Dec

How to Guarantee Explosive Growth for the Next 15 Years

Well, looks like Woolies are finally going to ‘bite the dust’.

Pretty sad really, I clearly remember walking into the bleak, grey store in Eastleigh when I was about 12 and buying a wilted ploythene wrapped rose bush and a ‘China’ cup with kittens on as a present for my Mum on Mothers Day.

I guess there are only so many ‘Magic Erasers’ and power adaptors a person can buy.

In truth my appraisal of why Woolies has fallen is simple.

It’s just not obvious why you’d go there.

In today’s world to stand any chance of survival you’ve gotta have a really, really good reason to be there. Low prices aren’t sustainable (keep an eye on ASDA and Wallmart — I predict and interesting future).

And that brings me this weeks big topic.

As you are no doubt well aware, back in the 60’s there was a lot of liberation and adult fun happening which resulted in a huge explosion in babies.

Over the last nearly 50 years those babies have been growing up.

And, they’ve been growing up in an era of more affluence, more time freedom and more abundance than ever seen in history.

It used to be that a person would hit 50, 55, 60, 65 retire and then wind down tenedering an allotment and managing on a pack of Irish sausages, 3 bits of coal and some Mellow Birds coffee.

They’d then spend 10, 25 or whatever years sort of ‘getting ready to die’ - horrid but true.

Any thoughts of doing something new, exciting and different were limited to a coaching holiday in Greece with Alfy or Gerty.

Often sat on a house worth a good few bob and no mortgage yet little dispodable income.

Not any more!

Out with the the khaki slacks, hush puppies, murray mints and in with the dental implants, designer shoes, extended holidays, second career, fun and a life expectancy dramatically higher than in years gone by.

The leading edge affluent boomer boom is upon us.

Like a giant mouse in a snake they’ve been slipping their way along the timeline for the last 50 odd years and are now descending upon us as the most affluent, highest spending demograhic in our and many international coutries economies.

Particulary women.

Female boomers have more money, more aspirations and more willingness to spend than we can skake a stick at.

What’s very importnat is this — within ten years there will be more over 65’s than under 16’s. Boomers own and control 80%of the countries wealth, a collective pot of around £175billion (don’t let Brown know, he’ll steal it and give to bankers). Plus, they have 30% more disposable cash than the under 50’s.

That demonstrates phenomenal spending power of those who have time, money and energy to spend.

So, where would you rather be?

Selling plastic iPod jackets to 17 year olds or £500 a night luxury dog accomodation with play room and personal TV that caters for affluent women who are travelling the world and re-living their youth and want the best dog care while they’re away.

Stupid question of course but I can assure you that NOT focusing on understanding how to engineer your business to cater for affluent boomers is a big mistake.

There is and will be too much ‘easy’ money for the RIGHT people to pick up.

And it’s a nicer place to be.

How do you re-engineer your business to attract these people is of course the big question.

We’re out of time here but I am considering running a ‘Boomer Attraction’ seminar (probably on the phone depending numbers — complete the contact us form on this site for info) or you can get in my private client queue.

This is a big focus area for me and I’m looking to take help a couple of people transform their businesses in this area and become case studies — if that’s of interest please fax me at:

0208 181 7632 (electronic fax, I’m in Swanage, not London).

Right, I’m off for a jog down to the beach hut. I find few things more rereshing than a bit of crisp morning air and a steaming cuppa overlooking the bay.

Keep fighting recession, have a great day,

Henry Baker.

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