16 Key Trends That Will Drive Small Business In 2022
Posted Dec 28, 2021
When the Covid-19 pandemic struck, it sent small businesses into a period of upheaval that they’re just beginning to recover from more than a year later. As life starts to regain a sense of normalcy, new business trends are emerging, and understanding them can help small businesses find their footing again.
Small-business owners need to stay aware of the changes and movements that are driving business in a post-pandemic world. Below, 16 members of Forbes Coaches Council discuss the trends that they believe will impact small businesses the most in 2022.
1. Emotional Intelligence And Empathy
Emotional transparency and modeling emotional intelligence are key. Empathy is no longer a luxury but a powerful skill for normalizing life and work challenges. You don’t have to know or share the whole story of an employee’s situation (or yours), but recognizing moods or behaviors and addressing them with care is appreciated. Adopt the motto: “If we ask, ‘How are you doing?’ we really want to know.”
2. Influencer Marketing On Social Media
One trend small businesses should know about if they don’t already is the power of influencer marketing. Online platforms and social media channels such as Instagram and TikTok can help small businesses tell their stories to drive awareness and excitement. Influencers both large and small (micro-influencers) strengthen the story by providing relevance and endorsements.
3. Big Business Systems And Processes
To find success in 2022, it’s imperative that small businesses start taking on big business systems and processes. What I mean by this is that small businesses need to set up toll-free numbers, interactive voice response systems and automations, and structure their businesses as if they are much larger than they are. This will be crucial to their success.
4. Expanded Recruiting Efforts
With the world being more connected than ever and more and more people choosing remote work locations around the world, companies will have the ability to expand their recruiting efforts to be more far-reaching than in the past. Organizations who have deliberately designed their culture with clear purpose, values and norms will be more successful in attracting the right talent in a tight labor market.
5. Family-First Workplace Values
Many people have reassessed what they value in life over the last year or so, and this has led to a family-first movement. That means business owners need to create a people-first workplace, or risk losing their best team members. Small-business owners need to create a set of workplace values with their teams and ensure that managers, especially, lead with those values every day.
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