Whether you are setting up a new business or are already an entrepreneur, keeping up with the latest technology to suffice market demands is quite challenging. One thing that you should never overlook is your skill set which will definitely help you touch the goals that you have set for your business.
We know that finding success in any business nowadays is complicated and relying only on a handful of technologies will not prove to be helpful at all. All you need is to keep yourself up to date with the latest and popular tech skills including mobile app development, website development, cloud computing, etc. Mastering these will not only help you take your business to the online platform but will also help you set new targets and take your venture to the next level.
It is not at all necessary that every entrepreneur or a business founder has a technical background but all that matters is that they should be aware of the latest technologies in the market and should keep them up to date in terms of learning the latest and popular tech skills. Keeping yourself up to date with the technology and tech skills will help you modify your business model as per the market demand, identify growth opportunities, facilitate smoother business operations and save you money which will ultimately provide you good ROI.
In this blog post, we have put together the 10 most valuable technical skills that an aspiring entrepreneur or a business owner should learn in 2021 to get exponential growth in their business and achieve the desired success.
1. Data Analytics and Big Data
One of the most important and popular tech skills that should definitely not be missed in the year 2021 is data analytics and big data. You cannot put your dreams to reality without getting into big data and the most important thing is you must know how to use the technology to your advantage.
Being an entrepreneur, Data Analytics and Big Data will not only help you get better insights into your customer’s purchasing behavior, habits and requirements but the technology will also help you make most of your crucial business decisions which will help you take your business to new heights. Also, by learning tech skills, you will be able to conduct effective campaigns and develop content that will be capable of converting your sales leads into loyal customers.
Though big data will prove to be a big help to you when it comes to locate your potential customers and make effective business decisions, you won’t be able to make much of a difference unless you will learn the science of analysis. Numbers are actually useless unless you do not know how to analyze and use them to your advantage. You can even use a few of the online analytics tools for data analysis but learning how to change your business model or modify your business operations and processes as per the data is a skill to be learned in 2021.
2. Cloud Computing
The next important technology that entrepreneurs should learn this year is Cloud Computing. If you are running a business already or are planning to start your new venture, it is very much important that you have sound knowledge and understanding of Cloud services and how they work. To ensure data security, most organizations and businesses have nowadays started storing data on the Cloud, which also leads to better collaboration within the team.
If you are an entrepreneur but do not have sound knowledge of Cloud services, then there are chances that you may be left behind in this fast-paced world where many organizations are already using Cloud services to save a good amount on infrastructure and maintenance. Within a few years, Cloud computing has gained good visibility in the market and it has now become one of the essential tech skills that no entrepreneur or a business owner should miss in 2021.
With organizations already shifting their old server infrastructure to cloud solutions using third-party cloud service providers, cloud computing jobs are already on the rise. Talking about figures, a recent study has suggested that the global cloud services market will see a growth of 35% in 2021 that will make it reach $120 billion by the end of this year.
While most of the companies are planning to shift their infrastructure to cloud services, there are many who have started building their services and products directly on the cloud as this will save the transitioning time. Many website development companies have also started using Cloud services which are providing cost-effective. Website development requires many applications that are readily available on the cloud platform and using the web-based application on the cloud saves on the maintenance part too.
Amazon Web Services (AWS) is one such cloud platform that has been created by Amazon to provide cloud services. The platform has been designed to provide more than 175 cloud services including database storage, content delivery, virtual machines, networking, etc. AWS is currently the biggest cloud platform available and almost all the big IT players in the market are already using the services provided on the platform.
Overseeing the trend with respect to Cloud Computing in the past few years, it definitely looks that the demand for cloud-native architecture skills will be in demand not only in 2021 but for many more years to come.
3. Android Development
Smartphones have become one of the necessities for human beings to keep up with the day to day activities. A recent report has confirmed that more than 3.8 billion people are using smartphones in the world as of now, and the figure is growing exponentially every year. Keeping the figure in mind, it is obvious that only website development won’t suffice the need and there is a need to learn mobile app development skills to compete in the market.
Android app development is one of the most popular categories in mobile app development that has entirely changed the game of the app development market. With the increasing demand in the market, it is essential for entrepreneurs and business owners to keep themselves updated regarding the programming, development, and troubleshooting process that is part of the Android app development. Entrepreneurs who have very basic or minimal knowledge with respect to Android app development can refer to books or enroll in online courses that not only make you understand the process with expert instructions but also help you in developing apps in mere time.
After learning the mobile development skills, you can not only develop the Android apps for your business requirement but can develop apps and sell them as per the market requirement to introduce a new service as a part of your business.
Developers even tried to blend the technology and reality with respect to the Android apps and it seems that the apps like Harry Potter: Wizards Unite and Pokémon Go which were capable enough to engage with the real world were great hits. Android apps are also being developed to minimize the spread of the COVID-19 and are used as contact tracing apps. This ultimately shows the bigger picture of the fact that Android app development will be one of the most popular tech skills that one should learn in 2021.
4. Web Development & Designing
Nowadays any business is incomplete unless it has its online presence in the form of a website. A website represents your business and provides detailed information about the products and services that you are offering to your customers. It is extremely important to create a website for your business as it not only helps attract customers but also makes people know about you and your business offerings.
If you are running a small or a big business, it is essential for you to learn web development and designing skills if you want to boost your presence in the market, improve sales figures, and want to take your business to a completely new level.
Even if you have no or limited knowledge about web development and designing and you want to enhance your knowledge and learn the tech skill completely, all you need to do is enroll in an online or offline course. During the course, you can easily master the fundamentals of JavaScript, HTML & CSS, etc.
Mastering the web development and designing skills as an entrepreneur will not only help you identify growth opportunities with respect to your business but will also help you diversify your business in every possible direction.
5. Coding
Coding is one of the most important tech skills that is used to develop software or a program. Though coding is specifically the thing meant for programmers, it is equally important for entrepreneurs to master the skill. Coding is essential for entrepreneurs, as learning the skill will help them get a clear picture of what all is possible to develop and what not in their tech. Also, if entrepreneurs will have a sound knowledge of Coding skills, they will be able to take care of some of the simple tech solutions without keeping their dependencies upon the professionals or taking help from outside.
There are many programming languages available that programmers usually use to develop programs or software but Java is one of the languages that is ruling the web development market. Many website development companies hire coding professionals to develop the required websites. Entrepreneurs can learn the programming language easily by enrolling in a full-time or part-time course offline or online. This will help them get a good understanding of what Java is and how they can use it to the advantage of their business.
Python is also amongst the most trending programming languages. Python is relatively the first choice of all the programmers as it is quite simple. The syntax used in the language is simple and easy to use too. Python is also extremely scalable which makes it the first choice of the programmers. The language has a wide scope and can be used in developing games, machine learning, ethical hacking among others.
Following are some of the programming languages that are trending in the year 2021:
- HTML and CSS: To start with one can definitely go with HTML and CSS, as these are the easiest amongst all and you will easily understand them if you are new to coding.
- Python: Second most trending and fastest-growing programming language is Python. It is even one of the most popular languages on GitHub.
- JavaScript: Being third on the list, it is the most popular amongst programmers and developers for the past 8 years now.
- Go: It is also one of the trending programming languages in 2021 but its supply is low. As per recent stats, only 7% of developers are using the language for developing programs and software.
- Scala: Next on the list is Scala, which is also one of the trending programming languages in 2021.
- Kotlin, Ruby, and Typescript: Last but not the least, Kotlin, Ruby, and Typescript are also trending this year but they have a low developer familiarity in comparison to the other programming languages available in the market.
6. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
SEO, being one of the most underrated tech skills amongst entrepreneurs, is one of the most important at the same time. Though many entrepreneurs and business owners do not take search engine optimization too seriously, it is much needed that they should start taking it seriously. SEO helps the entrepreneurs make their business visible to the required audience which ultimately helps increase the sales figures and improve the overall ROI of any business.
There is a huge difference between just implementing SEO or implementing it professionally. A well-implemented SEO will definitely make a big difference in terms of your online presence, as good SEO ensures that the company’s website has better visibility over the internet. Whenever a user will search for a specific product or service and it will match the products or services you are offering, your website will be displayed on the first page of any search engine result, if SEO has been implemented properly on your website. Basically, SEO helps in increasing the required or targeted traffic to your website.
Following are the few steps that are required to be followed to implement a good SEO:
- Website Audit: Running an SEO audit for your website is the very first step. The website audit will help you check for current SEO level, keyword ranking, content, etc. This will ultimately help you determine what is the ranking of your website against your competitors.
- Keyword Analysis: Various online tools can be used to research the keywords that are not only related to your business but are searched the most by people. Including such keywords in the content will help you make your website rank in the first few pages on Google.
- Content Optimization: A calendar should be set up to ensure that you are creating and publishing the required blogs on the well-researched topics as per the schedule. Also, you must make sure that the required keywords are present in the content along with the meta description, title tags, and relevant links.
- Maintenance: Last but not least, maintenance is equally important. You should check the status of your SEO via reports to determine whether the strategy that you have been using is working or not. If not you can introduce a few changes to get what you need. Also, keyword analysis and keyword review should be implemented periodically to ensure that you are still using the most suitable keywords to get the desired traffic.
7. Technical Writing
Writing is one of the necessary skills that is needed to run any business. And with businesses already running over the latest technologies, it is even more essential for any entrepreneur or business owner to groom his/her writing skills.
Technical writing skill is a broad term that is used for documentation of the content related to a business process, product, or services with respect to a particular organization. Though most of the technical writers have a technical background and are graduated in B.tech or similar courses, they get the major knowledge and understanding regarding these skills from the practical work that they do during their tenure with an organization.
We can say that technical writing is a skill that does not require a person to be from the core technical background and this fact makes it one of the easiest tech skills that entrepreneurs can learn by either enrolling in an online course or attending physical classes for the same. They can easily learn technical writing skills without putting in much effort and time.
Following are some of the common types of documents that a technical writing expert needs to work on:
- User Manuals: Creating user manuals and online help files are some of the most common documents that a technical writer can create. These documents hold information and instructions regarding how a specific product or a service can be used efficiently by the end-users.
- Case Studies: Another form of document that a technical writer is involved in creating is case studies. These documents include the experience that an end-user had with respect to using a product or a service.
- Technical Reports: Technical writers are also involved in creating extremely professional documents including technical reports of a specific product or a service. Technical reports are basically documents that have complex information regarding a service or a product in a very layman format. The documents also hold other product-related information like the progress of the product in terms of development, product history, etc.
- Procedures and Policies: These are confidential documents prepared by technical writers that hold information regarding documenting guidelines for how the industry assets and technology can be used in an appropriate way. These documents are usually developed to ensure a safe, healthy, and productive work environment inside the organization.
Mastering technical writing skills will help the entrepreneurs to become less dependent on employees for doing work that is not very technical. This will not only prove to be cost-effective but will assure that important activities related to the writing are done on time.
8. Internet of Things (IoT)
The next trending technology this year is IoT and it is one of the top 10 popular tech skills that a successful entrepreneur should learn in 2021. IoT being the primary source of interaction between various electronic gadgets/smartphones which speeds up the process of transferring information between them, people have started getting more dependent on the technology.
IoT provides automated control on several electronic devices and is driven by the fact that all devices are connected through a web network by the technology. The development of mobile apps for the IoT will lead to the possible growth of intelligent home technology in the coming years.
The scope of IoT is not just limited to smart home technology. Being an entrepreneur you can benefit a lot by mastering the tech skill as IoT has a good scope in industries like education, healthcare, agriculture, etc. The technology is capable of easing both internal and external operations of any organization or company which makes it one of the trending technologies to be learned this year by entrepreneurs.
If statistics are to be considered, Statista, a research firm, has confirmed that in 2020, 11.7 billion electronic devices and gadgets were connected via IoT. The market size of the technology is expected to reach $1.6 trillion by 2025, Statista suggested. Overlooking the demand for the technology in the market, even mobile app developers have started developing apps that will support the technology in the coming years.
Emerging entrepreneurs can master the tech skill to not only have a sound knowledge about it, but they can even get to understand what is possible and what isn’t in terms of the changes and modifications they want to make in the business operations and other processes using the technology.
9. Artificial Intelligence
Nobody is unaware of the fact that AI is rapidly changing the way of work and it has made things more exciting than they used to be. A recent report has confirmed that the hiring figures for the AI professionals have seen a remarkable growth of 32% from the year 2019 to 2020 and it will continue to see exponential growth in the coming years too.
Artificial Intelligence is the technology that helps in building machines that can behave like humans and have decision-making capabilities. With the increase in demand for AI in businesses during the COVID 19, the technology can actually help the entrepreneurs to take their business to new heights not only in 2021 but in the coming years too. Already many organizations have started searching for individuals with expertise in specific areas of AI including automation, automated speech recognition, and natural language processing. According to a UiPath survey which was conducted in 2020, 70% of C-level executives are willing to educate non-technical employees about the technology and are working on processes to master the automation and AI skills.
Another most trending AI skill that every entrepreneur must learn in 2021 is Artificial Intelligence for IT Operations (AIOps). AIOps is pretty much similar to DevOps but the technology has been designed to be implemented only on AI-related projects. AIOps can be combined with machine learning and big data to automate the complete process from development to production.
10. Blockchain
Though last in the place in this list, Blockchain is still one of the most popular technologies that an entrepreneur should learn and master in 2021. Cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin made Blockchain quite popular worldwide and with the advancement in technology, it has now been successfully used in identity management, peer-to-peer payments, file storage, digital voting along with others. Companies including IBM, Microsoft, Amazon, and Facebook are already working on developing blockchain services.
With the popularity of the Ethereum platform, most of the organizations started hiring professionals who had a sound knowledge of Blockchain technology and were capable enough to understand smart contracts and build decentralized applications. Talking about the average salary of the technology professionals, Blockchain Engineers earn up to $162,000 annually in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Overseeing the current trend in terms of technology, the entrepreneurs should learn the following Blockchain tech skills:
- Database Design
- Networking
- Python
- JavaScript
- Java
- C++
- Solidity
Besides every other IT organization using the technology, many financial institutions and banking sectors are also using blockchain, which makes it one of the popular technologies to be learned in the year 2021 and in the coming years. If you are interested in learning the technology and mastering the related tech skills, you can enroll yourself today for an online or offline course.
To Conclude
In this blog, we have discussed the top 10 popular tech skills that a successful entrepreneur should learn in 2021. To make a unique position and stand out from other competitors in the market, every entrepreneur needs to master the top technical skills. With the change in technology and the customer’s demand every now and then, it is very important for a business owner to determine which tech skills are important for him and which are not. In this blog post, we have successfully explained all the latest and trending tech skills of the industry which every entrepreneur should learn this year as these are the needs of the current market.
Mastering the tech skills that we have discussed in this blog post will not only help you set new goals for your business but you will also be able to take your business to new heights by using the technology that your business model needs the most.
