What Does 2012 Have in Store for Small Businesses?

It’s the middle of January 2012 already, and hopefully you’re well into executing those business plans you made last year.  As we look to the promise of better things in the new year, there are several things you should be aware of that might affect your company.  In his 2012 forecast, small business writer Steve Strauss, shares five trends you should keep in mind this year.

A couple of these trends include:

• Increased prevalence of smartphones. These days people are doing everything on their cell phones from playing games to comparing prices on their favorite products.  While your business may not be ready to launch a full-on mobile marketing campaign, Strauss encourages business owners to have mobile-friendly web sites at minimum.
• A refresh of the group buying model. While customers love the idea of saving money on sites like Groupon and Living Social, some business owners complained that they couldn’t keep up with the demand from those who bought coupons or lost money because of the deep discount requirement.  Strauss suggests that these group buying sites may tweak their business model to address these complaints.

Continue reading to learn about the other 3 trends that could affect your business in 2012.  Are you making any plan adjustments based on these trends, or have you discovered other trends that you think other entrepreneurs should know about?  Share them in the comments.

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