crystal-ballSo what do I see in my small business crystal ball? (See how I did in 2015 with my predictions)

Besides the new Star Wars Movie hitting a record for sales in the first weekend, this is what I predict will affect small business in 2016.

1. The stock market will be level or slightly sink lower.
2. U.S. GDP growth will be 2.5% or less.
3. The Fed will not raise interest rates again. Borrowing will still be cheap.
4. Loans will be much easier for small business owners to get as long as they personal credit above 700. This is a result of the alternative funding sources online competition directly with banks and traditional loan rates being so low.
5. The presidential election will be between Marco Rubio and Hilary Clinton. Donald Trump will not run as an independent. A winner is too close to call.
6. Enrollments in the Affordable Care Act will stagnate because of high increases in premiums with higher deductibles. Many small businesses still will not seek health insurance for their employees and risk paying the penalty.
7. Natural language interfaces without keyboards and mice (think Siri, Alexa and Cortana) will increasingly be the only way to communicate with new devices.
8. The JOBS Act: Title III will finally arrive for small business. This means any entrepreneur can raise money from non-accredited investors on the web.
9. Location marketing will add mobile beacons everywhere for retailers. This will shoot promotional messages via Bluetooth to opted in users.
10. The job market will remain tight for outstanding employees. Small business owners will be forced to either pay signing bonuses or use a series of more highly paid freelancers.
Remember that while it will be a competitive year for small business owners, historically speaking, the economy is due for a recession the by 2017.

Happy New Year! Enjoy 2016.
What do you predict?