THE ECONOMY

It Will Continue To Thrive and Many Businesses Will Have Record Growth

However, that means that there will be lots of jobs and in fact competition where employers are fighting for people. Business owners will have to pay good employees more (hell let’s face it, you’ll probably have to pay bad employees more), and the good ones will be harder to find. But those who understand marketing and managing… well let’s just say that their businesses will soar in 2018.

CAR SALES… BOAT SALES… RV SALES… NEW HOME SALES…

All Of These Industries' Sales Will Continue To Climb

There is no doubt about this one, at least for another year. The only question left is, who will get those sales, you or your competitors? There’s an old saying, make hay while the sun shines. Look friends, if you haven’t noticed, the sun is out. Find ways to capitalize. Advertise, market your goods, sell, sell, sell. This year will be a good one to make a little hay for yourself.

ELECTRONIC MEDIA

It Will Become An Even Bigger Part Of Marketing Advertising & Sales

Get your website up-to date, make strong relationships with the best local search engines and electronic directories, and start moving more of your advertising to the electronic side of things. It’s coming at you like it or not. Don’t be afraid of it. Embrace it and win. If you don’t understand how to do it find a professional that can help you. Do it now or soon another company will be eating your lunch.

DONALD TRUMP, LIBERALS & CONSERVATIVES

The Political Soap Opera Will Continue

Sorry. I hate to be the bearer of bad news but whether you’re a conservative or a liberal, the political arguing, name calling, bantering and bashing is going to continue. For nearly a decade now the country has been divided in a way we haven’t experienced since the civil war. I don’t expect that to change (as much as I wish it would). So, grab your guns… or give your guns to the government… and let the fight continue.

DONALD TRUMP - HILLARY CLINTON

The Don Will Not Be Impeached... and Hillary Clinton Will Not Go To Prison

Well, now that I’ve pissed everyone off, let’s continue with my next prediction.

Generation Next

The Next Generation Will Continue To Feel Even More Entitled

Damn! Bring out the puppies and the coloring books. The upcoming generation, and a few other generations before them, will continue to grow more entitled this coming year. We have created a social monster... actually, about a hundred million of them. Instead of getting into an essay on the serious social consequences and the impact that this “entitlement attitude” will have on America's future... let’s just all agree, it ain’t gonna get better this year. If I've said something that you disagree with and if you don't get your way, you have the right to move to Canada.

THE MONEY IS ON 35+

Whether you are selling a service or a product, you better not ignore the 35+ age group. This is where the money is and until we see some sort of drastic economic shift in demographic attitude, this is where it’s going to stay for quite some time. When you market your goods, your brand or your product/service, you better not ignore this group of buyers.

GOBBLE, GOBBLE

Companies Will Continue To Acquire And Grow Bigger

We’ve seen it before. It ran rampant in the late 80’s but today it’s happening faster and bigger than ever. In this coming year that trend will not reverse. You will see the giants like Amazon, Google and Apple continue to devour other companies at what I personally believe to be alarming rates. However you will also see much smaller firms acquire companies whether for strategic alliance, data, customer bases or simply bottom line profit. Small business is at risk if this is not somehow regulated. But for now the government is the puppet on the strings of these businesses and their attorneys. Unfortunately, I also feel that this trend will continue, at least until we see a substantial economic disaster. Can you say 2009?

SOCIAL MEDIA

It Will Grow But Will Be Forced To Change

Look, trends like Facebbook and Twitter only last so long. However the average American spends almost an hour of their time on Facebook every day! And that is taking into consideration the people who don’t even have Facebook (or a computer). I wonder how many parents spend an uninterrupted hour with their children… every single day. This is crazy and we all know it. You don’t even want to get me started on texting. The good news is unless Facebook and other social media companies start changing their approach, it’s just a matter of time before the average Jill (and Joe) wake up and say enough is enough. Unfortunately even though we are beginning to realize what this anti-social media (and the associated electronic communications disruption) is doing to us, social media will continue to grow in 2018. I can only hope that one day we wake up, look across the table at our families and say ‘hey, who are you and what are you doing here’. Maybe then we can start real communications with family, friends, neighbors and customers again… but it ain’t gonna happen this year so don’t hold your breath, lol.

OLDER WILL GET YOUNGER

Seniors Will Continue To Fight For Their Youth

Over the last several decades people have fought to be healthier, look younger and be more active than their parents or their grandparents. That trend will continue and people will continue to look at new ways (artificial or natural) to fight the age old problem of old age.

Less For More…

Baby Boomers Will Buy Less… But Will Be Willing To Pay More

Where is the majority of the money today? Baby Boomers have it, and they’re enjoying it. These are the people who are more willing to buy a Lexus or a Beamer. They will spend twice as much money for a new home that’s half the size of their last one. While they downsize they continue to spend more on vacations, healthier lifestyles, better foods and other things that make them happy. In 2018 expect to see more of the same.

Your Cell Will Swell…

Your Cell Phone Will Become More Important Than Ever

You wouldn’t think your phone could do much more than it already does. Hell, it stores all of the numbers for your family and friends and even dials them for you if you ask it to. It serves as your calendar, your watch, your stopwatch, your camera, your video camera, your calculator, your flashlight and of course, your computer. As you know that’s not even a partial list. How convenient. Hopefully it will do more in the near future but beware, sometimes you might just get what you wish for. Even now your phone is a tracking device and if you have the technology you could be tracked wherever you are. Your phone is most likely opened with your fingerprint… or even by facial recognition. Does that scare anyone else? We’ve become almost numb to identity theft and I honestly believe that most people today expect to be a victim of that crime at some point. When it’s all said and done it doesn’t matter whether you like it or not, your cell phone will become an even bigger part of your life over the next year or so.

Be Well & Prosper

Wellness and Healthcare Will Be Bigger Issues Than They Have Ever Been Before

More people are turning 90 than ever before. In America alone the centenarian population has grown nearly 70% over the past three decades. We now have over 60,000 friends and family who have celebrated their 100th birthdays. This trend is expected to continue. However, no one wants to get old and useless, old and tired, old and sick. We want to be old and youthful and while this was considered a fantasy at one time, today more and more people (and professionals) believe not only that it might happen, but it will happen. For the time being that means better healthcare, better medicines and better wellness; as well as, of course, better technology. In 2018 the healthy trend will continue.

So as I wrap up my predictions for 2018, I wish you all a happy, healthy, wealthy year!