Small Business Labs from Emergent Research, who specialise in small business research have put out their predictions for the year ahead. These include upcoming trends in technology, social, and political changes and how they could affect business. I have handpicked a few I found most interesting for Australian small businesses.

Small businesses will become more digitally savvy

Many small businesses have already implemented cloud computing, mobile computing, social technologies and are tracking business data and analytics online. This will only continue to increase and will completely change the way businesses serve their customers and improve their competitive position.

Privacy and online security will be taken more seriously

Small businesses will start to realise that their cyber security and privacy are very important parts of risk management and will take steps to improve in these areas.

Small business will go global

Globalisation is opening up doors for small and medium business and will allow them to continue to expand in 2017. ‘Digital, global platforms such as Amazon, Ebay and others will continue to drive down the costs, knowledge and effort associated with exporting’, says Small Business Labs.

Outsourcing will become even more popular

There is a growing number of people choosing to use outsourcing, contingent labour and internet services instead of employees to build their business.

Freelancers will be embraced by businesses

Major corporations will embrace freelancers. After studying and testing the use of freelancers, also known as’agile talent’and ‘contingent labour’by corporations for several years, 2017 will see this become more mainstream.

Business coaching will become mainstream

The amount of small businesses using coaches to help them work through complex business issues has dramatically increased in the last year. Small Business Labs predicts that this will continue to increase due to the rapidly changing nature of the business environment.

Click here to read the full list of predicted small business trends.