Yesterday I had lunch with John Williams of Assistive Technology News at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. It is a great place to arrange a product/service launch and connect with the national media. There was a buzz in the room about the first 100 days of the Obama administration and a sense of energy in the city.

John and I were talking about his mother. He said that she would always call him when she felt she was losing control of one of her senses. She would say, "I think my hearing is failing; I find my eyesight is failing." We talked about the amazing range of technology products that are available to help with these losses such as ReadHowYouWant and ClearSounds. I Twitter about the needs of older adults and receive a tweet asking me to focus attention on the loss of memory. There is research to show that memory loss is our biggest fear. Each of these kinds of losses, however, is a market opportunity for entrepreneurs, investors and innovators.

We visited Philips Home Healthcare in Boston  earlier this week and were impressed by the range of new products and services that they have to help older adults age in place available through Philips Lifeline. Aging in place in the future will be a key trend with enormous upside opportunity.  If you have a product or service focused on older adults, or caregivers, the Silicon Valley Boomer Venture Summit and Business Plan Competition at Santa Clara University, Santa Clara CA June 16-17 is the perfect venue to highlight your business.  Our staff can help sign you up.  Go to www.scuboomerventure.com.

Laurie Orlov is an analyst who is capturing the data and trends on this market. She will be one of the keynotes at SVBVS. She will be joined by Jody Holtzman, AARP senior vice president, Knowledge Management, who will provide an overview of research from that organization.

We are inviting all of you to join in the Boot Camp and Summit this year. We will be awarding two prizes -- $10,000 for the finalist of the business plan competition and $1,000 for the Elevator Pitch contest. With the May 5th deadline for entries in the Business Competition rapidly approaching, we really would like your help in getting the word out. A 3-5 page business plan is all we require in the first phase.

We have a stellar list of judges -- some of whom are detailed elsewhere in this newsletter -- from such companies as Microsoft, Qualcomm, and Edwards Lifesciences. Venture capitalist Steve Jurvetson of Draper Fisher Jurvetson, will be giving a spotlight presentation on investing trends. His firm continues to lead in the Silicon Valley with a record number of investments. Steve is one of the top thought leaders in this field and also one of the most successful investors. Their global strategy and support for entrepreneurs is really impressive. Sponsors include AARP and Southwest Airlines.

A highlight this year is having Onne Ganel, the winner of our first competition in 2004 returning as a judge. Ganel has gone from a successful entrepreneur who co-founded MicroMRI to his present position as director, business development, for Edwards Lifesciences where he evaluates new opportunities for the critical-care franchise.

Another added attraction to this program is a spotlight session with Ryan McDonough of Constantin Partners as a bootcamp speaker on June 16. McDonough is a venture investor who focuses on helping companies raise their first $250,000. This is often the most difficult money to raise. Ryan really has his hand on this pulse and can be very helpful to early stage companies at this fundraising phase.

We have recently been focusing on providing guidance to companies on successful "go to" strategies when launching into the boomer/senior/caregiving market. We believe that companies need to know the following:

1. How to work with the aging network of 4,000 participants.
2. How to do contextual digital marketing into portals, blogs and niche websites where you can connect and engage with boomers and seniors.
3. How to work with corporate partners (drugstore chains; health care providers; financial service providers; etc).
4. How to work with large associations that serve the audience.
5. How to reach out to age beat reporters, bloggers, newsletter editors.
6. How to use email, mobile, radio and infomercials to reach consumers directly.

What works in marketing today is very different from what worked when we launched SeniorNet in l986 and ThirdAge Media in l996. The trust factor -- engaging boomers, seniors and caregivers alike, is the most important element. (Elderhostel always ranked the highest on the trust meter.) It is exciting to capture and clarify what really moves the needle in driving customer engagement, acceptance and trust.

Speaking of marketing, here's a piece on the coming age-wave marketplace I spotted recently that I can recommend: The 'Boom' times that are waiting on the other side of the recession.

We are pleased that many age-beat media partners will be part of our upcoming Silicon Valley event. We are also delighted to be featuring several of the top leaders in the nonprofit world including James P. Firman, CEO of the National Council on Aging. And note that our newsletter readers will receive a special discount for this event.

I am in Washington, D.C., as I am writing this so I'm off to walk among the cherry blossoms this morning. I now have that iPhone application that helps you chart diet and fitness. You know how losing weight is like chipping concrete at this age. Please write and share your latest. And please remember to get your business plans in by May 5. Go to www.scuboomerventure.com. for more information.

All the best,
Mary

PS: If you are planning to join us at the Silicon Valley Boomer Venture Summit, we're pleased to offer a special rate to our newsletter subscribers. Use promo code 319 to receive 20 percent off when you register at www.scuboomerventure.com.

SVBS Preview

SVBVS: HERE COME THE JUDGES

"I'll be looking for good businesses, not good senior businesses. A good business needs to have a clear target market, a compelling value proposition and a realistic plan to market the product or service," says Andy Cohen, chief executive officer and co-founder of

Caring.com, the "go-to" Web site for people taking care of their parents and other aging loved ones, is just the latest example of Cohen putting his marketing and business acumen to work. He has launched four successful web businesses, taking them from start-up to tens of millions of dollars in revenue.

Cohen is illustrative of the high caliber of judges at the event. In addition to Cohen, the roster of judges includes Andy Donner of Physic Ventures, Steve Jurvetson of Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Amy Belt of Advanced Technology Ventures, Nate McLemore of Microsoft Health Solutions Group and Onne Ganel of Edwards Lifesciences.

Speaking of Ganel, he's a perfect example of an SVBVS success story. The co-founder of MicroMRI and Grand Prize winner at the first Business Plan Competition in 2004, he returns this year as a judge. Ganel points out that money should not be the top priority of entrepreneurs. For him, the top three priorities are: Does the business make sense, does it have leadership that can execute and does it have stellar employees to do the work? "If the first three are met, the money, in some way, shape or form, will come," he says.

Ganel is optimistic about consumer and health care technology as it relates to the boomer/senior market. "Boomers will adopt consumer technology when it is designed by designers, not engineers," he says. And regarding health care technology he notes, "Health care technology aimed at aging targets the same people that sign the big checks, mainly senators and congressmen of a certain age. Our representatives know firsthand the physical significance of aging, and so we will continue to fund it."

Cohen agrees that the market is rife with opportunity. "The aging US population presents... many new business opportunities for entrepreneurs," he says. "The population is not only aging, but people are also living longer, so many new products and services will be needed for consumers in their 80s and 90s -- consumers that almost didn't exist 30 years ago. In addition, the folks taking care of those much older consumers, will need a lot of help."

So there you have it. Expert insights from just two of the outstanding judges of the Business Plan Competition. Given the opportunities ahead in the boomer/senior market, the competition offers the ideal way to prepare for them.

SVBVS: PEOPLE

Meet Margit Novack. A senior move management entrepreneur, Novack, a 2006 finalist in the Business Plan Competition, has seen a lasting benefit from her participation. The business plan she developed for the competition was the basis for her Moving Solutions franchise business. That business ultimately evolved into her current Web-based training platform, eSMMART, which offers entrepreneurs a low-cost way to enter the senior move management industry. Of SVBC, she says: "I was a finalist in the competition's second year. It was a terrific experience. The knowledge base that was shared, the contacts made and the resulting PR were invaluable. To me, entering the competition is the quintessential example of entrepreneurism. Why wouldn't a business that fits the criteria and services the boomer market enter? Your business will benefit from the experience of writing the business pan and the worst that can happen is you don't win. Isn't seizing opportunities what entrepreneurism is all about?"

These days, Novack is concentrating on eSMMART, which recently launched a product called SMMart Start that provides comprehensive training about the business aspects of becoming a Senior Move Manager, and an 8-course web-based certificate about working with seniors.

"I am still doing what I love, expanding the industry be helping entrepreneurs start Senior Move Management business --- but have changed tactics," Novack says. "Perhaps that is the mark of an entrepreneur: build on your strengths (training, writing and industry leader) and if one approach doesn't succeed, try another."

"Twitter has become our nation's latest Internet sensation. Its rapid rise to popularity has many people wondering what the hype is all about and how long it is going to last."

"It is micro-blogging at its best, and it has enabled people to inform the whole world of what they are doing from anywhere via phone or computer. By 'following' somebody, you get their tweets, or updates."

"Shaquille O'Neal tweets. Two-time NBA most valuable player and Santa Clara alumnus Steve Nash tweets."

Read more here

CHASING THE (RECESSION) BLUES AWAY

Business downturns are never any fun, of course. But marketing professional Anne Mai Bertelsen of MAi Strategies decided to make the best of a bad recession by putting the increased time she had available to productive use. Like launching a blog, mastering Twitter, pursuing her own form of continuing education, starting a bartering service, creating a Facebook fan page and working with analytic partners to develop ways of measuring the return from social media and generally staying relevant from a marketing perspective. As she says in a posting on her new blog:

"Suspecting in late 2008 that my business, like many others, might be significantly down in 2009, I devised a plan to stay current, engaged and marketable during this involuntary “vacation” period. The plan, in a nutshell, was to read, write and actively participate in marketing, social media and social change conversations -- areas I feel passionate about -- while keeping the financial costs to a minimum." (snip)

"Finally, during this whole experience, I opened myself up to the possibilities of what sharing information publicly might generate. In general, I am a private, behind-the-scenes kind of person. I rarely get published credit for my work but often my clients get acknowledged. Becoming “public” was a big step for me but it has been made easier by doing what I’m most comfortable doing: being helpful, connecting people."

The results of her efforts? "A private response with some helpful suggestions and links, for example, to an inquiry posted on a LinkedIn group, ultimately led to a project. But more importantly, sharing information publicly has significantly increased my professional network. This network has shared terrific insights, leads and support during this tough economic time.When the recession ends, I know I will have a stronger set of marketing credentials and wider network."

Read the entire blog post here

FOCUS ON AARP

What's the latest from

Carole Fleck, senior editor at the AARP Bulletin, wrote a profile of Rand and judging from his quotes it looks like health care and finances are at the top of his agenda.

“AARP and I have long shared the belief that health care and long-term financial security should be the goals of this nation, goals we all have an obligation to help achieve—from government to corporate America to the individual,” Rand says in the article.

“Lifetime health care and financial security are terms far too many believe are out of reach; not just for older Americans or aging Americans, but for all Americans,” he adds. “While we have come far because of the efforts of AARP, we have much left to achieve. I look forward to building on these successes as we continue our work in Congress and in state capitols across the nation. The fight will not be easy, but if I’ve learned one thing in my career, it’s that nothing worthwhile ever is.”

Read the entire AARP Bulletin Today story on Rand here

"You betcha. Mary Furlong is the author of the book, Turning Silver into Gold: How to Profit in the New Boomer Marketplace. In an interview Friday, she said baby boomers — folks stretching from their latter 40s to early 60s — will be more global, live longer and seek others with shared interests more than ever (geographically but especially via the Internet). But boomers also will contend with the challenges of aging, ranging from loneliness and health care to financial matters. And the country, Furlong says, is only starting to wake up to the opportunities in the marketplace of serving this large piece of the population." Read the whole post here.

AGING IN PLACE TECH WATCH

Is the GE-Intel alliance a big deal? Laurie Orlov doesn't so and explains why in a posting on her always-insightful

Other Orlov recommended blog items this month include five tech changes to make for spring, including suggestions for cell phone service and information access.

And for those who want to look ahead to business opportunities Orlov pinpoints ten "perfect storm" aging in place market drivers. Read that blog post here.

Visit www.floridaboomerlifestyle.com for more details on the conference

MAY 18 -- Dr. Furlong will be speaking at The Commonwealth Club (Gold Room), 595 Market St., San Francisco Time: 4:45 p.m. (reception), 5:15 p.m. (program). Members free; non-members $15 Topic: "Turning Silver into Gold" More here.

Details here.

'Short-arm' syndrome has many middle-agers struggling to see straight Allyson Smith had perfect vision until she was about 40. That's when she began to find it difficult to read a newspaper or telephone book without backing away or holding it at arm's length. Her eyes were losing the ability to focus on close objects. Smith, a Mount Pleasant (SC) resident, was not being plagued by some new or exotic eye ailment. She had a condition that is visited on just about everyone when they reach their 40s. It's so common that a very pedestrian term is sometimes used to describe it: 'short-arm syndrome'. Read more.

Forget Freedom 55, boomers just want to keep working Freedom 55 is a thing of the past, and many Canadians aren't banking on Freedom 65, either. This means a shift to an older workforce, and while it is creating challenges for everyone involved the trend is also benefiting employers by staving off an anticipated shortage of skilled workers as boomers age. Read more.

Nursing homes becoming a stop for rehab between hospital, home Nursing homes are giving themselves an extreme makeover in hopes of shedding their image as the place where the old and frail go to die More here.

Social networking for the older crowd Youth-oriented online social networks such as MySpace and Facebook get most of the media spotlight. But a growing number of social networks aim at a more seasoned demographic, particularly baby boomers, the oldest of whom are in their early 60s. Sites include TeeBeeDee, BOOMj, Boomster, eons and ReZoom. Details here.

Boomers learn to work -- and play -- around arthritis
Azam Anwar played competitive tennis in his youth, and trophies aren't the only thing he has to show for it. An arthritic right knee reminds him of the years spent on the singles court. "Your body starts talking to you, and you have to start backing off, trying other alternatives," says Anwar, a cardiologist in Dallas. He has had two surgeries on his knee. Experts say there's no need for Anwar, 49, and other Baby Boomers with arthritis to trade their Nikes for a rocking chair.

They feel your losses
Last January, a national financial services company hired a specially trained team of temporary workers to help handle a spike in calls from all over America to customer service headquarters in Denver. Among the requirements for this elite team? You had to be a baby boomer.

Jobs in health-care field on the rise
While the overall economic numbers for the country and the commonwealth can make you queasy, there are full-time and part-time jobs in the health-care industry in Western Massachusetts. Outside of hospitals and medical centers, there is work for home-health aides, occupational and physical therapists, certified nursing assistants and others as baby boomers age.

Boomers still having sex at least once a week -- TeeBeeDee survey
Online Boomer Social Network TeeBeeDee, surveyed men and women over 40 about how their sex lives have changed with age, and found that Boomers are still having sex at least once a week.