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19 Best New Business Ideas for 2016

Each new year, there are a plethora of websites that list the top new ideas and/or trends for the coming year. People often look for opportunities – what industries and or new markets should be pursued? For the entrepreneur, this is a great list. For the person looking for a next role, these are business areas to look into.

This list is from Business News Daily  by Brittney Helmrich.  I always look for a fresh list to start the year; this was published on January 4, 2016 – you can’t get much fresher than that.

19 Best New Business Ideas For 2016

  1. Business Services – many companies are still reluctant to rehire ‘support staff’ that was downsized in the last recession.  Functions are  marketing, HR, health care management, etc.
  2. Testing Businesses – mobile-friendly websites and e-commerce are critical for businesses, but they don’t always work.  Why?  They are rarely tested.  (Check out SOASTA.)
  3. Contracting – focus: per CNN – cater to first-time homeowners; 2015 was a big re-entry year for them.
  4. Smartphone Repair – a continuing HUGE growth trend; we can’t live without them and they are just too expensive to repurchase.  There are franchises available, or you can try on your own.
  5. Healthy Vending Machines – more and more people are becoming health-conscious; they are also strapped for time.  Fresh Healthy Vending offers franchises in this growing area.
  6. Traveling Salons – people are living longer.  The need for (senior) services of all sorts is growing – and not all of the needs are healthcare related.
  7. Employee-Monitoring Services – the U.S. mobile-worker population is growing.  There are plenty of vehicle-tracking time clocks/apps out there.  Companies do not have the time to monitor this/sift through the data.  This could be an add-on to outsourced HR work.
  8. Translation Services – according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the hiring or interpreters and translators is projected to grow by 46% by 2022.
  9. Mobile Consulting – if you are in business, it is your job to be where your prospects are.  And they are mobile – or you are.
  10. Freelancing – (see #1 above) – companies are increasingly turning to freelance and contract workers to fill skill gaps.
  11. Food Truck – on the list since December 2012! – revenue projected to be $2.7 billion by 2017.  (Don't think of the truck; think of the businesses that support this industry.)
  12. Health Care Consulting – two trends coming together:  aging baby-boomers and continued need to implement the Affordable Care Act.  Management/data analysis services are needed at hospitals, labs and therapy offices.
  13. Software Training – if you are proficient in a specialized software, you can sell your expertise to people who don’t want to learn through on-line tutorials OR the user manual.
  14. Recycling Pickup – electronics and batteries are still an issue – and not part of a standard recycling package.
  15. Kid-Friendly Apps – JWT (J. Walter Thompson - a global advertising company) points out that connectivity with kids is a huge trend – and they are your future customers.
  16. Health Clubs for Millennials – according to studies, millennials are drinking less and focusing more on health and fitness.  Focused fitness centers/clubs that are fun and social are a growth area.
  17. Box Subscription Services – huge growth area – starting with women as the target.  They are now expanding to men and pets.
  18. Women’s Health Platform – businesses that focus on woman’s health needs, woman’s empowerment and woman’s gender identities grew fast in 2015; they are projected to do so this year as well.
  19. Instagram Consulting – JWT reported that more and more companies are using Instagram as a marketing tool.  The number of companies with more than 100 employees using Instagram for marketing is expected to reach 48.8% in 2016.

Let me wish you the best for 2016!