Let’s keep this simple.

There’s one month left in 2017 and we all know we should be looking ahead to our goals and activities for 2018…

But the end of the year is a busy time for small business owners, and it’s all we can do to survive and thrive. So we wanted to help you think about 2018 by listing some upcoming trends.

These small business trends can hopefully help motivate you to take your operation to the next level in the new year!

1. Crowdfunding

Sometimes, being creative pays off. But creativity without action means nothing. And action (in business) usually requires funding. So how to you get that creativity funded to create something your customers will buy and get to that ultimate payoff?

You could take the longer route and build your business with personal capital and sweat equity. But have you considered crowdfunding?

Take a look at small business projects on IndieGogo and you will see many small business owners getting creative with their campaigns. For example, a coffee shop owner who wants to build a new coffee grinder can now look to crowdfunding to turn his dream into reality.

This 2018 trend is pretty straightforward. Simply present the value of your product, create consumer interest, and invest some time and effort into an engaging social media campaign.

The main reason for small businesses to use crowdfunding is a limited budget. Check out these websites that you can start using today to crowdfund your SMB.

2. Videos Rather Than Pictures

Today’s customer expects immediate results. So instead of just showing pictures of your products, consider engaging and interesting videos.

It’s easy to find the right approach and expert help when it comes to directing, writing and editing videos. Consumers like to know everything there is about the product (which videos convey quickly and easily), but they also expect to see quality.

3. Customer Input is More Important Than Ever

It's a fact. Without buyers your product will fail.

In this digital era, customers are actively engaged in production by giving their reviews, opinions and suggestions. By welcoming and being responsive to your customers’ input, businesses can create a loyal and faithful set of buyers who believe in your brand and strive viraly promote its positive values.

This relationship between your business and customers builds a personal engagement to fulfil their needs and expectations.

Offering impeccable customer service, creating useful resources for your product or service, and being highly responsive to messages will create a loyal and dedicated customer base in 2018.

4. Employ Specialized Personnel

The best way to get something done and professionally is to employ specialized personnel.

For example, a company called Nu-tech states that the key to their success is having experienced and specialized employees.

Hiring experts for website development, marketing and/or market research, for example, will relieve the pressure on the company and let you focus on creating the best product or service.

In other words, stop trying to do everything yourself and delegate the scope of work responsibly and appropriately. It will increase your overall company productivity and bring profits to the company.

5. Build an App

To keep up with the newest trends, you must think the way your customers do and be where your customers are.

The majority of them probably use their smartphones or tablets to access the products and services they desire. This means that you might consider creating an app which will connect your customers to what you are offering and selling.  

6. Use Telecommunicating to Hire People

Today, it’s quite normal to hire people via telecommunicating services like Skype. In 2018 it will be more so.

This enabled your business to have the best employees, no matter their location.

7. Make Your Business an Employee-friendly Environment

How you manage your company directly reflects on your employees’ performance and productivity. From office décor and productivity tools to entertainment, you can make various changes and improvements to your offices in order to create a comfortable and agreeable environment for your employees.

This kind of conduct will also help you create a professional relationship with them based on loyalty and mutual respect. Too much pressure and stress-induced performance can not only make you falter in your business but also have a negative effect on your profits and brand.

Stay Updated With the Trends

The safest way to be up to date with all the changes and improvements in the business world is to implement the newest trends.

Read, explore, share experiences and most importantly, learn! Learning is the path to constant growth and without keeping up with the latest knowledge, you will not be able to scale your business.

About the Author

Tony Solomon

Tony Solomon is former LA-based translator turned writer. Currently, he is one of the senior editors at MediaGurus. Tony is well-versed in doing heavy research while striving to write high-quality content for web. If you want to stay updated with Tony's latest posts, feel free to follow him on Twitter.