As we approach the end of 2022, business owners have a lot on their plates. What should they be mindful of when it comes to finishing the year strong? What strategies should they employ? What challenges lie ahead? Let’s look at a number of ideas and trends to think about.

The Potential Impact of Cyber War and the Economy

Cyber war is a very real threat. While an actual military standoff might seem far-fetched from where you are, cyber attacks are everywhere. Cyber war is evolving through very sophisticated means. We have been seeing this play out in the Russia/Ukraine conflict as well as numerous cyber and ransomware attacks on major corporations and infrastructure.

Such concerns also have contributed to what looks to be a down market, impacting Wall Street, main street, and the housing market. The Federal Reserve is raising interest rates and inflation is a very real threat. Investing in gold has been a proven method historically to fight inflation.

Your Foray into Video, Web3, and the Future of Work

That said, not all technology is a bad thing. Video, for instance, gets to show a different side of your personal and business brand to your target market. Potential customers may value live video of your brand, especially given the tech strides in the industry as of late.

Plenty of global interconnectedness makes the world feel closer and smaller, as everyone is within reach of your business impact. If you’ve been accustomed to working for others, this might be the year in which you pursue becoming a self-sovereign worker. Web3 and the future of work may help make this dream a reality for you.

Growth Through Scalability

Perhaps as an agency owner, you’ve had some modest success as a solopreneur or managing a small team of freelancers or in-house people. Are you ready to take the jump to a larger organization? At some point, you need to work on the business, not just in the business – form the right processes and hires and trust your people and systems once they are in place. This is the key towards sustainable digital agency growth.

Going Back to School

It is good advice to be a lifetime learner if you are not already doing this for the betterment of yourself and those around you. It may be the right moment for going back to school. But, what if your school is in danger of closing? Schools across the nation are taking fairly drastic actions to stay competitive and some are choosing to merge with other colleges.

The Hope of Retirement?

Perhaps you’re looking for this to be the year leading into your golden years of retirement. If you’re a baby boomer, your generation is retiring at an astonishing rate at the moment – and they account for 2.3 million small businesses. This will lead to the greatest transfer of wealth in human history. Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z will need to step up to the plate to take over the reins of many small businesses across the nation.

Putting it All Together

Let’s seek to end this year on a high note. Study carefully the trends and opportunities for business and personal growth. Mindset is key, including not going along with the crowd in mass misremembering (often called the Mandela Effect). A degree of discipline and focus may be just the thing you need to pull forward in the uncertain future that lies ahead.