Top 6 Surprising Business Trends Of 2019

The year has been full of so many advances in the business world.  It isn’t a surprise that business trends have reflected technological advances quite a bit. 

In addition, we’ve seen other areas of growth that have left their mark on the present year.  There’s a lot to look forward to and we’ve seen many trends in business during 2019.

As we move forward and get closer to 2020, let’s look at some of the trends we’ve seen thus far this year. Below are the 6 top business trends of the year.

1. The Allure Of The Laptop Lifestyle

Let’s get right to it and talk about the increasing popularity of living the “laptop lifestyle”.   The idea that anyone has the freedom to work in whatever capacity he or she wants was popularized by public figures and influencers as well as freelance websites.  

We’ve come a long way over the past decade.  One of the biggest changes has been in the way people view the job force, work life balance, and their ability to live a laptop lifestyle.  Today, it’s possible to work from home if you want and travel the world with a laptop and make money while you do it! Just a few years ago, the idea to work remotely and even try to pull this off would have seemed nuts.

I remember applying to jobs that were work from home positions prior to founding my NJ SEO agency.  In the back of my mind, I truly believed most work from home job ads were scams.  But it was my dream, so it was always in the back of my mind to do this. It’s amazing how far we’ve come as a society, and all through advancements in technology. – Liz Roncevic, Bizmap LLC

2. Versatility Of Drones

We saw huge growth in the drone industry in 2019.  And drones will continue to be used more and more often.

Drones can be used for many different things.  Some drones are used recreational, while others can play a huge role in disaster relief, aerial surveillance, film making, exploration and more.  

To put it simply, drones give humans the ability to do things from a different perspective than humanly possible.  They enable us to explore uncharted territory without risk, can provide support to law enforcement, can create more sophisticated film productions and they can save lives.  The drone industry is hugely popular due to the benefits and versatility of the machines.

Below is the video of drone using in the film production:

3. Career & Interest-based Networking

If you’re not part of a Facebook group, or some sort of networking group, you’re definitely missing out.  In today’s day and age, most people do a large amount of career and interest-based networking online or in groups that formulate on the internet.  

The good thing about this is that you can truly surround yourself with people who have the same interests as you do.  Networking in this fashion also enables you to be exposed to numerous opportunities relatively easily. This is another business trend we’ve seen grow in 2019 with increasing popularity.

4. Increased Use Of AI

Artificial intelligence is a facet of computer science that is being developed by businesses all over the world.  With AI, human skills and emotions are replicated by machines and programs for the purpose of creating a more streamlined experience and assist in normal tasks.  New advances in technology and artificial intelligence are being discussed with more and more frequency such as AI marketing tools like FirmPilot. Many companies are beginning to use AI with increasing popularity.  

Within the next decade or so, AI will most likely dominate and many of the normal jobs will be replaced.  Self-driving cars are in the making and should be on the road in a relatively short time. New types of facial recognition programs are paving the way for our future and advancing security procedures as well.  

5. Conservation And Sustainability

Whether you’re a business that makes garments out of recycled materials or you’re doing other things within your company to conserve our natural resources, you’re not alone.  Companies with a focus on sustainability are popping up every which way.

Like tesla and many others, hybrid and electric cars reduce pollution and conserve gasoline.  The truth is, they’re popularity is only growing. 

The increased focus on conservation in business has been an effort of the last decade but it’s become a way of doing business in 2019.  Even those who hadn’t previously are adding an extra layer to their company mission by focusing on conservation and sustainability of resources.

6. Consumer Experiences

Society’s short attention span and reduced interest in traditional means of pleasure has in part been the result of the time in which we are living.  We are living in an era where there is a huge interest in showing people snippets of our lives. Many people spend many hours capturing moments to post online and show the people in their lives.  Many businesses function under the presumption that their service might spark interest and present a photo op to consumers but might not generate many long term, frequent customers.

There’s an increased demand in consumer experiences.  The old way of doing things is becoming more and more foreign.  As you know, going to the mall on a Saturday and sitting home playing bingo waiting for the phone to ring is not the consumer lifestyle of 2019.  People want to have a reason to go to the mall or they’ll just go shopping on Amazon.

Various forms of entertainment are being inserted into places where they previously weren’t seen.  People are doing activities they may not have previously tried. Manhattan Psychic, Lisa Johnson sees a lot of people trying services due to social media exposure, “Aura cleansings have become very popular due to the attention they are receiving online.”

Conclusion:

This year’s business trends are clear advances in our way of doing things and perceiving what is possible.  As the world continues to advance technologically, we will continue to see growth in similar areas.

As we head into 2020 we can be excited for all the future has in store for us professionally and economically.