I rummaged on the Internet what businesses were popular in previous crises. Then I made my conclusions. I want to share with you Business Trends in Crisis 2020.

What are the prospects for a classic offline business?

Many businesses with physical contact points will be quarantined. But, most likely, almost everyone who needs to work to maintain human life will find how to work in any quarantine.

Agriculture and production

They will adapt to maximum automation or even delegate some of the tasks to micro-home production. Workers will perform the necessary work at home.

Funeral services

Open a “second wind”, open online stores. They will make it possible to order remote services, paid from another city and everything is done on a turnkey basis. What for? Imagine you are in quarantine in London, and your loved one died in Tokyo. What if all countries shut down flights? Online order, payment and you will receive a video report.

Sanitary services and room sterilization

It will be in demand as always, as pests will be bolder, and will be converted into systems where robots can perform work.

Logistics and delivery

This applies to the delivery of any goods food, medicine, hygiene products, etc. Autopilot cars, drones, robots will receive super-acceleration in terms of obtaining work licenses everywhere. Why risk people if we already have working technology?

Health care

This will switch to online diagnostics and robotics, but without hospitals, it still doesn’t work.

Isolated veterinarians will appear without contact with people or their online replacement for home diagnosis or self-medication of mild cases.

In some places, the veterinary services will most likely be oriented toward wildlife or b2b, that is, animal husbandry.

Government agencies and ministries

The state will more actively begin the transition to a smartphone. It will make it possible to “go” to the polls, pay taxes on the Internet, which is already practiced in many developed countries.

Post office

Self-service logistics will be introduced. In all big cities, there have long been post offices.

Fast Food and Catering

Organizes home delivery with an extension of the range

What to do those areas of business who can’t quite manage to migrate online?

Go to contact less communication with the client (behind the glass), contact less payment, delivery of goods and delivery.

Or do b2b service for those who can not stop their work offline, in order to maintain human life.

For example, car services that ordinary people don’t need because of limited transport. For companies for the delivery of special people and goods, they will become more relevant.

Physical stores will become warehouses, go online for sale, or become safe delivery companies.

Beauty salons will conduct online courses on how to care for themselves at home.

There will be an explosion of online education, retraining of offline professions, information business.

And also, the growth of small home enterprises (food, manufacturing, etc.)

On the one hand, it seems that everything is bad. Many businesses are at stake and millions will be out of work. But a little time will pass and many will evolve, adapt to changes, and perhaps even a lot of new startups will grow.

What business sectors can become most relevant now?

Where will the money be? Let’s figure out which business areas are relevant for shifting the focus in their direction, for cooperation or for launching a startup.

Wholesale trade (Business Trends in Crisis)

Any small and large wholesale – people will think about how to survive, what to sell; collective purchases, wholesale for the whole house, staircase

Food (Business Trends in Crisis)

From the daily basket; Delivery of ready meals; Mixes of different dishes, as people get tired of eating the same food at home; Slightly perishable foods, canned food, frozen foods; Sweets, sweets, sugar, pastries – affordable carbohydrates to cheer up are always popular in a crisis; Soft drinks, tea, coffee, etc.; Inexpensive alcohol.

Health (Business Trends in Crisis)

Online diagnostics and help; Treatment kits for dummies, as well as similar veterinary services for animals.

Medication (Business Trends in Crisis)

Both traditional and compulsory, as well as preventive; Vaccination and antiviral and antibacterial protection will reach a new level of sales; Homeopathy and various dietary supplements – as a wow product that gives hope; Personal hygiene products – people will begin to take care of themselves more; Procedures out of the box – tooth whitening kits; Contraceptives – people are less likely to have children in a crisis.

Clothing (Business Trends in Crisis)

Baby clothes; Workouts, sports suits, pajamas, slippers and any other comfortable clothes for home;

Security (Business Trends in Crisis)

Weapons and protective equipment always break sales records in crisis situations; Military equipment; Personal protective equipment.

Second-hand goods (Business Trends in Crisis)

Online commission – people save in a crisis. Nobody makes big purchases, everyone is looking for how to save money, where to buy at cheaper. Bulletin boards, price comparison services will be popular.

Household goods (Business Trends in Crisis)

Most likely, inexpensive goods will be a higher priority than durable ones. The choice in the direction of disposable tableware may be more popular than in the direction of a durable thermos.

Household chemicals; Tools – people buy less and repair more; Small things on the organization of life; Fans, humidifiers, lamps – products for the microclimate in the house; Affordable multimedia: TV set-top boxes, monitors, sound – all to away time at home; Products for bloggers – cameras, lights, tabs, etc.; Printers for work from a home office.

Sport Products (Business Trends in Crisis)

For playing sports at home, in the apartment or on the balcony. Although a beautiful body will lose relevance, few will see it.

Inexpensive cosmetics (Business Trends in Crisis)

Instagram cosmetics – fashion will move from the streets to social networks. Visible parts of the body, like the face and hands, will acquire new trends for self-expression.

Work and business online (Business Trends in Crisis)

Freelance and outsourcing of services at prices below the market;

To calm down (Business Trends in Crisis)

Sects and religious organizations with an online system; Psychological assistance online; motivators, coaches, etc.; Meditation and various practices; Medicine and pharmacology.

Scams (Business Trends in Crisis)

Unfortunately, this is a good time for scammers and fast money transfer schemes. Recommendation services from friends of trusted suppliers through social networks will receive a new life.

Be vigilant, do not believe people without a “history” with social networks – especially recently created pages.

It is ridiculous, but at that moment the idea came that all household goods and services that are necessary for a simple but comfortable life in prison will be in demand. And by itself, all the same models of deceit and earnings in it.

Entertainment (Business Trends in Crisis)

Streaming services (Netflix, YouTube, music, online games, books – any entertainment content); Dating sites – although you’ll have to figure out how to get around dangerous meetings; There will be a peak in the growth of bloggers, YouTube and other forms of self-expression in isolation; Virtual reality will find new customers.

Sex industry

Porn and video chats; Phone sex; Sex shops; Contraceptive delivery mentioned above.

Training

Language schools; New simple online professions; Modern professions; Online courses on useful skills and daily routine exercises (training at home, meditation, cooking); Tutors; School education.

Communication

Online communication in social networks: instant messengers, professional interest groups, online forums, live online support groups, video chat, chat roulette

For children

Everything that will catch the attention of children when they begin to drive everyone crazy:

Various games; Content for children; Children’s clubs online.

Bookkeeping; Optimization of costs and increase in the efficiency of business processes, site conversion, return on investment; Financial advisers; Risk analysis and calculation systems; Cloud services for automation and replacement of people; Services that help transition a business from offline to online; Platforms for finding partners, investments, employees; Freelance and outsourcing of any business services; Services that help bring customers: online marketing, remote sales. Financial and legal services that help adapt to legal, remote work. Online business clubs – places where you can brainstorm, collaborate, unite, run a common business, share risks, costs, etc. .. I’m for it with both hands! As evolution shows, cooperation is the main stimulus for the development of people even in the most difficult times.

I would be grateful for your additions, ideas and suggestions. What kind of business can you start in a crisis? How to go offline from offline.