If you were born between 1946 and 1964, you belong to the Baby Boomer generation. There are a whopping 77 million of us, according to the U.S. Census.
The first boomers turned 60 on January 1, 2006.
Our generation is the largest population cohort of any before us or following us. We've been described as the pig that was swallowed by a python.
A pythons swallows its food whole and the bulge is visible as it moves through the snake's body. That's us; we're the proverbial demographic bulge in the U.S. population.
That we are such big group is what has always given our generation its power and influence in the marketplace, in politics and in society.
Now we're about to make a big impact on society again as we get closer to the retirement age of our parents' generation. Consider these AARP numbers:
- More than 10,000 Americans mark their 60th birthday every day
- By 2015, 45% of the U.S. population will be 50 or older
That's a big switch from the 1960s when half the population was under 30.
Now we are about to decide how we'll be spending the next 10, 20 or 30 years of our lives.
One choice is to start a business. Entrepreneurship, once the domain of the young, is now being embraced by many boomers. According to Paul Magelli, senior scholar-in-residence at the Kauffman Foundation, "Baby boomers are looking at starting real businesses--looking for another 10- to 12- to 15-year career, God willing."
Are you considering starting a business of your own as you move into your 50s and 60s?
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