It’s Small Business Week! Here Are Some of the Top Trends Shaping Your Competition

National Small Business Week kicks off on April 29, a time officially set aside to recognize everyone who helps small businesses work and grow. And new data from Upwork shows growth is top of mind for many small businesses. That’s not very surprising—but what you may not expect is how many businesses are embracing agile teams to help reach those goals.

Upwork’s Future Workforce Report explores U.S. business hiring, and a look at a specific cut of results from small and midsize business (SMB) respondents shows many are looking for new ways to find and engage talent: The majority (58 percent) of SMBs are embracing agile workforces due to greater interest among workers for flexible work arrangements.

“Innovative businesses are realizing that the only sustainable way to grow is by accessing the right talent and technology,” said Stephane Kasriel, CEO of Upwork. “As workers seek out more flexible work arrangements, businesses are embracing a flexible workforce to fill skills gaps and scale their teams.”

The Future Workforce Report also found that:

• The majority (67 percent) of SMBs plan to increase their worker headcount in 2018
• Most respondents (64 percent) agree that, over the past three years, skills have become even more specialized
• The majority (63 percent) of businesses listed “access to talent” as their top hiring challenge

This infographic offers an overview of other key findings:

(Click for larger version)

What is your business doing to stay ahead of the curve? Click here to learn more about the trends influencing small business growth this year >>

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