I certainly changed in 2011.

Bet you and your business did too.

Des Moines’ business community was rich with change in the past year, and as you flip through our new year-end edition, you’ll see a beat-by-beat breakdown of all the top business stories for the year. In my mind, one word cropped up again and again – change.

OK, maybe I’m biased. I changed jobs, from ESPN’s College GameDay to editor of the Business Record. Changed homes, from Florida beaches back to Iowa snow (kinda). And changed relationship statuses on Facebook (so yeah, you know it’s official), from single to engaged.

We had plenty of change at the Business Record, too. We staffed up from five newsroom members to six when I returned as editor. And, we hired a new reporter, Chelsea Keenan, also a Florida import – but not my fiancée – to cover culture and economic development.

Many of our changes, as a result of the improved resources, were happening behind the scenes in an effort to put us in the best position to continue providing the business news and analysis you crave. But a few you might have noticed. We switched from one to two daily e-newsletters per day. We launched a new series called “One Big Question” and another called “The Entrepreneurs.” And we began fine-tuning our focus of the print product towards a news magazine style, while providing breaking and hard news online.

Of course, what changed most was the community on which we reported. From leaders like Shannon Cofield and Martha Willits moving on, to new leaders like Kristi Knous emerging, to the many such as Elizabeth Kruidenier and Ray Townsend who passed away. We watched the stock market once again play cruel tricks on our hearts, and Capital Crossroads launch in an effort to improve the heart of Iowa. We witnessed the growth spurt of Des Moines’ tech start-up community and the meteoric rise of Ben Milne’s Dwolla Corp. But, unfortunately, what we watched most frequently in 2011 was the painful fall of many of Des Moines’ successful developers.

From John Kline to Jon Garnaas, the West Glen development to David and Randal Walters – it was the year of lawsuits, bankruptcies and court cases.

Our word cloud cover was created by taking the words from all of this week’s stories and utilizing a free program called Wordle. It’s a representation of the words most used in this week’s paper, and by nature a look at the key words and stories of 2012 – it’s no coincidence that “bankruptcy” showed up the largest.

So, what changes will 2012 bring? What will be the key stories and issues affecting your business?

It’s hard to know, but our reporters are hard at work getting ready to help you take a peek at 2012 in our next issue, “2012 in Preview.”

The one thing I do know, actually marrying my frail “never driven in snow” Florida-native fiancée in May? Well … that’s dependent on how her first winter treats her – so far, so good.

Ah, let it rain – now, that would be a change.