Boomer influence: The celebrity influence in television, movies and magazines make it seem like our society is solely focused on the trends of the young. But did you know that America's 76 million baby boomers (Those who are now mid-40s to mid-60s) have an annual spending power of $2 trillion? This group continues to exert a huge influence over worldwide cultures and industries.
 
According to the MetLife Mature Market Institute, boomers born in 1946 don't consider themselves "old" until about age 78. The biggest mistake entrepreneurs can make is in thinking that a boomer's age is indicative of where they are in life. If your business wants to attract this powerful age group, don't focus on their age, but on their life stages or lifestyles: empty nesters, singles, grandparents and so on.
 
A greener world: Going green is something all ages are into, and that eco-consciousness has been increasing. Seventy percent of us now feel that we have a responsibility to make the world a better place when it comes to the environment. Nearly 60 percent of us buy from companies that give back, and more than half purchase so-called "green brands."
 
Just as the 19th century was powered by coal and the 20th century by oil, we're now moving in the direction of an era that will be powered by the sun, the wind, wave motion and renewable energy from within the Earth. And while large companies tend to hire established renewable energy vendors, a huge untapped market is for products and services for small businesses and homeowners who want to go solar or geothermal.
 
If you're an innovator, these trends add up to one big idea for 2009: Opportunity.