Whether you opened your dream business or spent 2011 crying in your cubicle, there's one thing we all agree on: Some stuff got really old, really fast.
Gourmet cupcakes
We overindulged. Enough with the fancy. Let's go back to eating cookie dough out of the bowl.
The cloud
What is it, exactly? Is it off-site IT? Is it the celestial jukebox? Is it cirrus? Is it cumulus? Is it a fluffy sheep? The cloud concept is as nebulous as … well, a cloud.
Pampered pets
A spa for your cat? Food trucks for your dog? Swimming lessons for your turtle? They're animals. They don't care.
Recession excess
In the midst of a downturn, there's no doubt that saving money is critical. But pancake batter from an aerosol can? Really?
Check-ins
It's cool when you get a free burger for checking in on your smartphone, but aren't you tired of your mom always knowing where you are?
e-cigarettes
The real ones aren't good for you, and the fake ones aren't, either--because they make you look stupid.
Daily deals
We all like bargains. We all like our friends. But did we really need to buy that group massage just because it was 50 percent off?
The humble brag
Did you have to send that passive-aggressive, self-important tweet? #getoveryourself
The term "disruptive"
Entrepreneurs need to stop claiming disruption and start proving it. Innovation should be seen, not just heard about.
Ashton Kutcher as tech guru
We get it. You have money, clout and charm. Stick to acting and leave technology to the true innovators.
Trends We Were Already Sick Of
Bieber fever
The hair, the clothes, the music, the perfume line, the whole package. We can't unsee it.
Fantasy sports
They're fun. They're more popular than ever. But seriously--no one wants to hear how your fantasy team did on Sunday. (But if you want to hear how our teams did, we'll be more than happy to tell you.)
Vampires
They can suck it.
Charlie Sheen
Watch the Comedy Central roast. 'Nuff said.
Yahoo
Either sell it or shut it down already.
This article was originally published in the December 2011 print edition of Entrepreneur with the headline: Business Trends From 2011 We're Sick Of.
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Comments:
surprisingly yeeeah.safeway has it............yup...............that safeway
I'm wondering, what's wrong with Yahoo? I find Yahoo's "Financially Fit" videos really helpful.
Sell yahoo to who? Will that really make it less boring than it already is?
Very entertaining list, While I'm tired of reading everyone's facebook check in's, we have to admit that it is a great marketing tool. I've seen bars give free drinks to groups who did four or more check ins at the moment.
Sick of hearing the plaintive, whine "Really?". Overused, Overused, Overused. As in: Recession excess In the midst of a downturn, there's no doubt that saving money is critical. But pancake batter from an aerosol can? Really?
I wish I had e-cigarettes as a viable option when I was trying to quit 6-7 years ago. There may not be any evidence that they help you quit per se, but considering that the only downside is the nicotine, that automatically makes them as healthy as eating an apple compared to real cigarettes. I finally quit on my own, but those would have at least helped me step down and get rid of the carcinogens while I was working on it.
I'm late to the party but, I wanted to clarify 'the cloud'. Quite simply, its a central data storage service. In a real context, if you have a cloud based (virtual) desktop. You can acess your PC (from wallpapesc to documents and fonts) from anywhere in the world. And you need to take your computer with you. Its similar to the VPN networks that allow us to work from hgome these days.
Yeah . . . Yahoo needs to die.
take fantasy sports out of this. keep your opinion subdued. you should not be writing gossip; it is unprofessional and out of context.
I would also add the word 'epic' to the list - so over it! Most overused word of 2011
Hilarious! Personally, I would add to the list Brad Pitt. Go away already. But seriously -- there is such a thing as spray batter? Ew.
You've got a pretty hilarious list here, especially the part on the 'cloud' - as if people are mystified with the term when it's not really a new concept at all. I wonder if daily deals are doing more harm than good to businesses these days though. I guess, we also need to come up with a fresh word that will stand for innovation... so, Yahoo's on sale? I'm glad though that people aren't sick of freelancing or telecommuting, on the contrary I think.
Right that with some of the trends i also disagree. Like vampires will be all time favourite in the discussion. And for yahoo it is the exact thing as it has no any improvement or do not want to update or improve it then integrate it with other or just shut it down!
Michelle... U earned a fan in me..... Such a beautiful short yet witty post.... Amazing sense of writing....
Here's one we were already sick of: Your craptastic in-text links - you know - the double underlined bait and switch links that are just ads, designed to fool unsuspecting web users? yeah. Because having "Watch the Comedy Central Roast" in your article, and having "Comedy Central roast" as the anchor for a craptastic ad is just pathetic.
I'm going to have to side with cupcakes. They are just fun, and are becoming a common replacement for wedding cakes. Yahoo I'm a fan of, won't lie. As for e-cigarettes, I know smokers who love them, but I have yet to see evidence that they are effective tools for quitting.
Definitely agree with some of these, but also disagree with a few. Check-ins and location based apps are great tools for marketers, as are daily deals, if used correctly. Also, regarding the reference to the cloud as an outdated business trend -- sure it could use some more explanation, but just because you don't understand it, doesn't mean it isn't a beneficial tool for businesses across industries. To everything else - I wholeheartedly agree.