<p style="visibility: visible; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px; margin-top: 0px; font-family: proxima-nova-n4, proxima-nova, &quot;helvetica neue&quot;, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">When people hear the word “entrepreneur,” most think of Internet whiz kids like Larry Page and Sergey Brin, who changed the world with Google in their mid-20s, or Mark Zuckerberg, who was barely old enough to toast Facebook’s first billion with a legal drink.</p><p style="visibility: visible; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px; margin-top: 0px; font-family: proxima-nova-n4, proxima-nova, &quot;helvetica neue&quot;, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The reality, though, is that the majority of people creating new businesses today are more likely to be sporting (stylish) bifocals and a bit of gray at the temples than zip-front hoodies and ratty jeans.</p><p style="visibility: visible; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px; margin-top: 0px; font-family: proxima-nova-n4, proxima-nova, &quot;helvetica neue&quot;, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Indeed, according to the Kauffman Index of Entrepreneurial Activity, the share of U.S. entrepreneurs ages 55 to 64 grew from 14 to 23 percent between 1996 and 2012. This represents the largest gain of any age group, including 20- to 34-year-olds, whose share actually shrank from 35 to 26 percent. What’s more, these older Americans, especially those with low debt and a large social network, are 50 percent more likely to start successful businesses than their younger counterparts, even in high-tech industries.</p><p style="visibility: visible; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px; margin-top: 0px; font-family: proxima-nova-n4, proxima-nova, &quot;helvetica neue&quot;, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">“They have what I call double-E SP,” says William Zinke, 86, president of the Center for Productive Longevity in Boulder, Colo. “They’re miles ahead of younger people when it comes to Experience, Expertise, Seasoned Judgment and Proven Performance.”</p>