Business Predictions for 2019 in Every Sector

For much of 2018, Predicting the events of the next 24 hours—never mind a full 365 days—has felt impossible. Some days have contained a week’s worth of headlines; some months have contained more changes to the worlds of business and politics than an entire calendar of years past. Don’t expect 2019 to be any different. But do understand that while the world is changing in fundamental ways, some old lessons still hold true. Just tune out the noise. Here, at BSBD we compounded business predictions for 2019, a year that will see the world transform thanks to disruptions in business that will impact a wide range of sectors—and we explore them all. It’s your future, discover what you’re in for.
CORPORATE FORECASTS FOR 2019

• GM's self-driving cars become available for ride-sharing services, potentially competing with Uber. 1
• SpaceX gigabit internet satellites launch early in 2019, offering a new, global internet service by the end of the year. 1
• Volvo ceases production of new product lines of gas cars and focuses entirely on designing electric vehicles. 1

BUSINESS NEWS FOR 2019
In 2019, a number of business breakthroughs and trends will become available to the public, for example: 

• GM's self-driving cars become available for ride-sharing services, potentially competing with Uber. 1
• Saudi oil giant, Saudi Aramco, will release its first IPO Is late in 2019. 1
• Harley-Davidson finally releases its electric motorcycle, Project LiveWire. 1
• SpaceX gigabit internet satellites launch early in 2019, offering a new, global internet service by the end of the year. 1
• Volvo ceases production of new product lines of petrol cars and focuses entirely on designing electric vehicles. 1
• Foldable phones to make a comeback in 2019, especially smartphones with foldable screens. 1
• Significant economic recession impacts the US early in 2019 that spreads globally. 1
• European Union permits the use of self-driving vehicles on roads throughout the EU. 1
• Tesla produces over 500,000 cars for the first time. 1

With all of that corporate and business forecasts, are you asking yourself, what does that mean for me and what is the state of photography today?  The latest Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) forecasts have good news and bad news for photographers in general.
The BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook projects that the employment of photographers will decline by six percent over the next ten years.  However, that number masks some major variations in prospects that depend on the type of photography.  Demand for portrait and wedding photographers is projected to remain strong, but staff photographer positions, especially in the publishing world, will continue to decline. The Bureau projects that photographers employed by newspapers will drop by a stunning 34% over a decade.  On the other hand, projections show the ranks of free-lance and self-employed photographers increasing by 12%.
“The decreasing cost of digital cameras and the increasing number of amateur photographers and hobbyists will reduce the need for professional photographers. In addition, stock photographic services available online give individuals and businesses access to stock photographs for a fee or subscription, possibly dampening demand for photographers,” says the BLS.
 
Still, as it looks toward the future, the bureau points to two bright spots on the horizon:

• New technologies have the potential to open some doors to photographers. For example, advances in drones and the cameras they carry are expected to increase the demand for aerial photographs from businesses and event planners.
• Photographers with wider skill sets, including capturing and editing video, will find more work. That could also be true of photographers who can both write a story and provide the accompanying images.

 
 The demand for tour guides, in general, is expected to increase by about 10%, leading one to suppose there’s room for photographers offering location workshops and guided tours of popular places.