Business Trend 2023 for SMEs, professionals and commercial activities

The main trends of 2023 that you will need to consider in your business

Digital revolution, new normality, the fear of inflation and the economic crisis have defined the essential features of 2022 just behind us. An extremely challenging year for those who manage a business, whether small or large.

Let’s see together what the challenges and opportunities will be that we will face during 2023. The findings are based not only on authoritative sources such as Forbes.com, Insider.com and Exploding Topics, but also on the analyzes of the trends that our customers show us on a daily basis. In fact, Lokky, as an innovative insurance partner in the B2B sector, is alongside SMEs, professionals and commercial activities every day, to protect their business.

Business Trends for 2023 – e-Commerce

E-commerce has undergone a real boom during the COVID period, thanks above all to the restrictive level of health safety applied both in Italy and abroad (lockdown). Starting from the spring of 2022, with the introduction of less stringent regulations and the widespread diffusion of vaccines, physical shops, offices and normal in-person activities have gradually returned to pre-pandemic levels, inevitably deflating the bubble of online activities. In any case, the analyzes show a level of investments by businesses, and spending by customers, much higher than those recorded between 2015 and 2020.
Further developments in the e-commerce sector are therefore expected for 2023, thanks to the greater penetration of digital payments, new technological solutions in the social and the growing availability of automated digital marketing platforms, specifically developed for almost every type of industry.
An increase in augmented reality solutions is also expected which could move the online experience of the retail sector and beyond to the next level. In the automotive and real estate sectors, for example, many are already offering online professional support and augmented virtual reality, which could even replace the IRL experience (In real life).

Business Trends for 2023 – Personal data and cybersecurity

Is Google Analytics illegal? Every webmaster and website owner has had to ask themselves (or should have asked themselves) the question. A series of sentences issued in various courts of justice in European states have decreed that the well-known free online traffic analysis platform does not comply with the privacy regulations established by the European Community (GDPR). In fact, the data saving system would make them accessible to the American government.
The topic of personal data, the GDPR guidelines and what follows from it, in addition to the more general topic of IT security, is certainly an important chapter that accompanied us in 2022 and which we will also find in 2023. It is no coincidence that the insurance formulas to protect companies in terms of cyber security, saving of sensitive data and data breach they are also one of the main trends in the insurance industry.

Business Trends for 2023 – Social Media

In the beginning it was MySpaces, then Facebook, Linkedin, Instagram, Twitter and now TikTok. And this is just to name a few. Social networks confirm themselves as a crucial element in the communication strategy for 2023, with new forms of content, metrics and advertising formats in constant evolution and a plethora of consultants with whom to collaborate to always keep up with the times. And although we are all more or less active on more than one social platform, the trend is still one of global user growth (equal to +10% year on year according to Exploding Topics data). There are few companies that can afford the luxury of not being present on social networks and even fewer that should not take care of their online image. Just think of the phenomenon of spontaneous reviews and comments published on platforms not owned by the company. Online searches for “Social media marketing” have grown 118% over the last 16 months.

Business Trends for 2023 – Flexible working

Another effect of the pandemic that has forever changed the relationship between employers and workers is the now consolidated possibility of working in person and remotely with the same performance. Expressions such as “Work from home”, “smart working” and “tele-working” have become the basis of almost all companies active in the service sector; even manufacturing companies, where possible, envisage new forms of collaboration.
In 2023 we could observe some evolutions of this new employment reality.
On the one hand, the need to review the contractual formulas and insurance coverage which will have to adapt to the new standards of hybrid work.
On the other hand, and perhaps making things even more challenging, is the growing phenomenon of digital nomads, who move their residence away from the company’s registered office and operate in a regime of total detachment from the canonical office environment. Taxation, welfare, holidays and permits, working hours and safety are just some of the topics to be covered. And for companies that do not adapt, clouds of inefficiency are gathering on the horizon: one of the key words that permeated 2022 was, in fact, «just stop” which indicates a phenomenon of inexorable detachment of workers from professional growth objectives which inevitably also impacts company performance.

Business Trends for 2023 – Sustainability

Not something new, but rather the trend with greater continuity in recent years, the theme of sustainability confirms itself as central to many aspects of a company’s life in 2023. From production processes to the choice of partners, through communication issues, sustainability becomes an essential part of the company’s DNA and in some cases defines the ability to persist over time. Interest in benefit corporations and ethical budgets is growing. New production and distribution chains are born that aim at circularity, a virtuous concept that rewards re-use, the choice of innovative materials and the reduction of waste. For young people it is an essential element in the relationship with the brands they buy. The new generations take the issue of the future of the planet very seriously and require an equally serious commitment from businesses.

Business Trends for 2023 – Conclusions

For entrepreneurs, managers and professionals/self-employed workers, 2023 will be a year full of challenges. Human resources management will require inventiveness and flexibility, new tools and new skills will be needed to effectively reach customers and support the competitive market. It will be increasingly important to be equipped to manage critical issues, especially in the digital environment, where opportunities and risks are multiplying. It will be a 2023 dedicated to sharing and innovation; Obviously there will be no shortage of news also in the regulatory field which we will try to explore in depth together on our blog.