The Evolving Nature of Retirement

With the first of the baby boomers nearing retirement age, there has been considerable ballyhoo about the changing nature of retirement. However, baby boomers do not so much represent a change as much as they do a continuation of the evolving nature of retirement.

In the agrarian economy of the 19th century, people did not retire; everyone was expected to make themselves useful. The knowledge and experience garnered in the process of aging allowed the elderly to continue to make valuable contributions in spite of their infirmities. However, with the transformation of the US economy from a rural, agrarian one to an urban, industrial one, the nature of the American work force changed. Factory work required speed, agility and strength, all of which erode as workers age. The knowledge and experience that came with age became less valuable, but older workers had little or no savings and thus had no choice but to continue working until they became overwhelmed by illness and old age. Retirement was measured in weeks or months.

During the Great Depression industrial unemployment reached nearly 25%. At least in part to move older workers out of the workforce to make room for younger ones, the federal government came up with Social Security. Consequently, with social security benefits and careful money management that often included living with their children, older workers might have had a few years during which they did not have to toil in a factory before they died. Retirement did not involve gracious living but at least it gained a foothold.

As the number of individuals eligible to receive social security increased and employers began offering private pension plans that could supplement personal savings and social security, many people began to perceive retirement as the “golden years,” a decade-long, permanent vacation at the end of life. As they became more affluent, and received increasingly generous private pension and social security benefits, people began retiring earlier and living longer. Thus the average length of retirement increased from about 8 years in 1950 to around 18 years today. Increasingly, benefits from social security and pensions together with careful planning have ensured that many people will have a relatively carefree retirement with time to pursue a second career, an avocation, or to just relax, and escape the responsibilities of raising a family and earning a living. -Gene Warren

CRM a New Idea for Local Governments

So, what exactly is CRM, or Customer Relations Man-agement? It is simply a set of technologies and meth-odologies used by organ-izations to manage their relationships with clients or potential clients. Some uses of CRM are to track customer preferences, manage ad-vertising campaigns, and document customer contact, to name a few. It is not a new idea for most businesses. In fact CRM has been used in the sales profession for a very long time.

What has CRM offered to local governments?  In general a CRM system has been used to manage communication with its citizens, commu-nication ranging from road construction advisories to upcoming community events. CRM systems, up to this point, have not been widely used as sales tools within govern-ments. How come? Most government entities have not needed to promote them-selves, the exceptions being tourism departments, con-vention and visitor’s bureaus, and chambers of commerce.

That notion may be changing. Relocating retirees have been proven to be beneficial to local economies, especially rural ones. The best way to get your community noticed is by getting the word out via advertising.  But advertising alone is not enough.  Advertising is great for generating sales leads and responses. Following up on these leads is crucial to a successful campaign. CRM helps communities begin  relationships with potential new residents. CRM also allows communities to gauge their success in different advertising media. CRM is the right choice to capitalize on your advertising budget. -Alan Church

The Parting Shot

The Lighter Side of Life

Long ago when men cursed and beat the ground
with sticks, it was called witchcraft.
Today, it’s called golf!