The pandemic presented alongside the turmoil, opportunities for new businesses and ideas to emerge and thrive. Entrepreneurs will surely be looking to take advantage of these opportunities. I have compiled some of them that I consider interesting.
Digital Medical Services;
This was perhaps the first response to the pandemic from the tech guys. Some of the mobile and web applications or platform opportunities can be in the areas of;
Data tracking, collection, analysis and reporting using AI, machine learning and block chain, including patients’ record management
Disease screening, education and monitoring.
E-consultations
Fitness and workout
Crowd funding
Medical billing services
Nutrition and diet
hardware
There are so many more areas to explore and possibly start a business in, the sector is so broad, and stakeholders are more willing now to fund healthcare ventures.
Sanitary, cleaning and hygiene sector:
This sector was first hit, when demand for sanitizers, disinfectants and tissue papers surged and manufacturers could not meet up. People got creative and started making sanitizers at home, until things stabilized. It is not certain what opportunities remain here, in terms of new entrants. It surely depends on your location and perhaps some extra work is required.
Logistics:
When the entire global economy came to a halt, it was clear the movement of goods especially essentials must continue unhindered. Some of the innovations and opportunities in this sector are;
Autonomous Vehicles. Imagine not having to pay delivery drivers, lol. Amazon and DHL would be more profitable, but it’s happenings already. With the introduction of drones in certain areas and making deliveries with this, and the testing of self driving cars, this happening quicker than we think.
On-Demand & Crowd-Shipping. This also happened so much this period, with small retailers providing some delivery service. A lot can be learned from the business model of the likes of uber eats and delivero
Consumer Retail:
Consumer goods, manufacturing and retail saw new opportunities this period. Considering the closure of brick-and-mortar stores, consumer behaviour has changed, with consumers moving towards online shopping. There is also the trend of shopping frenzies led by livestream and community group buying. Going forward;
Local. Borders were closed and retailers could not import foreign products, this meant reliance on locally made products.
Shift to value for money: People buy products that give them value now, consumption is primarily necessities. Luxury and other use goods are seldom sold now.
Printing and Signage:
With the need for publicity, came the need for print and media. Signages and posters are an integral part of passing information now. Businesses and establishments need new signs and printed media to pass information about health and safety on their premises. This is also something to take advantage of as more businesses are resuming operations.
Tent & Construction: Check out the tent business post-covid opportunities
Virtual Meeting;
Virtual Learning: Universities and learning institutions have moved learning online in the wake of Covid. This has presented opportunities in e-learning, for both service providers and end-users. New robust e-learning platforms are being built to serve a varying audience. Also, teachers and tutors are adapting and selling their services online.
Virtual meeting: Zoom & Teams are leading the pack here. There is still more to learn from their business model, but whatever else can be done here would be very niche.
Virtual Assistance: Virtual assistants help with the day-to-day administrative tasks of businesses. As a virtual assistant, you can offer services offered by a traditional assistant such as paying bills, scheduling appointments or managing expense repayments.
Virtual Team & Task Management:
Stay tuned, I will surely update this later.