Having a successful career as an entrepreneur always depended on the ability to feel the pulse of the market and stay in touch with the trends shaping the business landscape. As time goes by, though, this becomes increasingly difficult. First, the world has recently experienced a couple of severe crises that completely threw off the rails the traditional business norms.
And then, we also need to consider the rapid tech development, societal shifts, globalization of the market, and countless other patterns that only add more unknowns to this equation.
Still, the fact we don’t know what the outcomes of these developments are going to be doesn’t mean don’t have enough info to make an educated guess. So, let us take a look at a couple of business and work trends you will need to know in 2023 and beyond.
Remote work becoming a new normal
The expansion of remote work was in motion for quite some time now. But, it took the outbreak of COVID-19 to truly push this trend into the mainstream. Now, when countless companies had the chance to try this model out and reap its benefits, it looks like very few of them are inclined to go the exclusively on-premise work arrangement. On the contrary – after taking a slight post-pandemic dip, remote work and other similar models are once again gaining a lot of traction. Keeping in mind their inherent perks, you can expect to see remote and hybrid positions becoming a new norm in the post-pandemic world.
Rise of contingent workforce
As we mentioned in the introduction, the present-day business world is very fast-paced and requires a great deal of mobility and nimbleness. The companies that want to keep pace with it need to be able to quickly close in on any opportunity as soon as it arises. So, it shouldn’t be a surprise that the idea of contingent teams that are hired to address specific business problems and fill in the ranks until the companies are capable of performing adequate recruitment is picking up a lot of steam. The number of companies using this model will only keep growing creating a very lean and mutable business landscape.
SMB market becoming more diverse and casual
The modern lifestyle is very fast-paced and leaves people very little time to deal with their daily tasks. That is why we are currently seeing a growing number of businesses and services aimed at addressing these casual problems. Let’s say, for instance, you are traveling and don’t know what to do with your pet. Now, you can look for professional house sitting services and solve this problem in minutes. Similar services can be found for other daily activities. What’s important to note is that these job profiles are very casual and open to newcomers so they do a great job of diversifying labor and entrepreneur ranks.
A growing number of niche markets
To put it simply, people want to be unique. And as time goes by, top brands keep dominating the public consciousness, and the world becomes more globalized, the opportunities for demonstrating individuality only become scarcer. Therefore, it shouldn’t be a surprise that niche markets that encourage distinction are getting a very strong wind at their back, especially evident in the case of food, fashion, accessory, and affordable tech. But, the trend is gradually spreading and, as time goes by, we can expect to see niche markets developing stronger social components becoming and becoming an identifying factor in different communities.
Demands for a socially responsible economy
These days, people have very strong stances on various social and political issues and like to feel backed up and represented by the brands they buy products and services from. This trend is all but expected – its extent is everything but. Namely, the recent survey indicated that as many as 92% of Millennials prefer buying from a socially responsible and ethical brand. So, the higher level of social responsibility and participation in relevant social discussion will inevitably transition from a novel way of reaching a wider audience to a business standard where differing factors won’t lie in participation but in honesty and effort.
Specialized business education
This trend is, in its essence, very similar to the development of niche markets. Essentially, the traditional business education was built around the idea that when you finish business school you will get a broad set of skills that will be able to fuel your entire career. However, the modern business landscape is very fast-paced and requires constant adaptation and evolution. Accordingly, workers and business owners are gradually adopting the mentality of lifelong learning where degrees only make stops but not the finish line. As a result, we see a rise in smaller-scale education specialized around very specific goals.
So, there you have it – the top six work and business trends that should steer the business world by the end of 2023 and beyond. Of course, these are only the broad strokes and the complete business outlook can change in a matter of days. But, most of these developments were brewing for quite some time now so it’s expected they will demonstrate strong staying power. Keep them in mind if you are looking for a gig or even starting your own company. Good insights and knowledge of the market will always be some of your strongest allies.
