“Starting a new business amidst the pandemic can be tough, but it’s certainly not impossible. Challenging times such as these offer aspiring business owners the opportunity to start a business with less competition for resources. Also, it’s best to remember that positive and negative changes bring about new consumer needs, and consumer needs are the core of any business. It’s crucial to determine what customers need now and offer solutions to those needs. That is what’s gonna set you and your business apart.”
Matthew Paxton, Founder Hypernia
Now, How can Someone Start a Business Amid the Pandemic?
“Most people believe launching a business with zero up-front investment is just not possible. In a world where COVID is more than just a nightmare, building a new business from the ground seems too big of a risk. This way of thinking is more than justified – for obvious reasons. Yet, somehow, new businesses keep popping up every single day. Since millions of people are forced to work from home, looking into starting an online business is the most obvious solution.
And launching a business online during a pandemic is not as hard as many believe. Anyone can do it and have a good chance of success if: They know who their target audience is going to be. They understand the problems the audience has to solve. They have a clear vision and actionable ideas to solve the problems. As long as people have these three points covered, there is no reason why they shouldn’t start and develop successful businesses – even amid the pandemic.”
Boryana Stefanova, the founder of Cash Embrace
Find the Market Gap
“If you want to start a business during the pandemic, you have to go where your ideal customers can spend money TODAY. Try and find a market that is underserved and you do it better. Find 3 things you can do better than your competitor and put it on the front of your website, in your email signature and anywhere your leads are. For example, we scaled FranchiseFilming.com (Niching down to helping franchises specifically with video production) – through COVID and we scaled 900% last year and had our best year ever. Companies need video now more than ever to drive sales to make up for lost sales over the past 18 months.”
Trevor Rappleye, CEO CorporateFilming.com
“My number one tip is to watch trends.google.com. If you have a business market in mind, or even if you are looking for inspiration, Google’s data can help guide you in the right direction. For example, at the beginning of the pandemic there were massive spikes in search volume for “adopting dogs”, “quarantine date ideas” and “virtual field trips.” Any of these core insights could be enough to launch a business. The pandemic is a difficult environment to operate in, but if you move quickly and make the right investments you can achieve growth in months that would otherwise take years.”
Michael Alexis, CEO of TeamBuilding
“Finding a gap in the market, and starting a business to fill it is how Titoma was founded. Someone who has seen such a gap caused by the pandemic can create a successful business model. Many small businesses were forced into digital transformation and outsourced to remote freelancers to complete these transformations. This has led to a larger market for anyone with SEO, SMM, or copywriting expertise. An entrepreneur with these skills, or connections with these skills can start a business working from home amid the pandemic.”
Keesjan Engelen, CEO of Titoma
Effective Digital Marketing
“If you want to start a business during this time, you are going to have to conquer the eCommerce world. Shopping online is the most vital part of running a business in 2021. Every business now has a website where you are able to purchase their products online, but if you are new to running things online, it can be a bit tricky. You need to make sure that your website stands out. If your customers pull up your URL and it is a very sketchy-looking website, chances are they are gonna leave the page immediately. You need to make your site pleasing and attractive. Let your customer feel safe on the website. Use colors that are professional yet fun and avoid cluttering your website with advertisements that can come off tacky. Aesthetically pleasing websites perform far better than ones that are lagging in design.”
Melissa South, entrepreneur SwingTie
“One thing you need to know about starting a business during the pandemic is to create an effective digital marketing approach. A solid digital media approach will assist in sustaining the new company through periods of uncertainty. Transparent contact and being faithful to the brand online are two critical components to building consumer loyalty before and after the pandemic. COVID has complicated marketing significantly, as many of the traditional avenues for marketing a consumer company, including activities, are not viable at the moment. We’ve largely relied on digital ads and consumer referrals for traffic. Additionally, we’ve participated in a few socially remote outdoor activities, such as hiring an ice cream truck and handing out free ice cream.”
Richard Mews, CEO, Sell With Richard
Create a Long-Term Growth Strategy that is Recession-Proof
“The market world seems to have shifted dramatically in the last few months, and it could well do so again. Through creating a long-term, recession-proof growth strategy and implementing sound financial management, you will guarantee that your startup will survive every storm. I propose that you ensure your company is COVID-proof, which means that it is something that anyone will love in the COVID environment we are actually living in. Otherwise, you risk incurring losses that you cannot recoup.”
Jennifer Foster Managing Editor and Life/Relationship Coach, Authority Astrology
Planning
“My advice to starting a business during COVID is to have a business plan. Developing a business plan serves as a useful opportunity for an entrepreneur to: carefully research the company’s existing or intended industry, market and competition, identify the factors that will account for its success and failure; plan ahead in terms of acquiring and managing human, physical, technological and financial resources that are needed to operate successfully. You can also plan for any cash flow shortage or difficulty in hiring employees during COVID. By crystalizing the entrepreneur’s thoughts and commit them to paper, the feasibility, strength and weakness of the business can be evaluated and specific factors that will determine the company’s success can be identified.”
Kim Chan, Founder and CEO of DocPro
Product, Price, Place, Promotion
“Start your business with the 4Ps. The 4Ps of business marketing mix should always be taken into consideration, no matter what situation we are in. You should know what product is going to sell in the market today – you can create the demand for that market too. You need to identify where you will sell and deliver the products. Putting a reasonable price on your products is a must, too. And lastly, what types of promotion you will do to introduce your products whether face to face or online marketing, which the latter is a hit these days.”
Carley, Head Of Social And Customer Care, Friendly Turtle
The experts have covered all the bases. Now keeping these professional strategies before you, you can better plan that dream business. The pandemic doesn’t need to be a hindrance in your plans. Work smarter and streamline your blueprint to adapt to turbulent circumstances.
