Want to make a million? A hot trend that could help you get rich from UK shares in the 2020s

The most successful share pickers are ones who identify a fast-growing market and invest before the boom. Just ask those who made millions buying Nokia shares back in the 1980s just before the mobile phone market took off. Or those who purchased Amazon just before the e-commerce phenomenon exploded. There’s a wealth of UK shares that could follow these US giants in riding exciting new growth trends in the 2020s and beyond.

The growth in home working is one hot trend that’s commanding plenty of column inches right now. I think it’s one phenomenon that could help investors make a million from UK shares, too.

Get ready to flex

The popularity of flexible working has been steadily growing on the back of technological advancements in recent years. But the outbreak of Covid-19 will supercharge adoption of the practice, as companies try to cut costs in a difficult economic landscape and try to head off the possible impact of another pandemic on their operations.

Employees who have seen an improvement in their general work/life balance during the lockdown will be demanding more flexible working practices in the future, too.

In a possible sign of things to come, UK health secretary claimed on Friday that working from home has become “the new norm” and that employers should offer the option to their workers. He added that, in a possible seismic move, that he would consider making it a legal requirement. It’s a call that is gaining ground all over the world, too.

Top UK shares

There’s a variety of ways that stock investors can play this trend to try and make a million. And some of the best UK shares are involved in providing technology to help employees carry out their jobs effectively from their homes.

Cloud computing specialists like Iomart and communications software provider CloudCall are a couple of these. Neil Woodford favourite Softcat could also see demand for its services spike. This business provides cyber security as well as systems to monitor worker productivity.

Telecoms companies would also likely benefit as broadband and telephone services are upgraded to keep employers and employees well connected. This would play into the hands of Telecom Plus and BT, for example. UK shares like Vodafone may also likely see demand for their corporate mobile phone packages balloon. This particular theme could also boost sales at cellphone component manufacturer IQE.

Grab a bargain!

You might want to stay away from office space providers like British Land if you want to make a million, though. The prospect of increasingly empty office blocks casts a huge shadow over the future profit-making abilities of these UK shares. Train operator FirstGroup would also suffer badly from a decline in commuter numbers to metropolitan areas.

Fears of a second stock market crash might deter you from buying some of the stocks I’ve discussed today. I reckon this could prove a costly mistake, though, as some of these businesses have very bright futures. Instead I’d use the crash as an opportunity to grab them at rock-bottom prices.