Technological change will maintain its importance as SMBs find ways to connect dispersed employees and customers. Some of those employees will be keen to get back to an office full-time, others will have converted entirely to working from home, others still will try for a mix. The co-working trend may prove a useful solution to SMBs looking to accommodate all those new expectations with more than half of New Zealand businesses expected to use more flexible office space arrangements in the future. 

The digital technologies that will accompany shifts in employment arrangements and changes in how small businesses engage with customers across sales, marketing and service have already taken hold. In fact Salesforce reported, half of Australian and New Zealand businesses say they wouldn’t have survived the pandemic if they’d been using technology from 10 years ago. 

And even with the rise and rise of online shopping, helping out local businesses has remained a priority that small businesses have benefited from, with 37% saying financial support from the community has been vital to their survival. Local support initiatives like SOS Business and Retail NZ’s #ShopLocal have aimed to drive local shopping momentum which may last through to the new year. 

Here’s a breakdown of the key trends small businesses can anticipate in 2022: