The Venture Edge

According to the talking heads on my TV set, the U.S. economy has gone to hell in a handbasket, and nothing short of regime change in Washington will turn it around. Bad Santa is here to stay, and he's mad as hell.

It's my favorite time of year. No -- not Christmas, though that rates right up there. It's the time of year when trendwatching.com names its 12 Crucial Consumer Trends for the upcoming year, in this case 2012. If you've got a business and you want to meet your customers where THEY are, then this list is worth a look. Here are the top-five trends -- click here for the complete list of 12, along with detailed explanations. 

 As I'm in the midst of doing grades to end the semester, I have to laugh at all the people who think it's a walk in the park to teach at a university.  Tonight when I should be putting up my Christmas tree, I'm trying to calculate the grades for my two classes this semester.  Normally I wouldn't complain about something that's simply part of the job, but, sorry, grading is something I really dislike.

Even though the U.S. Senate is determined to give us all a present on Chirstmas Eve that we'll definitely want to exchange or regift to someone we don't like, I have to say that this is one of the best times of the year. People are out and about--they may not be buying as much this year, but they look happy and less frightened abut the future than they did last Christmas season.  Optimism is a good thing.  Entrepreneurs tend to be optimists who look for opportunities in situations that other less creative types might find daunting.  The cup is always half full, I say..