COVID-19 is closing businesses left and right and has taken its merciless toll on establishments that depend on person-to-person interaction for its operations. Restaurants, events, gyms, beauty salons—these businesses bear the brunt of the wreckage that the pandemic has unleashed upon the world. But at the same time, service businesses that do not need close in-person transactions ended up thriving during these extremely trying times.
With the way things are going, it looks like social distancing will be here to stay, and it’s going to be for a long while. It may seem foolhardy to attempt to build a business in the middle of the pandemic, but this is actually the perfect time for some businesses to take advantage of the situation and make money off the age of social distancing.
Here are some businesses that will survive, if not thrive, during the pandemic.
Errand Services
Now that a lot of people are choosing to stay indoors most of the time, errand services serve as the savior of us all, especially to those who are vulnerable to the virus. Third-party food delivery services such as Uber Eats, Seamless, and DoorDash are helping gig workers stay employed. More than ever, the gig economy is here to stay.
But errand services are more than just delivering meals—they are also doing essential tasks such as grocery shopping, drugstore runs, and going to the banks and post offices on behalf of people who would rather stay at home. And with the help of contactless payment options, customers can pay without scrambling for cash.
IT and Cybersecurity
The pandemic has forced businesses to change the way they work, with remote work policy being the most drastic transformation. Those that are strictly office-based had a hard time transitioning to a work-from-home setup. Since working from home is clearly going to be the norm for a long time, businesses need to work on their IT and security solutions to suit this new normal.
Whether it’s IT services for car dealerships, warehouses, and other commercial businesses, or the cybersecurity of the common nine-to-five office, this sector is clearly going to be instrumental in keeping business operations up and running despite the fact that employees are working apart from each other.
Commercial Cleaning
For businesses that have to re-open, they now have to deal with following health and safety standards to comply with the law and encourage customers to go back. Offices have to do disinfecting and deep cleaning before they can make their employees come back. This is where commercial cleaning services come in. They will be tasked to do the heavy work of ensuring that offices and other establishments are clean and safe enough.
Their job doesn’t end at the initial cleaning. These cleaning services will become a constant visitor to maintain the establishments’ cleanliness, especially when employees test positive for the virus. In this case, the office will have to go through the tedious process of thorough disinfection.
Freelance Copywriting and Design
Businesses had to elevate the hustle when it comes to their marketing and communication strategies to stay competitive, or at least afloat, during the pandemic. This upped the demand for freelance copywriters and designers, who have the skills to produce helpful and relevant content in the form of social media posts, blogs, webinar scripts, leadership articles, and other content marketing materials.
Freelance work arrangements allow copywriters and designers to deliver quality work on tight deadlines. They can cater to several clients at a time, not having to deal with the shackles of working for just one employer.
Teletherapy
With lockdowns and general fear of getting infected forcing people to forego their social lives and just stay at home, it’s no surprise that mental health issues are on the rise. Therapists and other mental health professionals are suddenly faced with clients who desperately need to talk to them as soon as possible, even via chat and video services.
Aside from making it possible for therapists to continue their services despite social distancing, teletherapy has also brought in another benefit: it seems that many patients are more comfortable opening up to their shrinks when it’s not done face-to-face.
Personal Training
For people who cannot forego their need for exercise, they resort to online sessions. Virtual personal trainers watch over their workouts and monitor their progress through video conferencing. Trainer and client can easily share exercise programs, meal plans, and real-time support via chat, text, or email.
As the whole world adjusts, albeit begrudgingly, to what they call as “the new normal,” more businesses will follow suit and reshape their structures to keep up with the times. Hopefully, they will also thrive, not just survive, despite the circumstances.
