The year 2021 will go down in history as a significant year for the global business economy. Circumstances made it impossible for commerce to operate without making major changes in the workforce. From entry-level, customer service agents to CEO’s people had to work from their homes to keep business alive. Technology made this possible. As the year comes to a close, corporations are pushing back their “return to the office” deadlines. While there are still circumstances that make this a wise decision, the fact that a lot of employees have become adjusted to working remotely.
Totaljobs.com reports a 40% increase in job searches that offer remote working options. Corporations find key players in their organizations would rather change jobs than return to full-time work at the office. Simply put, if they do not change their rules and become open to the option of remote work as part of their day-to-day business, their competition will.
Salary changes
In the past companies often looked at remote work as a luxury. In return for allowing an employee this luxury, they usually offered less money. However, the associates working from their home offices are no longer entry-level. They include managers and executives. These business-savvy people know how much money corporations save by using this option. With less office space needed, less overhead, supplies, insurance, and utility expenses, corporations can afford to keep salaries at their pre-2021 levels and more. Applicants are putting a premium on their skills and value to the business world. Everyone involved is facing a new evaluation process.
Business Liquidations
There is good reason to use caution as we move into the new year. Many people opened home-based businesses in the past two years. Some as a new way to make a living and some as a way to supplement their struggling income. Those who have seen a measure of success with their home-based business may be in no hurry to let it go in 2022. CNBC reports a significant business insolvency jump is expected in 2022 globally. As governments withdraw their support that helped companies stay afloat during these troubled times, some companies will face the inevitable. Business liquidations are expected to rise by 15% in 2022 across the globe.
eCommerce UK
One aspect of business seems to be set in stone. The popularity of eCommerce has grown massively and there is no end in sight. The UK has one of the most advanced technologies in the world. Other countries are thriving well, but they have a way to go before they can achieve what the UK has.
Digital companies
Companies transferring to eCommerce-only business are a trend. Experts in the market expect retail stores to stabilize in the new year. Further, they predict that 2022 will continue to see advanced growth in 2022.
Some corporations have an edge already. There are industry giants who expected the day to come when the use of highly efficient technology would become a business staple. They designed their companies with the vision of a business that they could market globally, that anyone could access from their computer or smart device. They expected the day to come when convenience, ease of doing business, and mobility would be requirements of consumers.
Home-based business
The past year has sparked a rebirth of entrepreneurship in the UK and around the world. Many people found themselves unemployed or under-employed, making producing another income necessary. People began to take inventory of their talents and skills and how to market them. This caused an influx of home-based businesses. People marketed recipes, sold crafts, and rented themselves out to perform office skills. Others took up writing, blogging, and multi-level marketing. We opened shops, made products, prepared meals, made deliveries, and became personal shoppers. We turned things we do every day into ways to make a living. People around the world were supporting each other.
This business owner has found a way to balance work that they love with family. They have found a life that gives them the challenge they need with a schedule that fits with the phase of their life that they are in now. With a good marketing plan and hard work, this business should do well in 2022.
The digital age
The world has experienced massive change before. Today’s generation is blessed to have the technology to help us. The technology allows us to work remotely, do business globally, and market our products and skills without leaving our home offices. The restrictions placed on us forced us to depend on each other again. We learned how to function as families and communities again. We allowed ourselves to evaluate what was important to us. Change never comes easily. But the digital age made hard work possible, and that brought comfort. There will be challenges in 2022. There always are challenges with growth. But the UK is ready to face those challenges. The new year will grant us the opportunity to open new avenues of business. Once again, the people of the UK will face their challenges, and no doubt, they will succeed.
