These five trends will have impact in 2016

But optimism is itself a strategic asset—as long as it's backed up by a strong grasp of the facts. With that in mind, here's a look at some of the business trends that seem most likely to impact professionals of all stripes in the year ahead.

Increasing numbers of skilled professionals are driving the growth of the gig economy. And while there are those who ultimately expect that growth to level off, it doesn't appear ready to do that within the next few years. A 2015 Freelancers Union survey of over 1,000 American workers found that 34% had done freelance work over the past year, and about 60% of those who had received 25% or more of their income from those jobs.

 

The barriers to acquiring and sustaining freelance projects continue to drop.

 

That may not sound like much, but it hints at considerable and growing potential as the barriers to acquiring and sustaining freelance projects continue to drop. Fueled by cheaper cloud computing, remote work tools, and the spread of enterprise-level technology platforms for independent workers, the gigging trend will continue to grow.

 

That's good news for established companies, which can tap into the talent they need for the time they require it. Savvy businesses can become more efficient, reducing fixed costs and improving their bottom lines.

Admittedly, "gig economy" and "big data" are two phrases that are about as buzzy as you can find in the modern business world. But that's no reason to dismiss either one. Both consumer (B2C) and business-facing (B2B) companies are facing intensifying competition when it comes to customer insights, and the data-science field is expanding in order to help meet the challenge. Not all data analysis qualifies as "big data," of course, but solutions are multiplying, and 2016 may well be the year that more companies seriously ramp up their investments in the field instead of just talking about it.

 

Big data spending is projected to grow by a CAGR of 23% each year until 2019.

 

According to Forbes, only 15% of Fortune 500 companies are currently using big data analytics—and indeed, big data isn't appropriate to many small and mid-size companies—but one trade group reports that businesses are pouring considerable resources into it: Big data spending is projected to grow by a CAGR of 23% each year until 2019.

 

The ability to develop an integrated, analytical view of customer activities and business operations will separate the wheat from the chaff more decisively and rapidly than we've seen so far.

 

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