2013 Small Business Trends

Every year brings new challenges and chances for success for businesses, and 2013 aims to be no different from years past. What will be the big trends for this year? Will we see a move towards more organic based marketing, or will computers take over more than they have now? What types of software will every business owner want to get their hands on this year? Read on below for our predictions!

1. Balance Offline and Online Marketing

If 2012 was the year businesses all over the globe embraced technology, 2013 will be the year they find a healthy balance between finding customers online and offline. While it’s difficult to say there’s a clear indication online marketing is a “trend,” it’s important for every company to find customers wherever they are.

Sometimes, this involves going offline and heading into the real world. As the trend continues down the path of customers relating to those who sell to them, expect the public to want more face to face time with sellers in their community.

Learn what members of your local area love to do and go out and do them. Volunteer for some activities or charities so you can find out the inner workings of your community. You should see things swinging your way fairly swiftly thereafter.

2. Know Regions Better

Your world is expanding, and you can’t expect to run your business the same way no matter where you go. Each region you enter will have different cultures and expectations when it comes to businesses they interact with, and not knowing these differences can be costly.

So expect companies to have to know more about the regions they’re selling to. Even individual states will have vastly different practices of which you should become accustomed.

It’s not just a matter of not offending anyone. It’s also a matter of maximizing sales in different parts of the world. The smallest mom & pop business can sell their Coke memorabilia like crazy if they know different parts of the United States have different names for the drink.

3. Lots of Numbers

Data is going to continue to be a big factor when it comes to business. The digital age has made it very easy to break down your company number by number, bit by bit. Not only will that not change, expect it to blow up even more in 2013.

Finances are of course a huge deal for every company, and there are plenty of online tools for everyone to use that break down every cent you’ve spent and earned. But that’s not the end of the tale, as social media interaction, warehouse management, and bill-saving energy usage apps keep you in tip-top shape.

So if you haven’t jumped on the “big data” trend, now is the time to do it! You should see a plethora of new software packages come out this year, each one bigger than the rest. Best of all, many of these are free to try, at least for a while, so you have no excuse not to at least give them a shot.

What trends do you expect to see in 2013?