Welcome to the third blog in this series, all about opportunities that have emerged from lockdown. Things have certainly been different during lockdown and it looks as though they will continue to change with lots of talk of the ‘new normal’.
I’ve used Startups.co.uk’s list of ‘best business ideas’ published over the past few years to take a look at which businesses might make the startup success list in 2021.
1. Time is money
Apparently, we’ve all had extra time on our hands for the past few months and perhaps it is this which has led to an uptick in popularity of such crafts as macramé and such hobbies as keeping house plants.
In a blast back to the seventies, people are embracing both these retro trends. Houseplants have been enjoying a resurgence for several years now and macramé just happens to be a great way to display their lovely leaves. As the world gets busier, there are increasing numbers of people without access to a garden, so this trend is likely to keep growing….
2. Cocktails and dreams
Make your business dream a reality by investigating the new fashion for cocktails and premium mixers. Lockdown has added another twist to this tale as we’ve seen people partaking in mixing and tasting sessions virtually, and the delivery of ready-mixed cocktails to the home.
The money, however, might well be in the mixers as this market has been extremely lucrative for large premium brands. There’s therefore still plenty of space for startups to introduce something innovative. Consumers love provenance, natural ingredients, and local producers so there are lots of differentiators to cash in on.
3. Forget FinTech, FemTech is where it’s at
Finally, for Part 3 of this series, let’s take a look at women’s health. Clearly things like worldwide pandemics focus our minds on health and wellbeing more than ever and that’s certainly come at the right time for those interested in the women’s health tech space. Still crowded with topics that are a little taboo, women’s health is somewhat behind when it comes to technical innovation.
However, we sense that is about to change and we’re already seeing more airtime given to subjects including menopause, period tracking and contraception. Developing technology to help women navigate the ever-changing landscape of their health is certain to be a hot spot as big data, women embracing technology and a hunger to learn more about our bodies converge to create the perfect opportunity.
A great range of opportunities seem to be coming to the fore, post pandemic and we’ve still got a few to share. The fourth and final instalment in this blog series will look at living with less and the rise of the online business model.
