The Nextpert News Network has come out with its list of mega-trends for 2005. In keeping with most of these trends lists, you’ll find it limited mostly to consumer-culture. It’s also a very long list, so we won’t try to summarize it all here.
But one of the mega-trends on the list is worthy of pointing out because it is so on point to our mission here at Small Business Trends. Nextpert says that the rise in “small business” is itself a trend for 2005:
SMALL BUSINESS – and SMALL BUSINESS BOOMERS – we mentioned this strength among sectors of small business several years ago including work-at-home moms and Mr. Moms; family, weekend and eBay businesses; and Baby Boomers starting new careers on their own as their corporate and industrial lives ebbed and they didn’t want to or couldn’t retire. The President’s open support of small business didn’t hurt on November 2. Look for continued growth and more recognition – TV shows even a TV network – and major opportunities for brilliant ideas on how small businesses can create networks to help each other (like co-ops and referral systems) how small businesses can be perfect outsourcers for budget-conscious giants and new ingenious and needed ideas that will develop into big franchises of small players.
Editor’s Note: Throughout the next week we will be reviewing trends predictions. We’ll keep a running list of all the trends posts in our series, starting with our interview of futurist Watts Wacker last week. See our 2005 Trends index for more.
