Leaving Their Mark

On the 10th of this month, my baby sister Jayne celebrates a birthday. Why is that important? Well, Jayne and the 300,000 or so other kids who were born in December 1964 are the last of the baby boomers to hit the big 4-0. This, in many ways, marks the end of an era. The generation that for so long has dominated American mind-sets and habits, that has permanently influenced fashion (think casual Fridays), cars (it's no coincidence that the Mustang was born the year the first boomers turned 18), music, and so much more is now "officially" all grown up. Sort of.

Actually, one of the legacies we boomers have contributed to our nation is: No one acts their age anymore. A survey I saw a few years ago said that Americans aged 35 to 85 acted 10 years younger than their chronological ages. And for entrepreneurs, that's a good thing. It gives you a wider market to sell your products and services to. Younger boomers like my sister have much in common with older Gen Xers. They share many of the same concerns and lifestyles-raising families, saving money, trying to balance work and home.