By Rieva Lesonsky

Staying on top of trends is key to any startup’s success. Spotting trends early makes it possible tocome up with smart startup ideas – or modify your startup plans to jump on a new trend just as it takes off. Just as most important, you can avoid the risk of starting a business based on a trend that’s just about to fizzle out. Fortunately, tracking trends isn’t as hard as it used to be.