More than half of the businesses in this country are owned by someone who’s 55 or older.

That’s according to the Census Bureau. That’s 3 million companies, all run by people who are at or near retirement age. And most of us have never thought about what happens next.

We worry about recessions, layoffs, and interest rates. But there’s a different kind of shift coming. One that doesn’t really have a name yet.

It’s not exactly a crash. It’s a mass retirement. Three million owners are going to go poof. They’re deciding whether to sell or to close, or who to hand it off to.

That’s our hardware stores, the accounting firms, and the landscaping companies. That’s your entire town.

What happens when half the people who build our businesses decide they’re done? We’ll find out soon.

The best conversations are two-way streets. I want to hear from you.

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