2018 is just around the corner and the year will most likely be eventful for small businesses. Most small business owners are eager to learn about what could drive successful trends in the coming year. Rather, how could a small business successfully reach their goal in the coming year? Here’s what Global Resources LLC consultants think would make it happen:

Great Work Environments – Successful businesses are often the most successful recruiters. In recent years, businesses that succeeded were the companies that were most innovative. Innovation is driven by employees. The business environment in most fields is currently highly competitive. So the most talented employees can be easily whisked away by bigger players. Small businesses can retain employees by creating a great work environment. This not only means creating a physically pleasant and (importantly) quiet office to work in. It also means building a great company culture where everyone is respected.

Compete with Legacy Brands Online – The past few years saw legacy brands that once dominated store shelves remarkably lose influence thanks to the rise of e-commerce. Now even the smallest player can go head-to-head with a big name because there are no slotting fees on e-stores. Therefore, if small businesses want to be successful in 2018, they should focus intensely on increasing online sales, including mobile sales.

Make Unboxing an Experience – Customers are increasingly posting videos of “unboxing” shipped items bought online. Brands can take advantage by making this unboxing event an experience. Most brands are already investing in designing the box and thinking about what the customer sees when they open it. Creating a great unboxing experience is a good way to promote products and brands on social media. It also drives word-of-mouth marketing. As brands are increasingly getting evaluated based on how many customer mentions there are on social media, making investments in things like unboxing experiences is a sound strategy.

Focusing on Efficiency – Modern companies are structuring the internal work environments to focus on efficiency and innovation. This means forgetting the timesheets and offering employees flexible hours. The aim is to allow employees to work as they like, as long as the intended results are delivered. Small businesses with small workforces can easily offer flexible hours to motivate employees to be more efficient and to get more things done.

Last but not least, don’t forget to identify and fix the mistakes of the past year. Get one of our Global Resources LLC Reviews to prepare your business for the challenges of the coming year.