What: Online dating service for people age 50 and
up
Who: Miriam Hipsh, founder of FiftyPlusConnect.com
Where: New York City
When: Started in March 2005
After reading an article about internet dating, Miriam Hipsh
decided she wanted to find out more. But when she attempted to
create a profile on one site, Hipsh, 59, got to a question about
body art and realized the site was clearly not targeting a mature
audience.
"It wasn't speaking to me," says Hipsh. Instead of
discouraging her, this realization piqued her entrepreneurial
interest.
Content Continues Below
After some research, Hipsh discovered that there weren't
many dating sites targeting her age group, and she knew from
talking with friends that there was a market for such a site. In
March 2005, after a year of researching and developing her idea,
she launched FiftyPlusConnect.com, a dating website tailored to the
over-50 demographic.
"I don't want people to feel that by the time they hit
a certain age, it's over," says Hipsh, who became a single
mother at 48 when she adopted a 6-month-old baby.
Hipsh financed the startup costs of her business--approximately
$30,000--using personal investments and the help of friends and
family. She gave up her job as a reading tutor to work full time on
the website from home. She also hired a webmaster, who built and
designed the site, and now maintains it. Hipsh describes
FiftyPlusConnect.com as a "quiet site," mean-ing it's
inviting and warm, not flashy or busy. With large fonts and
soothing colors such as beige and blue, the site's design is
simple and user-friendly.
By early 2006, over 5,000 people had joined at no cost. In
March, Hipsh started charging $18 a month for a subscription to the
site and projects 2006 sales to reach the low six figures. In the
future, she plans to add reader content, diversify the chat rooms
and possibly retail FiftyPlusConnect.com items.
Most important, Hipsh wants to continue encouraging people to
seek out love and happiness at any age. "I embrace my age, and
I embrace experience," says Hipsh. "I love
life."