WJR Business Beat: Industry Sectors Facing Major Change In 2022 (Episode 348)

Good morning, Paul! This morning on the Business Beat, we’re focused on an industry sector predicted to see continuing disruption well after the pandemic is finally behind us. Rob Enderle, an ECT News Network columnist since 2003, writes on various matters relating to technology and business, and he’s published a list of the four industry sectors that he believes will see the most significant disruption in the year 2022. The sector we’re focused on today, travel and transportation, is certainly relevant to our interests here in our region. So why has Rob singled out this industry sector and how does he believe it will continue to undergo disruption? Well, Rob predicts that much of the change driven by the pandemic and personal travel and transportation is here to stay. Rob says that’s just not going to be the same ever again. As he puts it ,with the increased use familiarity in general acceptance now with video conferencing and collaboration tools and products like Zoom, Teams and WebEx, the need for business travel has taken a significant hit because people have awakened to the reality that sometimes traveling to a business meeting just doesn’t make any sense. He even predicts that hologram technology known as holopresence will facilitate an ability to be a keynote speaker on stage, all from the comfort of your home. He goes on to explain the pandemic is forcing us to reconsider our safety and therefore consider alternatives in our everyday lives like visits to the doctor now conducted routinely remotely. And with respect to shopping, we’ve been able to use e-commerce options so efficiently and conveniently that who needs to go to the mall or the department store or even our local stores anymore. As far as dining out goes, with Door Dash now really perfecting their service and others like them, the ability to have our dining delivered right to our front doors is now embedded in our lifestyles. So there you have it, Paul, an industry sector likely never again to be the same. Now, if you’re an entrepreneur out there, whether interested in the travel and transportation sector specifically or frankly any other industry sector experiencing great disruption, remember change creates opportunity. Think of ways you can start a business relating to the myriad opportunities created by disruption. I’m Jeff Sloan, founder and CEO of startupnation.com, and that’s today’s Business Beat on the Great Voice of the Great Lakes, WJR.