2020 and 2021 have been two of the most difficult years for businesses across the globe. The United States alone is expected to see a GDP of $22.72 trillion, while Europe and Asia will be hit with an estimated 2% and 7% increase.

The good news is that we’ll see a turnaround in 2022 — according to some experts, we can expect steady growth through 2024, which means plenty more opportunities for business owners who know how to play the game at this level due to heavy research and development investments.

Here are five things industry experts suggest businesses need to master to thrive in 2022:

Operational Excellence

If you follow the news, you’ll see headlines about business failures and layoffs on a daily basis.

This is because businesses are constantly under pressure to improve operational efficiency, which means they need to rethink their business models even through severe economic cycles. A good example would be streamlining your business’s supply chain by deregulating its procurement process.

Sales and Marketing

If you’re not listening to your customers, you’re not going to survive. As more and more people get used to digital platforms, businesses need to keep up with the competition by investing in their marketing strategies.

The good news is that 2020 was the year where companies started making better use of social media content instead of traditional advertising techniques, and learning to communicate with customers on a human level became very popular.

To thrive in 2022, companies need to continue using analytics that helps them figure out what works for their specific target audience. Employing a professional marketing company like Pronto Marketing will really help businesses to ride the wave of growth and continue to see success moving into the next year.

Customer Service

2020 wasn’t a great year for customer service, but 2021 saw the industry turn around with online reputation management services becoming more popular than ever.

To thrive in 2022, companies need to keep up with how their customer service can improve not just on a macro level but also on an individual one. A good example would be being able to follow up with customers as soon as possible as well as handling any complaints properly.

Keep Up with Rising Employment Levels

There are certain industries that will see an increase in employment opportunities in the next few years. These would include those related to agriculture and pharmaceuticals industries, which will see some significant growth because of the rise of artificial intelligence and new technologies that come with it.

While this is great news for the next generation of workers, there are industries that will see a decline in jobs, like entertainment and education. This means that businesses need to be on the lookout for emerging trends in three major areas: energy, healthcare, and transportation.

Thriving Not Just Surviving

In short, businesses that know how to survive in 2022 will have a much greater chance of success when it comes to hiring people and expanding their footprint.

For companies that want to thrive, having a strong brand and vision for the future could mean even bigger business opportunities in the long run.