THE BIG QUESTION What business trends do you think will
Johnny Woods, Thrive
Karen Weir, Weir Insurance
One of the big trends I feel will continue to develop this year is flexible working. This was something I was always intrigued by but reluctant to embrace. As an office-based, service business, being forced to work from home has been a revelation. The typical 9-5 has been replaced with staggered hours providing team members with the opportunity to work through the day at a time that suits. This has resulted in a win-win scenario with a boost to employee happiness and improved team productivity. With big brands like Google and Microsoft leading the charge, I can only see more companies embracing this working style in 2021.
I think we have progressed 10 years in tech terms in the last eight months. Certainly more remote working and less commuting will mean that people will spend more locally, and opportunity for less centrally located businesses to connect to a new customer pool. Consumers expectations have also changed, with contactless delivery and shipping becoming the norm – there is certainly space for more really good logistics companies! E-learning will be a game changer in 2021 in my opinion. Companies engaging enough and prepared to make the effort with good content and the right technology will do very well.
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