Launched a startup_ Here’s how you can make the most of it during lockdown

13, July 2020: The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted most businesses and the economy in general. As the number of cases keep rising in Pune and elsewhere, many have lost their jobs and many are struggling to make ends meet due to the physical distancing norms in place . If you have launched a startup recently or thinking of planning to launch one, here are some enterprising ideas to make it COVID-proof.

Personal safety and hygiene

In Pune, masks and PPE are selling like hotcakes. If there is one market that has come out at the top in recent times, it is the PPE kit market. In fact, there are exclusive anti-COVID stores across the city selling protective gear at a reasonable price. Be it a pharmacy or a mom and pop establishment, there is great demand for sanitisers, gloves, masks and other protective gear.

Some things that are high in demand include face shields, sanitiser stands, PPE kits, oximeter, antiseptic cleaning liquids, infrared thermometers and sprayers.

Since the self-imposed ban on the use of Chinese products, customers are preferring to buy local. If you have a connection with the boutique or cottage industry, you can easily start manufacturing reusable, triple layered, cloth masks. Either you can get them manufactured at a low cost or you can source it from a reliable vendor.

If you have some experience in the chemical business, then you can start making sanitisers and anti-septic cleaning liquids to address the spike in demand for these products.

While most companies that claim to produce sanitisers that kill 99.9 percent of germs need a drug manufacturing licence, locally manufactured brands use the cosmetic licence to sell these products.

Other products that you can easily source and resell include gloves, sanitizer stands, face shields, oximeter, touchless dispensers, paper and tissue rolls PPE kits etc.

Online entertainment

Times are stressful and people are stuck at home. What better way to offer a respite from the stress than starting an online entertainment business. From a listing a review website to entertainment blogging, sports betting and a local eCommerce company, there are plenty of options to make revenue online.

You could also offer web development and design service. Online gambling and betting has really taken off in 2020 so you could build a website like https://casino.netbet.com/in/.

Alternatively, sports betting apps are quite the rage, so you could also invest in developing a sports betting website and app such as https://sport.netbet.com/in/.

Music is the food of the soul. And the same taste in music is sometimes the perfect antidote to gloomy times and being stuck at home. If you aren’t aware, listening parties are held across the world for listening to and discussing music together. Many musical apps are officially launching a shared queue feature to enable group listening.

Cloud Kitchens

Cloud kitchens provide the perfect recipe in times of lockdown with physically distanced foodies. As the restaurant business is closed and would-be diners are at home, takeaway meals have soared in popularity.

Cloud kitchens are commercial cooking facilities that don’t have a physical dine-in space and are catering-only to deliver orders placed via phone or online. According to RedSeer Management Consulting cloud kitchens are slated to be a $ billion industry in India by 2024.

If you or someone in your family loves to cook, bake or create signature dishes then this is the right time to cash in on that talent. Home delivery orders have surged in Pune since March and people are discovering the flavours and creativity of many home chefs, albeit taking all the safety measures and sanitation steps.

Conclusion

Every crisis provides opportunity for innovation and creativity. Put on your thinking hat and try to think of business ideas that are not only lucrative but help people in these trying times.