New Year is just around the corner, and so are some fresh developments in the business arena. In addition to an increased focus on remote work, 2022 will bring a few new trends such as a continued rise of e-commerce sector, cashless payments, communication through apps and social media, and a growing importance of virtual events. Here’s a quick peek at the news that will make headlines in the business waters in the year to come.
Continued rise of remote work
With the onset of COVID-19, remote work made a huge entrance in the business arena and next year will only see a growth therein. According to recent figures, almost 50% of employees worked remotely in 2021, and the popularity of this mode of operation will remain just as high in the coming year. The advantages of remote work speak in favor of this trend, and they include increased productivity, easier access to talent, and better work-life balance. On top of that, working remotely allows brands to pick and choose staff from a much wider pool of candidates which will emphasize the trend of virtual over in-person onboarding.
Persistent boom of e-commerce
As an increasing number of customers shift to online shopping, e-commerce will continue to thrive in the year to come, and more and more brands will be going digital with their stores. The gains behind the rise of e-commerce for businesses are considerable since the need for brick-and-mortar space will further drop and customers would be able to shop at any given moment, spending more time in virtual stores. On top of that, this will slice overhead costs and facilitate marketing by means of safe SEO practices, both of which will further fuel the rise of e-commerce in the years to come.
Growth of cashless payments
Cash is no longer king in financial transactions and e-commerce is the future of shopping, which entails a shift to trade finance and cashless payments. The new shopping trend will also bring about a rise of diversified payment methods, including credit and debit cards, payment apps, and digital wallets. For this reason, if you want your brand to stay up to date with payment terms, you will need to offer your audience a wider range of options to choose from, and you should also consider granting discounts for payments conducted online.
Communication through apps
With customers switching to online shopping, communication will also take a turn for the digital, and we will be seeing more and more brands embracing smart apps for sales and customer care purposes. On top of that, a growing number of companies will be shifting to the online workplace and ushering online platforms for communication purposes, which will further facilitate operation and cut running costs. In 2022, smart messaging platforms and apps will become a must-have across industries, so if you want to remain productive and increase availability to both your team and customers, you should consider introducing new digital communication channels.
Virtual events are all the rage
Together with the transition to remote work and cashless payments, virtual events will take front and center in the year to come. Conferences, meetings, interviews, and even trade shows will be transitioning to online platforms as people remain wary of COVID-19 risks. The change will bring quite a few benefits to all the parties involved as virtual events will beat their real life counterparts as regards online versus in-person attendance. An added bonus, organizing educational or promotional activities online would slice the costs of running a successful business, so if you are looking to stay in the top tiers of your industry, you should brace your brand for some online meeting fun.
The year to come will see a continuation of the popularity of remote work and a further growth in cashless payments and e-commerce, and it will also mark a new era of virtual events and digital communication with customers and team members. Judging by the looks, 2022 will truly be a year of change so if you want to stay successful in your industry or become even more so, it is the perfect moment to make some adjustments in the way you do business. Good luck!
By Peter Minkoff
Peter is a lifestyle and travel writer at Men-Ual magazine, living between Ústí nad Labem and Antwerp. Follow Peter on Twitter for more tips.