What are the key business trends every company needs to be aware of for 2021? Many of these trends are in response to dealing with the global pandemic that altered and emphasized new ways of doing business. Here are what I believe are the top 10 business trends for 2021.

1. The 10 Biggest Business
Everyone Must Be
Trends For 2021
Ready For

2. © 2020 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
Title
Text
IntroductionIntroduction
What are the key business trends every company needs to be aware of for 2021? Many
of these trends are in response to dealing with the global pandemic that altered and
emphasized new ways of doing business. Here are what I believe are the top 10 business
trends for 2021.
The 10 Biggest Business Trends For 2021
Everyone Must Be Ready For

3. © 2020 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
Title
Text
IntroductionIntroduction
While there are many who can't wait to bid adieu to 2020, there's no doubt the
coronavirus pandemic and the ways businesses had to adjust to ensure their survival
changed the trajectory of what 2021 will look like and what businesses should do to get
ready for the upcoming year. As a futurist, I help companies understand the latest trends
and technologies and offer guidance on how to prepare their businesses for them. Here
are the top 10 trends that will drive every business in 2021. I believe every business
around the world needs to be ready for these trends.
The 10 Biggest Business Trends For 2021
Everyone Must Be Ready For

4. © 2020 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
Work from Home. . .For Real!
When employees were under lockdown orders due to COVID, companies had to quickly
adapt operations to a remote workforce. Now that there are some distance and lessons
learned from that initial experiment, most businesses are now rethinking their entire
business model. Are offices still needed?
Some companies experienced an increase in productivity when their workforce went
remote. However, working from home wasn't ideal for others. Therefore in 2021,
businesses need to reimagine their own workspaces as well as provide the proper support
for people working from home, such as outfit them with the right office equipment,
mental health support, and more so everyone can work from home comfortably.

5. © 2020 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
Data as an Asset
Over the last few years, data volumes have grown massively. The businesses that
leveraged this data to better understand their customers and to improve their decision-
making are clearly the ones that are outperforming everyone else. Cloud solutions allow
us to access data from anywhere. Businesses need to protect and secure data just as they
would any other asset. Another important thing for businesses to consider is how to boost
data literacy in their company in 2021 in order to glean decision-making insights from it.
This also requires an investment in systems that can efficiently and effectively process,
analyze, and store the data streaming into the organisation.

6. © 2020 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
Business Model Innovation
In 2021, every business leader needs to reflect on what they're offering customers and
how they operate as a business. There were lots of industries that were completely
transformed in 2020, such as the hospitality and events industry. The businesses that are
currently thriving even during a pandemic are those that reacted quickly to the changes.
For example, restaurants that pivoted to enable expanded take-out abilities or Formula 1
companies that were producing ventilators altered their typical operations to ensure
survival. Although businesses have always had to think about how the market is shifting
and what transformations that means for business, it will be more important in 2021 to
innovate your business model.

7. © 2020 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
Automation
Another top business trend in 2021 will be automation. Businesses will evaluate their
business processes to see where they can take people out of the process when they aren't
adding any true value. There have already been quite a few shifts in this direction from
warehouses, supply chains, autonomous vehicles, trucks, and ships, as well as chatbots
that automatically take over customer service inquiries. In 2021, I expect that white-collar
automation will be a trend as we consider what bits of a lawyer, doctor, or other white-
collar professional's jobs can be given over to computers and smart robots and delivered
through automated interfaces.

8. © 2020 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
Decentralized Finance
As a result of the economic turmoil COVID-19 left in its path, capital markets continue to
be nervous. This creates a challenge for businesses that want to raise capital to expand or
start a new business. One solution for raising capital has been crowdfunding, blockchain
technology, and other decentralized finance options. This will be a big trend in 2021 that
will allow businesses to acquire capital easier than through traditional channels.

9. © 2020 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
Virtual Interfaces
As companies raced to find new ways of delivering service to customers that were not
walking into stores, they began to consider how to deliver some of the services in digital
forms using technology such as augmented reality, virtual reality, and mixed reality. To
comply with stay-at-home orders, people would use virtual avatars to "try" on make-up,
eyewear, and clothes. Ultimately, this "try before you buy" with virtual interfaces will
transform how businesses offer their services.

10. © 2020 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
Going from Global to Local
In 2020 there were a lot of reasons to begin to think more locally rather than globally—
COVID-10 disrupted international supply chains, there were increasing tensions between
the U.S. and China, and Brexit was delivered. Companies began to rethink where they were
sourcing and selling their goods because international turmoil could disrupt business.
More localized manufacturing and selling are also appealing for environmental awareness.

11. © 2020 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
Purposeful & Meaningful
There's a trend to have more purpose and meaning in our jobs. Younger generations that
are entering the workforce want to connect with a purpose or work for a company that
has real meaning. Companies that don't have a clear or meaningful purpose will struggle
to attract talent and customers.

12. © 2020 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
Sustainability
Sustainability has been a concern for some time, but during the pandemic, things shifted
in emphasis. As disruptive as the coronavirus was to business, companies are recognizing
the environmental crisis could be much more damaging to the world as well as the
bottom line than the pandemic. Therefore, every company needs to rethink operations,
environmental impact, and their products and how they are being used. This trend of
sustainability links closely to the previous trend of a meaningful purpose as companies
work to reduce their carbon and water footprint.

13. © 2020 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
Social Engagement
During the pandemic, brands relied on engaging with their customers and potential
customers across social media. In 2021, there will be a big push toward a more authentic
presence on social media and one that's less curated by social media experts, such as real
behind-the-scenes looks at a company. Along with this will be engaging influencers and
micro-influencers in your industry—those key people who are driving conversations and
engage with your customers.
If you would like to learn more about technology trends, then have a look at my books:
Tech Trends in Practice: The 25 Technologies That Are Driving The 4th Industrial
Revolution and The Intelligence Revolution: Transforming Your Business With AI.

14. Bernard Marr is an internationally best-selling author, popular keynote speaker, futurist, and a
strategic business & technology advisor to governments and companies. He helps
organisations improve their business performance, use data more intelligently, and
understand the implications of new technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data,
blockchains, and the Internet of Things.
LinkedIn has ranked Bernard as one of the world’s top 5 business influencers. He is a frequent
contributor to the World Economic Forum and writes a regular column for Forbes. Every day
Bernard actively engages his 1.5 million social media followers and shares content that
reaches millions of readers.
Visit The
Website
© 2020 Bernard Marr , Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved© 2017 Bernard Marr , Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
© 2020 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
Bernard Marr is an internationally best-selling author, popular keynote speaker, futurist, and a
strategic business & technology advisor to governments and companies. He helps
organisations improve their business performance, use data more intelligently, and
understand the implications of new technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data,
blockchains, and the Internet of Things.
LinkedIn has ranked Bernard as one of the world’s top 5 business influencers. He is a frequent
contributor to the World Economic Forum and writes a regular column for Forbes. Every day
Bernard actively engages his 1.5 million social media followers and shares content that
reaches millions of readers.
Visit The
Website

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