While it’s obvious that the speed of technology affects businesses, allowing for faster product to market, there is another emerging influence that can affect businesses equally much. With social media, the feedback loop between consumers and business works faster, too. Now, responses by consumers are immediate, requiring equally fast responses by businesses. More than ever, it is critical for business owners to constantly keep their finger on the pulse of the market.

Demand for ad agencies have increased year over year as companies opt to have agencies create content. Either employees don’t have the bandwidth to take on more work or a business doesn’t have enough capital to hire employees as needed. Whatever the reason is, ad agencies can help an organization from the planning stage all of the way to execution – staying on brand and within budget.

As an entrepreneur, you don’t have the time for trial-and-error; you need things to work right the first time. This goes for all aspects of your business across the board, but more so for your marketing. Don’t waste time on schemes and small-time ads. Utilize technology to make the most of your marketing campaigns by using Big Data.

When it comes to shopping and buying, the Millennial generation appears to play by its own rules. And businesses that fail to understand the Millennial mindset are destined to fall behind their competition – and perhaps plummet into irrelevancy, says Gui Costin (www.guicostin.com), an entrepreneur, consultant and author of Millennials Are Not Aliens.