From big data to the gig economy, 2016 may be the year that familiar buzzwords start having real, mainstream impact. 1. The Gig Economy Creates More Opportunities 2. Big Data Gets Even Bigger 3. Social Selling Goes Mainstream 4. Lean Businesses Will Win 5. Generation Z Comes Into Focus Depending on the sort of entrepreneur, employee, freelancer, or company leader you might be, the year ahead holds varying degrees of promise and pitfalls. Some of the changes afoot are already affecting some more than others. But optimism is itself a strategic asset—as long as it's backed up by a strong grasp of the facts. With that in mind, here's a look at some of the business trends that seem most likely to impact professionals of all stripes in the year ahead.

1. By Faisal Hoque
founder of:
5 Business Trends to Watch in 2016
– No matter How or Where you Work.
From big data to the gig
economy, 2016 may be the
year that familiar buzzwords
start having real, mainstream
impact.
[Image: flickr User Jonah Engler]

2. Depending on the sort of
entrepreneur, employee,
freelancer, or company leader
you might be, the year ahead
holds varying degrees of
promise and pi<alls.
Some of the changes afoot are
already affecLng some more
than others.

3. But op?mism is itself a strategic
asset—as long as it's backed up
by a strong grasp of the facts.
With that in mind, here's a look at some
of the business trends that seem most
likely to impact professionals of all
stripes in the year ahead.

4. The Gig Economy creates
more Opportunities
Increasing numbers of skilled
professionals are driving the growth of the
gig economy. And while there are those
who ulLmately expect that growth to level
off, it doesn't appear ready to do that
within the next few years.

5. Fueled by cheaper cloud compu?ng, remote
work tools, and the spread of enterprise-level
technology pla<orms for independent workers,
the gigging trend will con?nue to grow.
That's good news for established companies, which can
tap into the talent they need for the Lme they require it.
Savvy businesses can become more efficient, reducing
fixed costs and improving their boUom lines.

6. Big Data gets Even Bigger
Not all data analysis qualifies as "big
data," of course, but soluLons are
mulLplying, and 2016 may well be
the year that more companies
seriously ramp up their investments
in the field instead of just talking
about it.

7. Big data spending is projected
to grow by a CAGR of 23%
each year un?l 2019.
The ability to develop an integrated,
analy?cal view of customer ac?vi?es
and business opera?ons will
separate the wheat from the chaff
more decisively and rapidly than
we've seen so far.

8. Social selling goes Mainstream
With LinkedIn, Facebook, TwiUer, and
other social plaZorms making major
moves to enable social selling with
original content, businesses will have to
‘open their hearts’ to influence the
masses.

9. Some social selling sta?s?cs:
• 79% of sales people that use
social media outsell their peers.
• 53% of buyers said they listen
to peer recommenda?ons
before they make a purchase.
• 65% of buyers feel the vendor’s
content had an impact on their
final purchase decision.

10. These trends will conLnue to grow.
Thought leadership content—from
blog posts to videos—that create a
sense of authenLcity and excitement
among consumers will only become
more crucial.
Businesses with the most
compelling, original voices
will rise above the noise.

11. Lean Businesses will Win
Despite the outlier successes of
Airbnb, Dropbox, and Square, it's
clear that the tech IPO market is
slowing down. ValuaLons are
falling, financing is gebng more
compeLLve, and plenty of
money-losing startups are
cubng costs.

12. But not all entrepreneurs have been greedily
chasing investment dollars, and many have
been building lean businesses, crea?ng
meaningful products, and growing organically.
We're likely to see a vindica?on of sorts for
"lean startup" prac?ces.
For the heads of those businesses,
anyway, there's s?ll tremendous
opportunity to build sustainable
ventures.

13. Generation Z
Comes into Focus
GeneraLon Z, the youngest
demographic of new workers now
entering the workforce. Gen-Z roughly
encompasses today's teens and young
adults born afer 1995, the oldest of
whom are 21 years old—next year's
entry-level employees.

14. A recent Northeastern
University study on Gen Z
concludes:
• 42% expect to work for
themselves.
• 72% would prefer to design their
own college courses and majors
altogether.
• 79% want colleges to integrate
work experience with
coursework.

15. Some of this trepidaLon is well-
jusLfied, in light of issues like the
student debt crisis and college
affordability.
But many of Gen-Zers' traits
seem likely to propel them
toward innova?on and
growth hacking in a wide
range of current and
emerging industries.

16. The fact is that for independent
workers, tomorrow's entry-level
employees, entrepreneurs, growing
startups, and establish
corporaLons, sustainable growth
and innovaLon are never one-Lme
things.
It takes a deep emo?onal,
systemic, and cultural stake in
the changing climate—which
starts, of course, with an
understanding of it.

18. Shadoka’s por<olio of offerings enables
entrepreneurship, growth, and social impact. Our
customers and partners aspire to create sustainable
value. They are focused on repeatable and
measurable impact. We enable their aspiraLons.
We bring together the management frameworks,
digital pla<orms, and thought leadership for:
• Evalua?on, execu?on, and monitoring of
programs
• Scaling sales, revenue, and profitability
• Crea?on and management of digital
communi?es and marketplaces
About SHADOKA
Follow us @shadokaventures
shadoka.com

19. About Me
Founder of Shadoka and other companies. Shadoka
enables entrepreneurship, growth, and social impact.
Formerly of GE and other global brands. Author of
several books, including Everything Connects – How
to Transform and Lead in the Age of Crea:vity,
Innova:on and Sustainability (McGraw Hill, 2014)
and Survive to Thrive – 27 Prac:ces of Resilient
Entrepreneurs, Innovators, And Leaders (Mo?va?onal
Press, 2015).
Follow me @faisal_hoque
faisalhoque.com