Every crisis leaves its mark and changes our way of doing and being. Financial crisis of 2008 gave birth to business ventures like Uber, Airbnb and Groupon etc. Similarly, 9/11 incident was followed by heightened security administration; and World Wars also witnessed the creation of International Red Cross and nursing profession. In such situations, certain ideas come from innovation and others are created out of need.
COVID-19 is setting up ‘new normal’ with renewed values, life patterns and social perceptions. This phenomenon is generating business opportunities and commercial avenues for post-pandemic era. Let us analyze some emerging opportunities of business and employment.
1. Cleaning Services: Spread of covid-19 has instilled fear at community level. Therefore, it is no surprise that professional cleaning services would be in high demand now onward in order to sanitize the offices, schools, homes and restaurants with anti-viral standards. Frequent deep cleaning would be primary requirement.
2. Delivery Services: Consumers have realized how to keep safe and shelter at home during coronavirus crisis. This living habit has given rise to professional delivery services to make sure that goods and products are delivered to businesses and homes. Every country is observing huge growth of nationwide food delivery services and corporate retail deliveries with efficiency and success. Foodpanda, Glovo, Wolt, Uber Eats and Deliveroo and typical success stories.
3. Fitness Equipment & Training Business: After closure of gyms across the world during covid times, health and fitness conscious people have turned to home gyms. That is why purchases of fitness equipment and yoga mats are on the rise for house-holds and those working at home. Again, many start-ups offering internet connected fitness equipment are also thriving e.g. Mirror and Tonal, Ergatta and FightCamp etc. Users of these services receive live or recorded instructions from fitness experts that can be paired with proprietary equipment.
4. Mask Making: Massive scale mask making global demand has suddenly emerged from nowhere. It must be a popular choice for new entrepreneurs all over the world to cater varied demand of around 7 billion population. With mask people want to protect themselves and those around them.
5. Telehealth Services: The epidemic times are very innovative. A wide scale growth of telehealth companies is taking place that facilitate the patients to consult doctors and physicians through their computers of phones. This trend is going to be a regular source of medicare.
6. Kitchen Food Commercialization: Already available practice of making available home-made lunch to employees in offices is likely to pick momentum. Citizens of ‘new normal’ era would avoid unnecessary exposure of going outside and having hotel food.
7. Gardening and Yard Care Services: COVID-19 is making people conscious that interaction with nature augments immunity. This awareness is increasing home gardening and yard caring for growing plants, flowers, fruits and vegetables. So, gardening and yard care services providing seeds, saplings and maintenance would find good market.
8. Grocery Business: The practice of ‘social distancing’ has taught people piling grocery stocks and eating at home. This has led both small and large grocers to see an unprecedented surge in customer demand. Many independent grocery suppliers have appeared to meet demands of larger chains during these trying times. Consumers too have learned enjoying lower bill in bulk purchases. Hence, grocery business is having good prospects.
9. Drive-in Movie Theatres: Another most popular category of small business emerging from coronavirus era is drive-in movie theater. With lesser health safety at standard cinema houses, hundreds of people now gather in drive-in theaters to watch a movie from their own car while managing an outing for the families.
10. Online Training: Sector of online training has also got big boost during pandemic phase. It saves time, space and cost for the employers and eager learners. Therefore, scope for training by creating multimedia content, workshops and specialized sessions would encourage those good at providing training, to opt this online business.
In nutshell, the global health crisis of COVID-19 has its brighter side as well, since it unfolds many business opportunities for new entrepreneurs and start-ups to launch their business initiatives during post pandemic phase. It is time for the business community to re-purpose, re-direct existing knowledge, skills, people and networks to new needs and demands. Certainly, it would be appropriate for 65% younger population of Pakistan under the age of 30 years to venture into the start-ups relevant to their talent and skill.
The writer is Country Manager of a Pakistani bank in Kazakhstan, with interest in Central Asian studies. He can be reached out at rafeeq_kz@yahoo.com
