Most business owners know how important it is to stay ahead of the curve. Failure to adapt and evolve with new best practices and trends can see you falling behind your competition and struggling to stay relevant with your target market.
By contrast, predicting trends is one of the best ways to ensure your relevance with modern consumers. If you’re gearing up for another successful year in business, it pays to be aware of some of the small business trends and predictions.
Automation
Automation delivers an abundance of benefits, saving you time, increasing profits, and paving the way for higher productivity. If you’ve been considering accounts payable automation software or any other form of automation, now is certainly the time to take the leap.
When previously labor-intensive and time-intensive tasks become automated through machinery, software, and technology, your team’s time is freed for more critical business tasks.
Global Teams
According to some of the latest projections, more than a quarter of all professional jobs in North America will be remote by the end of 2022. Instead of in-person teams working together on common goals, remote workers from all around the world will be relying on team management apps to communicate online and achieve those same tasks.
While this model doesn’t work for every business, it’s proving popular in lines of work that predominantly rely on technology. Business owners can enjoy increased productivity, more profit potential, and higher staff retention rates, while employees can enjoy more work-life balance and job satisfaction. It’s also worth noting that no one will be sad to say goodbye to frustrating commutes!
A Focus on Sustainability
Surveys have shown that two-thirds of US adults are willing to pay more for sustainable products that provide social, economic, and environmental benefits while protecting the planet and public health.
While the average corporation can’t fix its sustainability issues overnight, it can make small changes to limit its impact and improve consumer opinions. From offering remote work and public transit benefits to using sustainable packaging and making energy-efficient upgrades, there are plenty of small changes that can have an overwhelmingly positive effect on public image.
Diversity
Diverse workplaces were already in the spotlight in 2022, and that’s unlikely to change as we speed into 2023. Businesses are being encouraged to create diverse workplaces that provide workers with benefits that genuinely enrich their lives.
Some of the most diverse and inclusive workplaces already offer inclusion training for managers, allow time off for religious and cultural holidays, and hire diversity experts to identify successes and failures.
Emphasis on Mental Health
The year 2023 is already gearing up to be the year of quiet quitting. In many cases, this problem is a direct result of employees getting tired of going above and beyond only to receive no recognition for their efforts.
To avoid losing your best team members due to stress and exhaustion, make mental health your focus for the new year. Ensure all employees have a voice and feel encouraged to communicate their wants and needs and make time for regular check-ins with your team to ensure they feel valued. You might even see the value in running mental health and well-being initiatives to engage your staff and provide holistic support.
Businesses continuously change and evolve to meet the needs of their consumers. If you’re unaware of business trends, you aren’t in the best position to keep your business moving forward successfully. However, if you take note of the trends above, you should be better positioned to make 2023 your best year yet.
Image Credits: JESHOOTS.COM
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