As a relevant startup in today’s climate, you always need to be one step ahead of the competition. Part of that is predicting what’s coming next, especially when it has to do with the automation your company implements.
Here are our startup predictions for 2022:
- Remote work will continue to reign supreme
- On-the-go-communication will be essential
- Crypto regulations will continually evolve
- Your favorite software might be something you never saw coming
- Venture capital funding will decrease
- Visionary companies will be the ones to beat
- Automation will have another boom
- The battle for the best talent continues
- Integrations and APIs will be more crucial than ever
- Innovation will move at the speed of imagination
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Prediction #1: Remote work will continue to reign supreme for startups
In light of the current pandemic, remote work has become the norm for many companies. However, remote work has always been the norm for startups strapped for cash. Office space is expensive, and many founders choose to implement tools that allow their employees to work from home 100% of the time. This saves the company money, allows employees to live where they want, and generally makes everyone happier.
In 2022, remote work will be the norm for nearly every startup, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. You need to hit the ground running with a small team, which makes constant communication essential. Be sure to equip your new business with easy, reliable ways to stay in touch.
Prediction #2: On-the-go communication will be essential
As remote workforces grow, the need for flexibility increases. If you have to take your child to the dentist, you can still video conference with your startup team, from anywhere, at any time. If you are stuck in traffic, you can still answer an important email. The future of communication isn’t only about geographical location; it’s about having communication tools that go with you wherever you go.
This type of on-the-go communication enables your team to communicate instantly, from around the world. With RingCentral’s unified communications as a service (UCaaS) , you can video chat, voice conference, and text all from one platform.
RingCentral offers the following ways to connect on the go:
- Mobile apps for all devices
- Desktop apps for all operating systems
- Integrations with major business applications you already use
- Convenient support in more than 20 languages
- Remote Worker Toolkit for ultimate flexibility
Plus, you can take every meeting on the go. Simply flip your call from desktop to mobile (and back again) with one click:
Prediction #3: Crypto regulations will continually evolve
An increasing number of global startups have been looking for alternative forms of currency. In that vein, many companies look at cryptocurrency as a possibility. There’s a lot of promise in this technology, with the advent of the NFT and the growth of the metaverse.
For a short time, cryptocurrency was tainted by the volatility of Bitcoin. However, Congress and other financial entities have increasingly developed regulations surrounding this type of financial system. Adoption continues and an international infrastructure has taken shape.
This is huge for fintech, but shouldn’t be overlooked in any industry. Accepting crypto payments from clients, and even paying your employees in crypto, may be the way of the future.
Prediction #4: Your favorite software may be something you never saw coming
To be successful in 2022, you need to determine what your co-workers value and provide it for them. You likely use a messaging service like Slack or Hipchat right now, but your company may be looking for an updated solution.
Startups need to be agile, growth is mercurial, you can also upgrade (or downgrade) your subscriptions at any time without losing important history and links, which is great if you are a starting company and looking to scale in the future.
“We can’t predict what tool teams will use in 2022,” said Chris Davis, CEO and founder of RingCentral. “But we do know that it will be something we never saw coming.”
Our top innovations for small businesses in 2021
Prediction #5: Venture capital funding will decrease
Venture capital funding was at an all-time high last year, which saw an increase in the number of tech companies that were not only funded in later stages for a large valuation, but are now eyeing exits and IPOs. These investment trends aren’t sustainable.
That’s not to say that funding rounds from leaders like Tiger Global won’t stay strong, but they will likely not outpace the past year. Entrepreneurs should prepare for a harder time getting funding and work to cut costs now.
Prediction #6: The most successful companies will be the visionaries
To thrive in 2022, companies need to be able to change direction with the market and see where it is going before it gets there. As a company leader, this means adding tools that can help you maintain a competitive edge.
“The most successful companies in 2022 won’t be the ones with the best products,” says Davis. “It will be companies that can predict what people need and how they communicate. We suggest RingCentral for any company wanting to stay ahead of the curve.”
Prediction #7: Automation will take off in a big way
The popularity of tools like Zapier and IFTTT along with the potential for machine learning has led to an explosion of automation possibilities. We’re already seeing artificial intelligence running grocery stores, chatbots taking customer service calls for e-commerce and others, and drones delivering packages. In 2022, expect to see even more automation in the workforce, freeing employees up for higher-level tasks.
RingCentral can help by providing everything your team needs to communicate from one integrated platform that leverages AI for features like advanced call routing and natural language chatbots:
Prediction #8: The battle for talent never ends
As long as there are places to go, people will always be looking for the next great opportunity. If you’re not offering great benefits like flexible work schedules and telecommuting, you may lose out on top employees. This is especially true in 2022 when remote working becomes even more popular.
For employees, working remotely can provide greater flexibility and help them avoid bad commute habits. For companies, hiring remotely means a larger talent pool from which to choose without sacrificing quality.
How to recruit & hire remote employees
It doesn’t end there. RingCentral can also help you create a pipeline of talent when hiring for new positions. With RingCentral for Business, you can also give employees the opportunity to use the tools they love at their new job.
Prediction #9: Integrations and APIs will be more important than ever
To stay ahead in a rapidly changing market, you need a way to make your product work with others and connect with customers across platforms. Existing integrations and other digital transformation trends can help you expand your reach while APIs allow for customized functionality that will make using your product even easier.
RingCentral’s API allows developers to add instant messaging, voice, and video to any application or device. You can also integrate RingCentral with other popular tools like:
- Dropbox
- Gmail
- Box
- Slack
- Google Drive
- Zendesk
- Salesforce
- Zoho CRM
- HubSpot
- Zapier
…and a whole lot more.
Prediction #10: Innovation will move at the speed of imagination
In 2022, companies can fully expect to encounter a whole new set of challenges because consumers have access to exponentially more information and better tools than ever before. To keep up with this quickly changing world, your company needs an innovative way of thinking that is supported by deep data insights.
As long as entrepreneurs keep dreaming up new ways to use technology, there will always be room for innovation.
With RingCentral, your company can connect with customers better than ever before by adding the features they expect like messaging, voice and video calls, virtual numbers, toll-free dialing, recording meetings, online faxing, and more. RingCentral’s all-in-one communications platform is an innovation in the communications space that fosters innovation in the companies that leverage it.
Let RingCentral help you stay on-trend
Startup founders and employees can use RingCentral to conduct business from anywhere. This allows startups to hire employees on a contract basis, scale quickly, and stay flexible without sacrificing communication or security.
Businesses can use RingCentral to stay connected with clients, gain insights into their business, and optimize team performance. RingCentral helps businesses gain flexibility and insight into how they work while giving employees the tools they need to communicate from anywhere at any time. Learn more at our Startup Resource Center.
Originally published Feb 08, 2022