Prologue

In December of 2008 the National Bureau of Economic Research reported that the 73-month period of economic expansion had come to an end one year previously. Since December 2007, the United States and the industrial world have been experiencing a global recession. After several years of recession and constantly hearing reports about bank closures, government buy-outs, home foreclosures and the growing concern about the availability of health care and how it will be administered etc., consumers and business owners are numb and many are rightfully concerned about what will or wont happen next. In times like these, focusing on the unknown and negative aspects of the market and making decisions out of apathy and/or fear, could not only hurt your bottom line, but it could ultimately cost you your business. It is very important for you to realize that the actions you take during this time will determine the success of your business in the marketplace today; and that they will most definitely affect the level of success achieved when we return to better economic times. Determining the appropriate action/s for the success of your business will require that you muster enough concern and commitment to openly explore, understand and ultimately fill one or more of the unique needs of the consumer in todays marketplace.

Boom Again! The Market Awareness and Positioning Program for Small Business Success will help you to be proactive, persistent and passionate about taking action based on what you have learned, and to position your product and/or service for success in this market. Why not focus on the positive by spending some time learning about the opportunities that do exist, and what steps you can take to make your business a healthy business = successful business in this and any economy! Boom Again! will also give you the knowledge necessary to become a source of information and inspiration for your family, employees, customers and friends. Side bar: It is very clear that we need informed business leaders (outside of those in the government) who can be positive role models and instruments for positive growth and change in communities across this country. We are hoping that Boom Again! will inspire you to take action not only in your business, but in your community as well.

Boom Again! Q & A How does providing a product and/or service that helps the consumer to age healthy equate to having a healthy successful business? The largest segment of our population the Baby Boomer Generation, is aging. In fact, no matter how much we try to ignore it, escape it or cover it up; from birth on we are all aging. The Boomer Generation because of its size, spirit and propensity to re-define things will redefine aging as they move through it, and this will eventually change the overall perception of aging for the better. Future generations will definitely benefit by having the opportunity to view aging in a more positive light, as not only being an unavoidable part of life, but as something to accept, plan for, celebrate and share.

The Boom Again! Market Awareness and Positioning Program for Small Business Success offers you the tools necessary to become aware of exciting market opportunities and to use what you learn to position your product and/or service for the healthy aging consumer. Since everyone is aging, if you are positioned right, you will have a huge market to tap into for years to come. The consumers healthy aging needs are presented and successfully addressed in the following five Boom Again! chapters: The Aging of America No More business as Usual: The population of the United States is aging at a rapid pace. A Baby Boomer turns 60 years of age every 11 seconds and the fastest growing segment of our population is age 85+. This chapter helps you to be aware of the fact that a very large generation of consumers is aging and that offering (marketing) your products and/or services to them to meet one or more of their needs can help them to age healthy. Boomer Perspectives, Needs and Buying Habits: The Baby Boomer Generation has perspectives, needs and buying habits that are different from any other generation. This chapter helps you to think about your product and/or service in terms of how it can fill one or more of the Baby Boomers needs, and it also gives you pertinent information on how the Baby Boomer likes to be treated as they age. Healthy Living Healthy Business: Healthy Living is a main topic of conversation today in the news, in boardrooms and city halls across the country. Chapter 3 covers some of the main components of health, Healthy Living, and how to position your product and/or service to fill the consumers healthy living and aging needs. The chapter then applies these same principles to building a healthy business.

The Aging in Place Overview: Ninety Five percent of Baby Boomers say that they want to age in the comfort and familiarity of their own home, and when you think about it, who doesnt? There are many different aspects of Aging in Place and there are many different ways that you can tie your business to the unique needs of the Aging in Place Market, helping the consumer to age healthy. Green and Sustainable Business & Life: Think about it for a minute, the real threat to the environment - planet is people. Fifty Four percent of Boomers buy green (and that figure is growing) and they support businesses that implement and follow green business practices. Green living with all of its correlations to healthy living is also necessary for the healthy aging of the consumer and the planet.

Why does Boom Again! focus on the Baby Boomer as the primary target market? a. The Boomer Generation has very strong market Influence A Baby Boomer is defined as someone who was born during an 18 year span between 1946 and 1964. There are 78 million Boomers and every 11 seconds a Boomer turns 60 years of age. Since 1946 Baby Boomers have been changing the face of the American Marketplace. The impact of the Baby Boomer generation and the effect of the Baby Boomer spirit have been so profound, that all though their lifetime businesses have created new products and services just for them. As the earliest Baby Boomers are approaching retirement age and the youngest are in their mid-40s the Baby Boomer market continues to evolve. Because of this, it is safe to say that Boomers have grown to expect more than previous generations from the businesses they do business with, and that they will insist on having access to new products and services that fit their unique needs as they age.

b. The Boomer Generation has very strong family influence The Boomer Generations Family in many cases consists of up to 5 generations. Generation Name
GI Generation Age 84 to 109 Traditionalists Silent Generation Age 65 to 83

Family Sphere of Influence

Children of prior generation; Parents of Silent and Boomer Generation Grandchildren of the prior generation to the GI Generation; Children of the GI Generation; Parents of the Boomer Generation and Gen Xers; Grandparents of Gen Xers and Millennials Grandchildren of the GI Generation; Children of the GI Generation and the Silent Generation; Parents of Gen Xers and Millennials; Grandparents of Millennials and age 1-13 The female Baby Boomer makes 85% of her familys brand purchasing decisions Children of the Silent Generation and the Boomer Generation; Parents of Millennials and age 1-13; Grandparents of age 1-13 Children of the Boomer Generation and Gen X; Parent of age 1-13

Boomer Generation Age 46 to 64

Generation X Age 30 to 45 Generation Y Millennials Echo Boomers Age 14 to 29

c. The Baby Boomer has very strong spending power Generations Annual Spending Power

Annual Spending Power in $Trillions By Generation

Silent Generation, Born 1927 to 1945, Ages 65 to 83
$900 Billion, $.9T Baby Boomer Generation, Born 1946 to 1964, Ages 46 to 64 $2 Trillion, $2T Generation X, Born 1965 to 1980, Ages 30 to 45
Note: The Dark Green Bar indicates Generation Annual Spending Power in Trillions of Dollars Note: No Annual Spending figures could be located on the GI Generation, 84+

$125 Billion, $.125T

Generation Y, Born 1981 to 2001, Ages 9 to 29 $175 Billion, $.175T, Reportedly 30% comes from Baby Boomers $0T $.5T $1T $1.5T $2T

What are the Boom Again! OPPORTUNITIES that can help my business to become a healthy (successful) business in todays marketplace? These Boom Again! OPPORTUNITITES are all Healthy (Successful) Business Opportunities! The Aging Consumer Opportunity: Learn what aging can mean to you and your business and why you should consider implementing new business practices to service the unique needs of the aging population and offering products and/or services that will help the consumer to age healthy. The Baby Boomer Opportunity: Find out about the Boomer Generations needs and buying habits are so that you can present your product and/or service to the Boomer as being able to fill one or more of their needs. The Healthy Living Opportunity: Learn about the importance of healthy living to the Baby Boomer and how the principles of healthy living can be applied to your business. The Aging in Place Opportunity: Find out what is currently on the market to help people to age in their home (Age in Place) and still remain active in their communities, and what your business can do to help facilitate this. The Green and Sustainable Business Opportunity: Learn about the importance of green and sustainable living, implementing green practices in your business and how your business can become certified to play a major role in conserving energy in your community.

Boom Again! What is a Strategic Alliance - Partnership and why should I consider forming one or more for the success of my business? A Strategic Alliance enables a business to gain competitive advantage through access to a partners resources including one or more of the following: products, technologies, services, markets, capital and people. Meaningful partnerships are the foundation for business success. The sharing of resources and capabilities by partners can help both companies to grow and make improvements where they may not have been able to on their own.

Strategic Alliances/Partnerships come in many different forms. What form a partnership will take is usually determined by the creativity and resources of the parties involved. Partnerships can be anything from legal partnerships, to more loosely formed partnerships where two or more companies share their marketing dollars, promote a specific dollar purchase at one business for a discount at another, or simply refer business to each other etc. Examples of Strategic Alliances partnerships are suggested throughout Boom Again! as an exceptional way for you to participate in the opportunities presented.

What is a Unique Selling Proposition (USP) and why do I need one for my business? Definition of Unique Selling Proposition: The factor or consideration presented by a seller as the reason that one product or service is different from and/or better than that of the competition. Positioning (developing a USP) is about making your offering different from, and more valuable than your competitors offerings, and then placing that idea in the minds of a target group of customers. Positioning attracts customers by creating a positive and unique identity for your company and its offerings and it is vital to distinguishing what your business offers from everybody elses. In a world where there are more and more products and services every day, your customers are on advertising overload all of the time. Positioning is the method that you can use to get and hold the attention of your prospect and to ultimately overshadow your competition. There may be very little difference between your product and your competitors, but if you cant find a way to communicate uniqueness and connect it to the need of your target, you might as well quit fighting and sell out to the competition. Boom Again! provides you with pertinent information about the needs of the Baby Boomer and then guides you through the process of building a Unique Selling Proposition that will position your product and/or service for success!

Boom Again! Thrive in the current market by following 6 simple steps 1. 2. 3. 4. Educate yourself on the changing demographics in the marketplace Target the market that has the most spending power and the most family influence Find out what your target market wants and needs Re-position, re-define or offer a new product and/or service to meet your target markets unique needs, 5. Or, partner with a business that offers a product and/or service to meet your target markets unique needs.then, 6. Build a strong and memorable USP to position your business for success!