Over 40million people are currently unemployed in less than 3 months in the USA since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. That's scary right?
These are challenging times, businesses are laying off staff, businesses are outsourcing (paying for services only when needed), businesses are shutting down.
However, there are still people making money and recording groundbreaking profits.
Now is a good time as any to launch a business, whether as a side hustle (Get your plan B on track) or full blown startup. If you are ready, then let's talk.
In the meantime, here are some of my leading businesses to start, 10 of them you can start right now!
Food - If you love cooking, then this is a very good time to be in business. Consider mobile trucks if you have the funds, or simply cook from your house and send. Look carefully at your menu and be creative. What is your unique selling point? Order and delivery, use pictures and videos to push. Publish your menu. Actively engage your audience. Look around you, identify captive markets (groups/offices that need and can afford your service), engage potential customers, distribute free samples and obtain feedback. You can start with very low capital.
Tutoring. Do you love teaching? This is the time to start offering your services. You can create a simple website that people can order, use social media channels and also join online tutoring platforms.
Drop shipping. Selling others goods without owning them. You are more or less like a bridge. you will partner with wholesalers to have their products labeled under your brand. When someone makes a purchase, you will inform the company to ship their order to the customer. With that, dropshipping is an affordable online business to start. To set up shop, you only need a website, a laptop, and access to wholesale supplier directories. You can do this on any platform.
Table water production - This is a good time to become a producer of satchet and bottled water. It is one of the essential commodities that people cannot do without and the alternative is not desired.
Become a distributor to top Fast moving Consumer Goods (FMCGs) - These are goods that are essential to maintaining hygiene, feeding the family, etc. There are different brands around you. You can introduce a twist by bundling products that typically go together, branding it and delivering to families and people that desire them.
Social Media Manager - Now is a very good time to pick this up. Most people are busy and unable to actively engage their audience. This role enables you manage posts, comments, content creation, etc. You can manage as many accounts as you can effectively handle. Just put yourself out there, follow people who posts not so frequently, and learn how to use multiple social media platforms.
Virtual Freelance Book Keeper - If you love keeping financial records, then this is for you. Consider packaging your virtual bookkeping services and advertising it.
Video editors and Graphic designers. A lot of people are engaging their customers in this season via video calls and ads. This presents an opportunity for you to offer your skills, create, edit and provide value for business owners.
Virtual Assistant - Like the name suggests, you will be an assistant to a business owner but do it virtually. All services will be provided virtually - calls, management of schedule, meetings, coordination, etc. You can be an assistant to more than one business owner, depending on the intensity and frequency of engagement.
Digital Products Creator. Digital products are intangible goods that exist in digital forms. It includes e-books, online ads, downloadable music, worksheets, webinars, video tutorials, e-learning (online courses), blog posts, website themes, instagram story/live themes, graphics, etc. This role requires you creating digital products for for experts. This is currently trending across different platforms. You take the idea, write it, design, edit and package it.
Copywriter - This is the art of writing advertising promotional materials. This requires the art of story telling. It includes social media caption, blog posts, landing page content, ad scripts, etc.
Traffic generator - This role focuses on driving traffic to a client's products or services across identified platforms. Some popular tools include SEO, Backlink, etc.
Ads specialists - These are people who can fully implement ads that convert. Many brands are looking for potential buyers and this is a strategy that works. You need to fully understand how ads are done on top social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Linkedln
General tips
If you have the skills, this is a time to use them. Put yourself out there, list on upwork, freelancer, etc. Engage family and friends, leverage your social networks, begin to send personal messages.
Learn the skills you require, check out typical price per service and deliver. Consume free online resources and pay for some if needed. Do something free for a friend/family in business and have handy testimonials.
Establish a website and brand yourself. There are quite a number of free companies that you can start with. They typically have free versions to get you up and thereafter a paid version when you want to get a domain at affordable rates.
A social media manager can accommodate almost 4 skills (traffic generator, ads specialist, page manager, digital product creator, etc) and earn money on it.
Ready to start your business and launch or re-launch your business, then let us connect. Subscribe to receive more posts like this, Share, Drop a Comment, Like and reach out if you want us to brainstorm the idea you have. Let's do this!
Ezinne.nwokafor@gmail.com or follow me on instagram @ezinnenwokafor