What can businesses do to serve the needs arising from major shifts in lifestyle due to COVID19? Not profiteering of course, but providing supply where there’s genuine increased demand.
Observed some possibly trends emerging, and a list of businesses currently gaining from #COVID19 disorder:
Remote experiences goes mainstream
??? Remote work tools - Zoom.
? Telemedicine - triage online before deciding to go to clinic.
? Drones - for delivery, sanitation, remote presence, even police using drones to ensure people wear masks or stay indoors. See how China built a hospital staffed by robots.
⛪️ Offline-to-online religion - restrictions on mass gatherings means mass, prayers go online. House churches become more common.
? Live-streaming - Tiktok, Twitch, YouTube.
? Online learning - Udemy, Youtube.
? Distant socializing - Twitter, Facebook, Tiktok, Whatsapp.
?? Mental health - para-counselling, quarantine chat.
At-home instead of in-store
? Home entertainment - Netflix, games, VR to pass time and stay sane
? House calls - fitness, grooming, beauty, healthcare that come to you instead of you leaving.
?? Homeschooling - with schools closed and parents locked in, education has to happen somehow. Online learning, videos, study materials, templates will be useful.
? Rural retreats, hotel staycations with everything in - for comfortable home quarantines away from your family or home.
Supply chain to your door
? Delivery - food, groceries, medicine so that you don’t need to head out. Meal subscriptions and canned food makes a comeback.
? Medical supplies - masks, hand sanitizers, disinfectants, temperature screening (infrared thermometers). And toilet paper!
? eCommerce - set up ecomm store quickly to help brick-&-mortar businesses transit quickly to selling online e.g. convert a restaurant to a ghost kitchen for delivery/pick-up only service.
Sanitation all of the day, all of the time
? Sanitation services & products - endless cleaning and wiping all day long, disinfection of offices and public space where confirmed cases had been.
?? Protection gear - masks, bubble suits, sanitizing kits for urban survival.
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Hyperlocal and decentralized makes a comeback
Local grocery stores makes a comeback. We used to drive miles to a central supermarket to get our supplies, but with traveling further out being a higher exposure risk, perhaps it’s time to buy from our local neighbourhood stores. In fact, to expand on the concept, perhaps go hyperlocal everything - groceries, food, entertainment. So businesses like local eateries/restaurants, barber shops, nail spas, grocery stores can go big now.
In fact, to draw on this further, home producers could finally have their time to shine. Bread-making is now getting super popular. Home DIY crops as well. Imagine ordering from your neighbour (and delivered at a safe distance, of course) the day’s bread, some yoghurt from another and some new dress from a handy seamstress a few streets down! Imagine your farmer’s market being the centre of your social hub, just like in the good old days, but now it’s online, ready to deliver to your doorstep. If you ask me, these hyperlocal experiences are way more unique and fun, gives a deeper sense of satisfaction and connection with your own hood, and feels a lot more meaningful to be enriching your neighbours (than some faceless mega corp)!