Let’s get this out of the way: the coronavirus pandemic is a horrible time in all of our lives. It upended our goals. It closed down businesses. Many lost their jobs because of the pandemic. But that said, people have always been able to survive a lot of things—wars, pandemics, economic crises, and many other things. While this pandemic pummeled and pulverized economies and took away many lives, it also brought many startup opportunities that you can maximize.
Travel
Once governments lift travel restrictions, expect to see a deluge of tourists, backpackers, and business travelers. But traveling will look a lot different in a post-pandemic world. Tour buses will not be the norm. Instead, people will rent a private vehicle for transportation when they visit cities and towns. It will take time before they start mingling with other tourists, so investing in a private transport business seems to be a good idea.
Home Improvement
Studies showed that there is a 140% growth in consumer interest in home improvement products and services. Since people retreated to their homes because of the quarantine protocols, they realized that they have to invest in making their humble abodes more livable. It’s not just that. They also needed to learn to fix things around the house such as how to snake a toilet, unclog a kitchen sink, and remove molds and mildew.
They’re also into gardening. Interest in gardening products increased. People spend so much time in their homes these past months that they eventually ventured into gardening. The page views of the garden category of online retail stores are up by 240%.
Retail
Many people, unfortunately, lost their lives because of the pandemic. Still, those who did not turned to online shopping as some form of therapy. People are buying furniture, gadgets, work-from-home devices, gardening tools, clothes, shoes, and many others. Not to mention, they’re into learning how to cook, too, so they’re buying kitchen appliances and tools.
This pandemic opened opportunities for those in the retail industry. It is far easier to convince people to buy something from your store when they are stuck at home. Think about the kinds of products that people need these days. Ergonomic chairs, for example, are such a hit for those working at home.
Pet Products
In New York, people adopted 10 times more pets than usual. Los Angeles also saw a 70% increase in pet adoptions from animal shelters. This is a golden opportunity for people to enter the pet grooming and products industry. Experts believe that this is just the beginning. People are bound to see more pet-related businesses in the future. You can offer at-home grooming and veterinary services. You can also look for pet food and toy suppliers.
Home Beauty Products
You can’t go to your dermatologist or your facial treatment therapist. Even though they can operate, it scares you to let other people touch your face. So, what do you do now? Consumers are getting comfortable taking care of their own skin through facial massage devices. They are also buying a lot of facial scrubs, creams, and lotions to pamper themselves.
Men’s grooming is also on the rise. Sales for hair clippers soared 200% as men are likely to shave their heads if they are staying mostly at home. Since they can’t go to their favorite grooming salons, they invested in hair care products and tools. You can get a chunk of this market by experimenting with different hair and grooming products and finding out what works and doesn’t. You can be a distributor for different brands.
Fitness and Health
Do you know how concerned people are about their health today? There is a 2,000,000% increase in consumers interested in health-related news, products, and services. That’s right, that’s a whopping two million percentage. The more time people spend in quarantine, the more they want to take better care of themselves. The search for weight loss steadily increased in the past months. Whether it’s to lose weight because of obesity or not to lose weight because of anxiety and depression, people know they need to take care of their health to fight this virus.
While it is a challenge to stay healthy and work out while sedentary, this should not stop startups to think about what they can offer to consumers. For starters, you can offer pre-packed healthy meals for your clients. You can also create a fitness program they can do at home without any gym equipment. There are a lot of business opportunities in the health and wellness industry since people are extra concerned about their well-being now.
This is the moment that entrepreneurs need to grab. Many businesses started during a crisis, and they are still thriving today. Do not waste an opportunity like this.
