Thank the heavens, this lockdown is almost over. We are slowly but surely re-emerging from our homes. Many business owners had to shut up for good, while others were more fortunate to survive. This should mean that there are many gaps in the economy right now. Gaps that will quickly be filled by the businesses that have survived, expanding further out. However, they will also be filled by people who capitalise on the opportunity that is put in front of them.
Now is the time to open a business as there’s a lot of money to be made coming out of this mess. The lockdown restrictions will soon lift, and you need to be ready to pounce on the chance of gaining countless new customers that are raring to spend. However, there are certain business types that are more likely to be popular because the lockdown has temporarily changed society.
Cafe/coffee shop
As a civilisation, we’re learning the importance of our local coffee shop more than ever. It’s a place not just to relax and calm down during lunch. It’s a place that we can all congregate in, meet our friends and family and catch up on the latest news. If you’re looking to open a coffee shop in your local neighbourhood or perhaps in the heart of your city, this is what you’ll need.
- Formulate a business plan: You’ll need to write a detailed plan for what kind of audience you’re after. Is it for older people, a young and trendy place, or no discernable type customer? Know your competitors in the area and what kind of things they serve, so you’re not overlapping. What kind of things will you be serving? Do you have a particular style of coffee shop, i.e., Morrocan, Italian, French, or Greek?
- Find the location: Deciding the location is tough but it’s so important to get right. You don’t want to be surrounded by too many similar businesses but you don’t want to be too far away from the main foot traffic zone.
- Start forging ties with suppliers: The ingredients are the life and soul of your coffee shop. Hire a taste tester when selecting your beans. You can also search for ingredient suppliers online. A simple ‘mozzarella wholesale suppliers’ search in Google, will show you a list of options.
Two incredible staycation business ideas
Local tour guide:
If you know your area like the back of your hand, you should consider opening a small tour guide business. To some people, your city, town, or village might look bland, but you know the ins and outs of the surrounding area. You know the incredible history of your location, and how it plays a part in the economy, engineering, technology, food industry, and entertainment. Here’s how to get started.
- Evaluate your location: Mark all the interesting spots. This could be an abandoned old mill, a manufacturing facility, a famous food brand, the childhood home of a famous actor, a great local cafe serving unique local food and drink, a war memorial, etc. Write down all of these things and learn as much as you can about them. This requires extensive research and then confirming details by calling around to the relevant knowledgeable authorities.
- Research your competitors: As ever, you need to know what other tour guide companies are located close to you. Make sure you’re not overlapping each other in tour packages and try to give your customers a unique experience as much as possible.
- Register as a tour guide: Not just anybody can come and start giving educated tours of their area. The local authorities need to know you’re accurately representing the history and present-day culture of the city, town, or village you’re guiding people through. A quick search on Google will direct you to various options such as registering with the Institute of Tour Guiding in the UK.
- Liability cover: Since you are moving people around either by private hire bus, coach, or just on foot, you will need liability insurance. In case someone trips and falls on your tour, you won’t be held responsible for their medical bills or likely be sued.
Renting your abode:
Home renting has become a very popular staycation option for many people. The allure is that you get to stay in a historic house, made in a different time period, using different techniques and materials, and you’re slap-bang in the heart of the countryside. Guests will have self-catering options, as well as options to explore the village and surrounding area for their dining needs. They will also have privacy which is very important to customers. So how can you get started?
- What kind of route? Do you plan on offering your home on Airbnb? This usually means that you will need to decide whether you will be giving all of your home to customers or just the spare room. You don’t have to leave your home, but you will need to live differently with paying guests. You should give them more room to relax i.e., use the living room, kitchen, and bathrooms at their will. If you can tolerate this, you could use this route. If you’d like to go privately, you can advertise your home on many other websites. You will more than likely only be able to do this if you offer all of your home for the duration of their stay.
- Speak with a real estate agent that could spread your property far and wide on the online advertising boards. Your home could be displayed on multiple websites, thus, garnering a better chance of being selected.
Taking the lockdown weight off
We’ve all been forced to live a sedentary lifestyle these last few months. This undoubtedly means most of us have piled on the pounds. Many of us are going to need help in order to shed this extra weight off. So it’s the right time to start a workout business. Teaching people what exercise to do, helping them maintain form, eating healthily, and making fitness a part of their daily lives is a brilliant business strategy that would be feasible at any time. But post-lockdown, the fitness industry is set to skyrocket. Here’s what you need to do.
- In order to give your clients the best help possible, take any one of these Level 3 Personal Training Courses. This will give you up-to-date knowledge on what techniques bear the most results, how to push novice clients without fatiguing them, and how you can help them recover. There is a course on soft tissue massage, post-natal exercise, prescribing nutrition, etc.
- You should also work with a local gym, so you can use their facilities and equipment. You may also want to have classes at home, so you should seek to buy the relevant equipment you will need. Home gyms are quite expensive if you buy good quality items, but you will find that it’s better for a long-term personal trainer business. You also don’t have to leave your house to go to work and clients may feel more confident not being among other gym-goers.
- Help customers online. The world of personal trainers has dramatically shifted. Now you can market your business online using platforms like YouTube. There are various YouTube channels that offer clients live stream sessions that they can join. You can also use conference call software to speak with clients about their workouts and also send documents for their new workout plans, nutritional needs, dieting, and more.
Now is a great moment to open a new business. Especially certain types that most consumers will be drawn to after the lockdown is over. Any one of these businesses will do well with the surge of people wanting to return to normal life.
