There are a ton of huge business trends that are coming up later this year and will be going all the way through 2020, and possibly even beyond. You are going to want to keep your eye out on those so that you can make the appropriate decisions to benefit your own enterprise. This is especially true for ventures that rely on web traffic, internet innovations, and more.
Automation
Automation continues to be a major mover in practically every industry and it would seem that no market is safe. Among the first to be affected is customer services, logistics, transportation, and even defense. While the dystopian future of robots taking over everything is a bit of a stretch, it can’t be denied that machines will be playing much bigger roles down the line.
This doubly true for business that deal in provide tech support, as well as other administrative tasks like following up on bills. Robots callers are fast becoming the norm among mobile carriers, for example, with other enterprises quickly following suit. Naturally, humans will not be completely removed from the equation since there will always be those craving human interaction. The workforce will simply see significant reduction.
Machine learning
Machine learning and automation are often interchanged, but they are not necessarily the same. A robot caller can be attributed to automation but a chatbot is more a product of machine learning. This is due to the fact that both these industries work on fundamentally different spheres. One is meant to follow specific instructions while the other is meant to develop scenarios as it experiences them.
Both will have their roles to play in the business industry of the future, but machine learning can be particularly important due to their potential role as all-around assistants. They can setup schedules, create outlines of activities, and in the future, they can even interact with other smart assistants like regular human assistants would.
It’s unlikely that the executives across the spectrum will get rid of their human assistants in favor of machines. However, smaller business owners can start benefiting from the services that such smart assistants are able to provide.
Green energy
Concern for the environment, global warming, and climate change is growing among the next generation of consumers, which is why companies are now increasing their efforts in transitioning towards green energy. Those who are seen as making changes to become more sustainable are seen in a more favorable light and the hope is that this will translate to more purchases.
While there are no guarantees that this is indeed the case, many of the biggest companies are nevertheless moving towards more renewable sources of power such as solar and wind. There are also concerted efforts among governments and private industries to incorporate batteries and alternative power sources in the real estate and construction sectors.
E-Commerce
It’s already quite clear, at this point, but e-commerce is the future of the retail industry. However, far from being constrained as web entities, more and more social network businesses are popping up. These are mostly under private entities that operate independently and as either individuals or small groups of people.
However, there is also a growing trend of wholesale suppliers direct from countries like China and India that are offering products at significantly lower prices for selling via social platforms. Livestream selling is becoming particularly popular among women who are offering cosmetic and fashion products to viewers in a rather unique capacity.
Blockchain
Although it has been growing in a rather muted capacity, it is still a fact that blockchain is become a bigger part of the world with each passing day. Both private and public sectors are making use of the distributed ledger technology and its various features, which make it ideal for such things as banking, financial transactions, and even computing.
Even crime fighting divisions are making use of the technology now, with the cooperation of tech companies that special in using blockchain for this purpose. There are growing concerns about the loss of anonymity in the process, but much like the social media movement, blockchain is a wave that is hardly slowing down.
Cryptocurrency
Many confuse cryptocurrency as being a representative of blockchain technology when it is but one of the many offshoots that have resulted from it. These days, it isn’t strange to find crypto exchanges, wallets, and transactions despite the relative instability that comes with it. However, there are also growing trends of such options called stablecoins, which basically have the same value as equivalent currencies.
For example, a stablecoin that is tied the American dollar will be equivalent in worth. That is to say, one stablecoin will be worth $1. With this being the case, payment using cryptocurrency becomes a non-issue. Accommodating such payments is already a rising trend.
