5 Ways Business As Usual Might Change in 2013

Want to remain competitive in 2013? Read these predictions for the coming year that could make or break your business if you don't plan accordingly.

1) Reverse outsourcing will increase
A key issue in the recent presidential elections was the unemployment rate. Well, businesses are taking notice as well as taking steps to alleviate this condition - jobs are coming back to the U.S. Even major companies such as Apple and SeaMicro have announced plans to manufacture at least some of their goods in America.

2) You need to take reputation management seriously
Social networks are a double-edged sword - they provide a wide network of communication that may be used to the advantage or the disadvantage of a business. One way to keep on top of your company's online reputation is to set up Google Alerts. These alerts are viewable via Google Reader, which is an organized feed reader of every alert you’re subscribed to. You can click between different alerts and star certain ones for bookmarking, as well as share specific alerts via Google+ or email.

 3) Adobe Flash will go the way of the Dodo bird
Flash content can bog down your site, making it difficult for those with a slow internet connection or who are using a mobile device. However, HTML5 can transmit rich content to devices without the compatibility issues that arise with Flash, which is why it will soon begin to replace Adobe Flash for animations, movies, and numerous other applications. Get in the know about HTML5, now!

4) Email is becoming obsolete
As businesses make the switch to more instantaneous communication methods with their customers - like LiveChat, which we've raved about in the past - email is slowly becoming too, well ... slow. And business-to-business dealings are more frequently being conducted through Instant Messaging, Skype calls, and Google hangouts. Adios, email!

5) R.I.P. fax machines, it's been a good run
The main reason that fax machines are still with us? We haven't figured out how to make digital signatures legit in legal and real estate transactions. That's where a brilliant solution like DocuSign comes into play - you can send, sign and save documents anywhere, on any device,  and DocuSigned documents are legally binding. Sorry fax machines, your day of reckoning has arrived.