Those of you who are all geared up to launch startups in 2014, times they are a changing and the New Year brings a plethora of opportunities. Here are some trends you should expect to see in the year to come…
Leaner Startups
Setting up a business no longer means pushing the limit and setting up a business that’s larger than life. Thanks to the power of the internet, you can now start small and build a business from your home. A swanky office, loads of equipment and many employees are the thing of the past. It’s the era of lean startups.
Spurt in One Man Businesses
One man businesses are all set to become more common. Be it a life coach, trainer, yoga instructor or designer, they are all people who can establish their own businesses. Not only can they set things up, they can run it by themselves. The idea is to identify a skill that you have and build on it.
The Business of Teaching
More successful entrepreneurs and serial entrepreneurs will look towards teaching other people to start off and build their businesses. Many will go on to build a business out of this. Some might go on to establish one stop shops where they will provide a number of services like branding, identity design, packaging solutions, etc under one roof.
Collaborative Work Spaces
More and more startups will work out of shared or collaborative work spaces. The dearth of office space and equipment has long since plagued small business owners working on shoe string budgets. The burgeoning growth of shared workspaces that allow startups to work from a desk or a cubicle which they can rent out for an hour or a day depending on their needs is a trend startups can make the most of.
Keeping it Simple
Businesses will definitely become simpler and veer towards making life simpler for others. Whether it’s creating worksheets and lesson plans for mothers who are too harried to work on their kids homework or creating dessert boxes to be delivered at your doorstep once a month, the mantra is keeping it simple all round.
The Element of Fun
Who says you can’t have fun while you do business? Setting up concept stores where people can sip a cup of coffee, grab a bite to eat and curl up with books just as easily as they can conduct a workshop or come borrow books from a circulating library all operating in one space, the idea is to tread the path that’s not been taken. Carve a niche with your store that allows people to have fun while they set cash counters ringing at your startup.
Gaining Design Edge
With the spurt in the number of people getting in to business, the opportunities for startups that cater to their needs in branding, logo and identity design automatically increase. What’s more a design based business needs little more than a Mac and an internet connection. How’s that for a low cost startup idea, one that many design students are launching all over.
Biting the Travel Bug
Simplifying travel across the globe with websites and informative blogs, digital magazines and the like is only bound to be the crux for launching startups. Another trend is catering to specific groups of people like women, seniors, adventure enthusiasts and catering to their needs with holiday packages.
Natural Foods and Products
As environmental consciousness grows, the business of organic farming, natural foods, vegan baking, green design and packaging comes with more takers. Startups that cater to the “green” gap in the market are set to become more lucrative.
Back to the Basics
Whether its vegan food, rural tourism, organic farming or urban gardening, startups that are geared to take people back to the basics of life are going to become increasingly popular. Yes, in a world loaded with technology and information finding that quiet space or natural goodness is what most people will value and be willing to pay for.
The top startup trends for 2014 aren’t your run of the mill, tech savvy ones. They are about simplicity, ease and natural goodness above anything else. So if you have a simple idea, 2014 could be the year for you t launch your startup.