The 3 skills your business might be missing in 2026

Let’s be real – running a business in 2026 is not getting any easier. With new tech and changing customer expectations, different ways of working, and about a hundred new tools promising to ‘transform’ your business, it’s a lot to navigate.

The good news? You don’t have to master everything, but it does help to have the right mix of skills within your team to keep moving forward. Here’s some key skills we’re seeing Essex businesses lean into right now, and where you might have some gaps. 

Using AI (and we mean properly using it)

AI is everywhere and learning how to use it right for your business is becoming unavoidable. There’s a big difference between dabbling with the odd prompt and actually making it work for your business. 

You need people that don’t just know the tools, but know how to use them properly.

This can mean:

• Automation repetitive admin
• Scaling processes without needing more people 
• Improving customer service
• Making sense of your data 

You don’t necessarily need a specialist hire here. For many businesses, it’s about upskilling someone who’s already in the team and giving them the confidence to lead the way.

Turning data into clear decisions

Most businesses have the numbers — they’re just not always using them.

You need people who can look at information and say:

• “This is what’s working”
• “This is what needs to change”
• “This is where we should focus next”

Depending on your capacity and budget, you can look to hire a dedicated analyst role or commit to training existing team members (or do some upskilling yourself!). 

Cybersecurity and digital infrastructure

Glamorous? Not really. Critical? Absolutely. 

As more businesses rely on cloud tools, shared systems, and remote access, the risks increase too.

• You need people who understand:
• How your systems are set up (and where the weak spots are)
• How to manage access, passwords, and data safely
• What “good” looks like when it comes to protecting your business

We’re not telling you to hire a full IT department. But having someone in the business who takes ownership of it could put your business in a significantly more secure position. 

Check out our different tools for upskilling and recruiting in Essex here.

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