When you’re considering launching your own new start-up, you can be easily consumed by the task. In fact, you should be! A start-up is a lot of work, and you should be devoting nearly all of your energy and attention to what your business needs to succeed. It also pays to keep an eye on some outside factors that can impact your start-up or the market that you’re hoping to enter. That means you should devote some attention to keeping up with the news, at least as far as it’s relevant to the industry you might be entering.
What’s relevant will change from one start-up to the next, but here are four things you might want to follow regularly if you’re starting a modern company in 2017.
Changes In App Development
If there’s one thing that just about every new company needs these days, it’s a mobile app. Apps can serve different purposes for different businesses, but just like new companies were recognizing the need to start their own websites 10 years ago, start-up operators today would be wise to explore app design. Not too long ago, app design was something you really needed a professional for, but now there are plenty of intuitive app-maker programs out there that offer solutions to people without a lot of experience. That doesn’t mean a professional touch might not be for the best if you can afford it, but designing your own app is definitely doable nowadays. It would be wise to keep an eye on some of the popular tools and be aware if and when things get even easier.
Cryptocurrency Evolution
Another thing to be aware of as a new business owner today is the growing value and expanding utility of cryptocurrencies. Bitcoin is growing in value and demand in 2017, and some of its counterparts are also gaining strength. Once a fringe alternative currency that was shrugged off by many serious business people, Bitcoin is now a force to be reckoned with. That doesn’t mean it’s taking the place of regular money anytime soon, but it does mean your new business might be wise to make cryptocurrency payments an option. Be sure to monitor this market to see if competitors in your industry are taking advantage of it.
Political Turmoil
Needless to say, 2016 and 2017 have been very turbulent on the geopolitical landscape. The UK exited the European Union, Donald Trump stormed the U.S. presidency, and Marine Le Pen spooked Europe by reaching the runoff of the French election (though she was defeated by Emmanuel Macron). Events like these can have trickle-down effects on the economic landscape, and different political figures can affect different industries. The dust in France is only just settling after a dramatic election, and in the U.S. some are still predicting Trump won’t last a whole term. Indeed, some experts are offering serious odds in speculation of a Trump impeachment, with some finding it more likely than you might expect. You may want to be in tune with those odds, as an impeachment would send serious economic shockwaves that could affect your business goals.
Tech Security Advancements
In a more general sense, you should also make a point of staying updated on any and all security advancements that are made with regard to technology. Your start-up might use cloud storage, various file sharing programs, or even a “smart” security system on any office space you might be opening up. These are all modern tools that can make day-to-day operations more efficient for your business, but they also require high-tech, reliable security. There are always changes being made in how people keep their data and smart systems safe, and this is definitely one area where it pays to be out in front of new ideas.
