4 Ways Businesses Are Finding Success In 2016

In today’s world, success has many definitions. Success can mean becoming CEO of your company. Or it could mean gaining more than 500 connections on LinkedIn. Or even waking up at your first alarm. But for most businesses, success still entails providing value, connecting with customers, and meeting the bottom line.

Sounds like a simple enough concept, right? Not so much. Today’s business climate is constantly changing. Customers and their needs evolve. Communication platforms have been overhauled — and continue to be each day. Products and services become obsolete. Workers’ values change. How’s a business to keep up?

It’s not easy, but if you’re like us, you’re up for the challenge. And though there’s no golden answer to finding success — just as there’s no one way to define success — there are trends you can take note of. Here’s how others are doing it right in today’s business climate.

What’s working in the office.

1. Embracing Millennials.

This group of 20-year-olds soon will encompass 75% of the workforce. Sure they’re known for job hopping, showing entitlement, and shrugging their shoulders at benefits. But successful companies don’t focus on these labels and flaws. Successful companies work these traits to their advantage, providing Millennials challenges that will keep them engaged, positions that are all-encompassing, and jobs that have meaning beyond making money.

2. Focusing on strengths.

You’ve been to that performance review. The one where all you talk about is what you did wrong and where you came up short. Not surprisingly, most people aren’t motivated by hearing their weaknesses. Successful companies have realized this. That’s why they’re moving toward strengths-based leadership. This celebrates an employee’s strengths and leverages them to best serve the company. And according to Gallup Research, productivity increases 21% when employees are engaged at work.

What’s working for today’s customer.

3. Connecting to more than a sale.

Think about it. Uber dominates the “taxi” industry, but it doesn’t own a single vehicle. Facebook excels in the media industry, yet it doesn’t create its own content. Today’s customer values connections more than products. That means you need to provide your customers an avenue to connect to your brand, your employees, and other customers.

4. Having access to more valuable, honest content.

People now have shorter attention-spans than goldfish- yet, as consumers, people are researching products and services now more than they ever did in the past. Successful companies work within these parameters by providing valuable, honest communications that can be ingested with a scan of the eye. Think infographics. Think bullet lists. And never over-promise your brand. Because with the information age, consumers can call you out on your bluffs. Just stay true to your Big Idea, and your customers will be able to have confidence in their decision to choose you.

To find out more about trends in successful businesses, and how business owners can be the best in their industries, visit EO Network online. See how to join the network with the most elite entrepreneurs in the world here.

About the Author:

Joshua Conran is a senior partner at Deksia, an agency that for the past decade has been helping companies develop their branding. His main focus is on business intelligence and design.

@JoshuaConran