Experts Share The Industries Poised For a Strong 2017
This story appears in the December 2016 issue of Entrepreneur. Subscribe »
From advancements in technology to private financing, a number of industries from all over are predicting strong changes for the coming year. Home automation systems, real estate mobile apps, a new wave of business technology professionals -- the tech sector is bound to see some great changes soon. Same with privatized student lending, digital agencies and and web design... There's a lot to look forward to. Check out what these six experts predict for 2017.
Related: Trends For 2017: The Opportunities Entrepreneurs Are Chasing Now
"As more and more devices are coming online and exchanging data, we'll start to see more impactful advances in home automation, energy management and entertainment."
-- Nick Weaver, founder of home wi-fi system Eero
"Look for competition in private student lending and refinancing to heat up in 2017 as more traditional lenders see opportunities to fill underserved niches and acquire high-value millennial customers."
-- Stephen Dash, CEO of multi-lender marketplace Credible
"People are going to start using more color in spaces. Because of design blogs, people are more knowledgeable about design and are able to make more educated decisions about what they like rather than play it safe."
-- Sasha Bikoff, founder of Sasha Bikoff Interior Design
"We predict the rise of the internal agency for large corporate clients. Large and small agencies will build and scale in-house creative teams for clients -- McDonald's and Omnicom is a prime example."
-- Samantha Edwards, cofounder of The Charles digital agency
"Mobile tools for real estate agents. They will not only save time and improve life for the one million agents out there but also improve the experience for customers on the hunt for their next home."
-- Matt Barba, CEO of online real estate tool Placester
"Business technology should not just serve IT managers and people who sit behind a computer all day. This year, we'll see a big wave of innovation in so-called blue-collar industries where business often still runs on paper."
-- Stacey Epstein, founder of messaging app Zinc
