The year ahead: 5 business trends shaping the landscape

As a business leader, you want to set goals that reflect your company’s unique strengths and growth strategies, but you may also want to consider external factors, such as market trends, customer behavior and emerging technologies. This can help you stay prepared, uncover new opportunities and increase customer satisfaction. 

“Understanding trends can help you anticipate what customers want,” explains Alex Schad, senior director of tech finance at Capital One. With this knowledge, you can make “better decisions about product offerings, business models, inventory, pricing and marketing,” he adds. 

Staying informed about customers’ evolving wants and needs can improve your decision-making, especially during uncertain times. Here are five trends impacting the broader business landscape that may also offer promising opportunities. 

What you’ll learn:

• Business attitudes and optimism create opportunities and a surge in business starts.

• Shifts in everything from technology to the labor market are opening new opportunities for efficiency, talent acquisition and market options.

• The agility of small and midsize businesses (SMBs) can help them respond faster than their larger counterparts.

• Policy changes create new opportunities for business operations and suppliers. 

Interest in entrepreneurship is growing, while small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) continue to power the labor market, creating 70% of net new jobs since 2019, according to the U.S. Treasury Department. The U.S. averaged 430,000 new business applications per month in 2024, up more than 50% from 2019, showing momentum in business starts.

These entrepreneurs are optimistic about what lies ahead, too. As of Q3 2025, 72% of business owners describe their businesses as healthy and 70% predict revenue increases, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

More than half (58%) of SMB owners use artificial intelligence (AI), and almost all (96%) expect to increase adoption, according to Chamber of Commerce data. AI usage may also correlate with business growth, as 82% of SMBs using AI increased their workforce during the past year.

SMBs have some advantages over larger organizations when it comes to AI implementation, as smaller organizations may be more nimble and have greater ease in decision-making than their larger counterparts. Common applications for AI and automation may include streamlining repetitive tasks to free up time for high-value activities and using generative AI tools such as chatbots to improve customer service.

Thanks to the proliferation of remote work and the technology to support it, SMBs have access to a global talent pool. While some companies prefer a fully in-office or hybrid work approach, others opt for remote work setups that can accommodate talent from all over.

A growing pool of freelancers who opt for self-employment for more autonomy, work-life balance, flexibility and earning potential may offer new business leaders more options in hiring talent. A rise in “fractional” leadership—experienced professionals who can be hired for specific tasks or objectives—is happening, offering companies the opportunity to access senior or specialized talent that may have been previously out of reach for them. 

The way customers buy products and services is shifting, and business leaders should take note, Schad says. U.S. retail e-commerce sales have increased year over year and reached $304.2 billion as of mid-2025, an increase of 1.4% from the prior quarter, according to census data. Businesses are embracing digital channels, whether that means selling products through owned channels or online retailers, or using digital channels to engage with customers and promote brick-and-mortar locations. 

A government-led push to reshore manufacturing jobs has led the U.S. Small Business Administration to pledge its support to American manufacturers, including providing more resources for training and technical assistance. Such a shift may provide opportunities for small businesses and offer more opportunities to choose U.S.-based supply partners to create more resilient supply chains or even build or acquire manufacturing solutions as opposed to outsourcing. Those SMBs in the manufacturing industry should have ongoing opportunities to scale due to increased market demand for domestic partners as well as government support.

These are just some of the trends shaping the business landscape and creating potential pathways for growth. To understand the trends impacting your specific industry and customer base, Schad suggests using Google Keyword and trend research tools, consulting industry associations and trade publications, investing in social media listening tools and conducting customer surveys.

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