Almost every other blog posting that you might see from various sources is telling you about the trends to watch for in 2015 – but there are few that remind you to improve on your 2014 successes. Many small businesses discovered some great things that were successful for them in 2014. Just because the year has changed, does not mean they will not work again in 2015!
As a small business owner, you have to look back at what worked and what did not. Think of ways to improve upon your successes. Yes, you may have to modify or tweak those strategies and plans to gain even more, but never let a supposed “trend” make you abandon them.
When a random blogger tells you that you have to watch for certain trends in 2015, go ahead and monitor them – but do not let them stop you from improving on what has worked. You know your small business better than anyone who claims to be an “expert.” Sometimes you need to take advice and spin it for what will work best for you business, and what parts of it will not.
If the trends you are reading are about technology, social media and new online tools, you probably want to pay more attention to them. But if the trends you read about are focused on changing your overall marketing and business structure, you might want to investigate them with less expectations.
Understand that trends may not always be right for every business model, and that they may only be short-term trends. Before investing your small business spending on a trend, be absolutely sure that it will work for your business model. Consider if that new trend will improve on your successes – or take you down a road that may change or hurt your previous successes.
One trend that we are seeing is that a number of our virtual-office clients are now approaching us to take physical private office space or semi-private offices. These previous virtual office clients see that their growth has taken them to a point where they need to get out of their home office and work at a place that will inspire them to be even more professional.
Trends can be like fads, sometimes they can work, but sometimes they can fizzle in a short time. Many business owners take trends with a grain of salt – and make sure that they are the correct ones for the success of their small business. If a new trend looks like it may take your small business off its current progressive course, hold off and find a way to adapt the trend to work for your business. Never change your small business successes to fit that supposed “trend.”