Entrepreneurs like Glen Gonzalez will tell you that following the trends is an important part of starting your own business but that guessing which trends are going to come about in the future can be even more important. After all, if you can pinpoint what the demand is going to be in one, three or five years, you can make sure that your company is in a position to capitalize on that demand when everyone else is still scrambling to keep up. Below are a handful of possible trends to keep an eye on at the end of 2014 and beyond.
Online Learning
Online classes are growing more popular each year with some schools based entirely around these online classes. People love the freedom that these classes provide when they do not want to be tied down. They also love being able to choose exactly what they want to learn, rather than following a structure that someone else set up for them. One of the most popular ways that online learning is being utilized is through Massive Open Online Courses, or MOOCs.
Personalized App Creation
Applications, commonly referred to as apps, are incredibly popular for mobile phones, tablets and similar devices. In fact, many people have ideas for apps, but they do not know enough about programming and technology to actually create them. In the future, entrepreneurs may want to tap into this by offering software or services that help people create their own apps, either for personal use or to sell. In many ways, this could be compared to the way that basic Web design tools have made it possible for anyone to build a simple website, whether or not they know how to write code.
Crafting Web Content
The Internet is growing at an incredible rate every day, and there is almost an endless need for Web content. This starts with text-based content, but it also includes things like videos, images, audio files – such as podcasts – and the like. Every new website that launches needs to have content to fill its pages. Business owners need this content to be authoritative and professional. Above all else, they need it to be unique and compelling. As the Internet continues to change — videos have been growing in popularity, for example — the type of content may shift, but the need will always be there.
Gadgets
The exact direction that gadgets are trending can be hard to determine, but it is undeniable that people love them. It started with the iPhone and the iPod, which gave people all sorts of new tools that they could use. Most recently, there have been a number of high-tech watches that have been released; they connect to the user’s phone so that he or she can answer the phone without actually picking it up. On top of that, there are gadgets like Google’s new wearable glasses. These are really pushing the envelope when it comes to what a gadget can be and what it can do.
Entrepreneurs can look for many different opportunities in this field. On one hand, accessories for these new devices will be in demand. On the other, entrepreneurs could work to develop the next big thing, the next big gadget that will take the tech world by storm.
