Crystal Ball Gazing

To figure out what the new census numbers mean for our region, I interviewed Ithaca-based population expert Brad Edmondson, whose byline you might remember seeing in Biz941. Brad is one of those rare journalists who has specialized in demography, and he writes for a number of national publications about the huge and powerful waves of births, deaths and migrations that provide the momentum for social change. He’s particularly interested in chronicling the path of the baby boomers. Because he grew up in Nokomis and frequently visits his family here, he stays in touch with the changes in our region.

I had to laugh when Brad described the plight of the baby boomers—a group we both belong to. He says that because of the sheer force of our numbers, we’ve come to think we’re the center of the universe and everything we do is groundbreaking and amazing. But now we face a huge challenge: Many of us will not have the money to retire that we had anticipated having five years ago. Luckily, we’re also a resourceful and optimistic bunch. So even though we’ll be forced to find more affordable lifestyles, we will convince ourselves that this downsizing is just another one of our smart and creative advancements for humanity. We are also consumed with staying as young and healthy as possible, so any business that taps into these obsessions will do well—take note, Sarasota and Manatee entrepreneurs.

Brad has much more to say about what we should anticipate here. Read his interview on page 34—and a longer story on the same subject in this month’s issue of our sister publication, Sarasota Magazine. Baby boomers will be a hot topic this year, and Biz941 is a sponsor of the Ringling College of Art and Design’s Florida Boomer Lifestyle Conference 2011, March 9-10, 2011. The conference will focus on “Healthy Living by Design” and will cater to marketing and business executives whose companies offer products and services aimed at baby boomers. To find out more, go to floridaboomerlifestyle.com.

Take us to your leader. Every year Biz941 honors the region’s finest bosses in our Best Bosses contest. Tell us why your boss is the best. The more details, examples and stories you can give us about how your boss makes the workplace rewarding, challenging, fun and productive, the more we’ll understand why he or she should win. Hint, hint: The judges note when employees outside the company’s marketing and P.R. departments take the time to nominate in their own heartfelt ways.

You’ll find the nomination form online at biz941.com. The deadline for submissions is Feb. 7. Winners will be announced in our May 2011 feature, “Best Bosses,” and honored—along with the employees who nominated them—at a celebration this spring.

Here’s to a prosperous 2011 for all our businesses in Sarasota and Manatee.