One of the most important things we think the media can do is connect small business owners and creatives across industries and markets to give them an opportunity to learn form each other. The insights on trends in particular can be transformative if our communities were better connected and so we’ve tried to create a space where folks can share the trends they are seeing and read about trends other sharp entrepreneurs are seeing.

Tawanay Bryant

Some of the biggest trends in the entrepreneurial industry right now include digital marketing, e-commerce, artificial intelligence, and the “gig economy.” It’s also becoming more popular to start businesses with a social impact, such as those focused on sustainability and environmentalism. Read more>>

Antonia Gates

As a content creator, I’ve gotten many collaborations with both national and local brands. Most of the time brands want me to post content on my social media to advertise their products. Recently, UGC (User Generated Content) has become a new trend with content creators and brands. Brands are now paying creators to make content that they can use for their own business. Read more>>

Whisper Smith

As a e-commerce store owner some of the biggest trends I’m seeing in relation to growth and visibility is collaborations. Instagram has implemented being able to tag collaborators in posts, tik tok has made it easier for collaborators to collaborate on content and ALL brands need influencers or people in general using their products to bring visibility. Read more>>

Ally Benton

Some of the biggest trends at the moment with makeup is clean skin. Skincare is becoming more popular in order to achieve a no makeup makeup look. Lashes are taking off with the spikey look for 2023. We are going to see more layered lashes and texture. We are also going to be seeing more pops of color in lashes. Read more>>

Jasmine McKenzie

As a licensed cosmetologist, the biggest trend I am seeing currently in my industry is that stylists are not providing clients with a full salon experience. I am not sure as to when this trend started, however, within the last two years, I have seen several stylists, adjust their service experience by excluding shampooing their clients’ hair prior to rendering a service. Read more>>

Christy Pettit

I work in mentoring and knowledge collaboration. It’s a fascinating time to be working with organizations of all sizes – transformation is very much on the menu and it’s not just new software systems. Read more>>

Luis Cornejo

There’s a significant movement for an online presence and people are starting to talk about mental health more openly. As a therapist, one of the first things we get told in grad school is to keep our lives private and share as little as possible. Unfortunately or fortunately, depending on how you see it, social media has become a norm in all of our lives. Read more>>

Diane Eberly

In 2023, I’ve seen rise (and comeback) of vintage and retro style in architectural and interior design. Many clients are looking towards an updated Midcentury style, which includes plank paneling in their Living Rooms, exposed natural stained woods, quirky statement wallpapers, and leaning into colors such as blues and greens. Read more>>

Thomas Crosson

The real estate industry is changing drastically with the recent trend for videos on social media. Video dominates the social media platforms from Instagram to YoutTube Shorts to Facebook. Tik Tok started the trend with the rising popularity of short videos and the other platforms have quickly adapted by incorporating short videos on their platforms. Read more>>

Hannah Macready

The biggest trend, by far, in my industry today is AI content creation. A lot of people are wondering if their jobs are about to become obsolete. Writers who are embracing these tools are concerned that their work will be undervalued, and that their clients will want to pay less, simply because they are using a generative tool. Read more>>

Quinn Patrick

We are seeing people wanting Mocktails or at least Mocktail Options. More and more people are wanting to have a dry wedding, but still want a fun bar experience. We have horse trailer, that we converted into a bar, it’s a fun attraction and an instagramable moment. People still want those moments but don’t want to serve alcohol. Read more>>