Being your own boss is a dream many people wish for. The most straightforward way to accomplish this is by starting your own business. When you are your own boss, there are perks you will find along the way, including freedom in business decisions that will lead to your success. There are certain trends in business a new entrepreneur should be aware of, though.
With many rewards and risks in being an entrepreneur, you’ll want to pay attention to new trends in business. Being knowledgeable of the top trends in business will provide you with unique insight into the industry. In this article, you will learn about the current trends in business, what some of the top trends are, and what we anticipate some future trends in business will be.
What Is Business?
A business is an entity or organization that provides services or goods to consumers for a profit. Common services and goods a business could supply are food services, electronic devices, hotel and lodging services, and clothing brands.
In business, it is crucial to think about the target market and consumer behavior. Defining who will benefit from the goods and services, and who is the most likely to purchase them, will increase your overall success. An understanding of business operations and business models is essential. Having plans in place for unexpected events like the COVID-19 pandemic will help drive business growth.
What Is the Current State in Business?
The current state of business is uncertain because of the coronavirus pandemic. Guidant Financial reports trends for small businesses during the pandemic. They noted that 78 percent of small businesses expect their businesses to survive, with only four percent expecting them to fail. 23 percent of survey respondents reported revenue losses from these extraordinary circumstances.
The overall state of business over the last few years, though, has been favorable for business owners. According to a report from the Small Business Association (SBA), the median income of self-employed people of incorporated businesses was $51,816. This shows that small businesses are capable of success and business growth.
Impact of Remote Work on Business
There has been a large social impact from remote work as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Remote work has allowed businesses to be flexible in their hiring decisions, onboarding employees from all over the globe. Working from home, and new guidelines like the vaccine mandate, also ensured the safety of all employees, especially during the surge of the pandemic.
Regarding the negative impacts, businesses have had to quickly adapt to new strategies to prevent a negative economic impact from the coronavirus crisis. Collaborative tools have had to be implemented to provide staff with the necessary support. Further, companies have had to utilize new software for file sharing and conferencing to adapt to new business requirements.
Top Challenges in Business
Business challenges will always be present, even when we aren’t in the middle of a coronavirus crisis, no matter what kind of business you run. Facing these roadblocks head-on is key in achieving your business goals and avoiding falling behind. Below are some of the significant challenges in business that you should be aware of.
- Maintaining exceptional customer experience: Gaining a deeper understanding of consumer behavior and providing an excellent customer experience will lead to economic growth for your company. With the Covid-19 crisis, many customers prefer digital shopping or using curbside pickup to prioritize safety, and businesses have had to adapt.
- Keeping up with digital transformation: Quickly adapting as new technology and software emerge is one of the best ways to maintain relevancy and success. The challenge is being aware of the technological trends in business and meeting the consumer expectation.
- Hiring the right talent: Hiring employees that are loyal, hard-working, and have the business’s best interests in mind is pivotal in any successful business. To attract talented staff, make sure you pay them well and provide benefits like healthcare coverage.
- Besting the competition: Saturated markets can be difficult to top, but it is possible to accomplish. Providing the best customer experience, goods and services, and capturing the target market’s attention are all great strategies for besting the competition.
- Creating excellent marketing campaigns: Creating captivating and persuasive marketing campaigns is one of the key drivers for your success. By expanding your reach, you expand your target audience and attract customers. Creating and managing campaigns is challenging, so hiring staff who understand social media analytics is vital.
What Are Some Future Trends in Business?
The business industry is always subject to change, which is why business owners should be aware of not just the current trends, but any future trends. This next section provides you with an idea of what some future trends in business might be, and why it is important for you to implement them.
Social Media
It is already known that social media is a powerful tool that can and should be used by businesses. According to Statista, the number of users on the most popular social media platforms has reached over 3.96 billion users in 2022, with that number continuing to grow to 4.41 billion by 2025.
Social media advertisements are a way to expand your reach. Having a social media presence is the number one way to increase brand awareness, and it can even help you provide customer service. This is one of the biggest business trends, as almost every company has at least one social media profile.
Why Is This Trend Important?
Many brands are utilizing platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook. Having a presence on social media not only increases brand awareness but lets your competitors see that you are still in the competition and capable of adapting.
COVID-19 Vaccine Policy
Vaccinations can be a controversial topic, but many businesses agree that having a vaccine mandate in place will benefit the health of the company. Not only does it provide your employees with a safe working environment, but it also allows your customers to feel comfortable when entering your business.
Why Is This Trend Important?
It seems that the COVID-19 pandemic is here to stay for some time. If you haven’t done this step already, it might be time to do so. The health and safety of staff and customers should come first, and a policy should be in place to ensure that. Your business continuity plan will need to be updated to reflect these changes and should be kept updated regardless of if there is a pandemic.
Authenticity and Purposeful Business
Being authentic and purposeful in your business endeavors is more important now than it has ever been. When a business is authentic, it is able to make a human connection. Consumers value things like honesty, empathy, and compassion, and are likely to be drawn to you if your mission aligns with their beliefs.
Depending on your target market, try to ethically source your products and make your mission known through advertising. Many consumers will even pay more for a product if they feel it is the more ethical option.
Why Is This Trend Important?
Consumers are searching for brands they can feel confident in and proud of supporting. When a brand aligns with their beliefs, it makes them feel connected and listened to, and that they are doing something good when supporting you. This can be great for the financial health of your company.
Growth of Virtual Marketplaces
Online spending has taken the world by storm, completely altering how consumers shop. Due to the initial world closure from the COVID-19 virus, shopping in-person has decreased, and online shopping has increased. This means it is time for businesses to move online. There are numerous virtual marketplaces available to partner up with to sell your products.
Why Is This Trend Important?
After building your online presence, consumers want the convenience of being able to purchase your products online. Having a mobile-friendly site with a customer-friendly user interface will attract customers. Setting up contactless payment, alternative payment options, and other digital services to ensure the process is as easy and convenient as possible.
Data Economy
Data economy is a digital ecosystem that obtains and sifts through information collected from Internet users that will help you gain business insights. By investing your time and energy into the data economy as a business, you will be able to understand your customers better and be able to create a customer profile for target market and demographics purposes.
Why Is This Trend Important?
By gaining insight into consumer behaviour and purchasing tendencies of your target market, you will be able to serve them better. You can personalize your products according to the customer’s interests, which will ultimately increase your business’s profit margin.
To procure this essential information, consider creating online surveys, investing in data analytics programs and tools, social media listening software, and studying customer relationship management (CRM).
Essential Business Skills for Today’s Professionals
If you’re already a business owner, or thinking about building a business, having the proper skills for the profession is the best way to facilitate success. The skills listed below are the foundation of what makes any business thrive.
- Financial management. Managing your business’ finances correctly is crucial. You need to know how, when, and where to spend your money, whilst monitoring your profits and losses. Determining if a purchase is a good investment takes practice but will lead to long-term gain.
- Communication. Being able to communicate efficiently and effectively means having both written and verbal communications skills. When dealing with suppliers, customers, investors, and employees, you have to be professional and assertive to build excellent working relationships.
- Leadership. As a business owner, you will be overseeing and managing many people. Being able to delegate tasks, share your vision, and make your employees feel valued is all part of being a great leader.
- Problem-solving. There will be problems and challenges that will arise. The important thing here is making good decisions even when you’re under a lot of pressure and weighing which path ahead is good for the business goals.
- Networking. You know how to build rapport with others. This helps grow your business because all businesses need people, whether you’re thinking about employees, suppliers, or customers. You must be able to reach out to others and build trust.
Can a Coding Bootcamp Help Me Prepare for the Future of Business
Yes, a coding bootcamp can help you prepare for the future of business. A coding bootcamp in business will provide you with an understanding of some of the fundamental concepts of business, like the use of data, digital strategies, and business analytics.
The advantage of a coding bootcamp, as opposed to formal higher education, is the time in which it can be completed. Bootcamps take less time than business degrees while still teaching you all the necessary concepts.
Top Business Bootcamps
There are many great bootcamps that will help to expand your business knowledge. Regardless of if you are just starting out as a business owner, or you have been a business owner for some time, a business-related coding bootcamp will provide you with the relevant training to be a successful business owner. Enroll in one of the bootcamps below to start off on the right foot.
"Career Karma entered my life when I needed it most and quickly helped me match with a bootcamp. Two months after graduating, I found my dream job that aligned with my values and goals in life!"
Venus, Software Engineer at Rockbot
| Bootcamp | Program | Tuition | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| MIT Sloan Exec Ed | Applied Business Analytics | $2,800 | Online, part-time |
| WeCloudData | Business Intelligence Certificate Program | $5,600 | Online, part-time |
| Cambridge Judge Business School | Business Analytics: Decision making Using Data | $2,000 | Online, part-time |
| Wharton Exec Ed | Entrepreneurship Acceleration Program: Scaling Your Business | $1,950 | Online, part-time |
| Columbia Business School | Digital Strategies for Business | $1,500 | Online, part-time |
Current Trends in Business: Take the Next Step in Your Career
When building or maintaining a business, there are challenges you will face, and changes that will test you. These challenges, though, are a learning experience, and adapting to the current trends in business is one way to learn and grow.
By incorporating the current trends in business, you are already setting yourself up for success. Knowing what some of the future trends in business are, like social media presence and using the data economy, you will put yourself one step ahead of the competitor. Keep these trends in business in mind as you expand your company and grow your market.
Trends in Business FAQ
Almost all trends affect business, whether directly or indirectly, because trends can influence your customers’ buying decisions.
Examples of trends include social media visibility and personalized customer service experience.
The biggest business trend is the shift to remote operations due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Some of the emerging business trends for 2022 are keeping up a balance between human workers and artificial intelligence technology and the shift in the talent pool.
About us: Career Karma is a platform designed to help job seekers find, research, and connect with job training programs to advance their careers. Learn about the CK publication.
