[동향] 비즈니스 붐Up을 위한 아이디어

미국의 Entrepreneurship 저널에서 Baby Boom 세대들을 타겟으로 한 창업 사례들을 실어 두었기에 여기에 공유합니다.

As a business owner, the baby boomer generation is your latest and greatest cash cow. They want to look good. They want to feel good. Some of them are retiring. Some of them want to work forever. But most of them have at least two things in common: They have money to spend and they know what they want. Here are some business that found the secret to selling it to them.

미국 베이비 붐 세대들이 가지고 있는 공통점 두 가지
1. 유효 소비력이 출중하다.
2. 그들이 그들이 원하는 것이 무엇인지 알고있다.  

특징 사항
1. 그들은 잘 보이고 싶어한다.
2. 그들은 좋은 것들을 느끼고, 경험하고 싶어한다.
3. 그들 중 누군가는 은퇴를 경험하고 있고 어떤 이들은 영원히 일하고 싶어한다.

본격적인 사례 소개에 들어가기에 앞서 참고로 2005년 통계청 자료를 살펴보면, 2005년 대한민국 연령별 인구 분포는 하기와 같습니다. 베이비 붐 세대의 대표 주자로 종종 회자되던 58년 개띠 출생 분포에 해당하는 45~49세 부문과 이후 10여 년 출생자들의 인구수가 뚜렷이 많습니다. 본 자료는 2005년 것이니, 지금은 4년씩 더해서 보셔야겠죠. ^^

	(1,000명)	남    자	여    자	(%)	남    자	여    자
	Total pop.
	(In 1,000 pop.)	Male	Female	Composition	Male	Female	Sex  ratio
< 2 0 0 5 >
계	47 041	23 466	23 576	100.0	100.0	100.0	99.5
0 ∼   4	2 382	1 237	1 145	5.1	5.3	4.9	108.1
5 ∼   9	3 169	1 654	1 515	6.7	7.0	6.4	109.2
10 ∼ 14	3 435	1 816	1 619	7.3	7.7	6.9	112.2
15 ∼ 19	3 101	1 626	1 474	6.6	6.9	6.3	110.3
20 ∼ 24	3 662	1 916	1 746	7.8	8.2	7.4	109.7
25 ∼ 29	3 672	1 858	1 814	7.8	7.9	7.7	102.5
30 ∼ 34	4 096	2 060	2 036	8.7	8.8	8.6	101.2
35 ∼ 39	4 113	2 066	2 047	8.7	8.8	8.7	100.9
40 ∼ 44	4 123	2 082	2 041	8.8	8.9	8.7	102.1
45 ∼ 49	3 901	1 962	1 939	8.3	8.4	8.2	101.2
50 ∼ 54	2 855	1 427	1 429	6.1	6.1	6.1	99.9
55 ∼ 59	2 278	1 127	1 151	4.8	4.8	4.9	97.9
60 ∼ 64	1 889	897	991	4.0	3.8	4.2	90.5
65 ∼ 69	1 680	756	924	3.6	3.2	3.9	81.8
70 ∼ 74	1 253	514	738	2.7	2.2	3.1	69.6
75세이상	1 432	466	966	3.0	2.1	4.1	48.2

한국의 해당 세대도 역시 미국의 붐 세대가 가지고 있는 특징을 공유하고 있을거라는 심증은 충분히 갑니다. 그러면, 하기에 소개되는 비즈니스 모델들도 저희 토양에 적용할 수 있을지, 어떻게 토착화할 수 있을지 진지하게 고민해 보아야겠습니다. 

 

Skin Fitness Plus

Dr. Julia Tatum Hunter always knew that the key to good health was in the prevention. While she was working as an anesthesiologist for plastic surgeons, she realized that this philosophy was true for beauty as well. "People would come in, spend all this money, and two years later they looked exactly the same," she says. With the firm belief that health and beauty go hand in hand, Hunter opened Skin Fitness Plus in 2005. Since then, her Beverly Hills-based practice's gross income has grown 70 to 90 percent every year. Dr. Hunter says that her business is successful simply because it delivers the results. "The body is an orchestra, and every organ has to be harmonious. The skin is merely a window to what goes on inside." She offers her clients not only peels and laser procedures, but also advice on nutrition and exercise that treats problems like adult acne and skin diseases and promotes skin restoration and prevention. By taking a more holistic approach, her patients end up not only looking better, but improving things such as their cholesterol and digestion as well. The 51-year-old doctor hopes that her practice will help patients to "be young at any age."

- 미용 외과 성공 사례 : 특별한 비즈니스 마법이 존재하는 것은 아니고, 단지 Baby Boomer들이 언제라도 젊어 보이고 싶어한다는 사실을 잘 이용한 것만으로도 성공했다.

 

Cinzia Designs

While working in the optical industry, Cynthia Shapiro saw the need for functional and fashionable reading glasses. "I wanted to take a boring and stodgy necessity, and make it into a sophisticated and stylish accessory," says Shapiro, 58. Cinzia Designs has 14 employees and carries eyewear and accessories in a wide variety of colors and styles. She gets her products in front of as many eyes as possible by having in-house marketing and PR departments that work hard to get Cinzia Designs in newspapers like USA Today and on websites like About.com. The Scottsdale, Ariz.-based company's best-selling products are readers that range in price from $20 to $150. "The readers sell well because we offer them at a price for every budget and reflect our dedication to Baby Boomers and their desire to remain fashionable, even as they age." The biggest hurdle Shapiro faced was convincing boutiques and other retail outlets that readers are not just tools to help aging people read, but fashion accessories as well. Shapiro says that the best thing about being her own boss is fulfilling her passion for design. "I truly get to create my vision from concept to inception."

- 패션 돋보기 안경(?) 성공 사례: 역시 Baby Boomer들이 언제라도 Fashionable한 상태로 남고 싶어한다는 부분을 적절하게 따라잡은 비즈니스. 나이 지긋하신 분들을 대상으로 한 돋보기 안경을 패션 아이템으로 설득시켜 Boutique와 Outlet에 진열하는 것이 힘들었다는 점은, 앞으로 있을 나의 Design Oriented Business Journal 사업에서도 발생할 것으로 예상된다.  

 

Care4Hire.com

"I think everybody would love to try and keep their parents out of a nursing home a few years longer, but not everyone has the time," says Candi Wingate. That's where her company Care4hire.com comes in. Care4hire.com is an online database that connects people with help such as housekeepers, tutors, babysitters, pet sitters and elderly/companion caregivers that assist with daily household chores like making meals, providing transportation and doing laundry. Wingate started out as a nanny and founded Nannies4hire.com in 2002, which along with Care4Hire.com has been featured on the Dr. Phil show. The 38-year-old wife and mother of two understands how essential an extra pair of hands can be. "It's especially needed when the people who need the care don't have family living close enough by them," she says. To give her clients peace of mind, Care4Hire.com allows them to preview the caregivers for free. The site even has helpful tools like sample interview questions, reference forms and contracts. With the variety of services that it offers, the Norfolk, Neb.-based company has seen a lot of success with repeat clients. The secret to running her $3.5 million company seems to be no secret at all: "I'm definitely hands-on in the office and I talk to my clients and listen carefully to their needs on a regular basis."

- 가정부, 교사, 보모, 애견 맘, 말 동무 등을 연결해주는 Care4hire : 본 비즈니스는 위치적으로 가까이 지내는 가족이 부재하여 도움이 필요한 노인들에게 직접적인 도움을 주기 힘든 상황을 적절하게 이용해서 성공했다. 사람과 사람을 직접 연결시켜주는 업인 만큼 신용과 신뢰가 생명인 이 시장에서 그들은 소개 과정을 보다 정교하게 System화하여 고객 Return율도 높이고 있다고!

 

 

Newco Enterprises LLC

When fellow real estate agents couldn't keep track of their plethora of gadgets and gizmos for work, Jean Newell, 62, created the PUP, or personal utility pouch, for on-the-go organizing. In order to take her Florida-based company to the next level, Newell had to act fast on finding creative marketing resources. "You also have to be a good listener. Then you can explain why your product or service is exactly what Boomers are looking for," explains Newell, who started her home-based business in 2003. While Newell used charisma and creativity to put her product on the airwaves of QVC and the "Today" show, sometimes discovering new marketing techniques by accident has also been extremely beneficial to her. She takes full advantage of posting videos on YouTube, blogging and email blasting, so her product pops up on Google's first page of search results. Asking for feedback from media outlets and staying on top of current events also keeps her on track. With 2009 sales estimated at $250,000, and 250,000 PUPs sold on the horizon, this self-proclaimed "boomerpreneur" is a shining star.

 

 

Active By Choice

The Methots have always been an extremely active family, from vigorous walking and running to yoga and golf--and growing older hasn't slowed them down. In fact, they've gained momentum by creating a business out of it. "We realized that we were representative of our target market, and with our knowledge and experience, could meet what we saw as a void in our industry," says Celeste Methot, who, along with mother Eleanor, 76, and sister Michelle Fuchs, created Active By Choice in 2006. It's an e-commerce business dedicated to promoting healthy and active lifestyles for all ages. As boomers themselves, Celeste, 51, and Michelle, 48, wanted to give other boomers and seniors an accessible information portal that catered to their fitness needs as well as their age groups. The Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based company dives into wide array of marketing techniques by looking for emerging trends, optimizing its web pages for organic search and securing reciprocal links and affiliate partners. In addition to web-based marketing, Celeste also takes a more traditional approach, including print ads, media outreach, and partnering with charities that address chronic diseases such as Diabetes and Osteoporosis. With projected 2009 sales of $500,000, this is one family affair that will keep on going--long after you finish your workout.

건강과 적극적인 삶을 위한 제품 판매 쇼핑몰 : 노년층을 상대로 만든 Web Site일 것이라 생각하고 무언가 특별한 것을 기대하고 사이트에 접속해 보았지만, Typography나 Layout 등의 일차적인 측면에서 차별점은 보이지 않는다. 국내 쇼핑몰들이 너무 잘 되어 있어서 그런가..

 

 

Boomster

Steve Campus is looking his dream job in the face every day--in a sense. The 66-year-old is the co-founder of Boomster, a New York-based online information portal focusing on baby boomers' adventures, interests and ventures, and enjoys many features on the site himself.  Whether you're a deep sea diver, gardening aficionado, island-hopping explorer or future importer of fine Brazilian rum, Boomster has an abundance of information for or from every boomer member out there. Getting feedback from members themselves is Campus' marketing strategy in its purest form- surveys, discussion boards, and live, interactive chat rooms give him and his team a sense of what the customer really wants. "We're giving them information, and they, in turn, make the decision about what they want, but we've found that face-to-face communication and privacy are important [for boomers]," says Campus. With its debut in October of last year and an estimated $1.8 million in total revenue for 2009, Boomster stays on its toes by constantly unveiling new site features that are high tech, but low tech to use. The site's Dreamsearcher feature helps members achieve their lifelong dream jobs with accessible how-to and startup information right at their fingertips. Boomster Live, an interactive, face-to-face chat room for discussions will be available in mid-April.

노년층의 꿈을 실현 시켜주기 위한 정보 포털 : 어드벤처, 관심사, 벤처 회사 설립 등 다양한 분야에 걸쳐서 노인들이 '여전히 하고 싶어하는' 꿈을 실현할 수 있는 정보를 찾아보고, 논의할 수 있는 플랫폼. Good!

Source: Entrepreneur Journal