Business owners, IT directors, and managers should be aware of technological trends in the small business sector. Discover how these top technology trends will impact your business in 2022.
Some technological trends, such as the proliferation of 5G cellular networks and artificial intelligence, are gaining traction. Other technological advancements are newer and have not yet disrupted the market, but their significance is undeniable. The pandemic has changed how, where, and when people work, and technology is playing an important role in enabling flexible hybrid work.
This article is intended for small business owners who want to stay ahead of technology trends.
As an entrepreneur or small business owner, you may not be at the forefront of technological development, but technology still plays an important role in the growth and efficiency of your company. Given how much has changed in the last year, small business technology trends will only become more important throughout 2022 and into 2023.
While new infrastructure such as 5G will gain traction, established markets such as employee monitoring software will have a growing impact on small businesses.
Over two years after the first lockdowns were implemented, businesses around the world are still struggling to establish a new normal. Small and midsize businesses can benefit greatly from technological rebalancing, reconstruction, and reinvigoration.
We asked some leading tech experts and small business owners for their thoughts on the latest tech trends among small businesses, in addition to investigating the latest tech trends among small businesses. Here are the top ten small business technology trends for 2022 and beyond.
Top 10 Small Business Technology Trends
1. Artificial intelligence
For years, artificial intelligence and machine learning have been hot tech topics. AI, for example, is reshaping the insurance industry by alleviating insurer pain points and improving user experience.
Small business owners will continue to incorporate smart technologies into new and existing processes in 2022 as more solutions integrate them. This could imply a variety of scenarios, ranging from voice assistants to personalized customer experiences. Indeed, artificial intelligence is already being used in cybersecurity, CRM systems, and market research.
According to Meredith Schmidt, executive vice president, and general manager of small business and essentials at Salesforce, while artificial intelligence may appear to be a technology reserved for large corporations, it will be more widely adopted by small businesses.
“By maximizing their time and automating manual tasks, AI will help small businesses provide more personalized experiences to their customers,” Schmidt said. “AI and automation can be a huge asset if you spend nearly a quarter of your day on manual tasks like data entry, as our research revealed.”
2. 5G deployment
5G has numerous business implications. 5G technology adoption began in 2019, but the pandemic significantly slowed its domestic and international rollout. Nonetheless, the advantages of adopting 5G cellular capability include significantly faster data transmission speeds than 4G networks can provide. 5G, according to cell phone manufacturer Huawei, also promises low or no latency or data transfer delay.
As 5G networks are more capable of supporting the influx of interconnected smart devices than 4G or Wi-Fi, effectively eliminating latency will be a significant step forward in the development of the Internet of Things (IoT). As IoT grows in popularity, more IoT job opportunities will emerge for IT professionals.
While there is a lot of buzz around 5G, it is still the domain of early adopters and forward-thinking IT departments.
3. Employee Tracking Software
It’s understandable that not all employees are eager to return to open-plan offices after two years of forced home working and saturation media coverage of infection rates. Remote work is here to stay, and hybrid work is becoming more popular.
According to Rhiannon Staples, chief marketing officer of Hibob, much of the focus on HR technology stems from the shift to remote work. “The shift to remote work has changed businesses in terms of productivity, engagement, culture, two-way communication, and employee development,” Staples explained, “and has highlighted the need for effective technology to help navigate these challenges.” “As a result, centralized human resource information systems have become mission critical.”
Employee monitoring software is the most important of these tools. The best employee monitoring software can be used to gain detailed insight into remote workers’ productivity. Look for features such as mobile device coverage and the ability to detect ineffective working practices when selecting employee monitoring software.
Employees may see monitoring software as beneficial if their efforts are recognized and their accomplishments are lauded.
4. Remote Orientation
As more businesses embrace the hybrid working model (and the potential savings from shedding office space and freeing up employee commuting time for additional work), they will rely on technology to handle successful remote employee onboarding.
Onboarding is essential when hiring new employees because it allows you to familiarize them with their responsibilities and the company culture. Companies are turning to software for onboarding because they cannot connect in person due to the pandemic or their location.
“Technology that ensures every step of the onboarding experience is professionally planned and orchestrated will help companies ensure their new team members feel welcome,” Staples said, citing a study that found a bad onboarding experience drives nearly two-thirds of workers to seek a new job. “Companies will invest more in technology that helps people understand who’s who in the company [and] become acquainted with the relevant connections they need to make outside of their immediate team.”
5. Tech-Assisted Shopping
Retailers have experienced some of the most dramatic effects of the pandemic. In response to lockdowns and other disruptions, major corporations have accelerated the implementation of mobile and social media shopping to create a contactless shopping experience.
According to Staples, this high-tech approach to keeping people safe has spread beyond curbside pickup, becoming a natural extension of existing technology such as mobile payments and terminals.
“Mobile payments used to be a nice-to-have that gave shoppers in crowded stores the convenience of avoiding long checkout lines,” she explained. “However, as a result of the pandemic, they’re now almost a requirement for most retailers.”
QR codes, mobile terminals, and mobile wallets are now part of mobile payments.
“Many retailers are redesigning their in-store experiences to reflect our current – and likely future – reality,” Staples said. She cited Walmart’s transformation of its stores into airport-like environments with a focus on convenience and contactless transactions.
6. Unification of Software
The pandemic’s aftermath can also be seen in the growing unification of previously distinct software interfaces. Consider the incorporation of Microsoft Teams into Windows 11.
Furthermore, we are seeing an increase in the use of third-party software integrations. Slack is now used to connect teams, Outlook is used to send important documents, Salesforce is used to manage customers, Basecamp is used to plan projects, and Google Drive is used to store company information. Data silos are a significant threat that can be mitigated and minimized through unification.
“It’s difficult to connect software to work with other software,” said Roy Mann, CEO, and co-founder of Monday.com. “A breakthrough will occur with integration platforms that will allow any software to connect well with any other software.”
He expects such connections to connect multiple platforms and enable seamless communication. For example, he claims that if customer information is changed on one platform, it will be updated on all platforms at the same time. Businesses save time as a result of this unification.
7. Heightened Emphasis on Cybersecurity
The adoption of new working practices has resulted in the emergence of new forms of fraud, with malware evolving in response to increased virtual communication and the increasing domestic use of workplace hardware.
However, this sense of danger has not spread to businesses. According to BullGuard research, nearly 60% of small businesses believe they will not be targeted in a cyberattack. However, IT Governance, an industry specialist, reported an 11% increase in security incidents in 2021 compared to 2020, totaling 5.1 billion breached records.
SMBs, according to Jim Lippie, former general manager of cloud computing for software company Kaseya, should begin viewing security through the eyes of enterprise businesses. “SMBs, like their large enterprise counterparts, will focus on a comprehensive backup-and-disaster-recovery solution to stay protected, as well as develop new standardized blocking and tackling game plans to keep the business even safer.”
8. An Increased Emphasis on Automation
Automation has long been a buzzword in small business circles, but Popcart founder Omri Traub believes business owners are now taking workplace automation seriously as a way to save money and cover problem areas.
“With continued labor shortages in certain domains, automation investments will increase,” Traub predicted. “Online pricing automation to balance profitability and revenue growth, as well as inventory management systems to ensure the perfect amount of inventory is on hand, are examples for small businesses.”
Looking ahead, Traub believes a “new wave of companies” will emerge to develop these automated solutions. He claims that by providing that service, many companies will use the cloud to help ensure that the push toward automation continues.
9. Marketing Through Influencers
Social media influencers and personalized marketing are emerging as viable methods of connecting with customers and promoting products. The days of driving sales through traditional print advertising are long gone. Nowadays, a company must have a dynamic, strategic marketing plan, which increasingly entails collaborating with influencers.
“Consumers want more authenticity in their advertisements, often in the form of a recommendation from someone they trust, such as an influencer,” said FundKite CEO Alex Shvarts.
Social media marketing can assist you in connecting with your customers and carving out a niche in your industry. Working with genuine influencers (rather than influencer marketing fraud scams) entails understanding your company’s needs and conducting research on who is influential in the industry.
Because audiences are fickle, influencers may quickly fall out of favor. Look for people who avoid controversy, preferably those who have a track record of working with other SMEs.
10. Social Media Advertising
In 2022, small businesses will continue to use social media advertising. While influencers are frequently referred to as social media advertisers, social media advertising also includes pay-per-click marketing.
“As more businesses go micro, social advertising will become a more cost-effective and efficient way to target specific audiences,” said Matt Rosenberg, Helbiz’s head of communications. “In today’s growing digital landscape, the ability to create unique and differentiating content that engages customers through social media channels is critical.”
This pattern is bearing fruit. According to Rosenberg, three-quarters of US consumers have purchased a product after seeing it advertised on a brand’s social media page. If you aren’t already promoting your brand on social media, now is the time to start.
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