Top UK Sectors to Invest In

It’s a well-known fact that the markets have been shaky in recent years and knowing where to invest both your money and time can be a minefield. Below you will find 4 of the Top Sectors along with example of booming products and innovation that would be worth investing in in 2015.

Technology

3D printing – for enterprise rather than the consumer market. It has been estimated that the 3D printer market will be responsible for 90% of the 3D objects made by companies. The problem with 3D printers in a consumer market is price; high end printers costing over £500 have been available for a number of years but tend not to be tangible option for home use as they can be fragile and problematic to maintain.

There is much excitement surrounding the Internet of Things and the number of wireless devices to be used within the IoT will have increased by around 60% compared to 2014. We have seen a lot of media attention focused on the consumer benefits such as remote control applications for household appliances, heating and lights, but it has been said that industry will be responsible for the majority of the growth in the IoT – think ‘smart’ – smart cities, smart grids and smart homes.

Some are concerned that the tech bubble will soon burst similar to the dot com bust in 2000. However in February, the Wall Street Journal issued an article suggesting otherwise. Although the behaviours in both industries are similar, within the Tech industry today we are seeing revenue spread across B2B and B2C; when one sector shows some weakness the rest can maintain their value.

Media

Highly engaging ‘short form’ videos (less than 20 mins long) could be the future of a brands digital marketing. The rise of smart phone means that video is now a widely accessible option, and it’s not uncommon for a video to go ‘viral’ in a matter of minutes and be seen by millions of people on a global scale. 65% of viewers watch a video on an iPhone or Android device, that they check 22 times a day – put them at the heart of what you do and they WILL engage with you.

Believe it or not, printed books are outselling digital copies, despite the popularity of E-Readers and related applications. The digital domination has turned the music industry on its head over the last decade and it seem that the aversion that Generation Y have to physical CD’s and DVDs, has not yet been extended to books. Although this is not to be confused with a resurgence of the high street bookstore – the millennials will be ordering printed books online…..with their smart phone.

Telecommunications

Broadband speeds are due to increase between 15-25%. There are a number of elements that result in poor broadband speeds and significant investment in infrastructure could potentially have a phenomenal impact to the economy. The current Telecoms giants in the UK have somewhat priced themselves out of offering affordable high speed connections, and independent operators are now sweeping in and claiming their stake in the market, as a result we are seeing ‘Gigabit Cities’ rise up across the country.

Smart phone upgrades is the highest grossing ‘upgrade’ sector in the telecoms industry, 24% of adults will upgrade her smartphones, compared to the upgrades of laptops and tablets and 18% and 14% respectively. Smart phone technology is expanding almost month on month, and whilst many of it is not ‘new’ technology, the functionality is being enhanced dramatically. A competitive and saturated market, there is room for new innovation and it is advisable to work closely with network operators to become established.

Health and Fitness

Believe it or not, the E-Cigarette industry is booming right now. A new, emerging industry with a rapidly growing global market that grew by 115% annually between 2009 and 2012, there has even been predictions that the E-Cig market could increase to as much as $10 Billion by 2017. It could be argued that the growth in demand for a smoking alternative has been the reason that the industry has quickly expanded into both the retail and franchise markets.

Fitness centres saw a 4.5% rise in total membership in 2014 and a 3.9% rise in value compared to 2013, and the number of the UK population that are now members of a fitness club has increased by 0.6%. Price and contract lengths are big factors when it comes to turning potential clients off from joining a gym, and as a result we have seen a slight increase in ‘budget gyms’ offering fully equipped, no frills fitness centres with monthly fees as low as £10 with 30 day contracts. Although the initial set up on a venture such as this is considerably high, the potential for growth is strong.

The UK is firmly on the road to economic recovery and the economy IS growing, slowly but surely. In this article, you have been given a snapshot of the industries that are becoming part of everyday life – in both personal and business life, and the ones that have the potential to future proof a start-up business.