Dec 15, 2011 Staff

Small Business Predictions for 2012


From Entrepreneur, here are ten predictions for the trends that will most affect small businesses in the coming year.

Volatility Ahead
Small businesses need to have flexibility in their long- and short-term plans as economic uncertainty continues to be a major issue.

"Right-time" Multichannel Marketing
New tools will help businesses analyze social media behavior and convert that data into tailored marketing campaigns.

More Cheap Online Ads
Low-cost channels like paid search and social media will be utilized more.

Customers in Charge
Customer polls on social media will involve customers directly in merchandise and marketing decisions.

Mobile Purchasing Grows
Businesses should optimize their websites for mobile phones as m-commerce doubled this year to $6.7 billion and is expected to quadruple again by 2015.

Credit Gets Easier
Capital will be easier to come by as underwriters continue to relax their standards.

Services Head Offshore
U.S.-based contractors will find their services in demand overseas.

Daily Deals Die Down
Expect fewer deal companies and fewer offers, as the space is over-saturated and many businesses lost money doing daily deals.

Retail-format Experimentation Picks Up
Retailers will try to make cheaper, smaller footprints work.

More Collaboration
Small businesses that can work with complementary businesses in their town or industry will be more likely to thrive.

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Published by Staff December 15, 2011