participating in as the Internet Marketing Coach.
Talk about a mover and a shaker!
She has had to overcome walls of resistance, hours of research and learning, and hundreds of hours of actual practice, but she now she’s an inspiration to young and old alike!
Another example is a woman who found me through social networking: “Techno Granny” is her online handle. Joanne Quinn-Smith is owner of Dreamweaver Marketing Associates, as well as President of National Association of Women Business Owners, Greater Pittsburgh Chapter. She also hosts several talk casts, including “Positively Pittsburgh Live”, “Techno Granny” and “Professionals with Impact.”The Techno Granny Show was initiated to bring baby boomers and beyond up to snuff with 21st Century technology. Now Techno Granny is committed to providing technology information from developers and users and tries to translate it always in simple to understand terms. She’s having a great impact on women in the business world by encouraging them to join her on her technology journey.
Grannies Unite!
By working together, co-promoting, and networking to spread the word and lead the way, the beauty and necessity of communication technology in facilitating small business success, creative outlets and support systems, becomes more apparent to the “resistant” generations and we are excited to see the fruits of our labor multiplying at a faster rate, which for “Grannies” like us “tickle us pink”!We would LOVE to discover the older women YOU KNOW who are leading the way as well, so you’re invited and encouraged to join in. Your input and feedback can be written in the comment section below or you can call us or write us an email.
After all we can always use a few more GutZy Women!
People, young or old, male or female, seem to be AMAZED when anybody over the age of 50 creates a successful online presence or business. There’s such an “awe” factor that exists when people find baby boomers or older who “get it” and are actively taking part in online commerce, podcasting, blogging, social networking, vlogging, etc.
It’s quite understandable since personal computers and the internet didn’t even exist when WE were growing up. And even though the “Women’s Movement” was on full blast with women joining the workforce at a rapid pace, the “technology” jobs were more than likely being taken by men.
Science and technology industries are still dominated by men (and in the case of the Internet, “younger” men). That paradigm is slowly changing, thank goodness!
My point being that women ARE becoming more and more active and visible on theNet and in my experience ESPECIALLY in the social networking communities and the blogoshere. The ease of new internet technologies, software and platforms have a great deal to do with that. But the perception is that it is the younger generation, of women , once again, who are dominating that arena.
So when women in their 50’s, 60’s and even 70’s are ROCKIN’ ONLINE, some people FREAK that these “GRANNIES” “get it”.
And GutZy Women LOVE IT!
Because my PASSION is finding and developing friendships as well as professional ties with GutZy Women of the web who have BrainZ, HeartZ and GutZ, every once in a while, I run across “Grannies” who are doing AWESOME things online and off. Their products, services and perspectives are incredibly valuable to women (and brave men) who are anxious to keep up, compete, learn, be inspired, or befriend and I would like to introduce a few of them to you in my next post.
In the mean time, please introduce us to any internet savvy queens of the silver generation you know by entering their names, websites and niches in the comments below, or email me at deb@gutzywoman.com
So what’s age got to do with it? EVERYTHING & NOTHING!
We gain unique perspectives and a wealth of wisdom, knowledge and life experience from those who have the gutZ to step out of their comfort zones, become lifetime learners, and step up to lead, teach and mentor future “Grannies” in the quest for financial freedom and gender equality.Check back tomorrow …I can’t wait to introduce them to you!
As older baby boomer board members get more and more disconnected from technology it is important to explore the possibilities, through blogs and wikis, of how nonprofits can use social media to support their work and help disseminate their messages.
Most nonprofits need to explore all the facets of the existing Web 2.0 tools in order to use and adopt them for raising funds. Recently many proactive nonprofits have been tinkering with how to mix social media with fundraising, as well as experimenting with personal fundraising.
I read about a woman whom less than a year ago, launched a personal fundraising campaign on her blog using a Web 2.0 fundraising tool called ¡°ChipIn to send a young Cambodian woman to college through a program sponsored by a nonprofit called the Sharing Foundation. The woman was able to raise eight hundred dollars for a year’s tuition and on campus living expenses, in less than two weeks!
Several weeks later, she experimented with an organizational approach to group fundraising working with a team of twenty Sharing Foundation board members and volunteers to raise $100,000 via a blog, using a Charity Badge. She was successful. It was quite an accomplishment, given that the organization had an operating budget of less than $400,000.
Debbie Ducic of GutZy Women, questions Kimberly Schaub of Thrive Lifestyles and Tisha Casida of That’s Natural Marketing about where they started ONLINE (both already had websites that they hired a webmaster to create.)
However, both young women entrepreneurs have started to delve into other forms of online communication as they strive to grow their businesses…saying that social networking, podcasting and video are the next step in their business plans, but that they look to mentors and trainers to help them get over their fear in order to take action.
Kimberly and Tisha love collaborating on projects using Instant Messaging as a way to brainstorm and be more productive and are taking advantage of the synergy that is created by joining together in podcasting, social networking and planning video story boards.
The next step is to integrate all that they are doing into one cohesive marketing message and look to GutZy Women to help them create it visually and functionally.
