As we approach the end of Q4, I find myself struck by the fact that we’re winding down not just toward the end of the year, but to the end of the decade as well. I’ve been reflecting on our growth at PRI as well as on my own growth as a leader and CEO. In the 20 years (wow!) I’ve spent with this company, I’ve found that three things are the key to small business longevity: adaptability, ongoing education, and open communication. I think a few trends that emerged in the last year particularly amplified the need for these applied practices across all industries.

2020 Trends

Accessibility mindfulness is at an all-time high after Domino’s Pizza was faced with a judgment in an accessibility lawsuit that showed their mobile app failed to live up to the standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act. In 2020 brands simply must take an inclusive approach to engaging communities, which means incorporating accessibility standards into all platforms. Anything short of that is begging for a lawsuit, and also prevents potential customers from engaging with your brand.

I’ve found that three things are the key to small business longevity: adaptability, ongoing education, and open communication.

I’ve also seen a larger push for true client-side technologies that facilitate the development of collaborative and interactive experiences, which has led to a greater emergence of decoupled content management systems (CMS). A decoupled CMS approach is proactive — providing developers with templates to help launch apps and websites quickly, giving them a head start on any other front-end development that needs to be built. A decoupled CMS also gives your marketing team greater control over the end product. A decoupled CMS provides templates, WYSIWYG editing, content previews, and additional content publishing tools.

Inspiration From The Year

I’ve also been reflecting on the tools and advice that have provided me with inspiration throughout the year. I’m sharing my favorites below. I hope they serve you as well as they have served me.

• This post from a Developer Advocate at Google on how Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) are now supported on desktop is so informative. I’m a bit of a PWA nut, so I was excited not just for this announcement, but also to see the process broken down in such an approachable way.
• While I might not be using Mira myself, I can’t help but be impressed by the site’s clean design and functionality. This beauty search engine features a lightweight build that was created using Node.js.
• I’ve been keenly interested in monitoring Net Promoter Scores (NPS) lately, and it’s something all CEOs and brand managers should be doing. It’s one of the best ways to gauge customer loyalty, and there are plenty of tools to help you do it. My favorite? Thermostat.

I look at everything PRI and our family of clients have accomplished over the last decade and I can’t help but feel a swell of pride and optimism for the years to come. We built and continue to build great things that are creating a positive impact on the world around us. Such responsibility can be intimidating, but I know that as long as we commit to continuous learning and we stay flexible, scalable, and communicative, there are no goals we can’t accomplish.

Wishing you the best Q4 closeout possible,

Chintan Parikh, President
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