gaming

Need a recession-proof business idea? Look no further than the following list of 2011 startup trends: Mobile Commerce With smart phones as ubiquitous as they are – and growing in use – it’s only natural that mobile commerce should take off in 2011. NFC (Near Field Communication) technology creates a secure connection between the phone and another phone with NFC. Some manufacturers will even offer mobile wallets in the next year for small purchases (Sprint already released a version in 2010; AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon will launch theirs this year.) Even more promising is the fact that, in 2010, Mobile venture capital investment made up 34% of all tech investment in 2010, totaling $6 billion. IT Consulting Old business is changing. Web 2.0/social media, cloud computing, and web security are hot (and becoming more and more important to the survival of businesses) but not all business owners know how to implement these. ( ComputerWorld also predicts that business intelligence, rich business applications, richer graphical user interfaces, better service level agreements, and software lifecycle management are other “trends to watch” in 2011.) There’s no shortage of businesses with lackluster or ancient technology practices, and as the industry is always changing, it’s almost never a bad time to get into it. “Popup” Restaurants & Food Trucks Food trucks have big advantages over brick-and-mortar establishments: low investment costs, no rent, low utilities, no real estate costs, and low marketing costs. The biggest indicator of their success? International restaurant consultants Baum and Whiteman report that restaurant owners are pushing for laws restricting them, and in some cases winning (Los Angeles is an example). Not only that, food truck rodeos, where giant groups of food trucks congregate in a festival-like atmosphere, are becoming more popular. Social Shopping Social shopping is exploding. Sites like Groupon and LivingSocial are hugely popular, and up- and coming- businesses like Blippy and Schwowp (which both allow sharing of purchases among friends — like “Facebook” for shopping) are certainly making their mark. VentureBeat , in its “Five Payment Trends to Watch in 2011″ article, writes: “Among the key drivers of this trend are micropayments and digital goods . Along the same lines of merging physical world experiences with digital activity, the ability to make quick, small purchases for online content represents a huge opportunity for both content producers and providers.” Social Gaming Social gaming – web-based games that can be played with others – is currently a $1 billion industry. Social networking has pushed gaming into the mainstream with addictive games like Farmville; research by Econsultancy shows that 20% of social gamers are female and 18% are males, with the majority being in the 16-24 age range. Even tech trendsetter Apple is getting involved: its Games Center launched last year, signaling a massive wave of new games. Green Consulting In 2010, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office announced that it would accelerate “green tech” inventions into the patent fast-lane in order to encourage more growth in the industry. Fuel cell development, smart building and new energy codes, and leaner construction practices are on the horizon, which means that businesses will need to know how to keep down costs and increase efficiency – the green way. This would be a good time to start up that green consulting business. About the Author: Mitch Thompson is a freelance writer who specializes in personal finances and small business. From auto insurance to taxes, Mitch educates readers so that they can achieve success.