December truly is the most wonderful time of the year for small business owners. Besides the spurt in shopping activity, it's the time when business pundits provide predictions for next year's trends.
I'm feeling pretty good about my track record in picking winners -- you can check out my 2011 predictions post. OK, maybe most businesses didn't splurge on IT this year, but there were definitely more IPOs, QR codes gained in popularity, and cloud-based software and services were huge.
What changes in the business climate are just over the horizon as 2011 winds down? The overall economy is expected to grow just 2 percent, but your local mileage may vary. I've sifted through stacks of forecaster pronouncements to find the best bets.
Here are my favorite predictions for 2012: Read more