A new year brings with it plenty of changes and new trends, and a new decade even more so. With our calendars ticking over to 2020, businesses of all sizes and industries have revisited and set their goals, and the top business trends of 2020 have begun to emerge.
Top Business Trends of 2020:
- Automation
- Flexible work arrangements
- Word of mouth
- Work styles
- Employee happiness/retention
- Data-driven business decisions
Automation
Although people will most likely always gravitate to dealing with humans in their business interactions, automation can be used to help create more seamless interactions. It’s one of the main business trends of 2020 because of what it can offer your business as well as your customers and clients.
More businesses are looking to CRM systems like Hubspot and ActiveCampaign for their needs, helping them manage interactions and streamline recurring tasks. As well as limiting manual and repetitive tasks for your team, it also creates a smoother experience for customers and clients, helping them receive information and assistance faster and with fewer touchpoints.
Flexible work arrangements
Flexible work isn’t just about being able to work from home when you feel like it – although that’s definitely a part of the appeal!
Flexible arrangements have become an important part of many business recruitment packages.
For employees, it allows them to make the most of their leave and productivity – whether they work better from home or a different location when facing a big task or are able to use their time more efficiently at home rather than spending it on a commute.
It’s especially an asset for parents, with flexible arrangements helping normalise the obstacles that may emerge while raising children and growing a career – from being to be able to take their kids to the doctor or save on childcare during holidays.
Word of mouth
Word of mouth is the ideal marketing strategy, and in a world of often mixed marketing messages and sometimes disingenuous campaigns, people are leaning further into real-life testimonials for their purchasing choices and brand selections.
This makes platforms like Google Reviews and Product Review even more important – if asking for feedback or a testimonial isn’t part of your onboarding or customer journey, make sure that it becomes part of it in 2020!
Work styles
Different work styles are nothing new – some people thrive in a bustling environment, others in comparative silence.
Providing a workspace and business that recognises and accommodates different work styles is one of many timeless business trends, but more business operators are shifting towards actively encouraging employees to work in a way that suits them.
This not only helps people feel more comfortable at work but almost always leads to an increase in productivity, benefitting your business.
Employee happiness/retention
One of the most important business trends of 2020 is the push to focus on employee happiness and retention. With more accountability tools such as Lattice and Great Place to Work being used by businesses of all sizes, including Hub Australia the push to create an enjoyable workplace is more than a flash-in-the-pan trend.
As business trends go, retaining employees is always a positive one – it saves the time and stress of offboarding, interviewing, and recruiting to backfill roles, and helps your team work more productively and contently.
Having a great place to work is also a benefit when it comes to recruiting new team members – many potential employees see a high turnover rate as a ‘red flag’ for their new workplace.
Data-driven business decisions
It’s no secret that there is more data available than ever before. In 2020, if you’re not making the most of your available data about customers and clients, you’re missing a major opportunity.
With plenty of tools available to collate and break down the available data, using it to dictate your marketing and business decisions is more than just a one of the top business trends – it’s common sense!
Find out what you can add to the experience of your customers by l
