Will your business ride a wave of success in 2019 – or get caught in the undertow?

The answer depends on how quickly your organization capitalizes on emerging trends in your industry.

It may sound brutal, but it’s true: With change occurring faster than ever, what worked yesterday might not cut it tomorrow. Business leaders who anticipate, identify and seize the best new opportunities for their organization will reap the rewards.

So grab your surfboard, jump on and use these tips to position your business for an amazing 2019:

Become nimbler. Organizational agility helps your business adapt to its changing environment, by deftly executing initiatives in support of your overall strategy. It’s what allows your business to:

• respond quickly and effectively to urgent issues and risks;
• stay profitable in turbulent markets;
• identify and capitalize on emerging opportunities – before your competitors do.

In this earlier post, we share four ways to help your organization adapt and respond more quickly to whatever comes your way.

Look around the next corner. To seize new opportunities, you must identify them early. Consider changing circumstances which may impact your industry and external business environment, such as:

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• Technological advances
• Social, political and legal changes
• Economic challenges or opportunities
• Demographic changes and/or changes in customer expectations

Examine each of these “big picture” forces regularly to uncover key opportunities for your organization. To find the insight you need:

• Attend industry events. Conferences, expos and seminars are ideal places to learn what’s coming next.
• Explore trends in other industries. Talk to business associates and broaden your network to gather diverse perspectives and insights.
• Read the right publications. Entrepreneur, Inc., FastCompany, The Economist and more can be used to explore emerging trends.

Ask the right questions. Look at your track record to learn from what worked (and what didn’t). Here are just a few to consider:

• What products/services were most successful – and why?
• What was easier/harder to sell this year compared to last –and why?
• What do clients/customers want that you haven’t offered up until now – and why?
• What new products/services can you create that will be irresistible?

Take action. Once you’ve gathered available intelligence (about your organization, your industry, external factors and trends) and laid out your options, consider the following 4-R questions to determine your best course of action:

• What will you regret if you fail to take any action at all?The higher the potential regret, the sooner you should make a choice.
• How tough will it be to reverse course? The easier a decision is to repeal, the faster you should make it.
• What will the repercussions be? The broader the impact, the more carefully you need to tread.
• How will the decision impact your organization’s resilience?Give more weight to decision options that will build your company’s ability to bounce back.

Want to capitalize on emerging trends impacting your industry?

Build a Flexible Staffing Strategy

The right staffing strategy can help you seize opportunities and outpace your competitors. And with a national presence and a full complement of talent solutions, the Exact Family of Companies is the perfec partner to support your success in 2019 and beyond.

Give us a call to discuss your goals – we’ll help you achieve them.