Donald Trump, Trend Tracker

Entrepreneur magazine suggests that spotting trends is a path to business success. Part of the article outlines mogul Donald Trump's trend spotting tips. Trump, who has built a business on trends (which partly explains his involvement in The Apprentice reality TV trend), offers these tips for entrepreneurs eager to capitalize on what's next:

• Do Your Research: read magazines and study pop culture for signs of what's next.





• Extend a Trend: try a variation on an existing trend.





• Be a Contrarian: sometimes it pays to go against the trend, because trends change over time.





• Be Flexible: you never know when a trend is about to stop, and you need to be able to stop manufacturing production when the trend stops.





• Be First: if you're too cautious, you may be too late.





• Follow Your Gut: follow your instinct, even if friends and family don't understand your vision.

And don't miss the list of trend websites at the end of the Entrepreneur magazine article. Dave and I were pleasantly surprised to find our own site listed as one of ten online trends resources. Here's how Entrepreneur magazine listed us: "Small Business Trends is a business trend-tracking blog for entrepreneurs and small and mid-sized businesses that's updated even on the weekends."