The end of 2021 is fast approaching, and with it comes emerging trends for small businesses in the upcoming year. It means it’s time for you to discover what new emerging trends can help propel your business forward. Whether you want to scale up or maintain your size and keep the status quo, these trends can help you achieve your business goals.
You may be wondering, “Well, everything I’ve done so far has worked for my business without keeping up with new trends, so why should I start now?” Why should you keep up with new business trends? If you haven’t, let us be the first to tell you that you should! Sure, everything in your business right now is all fine, but there will come a time when the competition will gain an insurmountable lead, and you won’t notice it until it finally affects your revenue.
Apart from staying relevant, keeping up with business trends can also help you stay ahead of the game and your competitors. Business trends give you options and solutions you can take that could further grow your business into an authoritative figure in your industry.
If that’s enough to get you on board with learning about new business trends, here are some that you should know.
Get Online
E-commerce will thrive in the year 2022. It’s because most business owners, even those that didn’t like the idea of moving their business online, have made the switch. They had to adapt to the demands of a new wave of online shoppers looking for ways to shop for their wants and needs without exposing themselves to the virus. E-commerce became the heart of it all.
Not only was it advantageous for people shopping online, but it also proved to be beneficial for business owners too. It helped them lower overhead costs and eliminated the need for a physical store for others. It meant that business owners could operate their businesses exclusively online and in the comfort of their own homes with minimal management and operational costs.
E-commerce is a great place to start if you’re considering starting a business in 2022, especially for beginners and new business owners. It requires the least amount of funding since it eliminates many of the operating expenses of a physical store, like getting a commercial lease or hiring staff.
Video Marketing
The supremacy of social media and the dawn of viral short-form videos is taking over the digital marketing world by storm. It’s these impactful, attention-grabbing, and engaging video content that are kings in today’s world. TikTok, YouTube shorts, and Instagram reels have become all the rage and serve as the new way to consume content, all of which contain videos that run about under a minute.
These videos share a similar formula to a certain extent where they present the most attention-grabbing parts in the first 5 seconds to gain your interest. They then go more in-depth into the content in the following sequences. It’s a sure way to get you hooked immediately to stay for the whole video.
You can take advantage of that formula when showcasing the products and services of your business. Do it correctly, and it can do wonders for your online presence. It might feel out of place if your services are traditional, like HVAC companies. However, you can find agencies specializing in HVAC marketing to perform video content specifically for the industry.
Cashless Payments
The most emphasized precautionary measures against COVID-19 during this whole pandemic were the importance of sanitation and avoiding touching surfaces since the virus can spread that way. That is why it’s no surprise why more and more people, as well as businesses, are moving to cashless payments in 2022.
Cashless payments are just as its name suggests. They’re a collection of payment methods that don’t require the physical transfer of cash from one person to another. It helps people avoid unnecessary contact between them and another person when purchasing goods. The most common form of cashless payments are as follows:
- Credit cards
- Digital wallets
- Payment apps
- E-gift cards and vouchers
- Bank QR codes
- Point-of-sale (PoS) systems
Over time, there will be more and more cashless payments available. As long as you have the first three cashless payment methods available both online or in your physical store, then it’s more likely people will feel comfortable shopping with you. It also sends an underlying message to your customers that you care about their health and safety. Additionally, giving them options in how to pay can give them a better experience when shopping, increasing the likelihood that they’ll return to your business.
Whatever business you are in, it’s always a good habit to discover new emerging business trends. They can become catalysts in helping you reach your business goals each year. Through them, you can stay relevant, up to date, and ahead of the competition and comfortably grow your business.
